CHAPTER SIX. 

       “Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, like diamonds we are cut with our own dust.” —John Webster. 

                    CHERRY. 

At least he gave me my phone before leaving and I got a lot of missed calls from my friends. I FaceTimed all three of them and cried my eyes out explaining what happened to them. 

I'm so confused and miserable I can't even think straight. Oaklyn, my childhood friend, is a therapist and she helped me a lot during the time I was so depressed about my mom. She tried calming me down but it wasn't working. 

"Just jump off the roof, I mean threaten to kill yourself and see if he will care" Cecilia my attorney and also one of my childhood friends suggested. 

"Oh please Cee, she needs to be strong right now. You can do this Cher, I know you can, you are the strongest bad bitch I ever knew" Jessica, my best friend said with a smile. 

I hate making them worry about me, I'm not the only one with problems but if I'm being honest they are better off than me. 

I'm not jealous of them but Jessica has supportive parents, they let her go into her acting career and they also supported her modeling and it paid off. 

Oaklyn is an orphan but her parents left her a lot of money and a huge Victorian mansion, Cecilia isn't that lucky but she is a popular attorney the best you can find in Chicago, despite not having any family members and growing up in the streets she is doing well for herself now. 

They see me as the lucky one and they think I'm always so confident, but sometimes I fake it, I still do. I ended the call telling them I will be fine. 

I have to figure out how to do this and how to survive. I sighed, wiping my tears and I decided to take control of this situation. 

"I can do this," I assured myself. 

If my father isn't going to fight for me then I will fight for myself, if I die here then I will haunt him until he joins me. 

My eyelids were heavy as a result of crying, the moment my head touched the pillow I didn't know when I slept off. 

My eyes were forced open as rays of sunlight filled the room, "Oh my goodness! Close the goddamn curtains if you don't want to lose your jobs" I grumbled sitting up. 

To my surprise they obliged, looking terrified as I sat up, one of them went on her knees, "I'm so sorry Miss, I just wanted you to wake up just in time for breakfast" She pleaded. 

I shouldn't be threatening the maids but they were becoming a problem, disturbing my sleep for one and constantly ignoring me. 

"Oh so now you know how to talk?" I scoffed getting out of bed. 

"I'm so sorry, we are just following orders," Another one says and the others nod in agreement, probably too scared to speak. 

What is wrong with him? 

Is he that hellbent on making my life miserable? 

"Okay fine, if only you stop ignoring me and you will answer my questions" I'm good at charming people so a few maids are nothing. 

It took only a couple of minutes and they were all over me, turns out Helda is a huge fan and they said they would love to be close with me but their boss was too scary. 

I second that. 

I took my bath and put on a blue sundress after Helda assured me they were bought by their boss. I left for breakfast and he was there with a cup of coffee in his hand. I felt those goosebumps again when he scanned my outfit. 

"I heard that you aren't comfortable with the clothes, I sent words to your father and your things will arrive later today" I froze on the spot. 

So this is it? Dad agreed to bring my things. Why am I not surprised? "So I stay here until he pays you right? You will take your ring from me after that?" I asked foolishly hoping all these would change and he took a long sip from his cup of coffee, ignoring my existence from across the table. 

"Take a seat Miss Markwells, you should face reality and I know, you know that's not going to happen" He responded curtly. 

I sat down defeated and heartbroken. He doesn't care about me. Why is he still insisting on making this work, "You hate me but you still want to marry me? Why?"

"This isn't about what you think it is, your father should be the one having this conversation with you not me" He replied and my frustration increased I banged my fist on the table. 

"You owe me an explanation after ruining my life for years! Do you know what your stupid ring cost me? You have no idea how I felt" I lashed out but he remained quiet as if I didn't say anything. 

I hate it. I hate listening to myself speak, I always get the attention I need and I hate how he makes me feel so insignificant and stupid. 

"I hate you, Mr Russo and I would do anything within my power to make you regret what you did to me" I seethed it wasn't empty threats, I don't mind teaming up with his enemies to bring him down. 

But if I'm going to be his wife then that means I will be on their radar too, hell I will be the easiest prey if they want leverage, I will need his protection and I hate how that makes me feel. 

"Are you done ranting?" He lifted his gaze meeting mine, I glared hard at him but he looked smug as if I was being dramatic.

"You don't know what you are dealing with Mr Russo" I broke the eye contact when it became a bit too intense, "Oh I think I know exactly what I'm dealing with, you won't be seeing me until the wedding. I expect you to be in your best behavior before then" He said and stood up walking away. 

"Can I leave? I will come back" I didn't promise but I know better than to run away from him, he's a Russo and if he wants to find me then nothing on earth can stop him. 

"You can't, you can invite anyone over but don't think I won't be watching you" He warned and walked away. 

So this is my life now, fiancée and bride-to-be to a mafia, my father used me as collateral to his father and now I'm his collateral bride. If I had known this was going to happen then I would have lived a reckless wild life, I didn't even get to have sex! 

And now he's going to be the one to... 

I suddenly lost my appetite.

It won't be too late to jump off the rooftop right?