365 days to fall in love with a Mafia.

"Milady, your mother is here."

Cold sweat trickled down my back as I tried to relax my tensed shoulders on hearing the excited voice of a maid.

"Mum" I whispered, as I stood up from the chair I had been sitting on to take my mother into an embrace, I didn't know why but at that moment I felt a certain urge to hug her.

I thought I had prepared myself properly these last few days but it seemed that my fears and uncertainties were threatening to crush my resolve.

"Oh dear," my mother mumbled in surprise at my sudden action, she placed a hand on my back and patted it gently.

"Is everything okay my dear?" She inquired, pulling away from me to gaze at my face as if studying my facial expression. I could see the concerned look in her eye but I didn't want her to worry.

She had always been a conscious soul and could especially be more attentive when it involved her children or the ones important to her. Sometimes I felt like she knew me better than I knew myself and because of that, I could hardly ever lie to her.

"Of course Mum" I reassured, moving my eye away from her as I could never look her in the eye and lie to her. I embraced her once more, hiding my face away from her, so I wouldn't be putting my emotions out in the open. The last thing I wanted was to give her a reason to be suspicious of my decisions.

"I'm just really...nervous" I voiced, pausing seldomly which was something I never did whenever we talked.

I didn't want to lie to her, she is one of the most important people in my life but I figure it was for the best, it would be better if she is kept in the dark about everything.

"Is that really all my dear?" She questioned, pulling away again, with a concerned look still plastered on her face.

"Yeah" I replied with a light smile, that I could barely muster.

She scrutinized my face for a while before she took my hand, guiding me back to the chair.

"If that's the case, then it's nothing strange my dear" she relayed, pausing only to help me adjust my dress before I took my place on the chair.

"I was once like you, you know, this nervousness you're feeling is only normal, it happens to everyone, you, after all, are getting married" She continued in a matter-of-fact voice, rubbing

my shoulders and giving them a light squeeze.

"I guess you are right" I took my place back on the chair as I watched my mother's reflection in the mirror in front of me. She placed her two hands on each side of my shoulder.

"You'll be fine, my dear" She encouraged as she watched me through the mirror, our gaze meeting"You look so beautiful, even with only just your wedding gown on, any man would be delighted to have you as a bride ." She rubbed my shoulders with a smile. "I'll be going to meet the guests now so you get ready and don't take too long okay."

She leaned down, and kissed me on the forehead, taking one last glance at me, after which she exited the room.

I closed my eye with the bridal attendants hovering around me, as I tried my best to calm my pounding heart.

Was I making the right decision? I reasoned, now opening my eye as I watched my reflection, my palms suddenly became sweaty and I took my handkerchief from the table.

l had been so distracted by my thoughts that I continued to wipe my hands with the handkerchief even with no sweat left on them, this continued until one of the wedding attendants startled me as she expressed in a loud cheerful voice.

"The Mistress is indeed stunning."

"She really is, we barely had to do anything" The others commented in agreement.

My eye flew to the mirror and I studied my reflection.

My hair was beautifully arranged in a half up half down, with some held to the back with a pin, strands of my hair rested on each side of my face, and my face was painted just enough to emphasize my almost delicate but natural looks.

The makeup was light, and just as I liked it, I was never one to give too much attention to my looks.

I continued to stare at my reflection, quietly and mindlessly, today was the day, the day of my wedding.

Truthfully I had never imagined myself getting married, marriage was the last thing on my mind, daydreaming or fantasizing was not my thing and to even meet the man that was meant for me sounded more like a fairytale than reality.

This was all because I didn't believe in true love, to me, it was more like a fairytale bullish*t, well at least I didn't want to believe, but at a point in my life I used to believe in true love but that was all changed with a single incident and maybe a tiny part of me still held on to that hopeless fantasy but that tiny part of me had been locked away never to surface.

Yes, I was getting married to a man that could be regarded as every woman's dream man, a twenty-first-century prince who was considered one of the most, if not the most eligible bachelor in the whole city.

But I couldn't help but wonder if this was the type of marriage that a hopeless fraction of me would have wanted, somehow at the back of my mind, I felt I already knew the answer.

Needless to say, the current me couldn't care less, I had a duty, and to fulfill it is what I must do.

"let's go" I ordered in a bold voice as I pulled the veil over my face and walked out of the room with the maid and wedding attendants following close.

The door leading to the church opened as I stepped out of the Bugatti la Voiture Noire, I proceeded gracefully walking over the sills before moving calmly along the corridor.

I couldn't remember how many times I had taken a deep breath. I thought I had gained proper control of myself but the closer I got to the doors the faster my heart raced.

The door seemed more daunting with every step I took.

I squared my shoulder waiting for the door to open.

Immediately the door opened and I stepped into the hall the procession began, and I could hear the processional song being played in the background as I continued in my strides down the aisle, my father took my hand in his, guiding me to the altar.

I moved my eye over the hall to keep my mind at ease.

The entire hall screamed of luxury, as expected of a CEO's wedding I reasoned.

Lofty ceilings, chandeliers, and beautifully decorated floral arrangements, clearly it was an aesthetic atmosphere, looking spirited in compliance with the grandeur that filled the hall

and this was not even the reception hall.

I shifted my eye to the people in the hall, as I moved forwards clutching the bouquet in my hand.

They all stood with their eye fixed on me, and this did nothing to ease my nervousness but I wouldn't let it show, I could read the look in their eye, a majority of the people there looked at me with displeasure while the remaining figures seemed either excited or impassive.

Not many people were invited to the wedding, as compared to the reception so it could only be classified in the category of close relatives and prominent members of society. The ones who seemed displeased were of course the Morgans, my inlaws, or shall I say future inlaws and those that seemed excited were members of my family and a few close friends, and the remaining few I didn't have any knowledge about but they seemed rather impassive in my opinion.

I moved my eye away from them, fixing them straight, though my head was slightly lowered.

"Relax, you look too tense" My father ordered in a stern voice, which was almost like a whisper, with his gaze fixed forward.

I hated the sight of him, and it irked me to be walking so close to him, I clenched the hand holding the bouquet as we carried on our strides.

"Don't forget the reason you're doing this...Maeve" He reminded with a cold voice.

"I know" I commented with resolve evident in my voice."I know what I have to do."

"Good girl" He complimented as we drew closer to the altar.

I knew what l had to do but l couldn't help but be skeptical, my heart continued to hammer in her chest but l wouldn't let my uneasiness show.

Lost in my thoughts l hadn't realized we had reached the altar until l was instantly pulled back to the present by an outstretched hand that came into view.

I slowly lifted my gaze, my eye moving from his hands up to his elbow across his abdomen before finally stopping in his chest, I breathed in silently and swallowed before proceeding upwards and the moment our eyes met my breath caught.

A pair of grey eyes stared down at me, no they weren't just grey, they glittered like silver, and they were cold yet alluring that I couldn't help but feel myself being absorbed by them.

I felt myself being lost in a trance, I couldn't tear my eye away from his until I was jerked from my trance when I heard someone cough.

This wasn't my first time seeing this eye, but every time I looked into them it stirred something within me, something I couldn't explain.

Apart from his enthralling eye, there were his thick lashes which were indecently long for a man, sharp jaw and cheekbone, and brooding eyebrows with small strands of his hair falling just above them.

I tried not to let my brows furrow at my reaction, perhaps outwardly this could be regarded as a fairytale marriage come true but in reality, it was all a facade, I knew better, this marriage was nothing but an act.

But when I placed my hands in his, I almost flinched at his touch, I cursed myself at the way my body reacted to him, but I blame it all on my hormones.

He leads me to stand right next to him on the altar before he lets go of my hand, fixing his gaze forward and the ceremony began.

""""''''''"

"Do you Mr. Alexander Morgan take Miss Maeve Ford to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?" The priest asked, looking from between him and me, then his gaze finally rested on him.

"I do." He replied calmly in an expressionless voice that was deep and masculine.

My heart thudded harder as it draw closer to my turn to give a reply.

Everything was just like a real wedding, I realized, perhaps I had been thinking that it would all be different, this made me wonder if it was all worth it, at this point my reasons for deciding to marry him didn't seem so valid.

I became so distracted by my thoughts and pounding heart that I didn't hear the priest asking for my answer.

"Miss Ford" Came the calm and deep voice of my soon-to-be husband, pulling my thoughts back to the present.

"W-What?" I uttered, in response, as I suddenly became conscious of my surroundings.

"Won't you answer the question?" He Inquired with his gaze now fixed on me.

As I looked into his silverlike grey eye, they were as expressionless as they usually were, but I could swear I saw a flicker of something else in them, all of a sudden they weren't as cold as they usually were, what was it I saw in them, I wasn't sure, and as quickly as they came they disappeared.

I had to be crazy, to think that a man like him could express any form of emotion, suddenly I heard the priest clear his throat, causing our eyes to pull apart.

He question again with his gaze fixed on me. " Do you Miss Maeve Ford take Mr. Alexander Morgan to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do you part."

I felt the words stick to my throat as I stared at the priest, they were just two simple words yet I held back, not sure of myself, I swallowed again my heart pounding as it threatened to leap out from my chest.

I looked to the side and there my father stood some distance away, he kept a stern look on his face but didn't say a word. I moved my eye away from him and there I noticed my mum, sitting by the chair, she appeared worried and I could tell her hands were overlapped together, a habit of hers, whenever she was worried and this made my heart ache, knowing that I had lied to her, sitting by her side was my sister who also had an anxious countenance, I moved my eye to the next person out of guilt and then I saw him.

Nathaniel.

The sweetest child I had ever seen, with the cutest of smiles, like an angel on earth. I didn't know how to explain it but the first time I saw him, I felt this connection to him, I felt a need to protect him from the dangers of the world.

I could see him trying to whisper something to me, but I couldn't make out what.

"Curry."

Was that what he said? I wasn't sure, so I followed the shape of his lips until I could finally get the words correctly.

"Hurry."

He had been telling me to hurry, a smile crept to my lips and I returned my gaze to the altar.

Taking in a deep breath I finally replied"....Yes I do"

For a moment I had forgotten all the reasons I wanted to go through with the wedding but looking at that child gave me another valid reason to do so.

"Now then, you can exchange the rings as a token of love" The priest relayed, heaving a sigh of relief as he clean the sweat from his face with a handkerchief, the poor man, I didn't mean to put him in such a difficult situation.

We exchange the rings between us, then the priest declared.

"Should anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace."

I glanced around the hall to see If anyone would object to the marriage, maybe subconsciously I wished someone would but no one did.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride."

If my heart had been racing a while ago, now it felt like it would leap from my chest.

I took a silent breath as I turned to face him and he pulled the veil covering my face.

What was wrong with me? it was just a kiss, yet here I was acting like a teenager.

When our eyes locked I could see the hidden message in them my thoughts went back to his words a few days ago.

'Your face Miss Ford, remember everyone would be watching, so you can't show your true hostility towards me.'

I felt my face flush as his eye moved over my face, and my breath caught, I wasn't even an experience kisser, how was I supposed to make the kiss look like one of the lovers? but If I needed this to work I had to act like I had done this a hundred times.

I closed my eye and our lips drew closer, I would just make it a light kiss, considering his image just that much should be enough.

Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump.

When our lips touched, I struggled not to flinch, his lips felt cold at first but became warmer as they pressed into mine, and mine into his, I had to show some skills even though I would make it brief.

I knew my face would be redder than a tomato by now.

My hands traveled to his neck.

God knows how many kissing clips I had to watch to make my acting believable.

How did those scenes go again?

So... a slow gentle peck first, then followed by a little nibbling and biting of the lower lip before going into it.

I think that should be enough I thought and with that, I tried to pull away from him but he held me firmly by the waist almost startling me as he deepened the kiss.

A moan escaped my lip.

His kiss was raw and intense sending a wave of heat down my body.

I gasped when he drew my body closer, in a way I wasn't aware our bodies could be. Then his tongue went inside my mouth making me jolt in surprise.

We never discussed this.

A shiver ran down my spine.

My heart pumped erratically, feeling my body with an unknown sensation. I wasn't even thinking straight at the moment, it was like we were in our own world, forgetting about the existence of the audience. All I could focus on was the way he hungrily kissed me and I let him.

Where did he even learn to kiss like this? and why did his kiss feel so....... hot.

Ba-dump, Ba-dump, Ba-dump.

I felt my knees become weak but he caught me in his hand and suddenly he pulled away and I gasped for air, feeling myself in his arms.

Surely my face was flushed and I subconsciously hide in his chest, I couldn't even look at the priest.

Ugh! why did this man have to kiss me that way? and even when this was all an act, we were really going at it like newly wedded couples.

In the end, I went through with the marriage, but wouldn't one think it's absurd to marry for money?

"Ugh!"

I was so tired after the wedding, and God! does my ankles hurt.

I stretched myself in the king-sized bed while being grateful that it was all finally over.

"You did well my lady, would you like a cup of tea, milk, or water to help you relax?"A maid asked as she watched my exhausted form laying on the bed.

"I'll have the milk please."

"Alright, my lady." The maid replied and exited the room.

"You girls are excused," I said as I became irritated by the maids who were still in the room with panicked expressions on their faces.

They remained rooted to the spot and this further irked me, they looked like they wanted to say something but were hesitant to do you.

"Do you have something to say?" I asked, now sprawled on the bed, my gaze moving from one maid to the next.

"My l-lady we need to prepare you for..." One of the maids managed to say as she let her words trail off.

I couldn't understand why they were afraid of me, well if it was their boss then it was understandable but I wasn't their employer I was just his wife but that wasn't enough reason for them to be so afraid of me to the point that they were trembling.

They wanted to prepare me for what? a night with their boss? I couldn't help but wonder what their reaction would be if they knew their boss wasn't going to spend the night with me.

"You girls can leave, I can handle things from here" I ordered with an authoritative voice which they could not help but heed.

They gave me one last glance and with a bow, they hesitantly exited the room.

Once the door to the room was closed, I felt like I could finally breathe, I was never one to use an authoritative tone on people and so the whole thing was new to me but I figured I had to get used to it, that is if I wanted to survive in this family.

I couldn't stand up due to exhaustion so I moved my gaze around the room in scrutiny.

As my eye studied every single portion of the room it all felt like it was just a dream, it was luxuriously decorated maybe to the extreme, and the room was so wide and beautiful, if not for how lavish it looked, I would have said it was designed to my taste but I couldn't help but wonder if it was purposely, then I shoved the thought away, how could that man know my taste.

It was all clear to me now, it didn't matter what anyone said, that man without a doubt had to be the richest in the city, with the way he could spend money like he had an endless supply of it, this wedding had to be the most extravagant wedding of the century.

I lay leisurely on the bed as my thought suddenly drifted back to him.

I couldn't believe it, I was a married woman and married to no one but the cold-hearted CEO.

That man did things to me that I couldn't explain,

I felt a blush creep to my cheek upon remembering our kiss on the altar.

He was truly shameless, well I guess being shameless ran in their family.

"Such a shameless bastard" I mumbled pulling a pillow close to me, as I lay on my belly, I hide my face in the pillow remembering how embarrassed I was after the kiss, I could barely even look at anyone in the face after that ordeal.

"And who's the shameless bast*rd"

My eyes widened and I snapped my head backward, and there he was, staring at me with those odd yet beautiful eyes that reminded me of an icy landscape.

His goldlike hair was slightly wet like he had just recently come out of the shower, with some of it lapping on his face, but yet he look so breathe taking that I found it hard to breathe.

How could a human being be so unrealistically handsome? but then again was he really human at that moment I felt my face become redder by the second.

I let my gaze travel downwards and that was when I noticed he was dressed in a very long red night robe coupled with pants, the robe displaying his beautifully Sculptured muscular physique in the middle, though it was slightly dark I could still visibly see his features.

Wait the room was dimly lit, when was the light dulled down, the room had been somewhat bright some moments ago, or was I just imagining things

I gulped down saliva, moving my gaze back to his face.

"M-Mr Morgan, why are you here?" I asked, ignoring his question as I forced myself to keep my eyes fixed on his face, I didn't want to let him know, his presence affected me but his gaze on me was so, intense that it felt like it bore into my soul.

I felt my heart racing in my ears and my face red probably as a tomato.

He kept his gaze fixed on me, studying me with his silver-gray eye, a glimmer of something sinister in them, Why did they seem darker than they usually were, or was it just me imagining things?

I could only stare back at him unable to gauge his intentions, then he pulled off his robe and slowly approached me without permission our eyes still fixed on each other.

His toned muscular physique became visible, taking my breath away.

In the blink of an eye, he already had me trapped on the bed, two strong hands gripping my hands and pinning them above my head.

How had he gotten so close so fast?

I snapped my head upwards, only to meet his piercing gaze, which sent a wave of fright and excitement across my body at the same time.

I forgot to breathe with how close our faces and bodies were, so close that I could feel the warmth of his skin.

I moved my gaze away from him not being able to look into his eye, just looking into his eyes made me feel things.

"Let me go, "I said, with all the resolve I could muster as I continued to remind myself that this was the face of the enemy.

" Is that really what you want?"He questioned, his voice low and husky, like a drug I couldn't get enough of, it also portrayed that cold glint it usually had but for some reason, I felt there was something different about it today.

His question echoed in my head, was that really what I wanted?

Perhaps I wanted something more, no I wanted his hands all over me but that was not the logical part of me, this had to be my hormones reacting, yes it had to be, I would never feel anything for the enemy.

"He lifted my chin almost harshly, forcing me to gaze into his eye after which he took my lips with his.

His actions shocked me, making to stiffen in fear and excitement, his hands coming to my hips, and the once soft kiss slowly intensifying.

I fell into the intoxicating feeling, which felt more intense by the second, his whole body pressed against me sending a tingling sensation down my stomach.

A low moan escaped my lips.

What was this? I told myself I would avoid anything that would make me feel such intense emotions, anything that would make me lose my mind.

My brain told me to push him away but my body wanted to do the exact opposite.

Unfortunately, my body decided for me, my hands went to his thick soft hair, deepening the kiss and our lips played in a fiery game.

His free hand slowly traveled over her curves, stopping for a moment on my waist before moving down to my hip.

Oh! Lord, I wanted him to touch me all over me.

His lips continued to skillfully kiss and nibble, and his mouth moved down from my neck to my collarbone and then to my chest, leaving a prickle of fire on my skin.

At this point, I didn't know when he untied the strap on my nightgown.

He trapped onto my hips and push me harder into his body, I felt myself drowning in an ocean of pleasure, his hand then slipped under my dress and caressed me to heights that were both frightening and exciting.

Heat built between my legs and l wrapped my legs around his waist, bringing him closer like I was scared that he would disappear.

I arched back and bit my lip to suppress a moan as he slowly worked further up my neck, closing my eye as I was drowning in an ecstasy of pleasure.

He grabbed the back of my head and claimed my lips in a hungry kiss, his tongue moving all through my mouth and his hands all over my body.

His kiss then turned from sweet to intense, to painfully wild and it was almost bruising my lips then I felt him tighten his hand around my neck.

" What did I say about being one step ahead of the enemy?" He leaned into my ear and whispered in his raspy voice, his breath sending shivers down my spine.

"Ah.." I shrieked and my eye shot open, I felt my heart beating louder than ever but not due to excitement but out of fear as I looked at the red eye of the man before me.

His gaze was cold, sharp, and piercing just like his voice.

"Stop....please..." I begged, not being able to breathe as his grip around my neck tightened.

"You shouldn't play with fire wife" He stated, pulling away to gaze into my eye." Or you might get burned."

As I stared into his eye, I could see the fire in them, with his now blood-red eyes boring into my soul.

Suddenly, the scenery changed, and I was pinned to the wall with his hand around my neck, effortlessly holding me in place, with a light smirk playing on his lips.

Then I gasped, waking up from what felt like a nightmare, I gently touched my neck while still remembering the experience so vividly.

I was so caught up in my world that a voice pulled me back to reality.

"You're finally awake"

The voice was one I had become familiar with, a voice that sent shivers down my spine especially when it was this low and raspy.

I moved my eye to the left and there I saw the silhouette of a man in the dark seated majestically on a chair with what looked like a glass of red wine in his hand.

He excluded such a lethal aura that all I wanted to do was run away but I remained on the spot, reminding myself that it was all a dream.

"W-what are you doing here?" I uttered as I clenched the harem of my dress."In my room" I added, keeping my gaze fixed solidly on him.

"Your room?" He muttered, gazing at me intently with those eyes that left me trapped in them.

At that moment it all came flooding in.

This wasn't my room but his, I almost facepalmed myself, before the wedding we had discussed staying in the same room for the first night as wedding couples, it was all part of the act to make the whole thing believable so after the wedding, I had gone to take a nice relaxing bath, before I would arrive as I was exhausted I had asked the maids to leave but wasn't aware when I slept off in the bathtub.

My eye suddenly snapped down and I wrapped it in a towel that I never remembered wrapping around my body.

Lord, please let it not be what I'm thinking.

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, taking a deep breath I summoned enough courage to look him in the eye.

Ba-dump, Ba-dump, Ba-dump.

"D-Did you b-bring me here" I cursed as my words came out with a stammer.

"Yes" Came his curt reply, like he couldn't be bothered, his intense gaze taking in my every action.

I looked away from him in embarrassment, I felt my face boil in anger as I clenched the sheets pulling them over my body.

What did he take me for? or was it that he had no respect for one's privacy? He could have just called the maids or better still woke me up.

"The maids dressed you up and I brought you here," He said as if reading my mind.

I felt relief wash through me at his words, why couldn't he have given a better explanation from the beginning, instead of getting me to make assumptions? but then again I'm sure he couldn't be bothered to explain.

At that moment I suddenly realized how recked the room was, there were broken vases and ceramics everywhere, and some tables were turned over the room looked like a total mess.

"What happened?" I couldn't help but ask as I subconsciously drew back in fright, was I that much of a heavy sleeper that I didn't even notice when the room became this recked or was I just exhausted?

"A little something to make our romance more convincing" He paused for a moment before adding."Right about now we're supposed to be having the most fervent night of our lives."

I felt my eye widen in the understanding of his words.

"Is this really necessary?" I thought outwardly.

"You'll be surprised how inexorable my family could be." He said, standing up and placing the glass of wine on the table after which he walked towards the balcony.

When he stepped into the light, I felt my breath hitch, why did the man have to be so inhumanly handsome?

He had nothing covering his upper body, which displayed a hard muscular physique, he looked like a sculpture that I found it difficult to look away from him.

"Three minutes" he announced pulling me from my thoughts. "Get dressed." He ordered while keeping his back faced to me, resting his hands in his trouser pocket.

I immediately sprang up from the bed in search of a night dress.

"Umm," I started when I realized, all my clothes had not been transferred to his residence yet and the new dresses I had were all back in my room" I have nothing to wear."

For a moment I thought he didn't hear me and I was about to speak again when he finally broke the silence.

"Third drawer by the right, it's the only clothing your size."

I looked through the drawer, only to find a pile of large T-shirts and I picked one and wore it, I wasn't comfortable wearing a man's clothing but I had no other choice I had to make due plus it was better than the towel, I wasn't wearing anything underneath which made the situation a lot difficult.

"I'm done."

He turned around giving me a quick look before he moved to seat back on his chair.

The shirt just went mid-thigh of course I wasn't expecting a compliment from him or was I?

I moved back to the bed it was then I noticed the pétals of roses scattered on the bed and around it.

"Roses" I mumbled. I knew this wasn't his doing so it had to be his family.

His family rends to go the extra mile I see.

"I suppose this is your family's doing"

He didn't reply immediately taking his sweet time."My family tends to be extra" was the only thing could say.

He suddenly stood up taking me by surprise as he strode towards me.

"What are you doing?" I asked but he ignored me and leaned in trapping me in his hands, I felt his hot breath behind my ear giving me a light brush and within some seconds he pulled away with a pillow in his hand.

"What were you excepting?" He asked as tilted his head slightly and towered over me." Did you think I would touch you?"

I didn't know what to say in reply, perhaps I thought he wanted to but I still had different thoughts in my mind.

"Rest assured, I don't force myself on women."

"And why should I believe you, because you're a gentleman?"

"If I wanted to fuck you, you would already be pinned to my bed by now."

I felt my heart skip a beat as I watched him lay on the bed next to me, closing his eye.

I shifted my body till I lay at the edge of the bed, the very presence of this man did things to me that I couldn't explain, at that moment I couldn't help but wonder how it got to this.

Well, it all started six months ago when I saved a life.