“W-what are you- KYAAHH!!” I shrieked as I feel I’m falling on my back

 

Swiftly and quickly did he topple both of our bodies down the bed as the thick bed sheet flew above us. Once all the movements were settled, I was pinned down as he hovered above me. Our surroundings are rather cramped due to the rather massed bed sheets covering us both. Our bodies almost touched each other as the bottom edges of my tank top hitched higher up my stomach.

 

The edges of his long white hair flowed down from his shoulders to on top of my skin. As well as his unruled bangs hang from his forehead due to gravity. His eyes glowed through the dim surroundings with a flat expression across his face. 

 

Aren’t we supposed to at least take it slow first??

 

“H-hey! Wait a sec! What are you doing?!” I shrieked, struggling to get hold of my body.

 

He shushed as he put a finger in front of his mouth, “Keep your voice down and stay still,” He whispered.

 

“Stay still?! Wha- Don’t tell me you’re going down for it without asking my consent first!!” I yelled as I pushed him by the chest as hard as I could.

 

I was pushing him with all of my strength but he doesn’t seem to even budge. He kept staring down at me with an unamused frown. How strong is this guy?!

 

“Listen-”

 

“YOU’RE NOT GOING YOUR WAY WITH THIS!!”  I shouted at him, frantically scattering my limbs around the mattress.

 

“Just listen to me first-”

 

“OH HELL NO! IF YOU’RE GONNA CONVINCE ME THAT YOU’RE NOT FORCING YOUR WAY INTO ME THINK AGAI-” I was cut off by a gloved palm instantly shutting my whole mouth.

 

“They are watching us,” He declared in a firm and deep tone.

 

His sudden words launched into my head, halting my movements in an instant. While, I, on the other hand, is trying to process what he meant. Someone is.... watching us? What the heck is going on?

 

That thought sends signals into my head to calm the adrenaline down in my body to turn the gears in my mind. My unrhythmically heartbeat began to slow down as Alvar let my mouth go from being shut.

 

“Are you still going to shout?” He asked, hovering his palm a few inches above my lips as he stared down at me.

 

I firmly shook my head and he let out a huff from his mouth. Removing his palm, then placing it beside my left arm. There was a moment that I saw hesitance from his face, his wrinkled brow and frown said it all.

 

And it’s my turn to question regarding the sudden situation.

 

“Okay… so what do you mean by… They’re watching us? Who are they?” I asked, getting nothing but silence from him.

 

Alvar looked like he was deep in his thoughts, the direction where his eyes latch on are variant. He was drumming his fingers against the mattress, drawing a flat line on his lips. It was getting humid inside of the space we’re both in. Not to mention the thick bed sheet covering both of us as he is on top of me.

 

“That crazy bastard...” He muttered, ignoring my questions whatsoever.

 

I decided to poke his forearm and gladly his eyes then fixed themselves on me, “Hellooo? You haven’t answered my question yet,”

 

He lets out another frustrated sigh, “...You’re very impatient, I was thinking about a solution for these circumstances,”

 

“Well at least give me some explanation. What the heck’s going on that got you into doing all of this?” I pointed my fingers outwards as I cramped my arms on my body.

 

I can’t even extend my arm due to his palms and arms towered to my left and right. I kept staring vexedly at him waiting for an answer as he paused for a moment. 

 

“...Fine, only if you keep this information from anyone outside of the Flammia Family, got it? And others beside me won't stay quiet if they know that you have learned about this classified information,” He asked sternly.

 

“Consider it a deal then, now talk,” I replied hurriedly, crossing my arms.

 

Alvar took a deep breath and exhaled quickly, “Have you ever heard of the celebrity scandals which happens often in this very hotel?”

 

"Scandals? Those are like children's books, of course I know them," I replied, still confused by his question

 

"But do you also know the fact that in each of those exposes, pieces of evidence in form of either video, voice recordings, or pictures also supported the articles?" He asked, lifting one of his brows.

 

"Y-yeah.... how come?"

 

I placed my thumb and forefingers under my chin as my mind wanders through the memories of seeing those articles. Now that he mentioned those details, looking back at it again...

 

"Caught in the Action!! Famous Actor Killian Morris is caught having an affair with an anonymous woman at the Onyx Plate Hotel!! He denies the pictures of him conversing with the unidentified woman being real!!"

 

"Blinded by fame and pleasure!! CEO of the Viva Entertainment Company was taped taking illegal drugs back at his hotel room at Onyx Plate Hotel!! Police are investigating the credibility of the footage provided by an anonymous resource,"

 

"Lured in by a Vicious Monster in Sheep's clothing!! Comedian Danny Thomas was secretly bribing an anonymous person on the phone to keep their mouths shut in his lounge at Onyx Plate Hotel. Resources tell that he was recorded telling the other person to forget about the one night stand he has with the individual!!"

 

All of the scandals and reports coming from this hotel, The infamous Onyx Plate Hotel, always have solid evidence that would get the suspects in strain. Losing their job, disowned by the community, shame tainting their names, and most of all... the sheer pressure pushed them over to the edge and ended up taking their own lives in the aftermath.

 

Adding the fact that Onyx Plate Hotel is under the Flammia Family's rule...

 

Don't tell me...

 

A lightbulb clicked inside of my head, "Is the Flammia Family behind the one providing those pieces of evidence?" I guessed, to which Alvar hummed.

 

Alvar lightly nodded his head, "It seems I don't have to explain everything to you then. You catch up on the matter quickly, although, it's more of "spreading" the media we use. I couldn't stand having to tell the whole backstory to a selfish nitwit," His voice sounds like he's mocking me at the end.

 

"Did you just called me short-minded and impulsive?!" I got slightly offended by his comment.

 

His expression seemed unbothered by my retaliation, "More or less, consider that you were hiding away at the reception all by yourself in the dressing room. Not to mention it took a very long time for you to resurface back at the venue. The exact move which would likely alert everyone that you might have fled the wedding, " The words he used to counter strike a realization in me.

 

But I should have been the one complaining here, especially with hiding Mira from me.

 

"Says the one who hides the fact that he has a little sister from his own spouse," My words took him by surprise as his eyes went wide.

 

His brows knitted together in anguish as he leaned his face closer to mine, "How did you know about that? Tell me," His voice was much quieter than earlier, but it contained some sort of resentment in it.

 

"How did I know that? She visited me in the dressing room herself, why didn't you even tell me about her? Or at least mentioned it to me when we signed the contract together?" I repeated his question mockingly, getting more annoyed that he hides Mira from me.

 

"Visited you?!" His volume of voice increased.

 

He then lifted and placed his palm over his face. Rubbing the bridge of his nose slowly with little movement.

 

"Castello... " He muttered someone's name under his breath.

 

"Why didn't you tell me about her?-" I asked with fury in my voice

 

"It's none of your business," He replied, revealing his stress-filled face as he let his palm down.

 

"Hey, I'm part of your family, even if I hate that fact itself. But at least tell me about yourself or maybe other family members that you have!" I countered using the truth that I'm bitter with.

 

He lets out a grunt, "This is getting off-topic, I have my own reasonings for that but for now, you have to listen to me. Otherwise, this night will be an ordeal for both you and me. It will make things worse-" 

 

As soon as I heard that last part... The anger bubbling inside of me... exploded from within...

 

"In what way can it get worse than the whole arranged marriage thing, huh?! It was already hell that I have to get married to you. Plus, I have to live here from now on and wouldn’t be able to see my brothers or dad ever again! You're lucky that you still have a little sister that you can see everyday!! What about me?! When will I ever be able to see them again?!” I snapped, fiery blazes of the frustration compiling up inside me blew right at his face.

 

"I cherish them so much that I was willing to give my life away! I love both of my brothers... I love my dad from the moon and back!! Something that a cold-blooded killer like you wouldn't understand!!" I shouted all my heart's distortion at his face.

 

“Are you going to make a move on me now that we're like this, is that it? Then, go ahead! It's not like it will get any better for me," I started to tear up from yelling my heart out to him, shriveling up into an emotional ball.

 

There was an awkward silence between us as ache seeped deep into the wounds of my heart. One or two teardrops began to roll themselves down my cheeks. The air was getting tenser, Alvar's face looked more disturbed by my reply.

 

"...Those are what our "watchers" wanted to see. That statue in the corner has a camera in one of its eyes. I pretty much guess there would be an audio recorder as well. Hence, this is the best possible way I can communicate with you without alarming them," Alvar explained, seeming irritated by me tearing up.

 

Well, that explains why he was staring at the statue earlier, makes perfect sense. I wiped the tears off my face and looked up at him. Still feeling down from my emotional burst earlier.

 

"So what are we going to do next? Stay like this until morning comes?" I sarcastically replied, to which Alvar shook his head.

 

"I have a plan if this might have happened, at least bear it with me in the whole process. It might take a while so you can rest easy," His left hand then backed off and inserted into one of the pockets of his pants.

 

I watched as he pulled a smartphone from his pocket and began to type things on the screen with his thumb. I was lying on my back on the soft mattress, silently watching his movements.

 

"What are you going to do about this?" I asked out of curiosity, waiting for his answer for a moment as he placed his phone next to his ear.

 

"I'm calling my subordinate, he knows what to do," Alvar replied as the phone let out a muffled ring and switched off to another noise in a matter of seconds.

 

"Mordecai?" Alvar asked

 

"Yes, sir. Is there anything I could assist with?" I heard a young man's clear and brazen voice through the phone.

 

It does make sense that I could hear the other person's voice, mine and Alvar's faces are inches apart.

 

"Are you still in the hotel lobby?"

 

"Yes sir, I'm with the second division of the security forces"

 

"Disable the cameras and any audio recorders in VIP room number 9. And also delete any footage that has been recorded from it. Do it swiftly and fast, don't let the others catch you interfering with the system. And no more questions," Alvar specifically ruled out his orders with a still voice.

 

"Roger that, I will see what I can do to get inside of the program," The voice replied as I could hear some noises that sounded like water falling aggressively around the individual.

 

"Use the computer in one of the studios on floor 45, and don't hang up the phone until you're finished," Alvar added

 

"Yes, sir. I'm on my way," After the voice finished replying, Alvar placed the phone beside my right arm.

 

"That should do the trick, it will only take him a moment to hack into the devices," Alvar mentioned as he looked back at me in the eyes.

 

My heart was slightly relieved by his actions, "Who's that by the way?"

 

"...A trusted subordinate of mine, he's an expert with the network system,"

 

I hummed in acknowledgment, still feeling disrupted by the fact we're being watched, "Okay... So are we just gonna wait like this until he finishes his job?"

 

"Seems like it," Alvar replied with a hefty voice

 

After his voice went quiet, the two of us didn't say anything more than staying in the position that we're in. I sniffed and wiped off the remaining tears in the meantime. Tugging down on my tank top to cover up my lower abdomen.

 

“Is Mira safe?” A worried-filled voice called out to me.

 

I turned to look at Alvar’s flat expressioned face, “Hmm? Mira?”

 

“Yes, was she alright when she visited you? Did someone else come with her?” Alvar added, while still maintaining his position on top of my body firmly.

 

I narrowed my eyes at him, “She’s okay, I guess. Her personal bodyguard was with her at that time, his name is Ludwig if I recall-”

 

“Castello, yes I know him. Did he escort her out of there safely?” Alvar added more questions in a hurried tone, not letting me finish first.

 

“Well, about that, I didn’t go outside of the dressing room any further to know” I shook my head and palms in front of him to support my statement.

 

Alvar clicked his tongue dissatisfied by my reply, “Alright, I will have to question Castello himself later,”

 

With him mentioning Ludwig’s surname, the friendly man’s words of warning towards Mira resurfaced in my mind.

 

“Look, Mira… I do want you to spend time with Lady Lenna but if we go unnoticed any further, it might alert the security. You wouldn’t want Alvar nor the others to get mad at yourself, would you?”

 

”...You’re right. Big brother would be worried if someone told him I was gone, others could blame you for what happened, Ludwig,”

 

“O-oh, I’m fine if I took the blame. You don’t need to worry about that part, Mira”

 

“Are you going to do something to Ludwig once you finish asking him for info? Going to shoot him dead?” I instantly asked as Alvar was deep in his thoughts.

 

He looked confused, “Why would you ask something like that?” His answer was as if he doesn’t even remember what I had to witness weeks ago.

 

A memory of him gunning down a  man from his own crew who has disobeyed orders from the Godfather himself. Displaying on how he deals with things right in front of my very eyes was my first impression of him.

 

I crossed my arms and looked away from Alvar, “Don’t you even remember? Back at the docks… When you shot someone?” 

 

“Oh… you mean that… He disobeyed my orders,”

 

“But you didn’t have to kill him like that!” I beg to differ with his opinion.

 

“I was ordered by the Don to finish him. My job is to make his commands into reality,” Alvar replied with an increased tone in his voice.

 

“He’s still a human being,” I sympathized with the victim, knowing he was pleading for his life only to be snapped off from existence.

 

“....” 

 

There was no reply coming from Alvar after my statement. When I was about to open my mouth again, a voice calling Alvar’s title came from the phone. Alvar hurriedly picked it up and began to listen.

“Have you done it yet?” Alvar’s voice turned grim.

 

“Just a little bit more, I’m getting there,” The voice replied as dashing clicks of keyboard keys came along with his words.

 

“Aanndd, there you go. It’s already finished, sir,” A final loud click from the other side indicates the truth.

“Now get back before anyone finds out about it,” Alvar replied

 

“Yes, sir,” With that said, Alvar hung up the phone and lifted his body up.

 

He lifted the bedsheet to uncover both of us, exposed to the light in the room. I have to cover part of my eyes due to the intensity of the light from being under the covers for several minutes.

 

“You sleep on the bed, I’ll be on the couch,” He said, still sitting on the edge of the bed.

 

I narrowed my eyes at him and glanced at the statue on the corner, “Are you sure it’s already turned off?”

 

Alvar turned his upper body to face me with a flat expression on his face, “Is the evidence earlier not enough for you? If you’re still uncomfortable with it, just cover the statue with the bedsheet,” His voice gave me a hint of irritation.

 

His shoulder rubbed off a cold impression on me, an aura that embodies a loner personality. I was sitting on my knees as I watched him remove his gloves. Observing as he slid off the rough cloth from his bare hands. 

 

His palms are slightly bigger than mine from what I can see, although near his right wrist was some edges of dried skin. Kind of like a scar or some sort, the skin does look darker than his pale surfaces. I’m really curious what’s the story behind it.

 

“Do you really have to be this close?” A voice snapped me out of my mind, not realizing that I was practically leaning my head beside his shoulder.

 

I instantly pulled my head back with heat slowly rising on the surfaces of my cheeks, “S-sorry, I got curious,” He then turned his body to the side and looked at me.

 

“About what?”

 

I pointed my finger to the wrist of his right hand, “Your wrist… It looked like there’s a scar there,” His face then shriveled with discomfort as he stood up.

 

“It’s just your imagination,” He turned his back on me, walking towards the couch silently.

 

Good fucking job Lenna, letting your own curiosity get the best of you. Now it’s plainly awkward between the two of us. Sigh… Maybe we can talk things over in the morning. If I’m forever married to this guy, might as well be on neutral grounds with him. And what he said earlier….

 

“I was ordered by the Don to finish him. My job is to make his commands into reality,” 

 

...I’m not so sure if he’s telling the truth… I can’t read his face, nor his body language clearly… Either way, I should watch out for my own back… for my own good and longevity…

 

I hope it all goes well in the morning. I then pulled over the covers over my body, not giving Alvar a glance, and went straight to lie down on the bed. The thick sheets are comfortable indeed, much to my expectation since it’s a five-star hotel. The warmth started to seep into my skin and clothes, resulting in pure bliss. 

 

Although, an uneasy feeling was crawling under my skin. Seeing that now I’m alone with a man who I got married to. Who I even barely know, he could just act that he’s going to sleep on the couch. And then later when I’m vulnerable, he would then make a move on me. I won’t let him have his ways here! I’m going to stay awake, fufu! And then if I can catch him in the act, a punch to the face would relieve the stress.

 

Hehe, he won’t even see it coming

 

5 minutes later…

 

*Loud snore noises*

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"...What a quick sleeper... and an obvious mischief,"