Chapter 3

Rocio's

"Rocio, look at me." He demanded. I opened my eyes and saw a pistol in his hand.

"Why do you have a gun? Where are you going?" I desperately grasped on his coat.

"Don't leave me here," I said and shook my head.

"Just stay here. Don't move, ok? You'll be safe here. Just do what I say," he said. I didn't have the time to process his command. He left the car and I was left ducking and covering my ears.

Tears cascaded from my eyes and my body shook in fear the whole time. I heard the door opened. I could no longer hear the gunshots, but the thought that his enemies might have found made me cry harder.

"Please, don't hurt me! I'll do anything that you tell me, just don't hurt me!" I begged. I shrieked in fear as a hand tapped me.

"Rocio, it's me. It's done, baby. They're gone, you're safe!" He announced. I jumped straight into his arm as relief washed over me.

******

"The encounter that happened earlier was the reason why you need to have a security team that must go with you at all times." He explained.

"You have enemies. Enemies that will kill you and anyone close to you. What kind of person are you to have those? And it's in plural form! You have a lot." I kept on losing it while the stranger whose name I had no idea remained stilly and storm-free.

"These people that I'll appoint as your security are the pick of their litters. They were trained to risk their lives and catch a bullet for you---"

"And that's supposed to ease away all my worries that my life is constantly on the line, ha? What are you? What's your line of work to have these so-called enemies? Are you some ilk of a mafia boss or something?" I asked sneeringly and when he chose to leer back at me, it set off the emergency bells in my head.

"You are?!"

"No." I waggled my head, "I'll ask, beg even, for my mom's friend who sold me to you to give you your money back, and then he can go on and sell me to a different bidder. I'll pay an interest if I have to! How much do you want? Tell me!"

"Silly, there's no way Gray would do that, and in case he agreed to give me back my money to get you back, I'll only double that one million to ensure that you're going nowhere, but next to me." I peered at him dejectedly, tears descending on my cheeks.

"Czar, we're approaching the estate," his driver said. The stranger tossed his eyes back to me after checking the window out.

"Dry out those tears, Rocio. There's nothing for you to cry about. You're the new Czarina of Rune's society, which means you're the most powerful woman in this city now that you've become my wife." Not knowing how to digest all of this, I figured out that following his wish and desire would fritter me away from danger.

The car stopped in a driveway and his driver debouched from the car within a blur, busting the door open for us. The stranger prepared to come ashore, but I clasped my hand on his arm, and he shot a questioning glare.

"A-At the least, tell me what's your name?"

"Alas."

"Alas, I know that. What I mean is the full name. What's your  surname?"

"Morana, our surname is Morana, baby." Alas, offered up his hand before my eyes.

"There's nothing to be scared about, Rocio. I have tons and big enemies, but I won't let them lay a hand on you, I'll burn their world if they do." He gently pinched up my chin for our eyes to swathe.

"I never bluff, Rocio. I'll kill and start a bloody war for you."

"You don't mean that. We just met, how can you treat me like your whole damn world wheeled around me when you've only known me for hours?" My eyes fattened and dilated after he leveled his lips with mine, and not even a forewarning ahead.

Alas, possessively muffled his finger around my neck, tempting me to open my lips more, so he could kiss me better. Feelings that I was never aware of enslaved me. He led me to play with his lips according to the pace that he had set, and so when a hand stripped him away from me, the feeling was something I could compare to being pulled back into hell as soon as you had set your foot on heaven.

I fluttered my lids open and got to see the same woman that he was with in the coffee shop gushing with rage flung a slap, prompting me to hit her back. She was taken aback, but she quickly redirected her anger to me. Alas, got in between us, fishing her hand before the woman could hurt me.

"Aria, enough!" He shouted, but her frothing anger burned even more.

"The hell? How dare you? Just who do you think you are to lay a hand on me?" She yelled.

"You started it. You slapped my husband first, but because you're a woman and there's no way I'd let him hit a woman back, I'll be the one to give back the favor to you!" I spat.

"H-Husband?" Something shattered her heart. Aria stole a glance from Alas, verifying whether her ears had picked up it right.

"Alas, what is she talking about?"

"You heard her. This woman is my wife and R. S' Czarina. We'll deal leniently with you, just this once. If you try to hurt her again, know that there will be a consequence." Alas, girded his arm on my waist and walked me inside a palace-like estate.

A sluggish laugh ushered as Alas and I settled our feet to the black marble floor of the estate. Alas, keeled his eyes.

"I saw what happened outside." The man whom I assumed was his father based on the uncanny resemblance of their features preferred me his hand.

"Not even Alas can put Aria in her place, yet you... you facilely did it, not even a minute after you treaded in our world." Alas,' father dabbed his shoulder.

"I thought we'll end this day with me lashing out at you for wasting a million on some expensive whore, I was wrong, she's worth more than that."

"Rocio is not a whore, Dad." The old man looked over his shoulder, a dead-panned look in his eyes and an enervated smile on his mouth.

"What do you call a woman you take home after you paid for her?" Alas, didn't say anything.

"Exactly what I thought, a whore. I didn't say that she isn't a virgin, though, good for you that she is." Alas, wheeled around to block his father from my sight, his palm covering my ears. Alas, shook his head, insisting that I shouldn't listen to the older Morana.

Gently yanking his hand away from my ear, I hung a consoling smile.

"You shouldn't have heard that."

"Your father was right, I may be a virgin, but I was sold in that auction like a whore. His word doesn't hurt nor bother me in the slightest." I fondled the back of his hand.

"You said it yourself, Alas. You've got tons of enemies that you must protect me from, but for someone like Aria or your father's disgraceful comment, ease up yourself, for I can manage it."

Alas, smiled, the world brightened up at that, "Why? What's funny?" I had to ask.

"Ten minutes ago, you were crying in my car, asking me to send you back to Gray, now you're telling me that you can handle Aria and Gregor Morana." A smug and proud smile painted his lips.

"See? I was right. You're the best fit to become my wife." I pouted my lip, then my eyes hovered at a lesion on his lips.

"That woman! Her slap left a cut on your lips." Browsing the estate for someone I could ask a help from.

"Do you know where's the first aid kit? I'll tend to your wounds, your wound might leave a scar if not treated immediately."

"We're off to my room then, Rocio."

I gulped nervously at his suggestion, remembering the feelings that hammered through me as we shared a kiss, "Y-Your room?"

"Yes, I have a first aid kit there, why?" I moistened my lower lip and flung a smile.

"N-Nothing, to your room then, chop-chop!" I bleated.