It had been a month since I moved into Mariano's mansion, a month of suspicious peace. I had expected someone to attempt an ambush in the past few days. The word had spread in the underworld that Mariano was harboring a lover in his lair. A lover? Psh. This is how fake news spreads.
It was Hal who informed me about my newfound fame in their world.
"Arden, many people from our world wants to meet you, you know?"
"Hmm? Why is that?" I was busy scrolling in my phone for Mariano's past interviews. Apparently, he's avoiding any kind of interview because he doesn't want to keep me entertained. It's a good thing that he didn't order Hal to take the past videos down. When I asked him the reason why, he just smiled a little and ruffled my hair.
'I'm not that harsh, you know. I like seeing you happy.'
Those lines would be enough to make me fall, but nah. Aside from a brief flutter in my chest, I felt nothing. I was just touched that he can be that considerate. Also, he said that, so why does he avoids interviews? I'm getting annoyed just thinking about it.
"Well, news has spread that you are Mariano's lover and everyone has been calling you a beast tamer." Hal set down a cup of matcha latte in front of me paired with a matcha donut.
My head snapped up, a confused expression on my face. Trying to process that information, all I could manage to utter was, "What?" in disbelief.
"Wait a second. Back up for a moment. Let me break down what you just said. I'm Mariano's lover?" Hal nodded, taking a bite of his all-meat sub. "How did that happen?"
"Boss has been wrapping up his businesses quickly. Before, he used to ensure that everyone was thoroughly beaten before he left. Now, he just shoots them in the head to get home faster. This has led to the theory that he has a lover who's finally managed to tame the beast."
I blinked slowly and heaved a deep sigh, taking a sip of my latte. "Hal, you might think you've explained it all to me clearly, but honestly, I don't understand a thing. My mind was blown when you mentioned 'tile' and 'red'."
I just can't believe that people would actually believe that theory. Mariano and I are friends. He had initially blackmailed me, but I realized being with him was safer for my child. If there were mafia groups out there ready to harm me, the best decision was to be under Mariano's protection.
Living with him was easy. I'd put my work at the art museum on hold to focus on my pregnancy. Since I was cooperating with Mariano, he provided me with everything I needed and more. We went shopping every weekend and indulged in out-of-town trips. Exploring new cuisines and taking long drives in different states became our routine. Next week, we were even planning to visit Japan to sample their delicacies and experience their culture.
Aunt Becca and River calls me every week. River is also allowed to visit me here but he should be escorted by Mariano's men. During this time, Mariano does not go home for the night because I have River with me and he wants us to spend time together.
"Hold up. Mariano has too much time in his hands, Hal. I mean, we go out every weekend, and he's here almost everyday. Even when he goes out, by the time I wake up from my afternoon nap, he's already downstairs, with his laptop, in the living room," I added with a soft gasp and looked at Hal with wide eyes.
"Told ya. It's no wonder they call you the beast tamer. Also, he does not whine anymore when it comes to his duties. He finishes them early so he can go home quickly."
Warmth spread in my chest when I heard those words. I never thought Mariano could be so thoughtful. Did I take his presence for granted? It just dawned on me that Mariano always made time for me, even though he was a mafia boss with a packed schedule. When I moved in, I had expected to be alone most of the time, but every day turned out to be wonderful. Each day was filled with vibrancy, joy, and peace. I enjoyed living here, and Mariano had ensured that I lived in this comforting environment.
"By the way, Hal, where's Mariano?" I wanted to do something special for him to show my gratitude for everything he had done. Should I cook for him? I could make something edible, but Mariano was the better cook. What if I bought him a new video game?
"He's trying to teach some group a lesson," Hal replied casually and continued eating.
"Right. Why are you here, Hal? Aren't you Mariano's personal guard? You're always together so it's weird that you're sitting in front of me, eating and relaxing."
Hal just shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry about him. He asked me to stay here with you. Do you want to go out?" His answer was short and dismissive, as if he's hiding something. However, considering that we're going outside, that something may not be related to my safety. It's something else, and I was to find out later.
***
Exhausted from the three-hour shopping looking for a perfect thank-you gift for Mariano, I freshened up and ate a light snack, then proceeded to his office. Hal informed me earlier that Mariano will be back in two hours. That gives me enough time for a nap. His office has been a space of comfort for me and when I'm here, I fall asleep easily.
When my head hit the soft cushion of his sofa, I was dragged into a slumber. It was the muffled commotion downstairs that got me up. Slightly disoriented, I rubbed the sleep off of my eyes and combed my hair using my fingers just to make sure I don't look like a monster.
When I got a chance to check what was up, I saw Hal and two others hovering around Mariano, holding what seemed to be emergency kits, with Mariano sitting calmly on the couch. It didn't look serious, but when I got closer, his left waist was bleeding profusely. A chill ran down my spine and my hands trembled at the sight.
"What happened?!" My voice echoed in the living room and all eyes were on me, but my attention was focused on Mariano, waiting for his answer while being scared out of my wits.
Mariano blinked slowly and with a soft sigh, he gave me a small smile. "Just a graze, Arden. Nothing to worry about. Don't stress about it. Think of the baby."
"B-But... so much blood... you'll die," I managed to utter softly as I tried to hide the tremor in my voice. How could he act so calmly when he's heavily injured? "Mariano..." My eyes stung as tears began to form, blurring my vision. I am scared, anxious, and at a loss that all I could do was stand there helplessly.
"Boss is right, Arden. His injury is not fatal and once he's all patched up, he will recover lightning fast," Hal assured me and gestured to the two men to finish bandaging Mariano.
"But..." In an attempt to calm myself down, I wrapped my arms on my belly and did my breathing exercises.
"Why don't you sit beside me, Arden? I'll convince you that I'm still strong enough to fight a bull," Mariano quipped in an amused tone, that familiar, smug smirk plastered on his face. Albeit a little pale from the loss of blood, he looks a bit better now.
"I don't think you can win but sure," I replied honestly and sat beside him. Mariano rolled his eyes when muffled laughs filled the room. I reached for his hand, squeezed it, then heaved a sigh of relief when I felt his warmth. He's alive. Mariano is alive.
I can feel my heartbeat steadying and with a sharp intake of breath, managed to smile a little. "Can you tell me what happened? How did you get hurt?"
Mariano blinked and bit his lower lip, then darted his eyes anywhere but at me. After heaving several deep sighs, he scratched his brow and cleared his throat, then looked at me coyly. Wait a minute. Is he embarrassed? For what?
"I was... careless," he replied softly, a tone opposite of his usual confident self.
Weird. His body language is telling me that there's something he wants to say to me but he's holding back. "Careless? That's unlike you." This is a deduction I got from all the stories Hal told me. Mariano is never careless. He is swift and precise, cruel and merciless, but never careless.
Mariano sucked a breath and looked me straight in the eyes. For a second, I felt my chest thump at the intensity of his stare. "I want to go home quickly and spend time with you. I missed you, Arden," he softly admitted and tore his eyes away from me while my hand rushed to clutch my drumming chest, beating faster than it's supposed to be. Even my cheeks are getting hotter than I expected them to be.
"Uhh... I m-missed your smug face too," I replied just as soft and Mariano quickly turned to me, a boyish grin on his face. A rare sight that made him look even more handsome. He looked so pleased and satisfied that I couldn't stop the giggle from slipping. "Admittedly, not having you around is not as enjoyable as I would think."
His grin transformed into a proud smirk. "What can I say? I'm irresistible."
I rolled my eyes and pinched his cheek. "Sure, sure, you casanova. How are you feeling?" I referred to the graze on his waist. Since it was patched up nicely, it doesn't look as serious anymore. "I was so scared when I saw you all bloody and looking pale. Oh, you even have a small wound on the side of your lips." I think I saw some light-colored bruises on his upper torso and when I saw the state of his hands, I gasped softly. "Oh no. Even your hands are bleeding! Let me tend to it."
While I was nagging him about being careful, I was cleaning and applying medicines to his knuckles with gentle movements. When I had them bandaged properly, only then did I notice that Mariano was looking at me with eyes filled with fondness and softness. Slightly feeling awkward and shy, I swallowed nervously. "W-Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. Thank you, Arden. For taking care of me. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet. I just woke up from my nap."
"Do you have any cravings?" He lifted his right hand to tuck the wayward strands away from my face.
"Hmm. Nothing at the moment. I just want to eat something light and I would love some blueberry yogurt, as well."
He gave me a surprised and pleased reaction. "I did not expect that. I thought matcha was going to sprout from you from all that endless consumption," he teased with a soft chuckle, earning another eye roll from me.
"I told you, matcha do not grow as is. It comes from green tea leaves."
"Well, as long as you like them, who am I to judge. Shall we eat?"
I glanced at his waist. "What if we eat here? I don't want you to strain yourself."
He smiled and rested his head on my shoulders. "Can we stay like this? I'm exhausted."
"Of course. Oh, I unearthed another past interview of yours! Let's watch it! Let me borrow your phone."
Mariano groaned in protest but he still handed me his phone. "I can't believe that I am so... whipped."
"Hmm? Did you say something?" I was busy searching for the video that I couldn't focus on his mumbling.
"Nothing. I said that our food will be served in a few minutes." He sighed deeply as he made himself comfortable tucking his face on my neck. It was a little ticklish at first, but his warm breath became comfortable as time passes. I was busy running a commentary here and there as we watched his interview while Mariano was just running the tip of his nose on my neck, sniffing me softly, while gently rubbing my slightly visible belly. His hand was warm and gentle and I love feeling it on my skin.
If it was any other man, they will receive a hard blow on the face and down there too, assuming that they were able to land their disgusting skin on mine. With Mariano, I feel safe and comfy. I don't feel repulsed at all. Maybe because I concluded that Mariano will not do anything to hurt me.
"What are you going to name the baby bean?"
I paused the video and placed his phone on the table. "I haven't thought about it. The baby's only a month old, Mariano. It's too early to think of names," I added with a soft chuckle and ran my fingers through his hair.
He tightened his hold on me and sighed. "Okay. I like spending time with you, Arden. Just having slow moments like this makes me feel at peace."
I smiled and nodded, a warm and cozy feeling enveloping my being. "Me too." Since I moved in, my heart had been at peace. I was content when I lived with River and Tyler, but being with Mariano brought a different kind of tranquility. I couldn't quite grasp why, but I wasn't in a hurry to understand.
We had plenty of time ahead--
"By the way, Arden, I talked to the elders. They want us to get married in three weeks. Your fame has grown in our world, and when they learned you were pregnant, they decided to expedite the wedding arrangements..."
Mariano was still talking but as time passes by, his voice became distorted and so far away. My mind went blank as the reality of our fake marriage contract set in. A contract set to expire in a year. I didn't know how to react. Moreover, I began doubting if everything Mariano had shown me was real or merely part of the act. After all, eyes were everywhere.
A sharp pain stabbed at my chest, squeezing my heart, as a sense of dread settled in my stomach. I couldn't understand why I felt so betrayed when we had agreed to this arrangement from the start.
"--den. Arden! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
I snapped back to reality, Mariano's face etched with concern and something I couldn't quite decipher: fear, perhaps? He cupped my face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs on my cheeks gently. I blinked, swallowing the lump in my throat, managing a small smile. I removed his hands from my face, gently pushing him away.
"I've lost my appetite. Please have them deliver my food in a couple of hours. I'm going back to my room."
"Arden..." Mariano reached out, but I was already gone, my hand pressed to my chest, and my eyes slightly burning with unshed tears.
You're in trouble now, Arden. You should have never allowed yourself to get attached.
"Calm down, my heart. Slow down. I don't want to get hurt." Not again.
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