Arranged Marriage

Chapter 13

He didn't answer me. He didn't say anything. He just guided me out of the building with his hand safely planted at the small of my back.

Silence. That's all he could give me. No explanation. No reasoning.

Nothing.

But it gave me time to think. I couldn't keep doing this. Today had been too draining to repeat. But it was an eye opener. An eye opener into the life of Patrick Maestri.

The car had barely stopped when I opened the door and got out. I could hear Patrick calling my name but I was too determined to get inside. It was like if I could get inside, everything about today would disappear. But, he followed.

"Eliza, stop now!" he ordered.

"No, Patrick! I can't do this anymore," I cried, crawling at my hair to get the frustration out, "when I married you, I thought it was worth the sacrifice. Everyone said how brave I was, that the safety of my family and everything I loved was worth the sacrifice of marrying someone that I didn't know and didn't love."

"Don't talk like you're the only one that has made sacrifices," he snapped.

"And what are your sacrifices?" I asked, hopelessly, "You weren't able to find the perfect Queen to be the face of your empire?"

"I have been forced, to have loveless relationships since I was fifteen," he snarled through his teeth, making me frown, "the only reason you still have that light in your eyes is because for some reason, your father decided to shield you from this life."

"Don't, you, dare speak about my father in that tone? He deserves your respect," I growled, taking three steps towards him, pointing a deadly finger.

He chuckled, humouring me, "Of course, I'm the bad guy. Never mind the fact that he's exactly like me."

"No," I snapped, "he doesn't speak to me like I'm some piece of shit on the end of your boot!"

He just looked at me, his soulless eyes looking over my features, trying to figure out where he went wrong.

I shook my head, my heart just about to give up, "I can't do this anymore."

I went to turn but he snatched my arm, keeping me from running.

"No," he growled.

"No?"

"No. I won't let you."

I was stunned. What the hell?

"Why? Why all of a sudden you want me around when two hours ago you were treating me like dirt?" I yelled.

He stood back, letting go of me. He had never seem so uneasy.

"Do you have any idea what will happen if you walk away. Everything will fall apart. Everything that I have been working for will be for nothing," he warned.

"So, everything you have worked for is at the cost of my happiness?" I asked, my heart breaking a little more.

"Your happiness is of little importance to me if you are dead, do you get that?"

He had a gift, he truly did. To say something that could almost be classed as sweet, sound absolutely wrong.

"Do you get what will happen if this thing falls apart?" he snapped.

There was something in his tone. It almost sounded like fear.

I had always been told that by marrying Patrick, our empires united. We would become strong and powerful and no one would ever think twice about harming us. But what if there was more to the story?