The Mafia Heiress

Cinque

***

I stared at myself in the mirror, not quite recognizing the woman staring back at me. Her eyes were devoid of emotion, eye bags heavy under them. Her hair was wet from the shower, her skin flushed from the hot air within the bathroom and yet she seemed more tired than refreshed.

What have I become?...Is this really my life now?

It had been two weeks since I got married. Two weeks since I committed my life and my heart to my husband. The man I loved more than anything. It had been two weeks since the crazy incident on my wedding day that had left nothing but confusion and shock in its wake. Amanda constantly checked in on me, probably petrified by the thought of whatever happened occuring again. It was a rational fear, one that I did not share unfortunately.

I can't find it in me to worry about that. Instead, all I can think about is the distance between Alex and I...the emptiness that seems to hang over us every single time we're together, which is barely these last couple of days...

Sadness clenched deep within my soul as I thought of the past two weeks. Our honeymoon had been nothing short of uneventful and unlike anything I would have expected it to be. The love and connection I had hoped for was replaced with emptiness as our connection seemed to crack more and more. Alex had barely touched me since the night after our wedding, our intimate moment venturing nowhere near full intimacy.

I probably should be grateful that we even had that small make out session considering how distant he has been lately...

Alex had barely been home, choosing instead to spend his days and some nights at the office. All my efforts to get closer to him had been shunned as he came up with excuses to ensure we spent as minimal time as possible with him. The sudden shift had broken me as I reminisced on the nights we had spent together, madly in love before everything went to hell.

I dreamt of our wedding day, before the chaos that ensued. I dreamt of the way he watched me, love filling his beautiful gaze as I walked down the aisle towards him. The vows he had spoken, the promises we had made to each other. To see them all unfulfilled was breaking me, shattering me from the inside and leaving me empty.

Work will distract me from all of this...Going back to a normal routine will stop me from obsessing over all of this...

I murmured within, reassuring myself as I applied my hair products and skin care. Carrying out tasks I've done all my life seemed to reassure me, my gaze lingering on the body cream I'd just placed down. My heart conscripted painfully, thoughts of my father engulfing my being. It was one of the things I forgot about when I lost my memory in the accident but he had always been on top of everything, purchasing all of my feminine products for me to help me restore some sort of normalcy in my life after all the traumatic events that had happened.

It had become a constant after with my Father sending me gift baskets with the body creams and hair products every single month. We'd bonded over my trauma, his love and care for me reminding me of how much I missed him. Part of me longed to see him and yet another side of me was scared of disappointing him by telling him I was married.

Especially now that every single fear he probably would have had for me is coming to pass...

I released an exasperated sigh, pulling my hair into a low bun before exiting the bathroom. The massive but empty apartment bedroom stared back at me, reminding me of the loneliness and emptiness that dwelt within this home. Apart from Vlad and Max, the four bedroomed apartment contained no one else- especially with Alex's departure for a business meeting in the city over.

Not that he had been here often before that...

It was a beautiful apartment, different from the one he had before. I had been moved in the day after the wedding with my questions about the other apartment received with nothing but silence and feigned ignorance. I knew I should have been mad that Alex was keeping so much from me, treating me like I was less than the woman he had chosen to spend the rest of his life with and yet I found I was too mentally exhausted to confront him anymore.

It seems I'm getting closer and closer to my limit, though...

Any thoughts of leaving my husband devastated me, brought me unbidden sorrow and I refused to entertain it. I was willing to fight for my marriage despite being given no rational reason to do so. I loved Alex more than I probably should despite everything and I was willing to give him a chance, to understand him and care for him. To keep trying.

I pulled on my red hospital scrubs, a pair of white trainers and a matching white trench coat that finished the look perfectly. My make up was light with mascara and eye liner. My skin was paler than I liked but the make up seemed to restore life into me, a perfect mask that ensured my best friend wouldn't be able to see through my despair. She and Kyle had hit it off since the night of our wedding, bonded through the shared trauma. Her happiness warmed my own heart and distracted me from everything else going wrong in my life.

Which is why I can't let her know about everything that's been going on...She'll probably want to host an intervention for Alex and that's definitely not an option...

I made my way out of the massive bedroom, heading down the stairs towards the dining area where silent voices floated over to me. My heart momentarily soared at the prospect of Alex having returned from his trip but the thought was erased as soon as it came, reminding me of the impossibility of that being true. The closer I got, the more the voices seemed to get clearer, alerting me to the presence of Vik and Max as well as Kayla, our house manager and the woman who had ensured I never missed a meal despite my efforts to skip them.

Relief engulfed me at the thought of not spending my breakfast alone, as usual, but their words halted me in my tracks, my excitement shattered and replaced with emotions that had become commonplace for me, familiar- sadness, despair and confusion. Vik was speaking, his deep voice so clear, I almost believed he was standing right beside me and not on the other side of the wall I was currently hiding behind. The open plan and high ceilings, though stunning, did nothing to hide their voices that carried right over to where I was.

"He's breaking her down slowly, unravelling her in the worst possible way. The Pakan really is terrifying and heartless. The obschak were wrong when they believed that he had been led astray by emotion. He is clearly incapable of it."

Viktor's voice carried over to me, his words though confusing striking a deep chord within me. The headache that had been persisiting over the past couple of weeks seemed to heighten even more. I winced silently, steeling myself to continue to listen despite the part of me that wanted me to run, to turn away from the conversation. There was a sense of foreboding hanging in the air and within me but my feet seemed to be rooted in the ground and the voice that always lingered in the back of my mind seemed suspiciously silent now, lurking and waiting to assail me once more and worsen my headache.

"It is to be expected of the Pakan. He does not proffer mercy, not that she deserves it. She is ruthless, culled only by the fact that she has not been reunited with the sobaki sem'ya that she belongs to. They have been causing chaos, all in efforts to get her back. Many have died because of her and the Pakan is at his wit's end. Its only right that she pays for the sins of her people."

A man's voice spoke up, one I had never heard before. His words had a harsh undertone to them, sending a chill down my spine and evoking volatile emotions within me. I couldn't understand why I was so angry, so mad at his words but my emotions took a back burner at the sound of Kayla's voice.

"Its not fair, though. Its not her fault. She doesn't even know anything and yet she's being tortured...You have no idea how cruel it is to love someone and watch them become a monster right before your eyes and go back on every single promise they've ever made. Its a harsh punishment, too harsh."

Her words struck a chord within me and a tear made a path down my cheek before I could even comprehend that I was crying and how much her words had meant to me. I was confused by their conversation and yet her words had managed to align with all my feelings and volatile emotions.

"Yes, it is cruel and harsh but remember that we do what the Pakan wishes and that's that."

Max responded, his words seemingly concluded the conversation as they moved to other things. I was quick to wipe the tear away, taking deep breaths as I processed their words. Although I had barely understood some of what they had said, part of me refused to let it go- choosing instead to file away the conversation for later. Taking a deep breath, I calmed my being before stepping into the kitchen, granting the four individuals a bright smile.

"Good Morning everyone."

Their stunned expressions confirmed what part of me already knew- the conversation was not meant for me for some reason- and I filed away the new piece of information with the conversation to mull over later as I watched the three men school their features almost as quickly, walls erected over their true emotions. Only Kayla seemed unable to hide the shock and discomfort not only on her features but on her body language as she finished clearing up the three men's breakfast dishes.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Myers. We shall leave you to have your breakfast. Max, Ivan and I are on stand by for when you are ready to leave."

Viktor stated, revealing nothing of his emotions or the conversation they'd been having. His ability to block everything and everyone out was pretty impressive and terrifying. My gaze turned to the third man they had called Ivan, watching as he nodded silently but respectfully at me.

Nothing about his features stood out to me and yet the sound of his name sent a wave of conflicting emotions through me, chief being absolute fear that made my steps falter and my headache worse. I was momentarily dizzy, vaguely noting the stunned responses from the people around me.

"Mrs. Myers...Are you okay?"

Kayla's voice broke through the sudden haze of emotions as I felt Max and Vik's hand in my own, leading me towards the waiting dining chair pulled out by Kayla. I nodded silently, watching as Kayla poured me a glass of water that she encouraged me to drink.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all. I'm ready to leave for work. Kayla, could you kindly pack me my breakfast to go please? My shift starts soon."

Kayla seemed to hesitate, her gaze flitting over to the three silent men before she released a small, defeated sigh at Max's subtle nod and retreated into the kitchen. We were silent momentarily, the three men's gazes never leaving mine.

I was too engrossed in my own thoughts, though, trying to understand my body's sudden reaction. Reina Myers had taken the back burner and Doctor Reina was in the fore, going through a checklist of things that could be wrong. My mind latched onto the bottle of pills in my bag, reminding me of the fact that I had not taken my medication this morning.

I've been taking them really badly.The side effects of my accident have been worse with all the stress and taking my medication late hasn't really been helping matters...

"Mrs. Myers, are you sure you should be going into work today? You should rest, recuperate. I can call Mr. Myers' doctor to come and do a check up..."

Viktor begun, his sentence straying at the sight of my shake of the head no doubt as I downed the water in my glass.

"I'm fine, Vik. Thank you for your concern. I just need to take my medication and I'll be okay."

I reassured them with a small smile, watching as Kayla re-emerged and handed the bag over to Max. I granted her a small smile, thanking her with my gaze before getting back to my feet. I felt a little better now, more self assured as I turned to the three men who seemed ready for anything.

"Alright then, let's go. I wouldn't want to be late for my first day back."

The three men shared a look with Max and Vik looking more concerned than Ivan who simply shrugged before turning towards the hallway leading to the exit elevator.

Something about him didn't feel quite right, especially after the reaction I'd had to him but I pushed the thought aside, relief flooding my body at the sight of the two men who seemed ready for departure at my resigned look no doubt.

"Shall we inform Mr. Myers that you're not quite well?"

Max muttered over to me, Vik glancing over with the same question in his gaze. Surprise flitted across their features at my shake of the head.

"No, don't. I'll be fine and there's no need to disturb him during his business trip. Thank you both for your concern."

I was surprised to find that I genuinely, truly meant it. Despite the weird conversation I had overheard, both Max and Vik had been nothing but kind to me, keeping me company during my ocassional shopping trips and even on nights when I was stuck in the house, alone. They kept a watchful distance, as always, but their mere presence was enough to calm and soothe me. They had become my friends, in a way, and I was grateful for them after everything we had been through.

Which is why I know they'll respect my wish not to inform my husband of what happened...I'd much rather process everything before dealing with Alex, though a part of me is scared that he won't even care...

***