C6

CHAPTER SIX

The next morning.

Karen woke up feeling quite relaxed, she had such a blissful night, remembering the events from last night after party.

She had gone to bed the previous night filled with foreboding emotions.

After endless tossing and turning on the gigantic queen size bed.

The moment she had alighted from the car the previous night, she was first awed at the magnificence of the building.

The mansion was beyond beautiful and very well maintained.

The white tall walls shining in all it glory. The plush leather chairs comfortable and inviting.

She had been welcomed by all the workers with a happy face, like she was some sought of angel descending on earth.

The head of the workers, Marcella had even welcomed her with a tight hug, she was such a sweet lady, and Karen had loved her almost immediately. She even went as far as warming up a bath for her and settling her into her room, making sure she was comfortable before she left.

Everything felt so new and surreal to her, as she now had a new life as a multi- millionaire's wife and she didn't know what was expected of her.

Her guess was that Luciano hadn't slept in the previous night. She hadn't noticed his car coming in till she slept, and no one had knocked to inform her of his presence.

Not like she cared, as she was not ready to face him yet.

She recalled the dinner she had with her family and how her sister Louisiana had kept gushing over him.

Louisiana, who had always been the most spoken out of all the girls and the free-spirited one, who would always find a good thing in anything.

She kept telling Karen how lucky she was to get married to such an influential and handsome man from an equally influential family.

Karen could recall that while growing up, she had heard about how powerful the Pavarotti's were but never had she thought that she would have anything to do with them.

She took out her phone and the first thing she saw was pictures of her on the net, with different captions speculating on what could be the reason she got married to the well-known millionaire.

The wedding had been held in private, so how did this people even had clips of her?.

She didn't want a life where she would always be in the gossip tabloids.

Just then, her eyes caught on an interesting headline.

"***Once a playboy, always a playboy. Luciano Pavarotti maybe running late to his own wedding***"

With a picture of her newly wedded husband.

She hadn't got a chance to look at him properly at the wedding, but looking at him now, he looked every bit a ruthless millionaire.

Now, she was indeed scared of what she had gotten herself into.

The media had called him a playboy, meaning he could have his way with whatever woman he wanted, so why had he chosen to pay off her father's debt and get married to her?. She wondered.

A playboy.

That word kept ringing in her head. Was her marriage going to be subjected with countless women from his past invading their privacy?.

For whatever reason, she didn't feel good about this.

Just then a knock came on the door.

" Excuse me, miss". The young helper who had helped her settle in yesterday said, poking her head through the door.

" Good morning miss, glad you are awake already. Mr Luciano would have you come down for breakfast." She said to Karen, in what seems to her as an Italian laced accent.

She looked very young, probably around her age and Karen knew they would hit it off as such great friends.

" I'll rather you just call me Karen rather than Miss. It makes me feel awkward." She said to the girl smiling.

" But Mr Luciano may not be pleased with that." The young replied somewhat worried.

" Ok then, how about you call me just Karen when we are alone?" She asked.

" Ok then, I'll lead you to the downstairs " The maid said blushing, coming in to help her up.

Going down the stairs, Karen could feel her heart thumping. She could never prepare herself enough for this moment. Yesterday she was behind the veil but now she had to face him without it and she felt really nervous.

The house was beautiful, though she had arrived late last night and had been unable to tour it but she was sure she would have plenty of time for that.

They got to the foot of the stairs and she felt like she was going to have a nervous break down. The walk from her room hadn't even been enough to calm her down. She was finally walking into the lion's den alive, not knowing if she would leave there unscathed.

...................................................................

On the dining.

Luciano sat, cooling the mug of coffee in his hands.

He wondered if she was still asleep, he had asked the maid to call her down for breakfast. His flight would be leaving later today and he wanted to speak to her before he left.

" She's here, master." He heard the maid say and with this he jolted from his thoughts to stare at the person approaching him.

He was stunned.

She was beyond beautiful, with skin as flawless and spotless and yet as white as snow. She had very long auburn hair like her sisters, and moved with the grace of a queen with eyes as expressionless yet sharp as a hawk.

Her lips were plump and as red as crushed petals of roses.

She could easily had made a carrier as a celebrity and he wondered why she wasn't one.

He wondered why she had decided to hide behind the veil yesterday. She was quite endowed as well, with the right curves at strategic places, he watched as her hips sway with ease as she walked . She looked quiet young compared to the women he had dated in the past which was quite funny because he never had a thing for young women now he was married to one.

He saw them as immature baggage load of problem, too much for him to handle. He liked mature women who were capable of owning up to their own shit themselves.

She looked delightful, every bit of a regal royalty. The veil and the enormous dress she wore, did much to conceal a lot of things yesterday, for she was a work of art.

And she was his wife, his wife.

***His**.

Till it was time for them to get divorced.

Karen could feel her legs go weak underneath her, he was staring at her intently like a specimen under a microscope for inspection.

He was more handsome in person than the pictures she had seen on the tabloids.

He had blue eyes and well sculptured nose, his hair were jet black and she could see the moisture in them indicating it wasn't that long since he had his bath.

It took the last ounce of her strength to finally get seated.

She chose the seat farthest from him on his left side, not wanting to be so close to him.

She felt uncomfortable.

How was one expected to act when meeting her contractual husband for the first time?

It felt awkward, she just started eating seeking for a distraction from the awkward silence.

From where she was seated, she could make out the smell of his aftershave which filled her nostrils together with the food placed before her. The twitching of his muscles underneath the white shirt he wore as he moved his arms to feed himself.

He sure could pass as one of those Greek gods she had often times heard about. With looks like this, it was not a wonder why the media had termed him a notorious playboy. He was drop dead gorgeous enough to charm any woman he so desired.

They sat in silence for a while. The awkwardness was so thick, enough to be cut by a knife. It was difficult for her to swallow her food, it felt like lumps of rubber in her throat.

Luciano watched as she ate, he could sense she was uncomfortable.

He coughed, breaking the awkward silence that had settled like a blanket over them.