CHAPTER 2

CARLOTTA

SIX YEARS EARLIER

"Mhm, what's that? Drop the drapes, I want to sleep a little bit more!" I moaned softly as rays of light hit my eyes.

I turned over to the other side to bask in the sweetness that the sleep offered me and my hands roamed freely on the soft bed, searching for my phone. I hit my hand on a hard surface and the pain surged through me causing the sleep to elude my eyes instantly. I yawned involuntarily and sat upright, the spot stung hurting badly.

My fluttering eyelids became stabilized as I sensed a change in my equilibrium. I jumped out of bed, startled at the strange environment I had met myself, it didn't look like my room or something I could recognize. A wave of headache hit me instantly, and the effects of the last night began to kick in violently, my skull threatening to shatter into pieces.

"Shit! Fuck!" I cursed loudly as my eyes fell upon a table clock. It was well into the morning and I was late for work, I picked up what was left of my dress, hurriedly dressed up, and sauntered out of the place.

I hailed a cab and on the way back home, I strained to remember what had happened but the headache blocked it out instead. I got home five minutes later to see my lovely step sister smirk at me maliciously.

"Good morning sleeping beauty, you look extraordinarily beautiful this morning." She taunted.

I shoved her aside and went to my room, locked myself up, and ran into the bathroom to shower, as the water hugged my unclad body, I felt a sting in-between my legs and the events of the previous night came rushing back like a jolt of adrenaline.

"Shit!" I cursed softly.

I muttered more curses as I realized I went to the club with Floria and she gave me some sort of drink and then I staggered off somewhere and met this crazily attractive guy to whom I said a lot of dirty words. I hissed as I hit my head on the wall, jolting me out of my reverie. Ten minutes later, I headed to my workplace and stopped at a breakfast store to get some donuts and coffee.

Lucky for me; my supervisor wasn't in his office yet so I was safe and also was saved by a close shave while using the elevator and in a hurry as I almost spilled coffee on the most feared man in the entire universe; my boss and CEO of Kia Empire.

"I'm sorry." I apologized weakly.

He scowled at me and didn't spare me a glance afterward, his assistant motioned for me to scream which I happily did and was relieved when I got back to the sanctuary of my desk. The day went by like every other day with just a slight touch of a horribly banging headache and a touch of dizziness.

The greatest shock was when I was filing the documents for that day's report and suddenly matched two unlikely yet so interrelated discoveries together. The man from my memory whom I shamelessly threw myself at the previous day bore an uncanny semblance to CEO Kia. I gasped, the papers falling off my hands as I realized that the possibility that they were the same person was higher. His scent, though briefly perceived by me, also matches the man I ended up rolling under the sheets with.

I knew at that moment that I was in a hot pile of mess but decided to keep the freaking out for when I was safely in my room. When I got home; I was faced with yet another interestingly horrific scene. I was to get married to some mysterious man in place of Floria; my stepsister.

"Are you out of your mind? Why would I get married to some random stranger just for you to get enough funds to sponsor Floria's unrealistic dream of being a business owner!" I screamed at the top of my lungs at my father who was being illogical and unreasonable.

Pah!

I fell to the ground, tears rolled down my cheeks as my face burned hotly, Dad had slapped me hard across the face.

"You're marrying him and that's final you ungrateful sloth!" He hollered and then stormed away.

I held my face and watched him leave while Floria stood aside, watching it gleefully, Talia; my stepmom went after Dad while I picked myself up and went into my room. I cried my eyes out all night and for the following weeks but nothing changed my fate. I was to marry the unknown, definitely old and foul rich man against my own will.

A month later, I walked down the aisle with my father holding my hands, a few people in attendance, and my family which includes Floria. The groom was already waiting at the altar and no one would guess the change in fate as I stood before the groom.

"Do you Kia Miller take Carlotta Danvers as your lawfully....."

I didn't hear what else the priest was saying or anyone else but was stupefied to see that the groom was no other person than Kia freaking Miller! I was over my head and shook! He said his vows, forcefully and I did as well. It was obvious to the blind that the union was not a holy one but who cares when I'm getting married to the hottest man known to live?

The wedding didn't take as long as I imagined it would be as he was very much in a hurry to finish things up and I honestly didn't mind. Two hours later; the reception and all was done and it was time to leave. Dad said his brief goodbye while Floria and her mother didn't bother saying as much as a word to me, hence I got into the car with my husband, ready to face whatever the confusing and unbelievable future was going to hold.

"Hi." I greeted shyly.

We were now in 'our room' an exquisite space bigger than the entirety of my house and anything else I've ever seen and well, I strangely got accustomed to the fact that I had been successfully sold to the wealthiest man alive. Alright, I'll wrap my head around it much later since nothing really made any sort of sense to me.

I looked at him with pride in my eyes, he suddenly turned to face me, holding my hands in his, and smiled wonderfully. At that moment my heart fluttered loudly, and my stomach churned but it wasn't in a bad way, it tightened and my heartbeat increased. Everything was just happening all at once and I couldn't just fathom what to do or how to act.

"You're my wife." He muttered.

I shook my head, feeling a bit shy.

"You're very beautiful." He whispered, which I found seductive.

He inches closer and I close my eyes, awaiting his lips to commune with mine, a perfect synchrony, but if wishes were horses, beggars would definitely ride. But I was on a winged horse, riding and galloping on the softest of clouds, a little fire burned in me as I felt his breath on my face, the most perfect moment ever, there; I forgot everything, my name, my identity and my initial desires to be free.

His lips brushed past mine and I blushed, awaiting a taste of heaven.

"Welcome to hell, wife." He whispered into my ears.

My eyes flew open and I instinctively snatched my hands from his, staggering backward; horror etched across my face.