ALINA
I slowed down in my steps and craned my neck slightly to check if my father's men were following me. Luckily for me, the coast was clear. I sighed a breathe of relief, my legs picking up little pace as I started jogging down the street.I had overheard my dad earlier in the morning instructing his goons to keep I and my sisters locked in today.I had managed to leave the house unnoticed but why did my dad want us locked in? I know it was normal for him to always limit my activities, I was used to all that but not my older sisters. I was the caged bird and they were the free ones.I wouldn't have been bothered if the rule only applied to me. It wasn't the first time that father prohibited my movements but for Leila and Vanessa, it was a completely new thing for them. I was a naturally indoor kind of person but I also needed my space to just go out and chill.The guards back at Moscow were no strangers to my schemes and tricky moves whenever Dad kept me locked in. But why was dad so strict in his treatment of me? He never let me go out whenever I want to, scolded me for the little things and never let me air out my opinions. A shaky breath pushed past my lips and I halted in my steps. I would never find the answer to that question. I decided to amble instead of jog and came across a dainty little coffee shop in the street.It wouldn't be any harm to get some snacks. I sauntered inside, greeting the few customers that sat outside on the wooden patio chairs.The interior was just like I thought it would be. It wasn't overly fancy to feel out of place. The decor was enough to make someone feel comfortable. With wooden chairs and rounded tables decorating the interior and a rectangular glass case that was placed next to the counter of the shop which showcased samples of the various delectables and tasty edibles that the restaurant could provide, it left my mouth drooling. The sweet aroma of varous pastries filled the entire shop, mild chatterings of the people creating the placid ambience. The moment I took a seat, a waiter swiftly came over to my side.A wide smile was fastened on to his face. With a pen and booklet on one hand, he proceeded to ask, "Hello ma'am what would you like to eat?" I thought for a while before answering."I'll love some toast and coffee"He quickly took down my orders and left. I focused on watching people walk into the restaurant and also people stroll outside. I love calm mornings such as these.I was seated close to the glass windows of the restaurant which gave me a good view of the outside. It was not boisterous or animated just serene and peaceful."Um is this seat taken?" A soft masculine voice interrupted my thoughts. I whipped my face to meet his and I smiled. "No. You can have a sit" I replied."Thank you" he smiled back which showed his dimples.I accessed his features.With pepper coloured hair that was a bit ruffled but still made him look stunning and green eyes that seemed very lovely to look into, high cheekbones and slightly red lips; he was pretty handsome. "I think you are pretty too" he suddenly said taking me by surprise.How did he know I was thinking of complimenting him too?"How did you know I was thinking of complimenting you?" I asked immediately, my brows pulled together in sheer shock.Was he some kind of mind reader?"Well it showed all over your face that you were admiring me" he chortled."Not to sound cocky or anything" he added, a smirk sitting on his lips."Really?"He nodded. My face immedately went beetroot red and I felt all the blood rush from my cheeks."You look even more cute now that you seem embarrassed" he laughed, putting his hand on his thighs."Stop complimenting me too much. I might start blushing fifty shades of pink" I teased with a lopsided grin."How can I stand not complimenting a pretty lady?" He cheekily leaned forward and asked."Oh please stop" I cried, bursting into laughter.We both erupted into fits of laughter for a while before he introduced himself."I'm Theodore what about you?" He outstretched his hand for me in a handshake."Alina. Alina Federov" I replied taking his soft hands in mine."Russian yes?" He asked with a hiked brow.How did he know?"Seems someone has been studying all about Russia" I replied.He shrugged his shoulders at me. "I love Russia. I grew up there actaully. I so much love the chilly Russian weather""So should I say you are Russian by naturalization?" I tilted my head to the side."Maybe" he gave me doting stares.I liked this guy.A waiter passed us by and he called for him."Um what would you love to eat Alina?" He inquired.I shook my head at him. "I already ordered""Oh in that case just get me chocolate tea and waffles" he ordered."Man I'm starving. Where is my order?" I asked no one in particular, craning my neck to check the counter.Fortunately, in about two minutes, a different waiter came with both our orders in a large silver spherical tray. The delicious aroma of both cuisines mixing filled my nostrils and I just couldn't wait to start eating."You must have such a large appetite this morning" he laughed."You will be so amazed" I replied in between stuffing the food in my mouth."Alina means light. So it's safe to say you are the light in my world" He said to me. My eyes widened at his remark and I almost choked on the food."Um sure" I gulped down on my tea."I believe we will be good friends Alina" he took a bite out of his waffles.Did he see me as a friend already?I smiled at him sheepishly."Of course"* * * * * * I sauntered back home. This morning had been so blissful to say the least. I made such a good friend, Theodore. And he kept me company throughout if not I would have been so damn bored in there. Not to mention his amazing sense of humour and ability to make butterflies within me with the slightest compliment.Damn. Alina. "Are you already falling for him?" I chided myself. Spending time with him had robbed me off my time. I didn't even know it was already noon by the time we were done talking and taking multiple orders again and again. Now walking back home, the bright sunny weather had been replaced by dark stormy clouds.The sun that once brilliantly shone was now struggling to stay filtered through the grey clouds. The wind had already begun blowing so eagerly, swaying posters along with it and trees along with it. The rumbling sound of thunder could be heard and I knew the storm was coming very quickly and it would be heavy.I quickened my steps only to feel little droplets of water drizzle down on me. Within a minute, the real storm had settled in and people scampered for shelter.Not finding anywhere else to go, I ran towards a shade in an alleyway. Standing under the trampoline roofing of the small abandoned kiosk, I wrapped an arm around my body to stop myself from shivering.Where did this damn rain come from?I was alone for a while until a group of guys also approached the area, taking shade in the trampoline with me.They were about three and I honestly began to feel uncomfortable ."Pretty girl what are you doing out here all by yourself?" One asked me after a brief moment of silence.I stood mute."The storm doesn't look like its ending anytime soon. You might as well have fun with us and let us keep you company" Another added, making them all cackle.Disgusted by their remarks, I proceeded to walk out when one of them suddenly yanked me by the hand, almost drawing me back."Leaving so soon?"I immediately kicked him in the groins causing him to howl in pain and letting go off my hand."Get your nasty hands off me"Taking to my heels in an instant, the remaining two came after me.The alleyway was deserted and the streets seemed deserted to. I ran like my life depended on it under the rain without sparing a second glance back at the two dick heads after me.Not taking observance of my surroundings, I almost ran into a car and my heart sank at once. Coming to a sharp halt, the car doors were pushed open.Now this person would either be my saviour or another devil. Stepping down, my gaze landed on those same masculine men I met back in the club and this time, another was with them.He stood out in the middle, tall with his dark hair almost covering half of his face. "Hey little brat!" One of the men finally caught up to me.My heart sank."Why are you after her?" A male voice asked."It's not your business" the second man snarled up behind him.The men chuckled and glanced at themselves. "Leave here now or else you will get your eyes blown out of their sockets" The one in the middle gravelly threatened.What did he mean by that?As if in answer to my question, he stylishly brought out a gun tucked behind his pants. My knees almost caved in to the grounds and those two men seemed shocked as hell."Fine you have her anyways. Goodluck handling men with guns" one of them distastefully spat at me before they retreated.Now it was just me and these men.I didn't even wait to be told. I sharply pivoted the opposite way to leave when my hands were yanked back again. Having a clear view of his face now, I realised he was the one I bumped into in the club."Where are you going?" He suddenly asked."Excuse me? Do you expect me to stay with men that have guns?" I retorted back, my legs itching to leave.A wry smirk appeared on his face making him more dangerous and extremely hot at the same time.His emerald eyes shone at me."Alina Federov, you bumped into me at the club and gave an unruly apology, now I saved you from getting assaulted and you can't even thank me"How did he know my name?I gasped, "How the hell do you know my name?"Who were these men exactly?"Believe me I know a lot more than your name my feisty little cat. You shouldn't walk away from me you know" he gave a dark chuckle."What do you want and what's the probability that you won't harm me now?You have a gun" I stated as a matter of fact."If I wanted to harm you baby girl, you would have been dead by now" He whispered to my ear."Well thank you for saving me to be honest"I added."Now let me go" I said through gritted teeth, snatching my hands from him."Proud bitch" I heard him say behind me.My body had me demanding and in a sharp pivot, I faced him and his league of men."What did you call me?""Whatever you heard" he cockily replied, taunting me."Really?" I asked.How dare he call me a proud bitch!? Who the fuck does he think he is. My anger and annoyance soared and at once, my hands connected to his jaw in a slap."Learn how to talk to a woman!" I spat at him, matching his stare with my daunting orbs before leaving under the rain.DANTE That girl literally raised her hands on me. First was bumping into me and next she slapped me for saving her from thugs that could have harrased her.She is so daring. She didn't even mind the fact that I was with a gun.My capos were stunned at the fact that I let her walk scot free without teaching her a lesson. I wouldn't blame them for thinking that way. I am Dante Morelli. My years of training right from childhood has shaped me into what I am now--a fearless and dangerous mafia boss who shouldn't be mess with. And yet today, this puny girl raised her hands at me and I was left too speechless to even react.I was intrigued by her. She was daunting, vibrant and she clearly didn't give two fucks about my personality.I had never met a woman like that.A woman who could stand in the midst of hardened men and speak without any atom of fear at them. Minutes had flown by yet I couldn't stop thinking about Alina.Right here in the house of my adversary, Nikolia Fedorov,
ALINA Father's word still resonated in my ears every passing second.This was the height of it all.I had no issue in him taking away my freedom of movement but this concerned my future. His insane idea was going to be lethal to my life. How could he just decide to get me married to Dante without consulting me?Not anybody else but he was forcifully putting me up with his rival!Didn't he care for me!?This felt like I was on a death row. I know how cruel Dante is. I have heard countless stories about him and I don't need any sooth sayer to tell me that my future and my life was in danger if I went ahead to get married to Dante. I screamed through out the entire night, thrashed around my room and cried for hours in a bid to relieve the pain but it only seemed to get worse. Not only did I get a throbbing migraine, my worries only grew worse.Why is father doing this to me?My tears know no boundary and my eyes are weak from sobbing incessantly and uncontrollably.Why am I always at
ALINA The beautiful burgundi lit church hall was affluently decorated to match the class of elites in attendance. Soft classical music was emanating from the hall as hundreds of people sat in expectance of the union that was bound to happen. The lightening and decor was superb. Father must have paid a great deal for this. Hand in hand, Father walked me down to the alter.My steps were slow and yet graceful.My eyes roved around the hall, sparing glances at all those who were in attendance before finally locking with those formidable orbs.Dante. He looked very handsome in his tuxedo which hugged his impeccable muscles and showcased how perfectly carved they were. His black hair was slicked and let to cascade. A devilish smile crawled upon his face on seeing me. His eyes took in my entire appearance. He didn't touch me but his eyes touched my entire body and it seemed to even unclad me. My mermaid fitted style wedding gown had done justice in bringing out my slim curves. My hair h
ALINA I shambled myself into the back seat of the limousine, a sigh escaping my lungs.The sun was gradually setting, the sky in a plethora of orange and pink colours. Everything had finally been done. My wedding had gone through with ease and the reception was a success.Father had made sure there was banquet of delectable cuisines bountifully made available for the guest.The reception hall had been spellbindingly ornamented and beautified. One would think this union was a happy one.I watched everyone with a plastic smile on my face. I hated it all. I never imagined to ever get married in these circumstances especially not to Dante Morelli but I just had to.Now, we were on our way back to what was my new home. I stared at the window, my thoughts bedevilling. I would either die in the course of this marriage or live a miserable life. Dante took of his tuxedo and removed the buttons of his shirt. From the corners of my eye, I noticed he had his eyes on me."Don't you talk?" He hus
ALINAMy eyes slowly peeled open to the soft rays of the sun which found its way into my room through the partly opened curtains. I dragged myself out of consciousness and yawned. It took a while for my vision to adjust to this foreign environment as everything seemed blurry. For a split second, I had expected to see myself cuddled up in my room and my mind wondered on whose room I laid in until it slowly dawned on me that I was in Dante's Mansion and this was the bedroom allotted to me by the maid who had helped me settle in last night.Now with enough lightening, I was able to fully access the room.No doubt, my bed was huge and ostentatious. Though I was very drowsy last night, I had managed to observe the room but faintly. Now in the day, I had full access to marvel at the room I was in.My scarlet red bed was a four poster bed with white and gold patterned sheets, having a caramel canopy thereby providing a rectangular roof over the bed.Two long windows were situated at
ALINA Before they all left, one of the maids had taken the liberty to show me all around Dante's gothic yet heavenly mansion.The brilliantly lit hallways stood awe inspiring in illuminating our paths. I couldn't keep count of how many doors I was being led into. From Dante's study room, to the room which had all the cleaning supplies installed in them to the laundry room, the magnificent spacious library with beautifully designed shelves that looked like they were carved from the finest of woods. They were arranged alphabetically in rows and different books were stacked in them. The library had this aura of ideas, imagination and knowledge oozing all over as a result of the different antique of books stacked in the shelves. Dante even had a mini game room stacked with game equipments which got me surprised. I never knew he had a fun side. Now, I was in the kitchen in preparation for the arrival of his guests.I wondered who Dante was inviting over?Could it be women? I woul
ALINA "Are you so blind that you mistook my legs for the table Alina!" Dante raged, bolting up from his seat at once."I'm sorry I'll get a napkin right away" I pleaded and attempted to turn away when an iron grip dragged me back. "Are you mad Alina?" Dante asked rhetorically in a surprisingly low tone this time.I had already apologised so what was the fuss then? "You did this on purpose didn't you?" He added with a raised brow."No, I would not. I didn't do it on purpose. Allow me to go get a napkin" I defended myself."Do you think I'm a fool to not recognise what you are doing huh Alina!?" Dante raged at me.I glanced at the other men and they all had slightly confused expressions rocking their faces."Dante why would Alina purposely pour syrup on you? It was just an accident" Enzo stood up for me."This is between me and my maid. I want no ones interference on this. She knows what she did. This lying bitch knows what she did" Dante's bitter tone retorted back at Enzo whilst kee
ALINA I pondorously walked down the stairs and towards the kitchen to prepare dinner. Ever since Dante kissed me so roughly yesterday night, we hadn't spoken again which I was honestly grateful for.My night was terrible. I had series of dreams in which Dante tried to force himself on me. I would always wake up with a fright whilst screaming out my lungs. Only heavens knew what Dante had against me that even in my sleep he tormented me. I pushed the double doors of the kitchen apart and checked the cupboards.We were running low on groceries and diary products. I guess I'll need to ask Dante to take me to the supermarket. I hadn't spoken a word to him through out the day.He stayed home which got me a tad uncomfortable at first but our silence and distance was refreshing to the core. The only time I saw him was when I brought breakfast and lunch to his study room. And I didn't say a word. I just dropped it and left whilst he continued on whatever he was doing. Now I'l