FORCED UNITY, TRUE LOVE

I wake up drenched in a disgusting amount of sweat still shivering from the nightmare as I search my belly for any marks that weren't there already. This time he'd held a knife over my torso and was carving something on me, I still felt like I could feel the pain of his knife on me. I choke back a sob as I battle to hold back the tears welled up in my eyes

'It's just a dream, it's just a dream'

I repeat the chant in my head till I feel myself calm down, nothing sucks more than a clogged nose from too much crying

Glancing over at my clock, I notice it's 6am? I'd normally wake up from this dreams around 2-3am then stay awake till the sun was fully up.

I reach for my dream journal at the side of my bed and document in details what I'd seen in my dream.

I hurriedly get into the shower after the writing, another boring day with no friends, no siblings and my newly downloaded Seasons of Lucifer. I'm most definitely going to binge watch it all today, I have no idea why I hadn't done that sooner. Could have made my days in the bastard's house seem better, I know Tom Ellis fixes everything. Well most things, somethings just remain broken.

I'm drying off my body in when I hear my phone buzz with a notification, well it's most definitely not a text, friendless and all. I check my phone and it's a push notification on Keane Gray's latest business conquest. My blood boils as I see his face in my notifications, the sadistic son of a bitch. My father was tolerable before Keane bought off major shares to our company, he'd gotten people to buy them, then bought them from those people. He did this till he'd gotten 50 percent of our shares. He stole all the biggest clients and left my father barely holding up the company. White Corp ended up falling apart leaving us close to bankruptcy.

In a way I guess I'd have him to thank, it was the bankruptcy that made Luke break things off with me but then again he'd always put Luke in a foul mood and I'd always end up paying for it with my body. Every mark and bruise, every discoloration on my skin had Keane Gray all over it. I'd kill him if I had the chance to. Already irritated, I drop the phone on my dresser to start getting ready for my day, I put on the short black dress Luke had gifted me for show. He'd bought it off the Dior Fall 2022 show in Seoul, personally I loved the dress and I wouldn't let a horrible man taint my fashion. It worked with my curly red hair and I'd gotten compliments on the way it brought out my grey eyes. We'd probably have to start selling off things so I'd like to wear the beauty more, not every 20 year old gets to have what I have. If it wasn't mocking I'd say I am blessed. The short dress exposes the ugly bruises on my legs, I go through the painstaking stress of having to conceal each mark with makeup. When I'm done I check to make sure there are no marks on my body

I fall back into my bed, ready to start my Luciferthon when I hear a growl from my body, my mouth hangs open in amusement as I realize the only thing I'd had to eat the day before was an orange, one orange. I make my way out of my room and into the hallways, there aren't a lot of helps hanging around anymore, another thing to hate Keane Gray for. My mother hates having to do anything for herself, it makes her 'perfect self' not so perfect. You'd think a stay at home wife would be more resourceful at running a house. All they do around here is get into fights about the most stupid things while skillfully ignoring their only child. Sometimes I think my mother should have been physically unable to have children, I cannot count how many times they'd forgotten they had me when I was younger. I'd been forgotten at places ranging from high class restaurants to fucking school, one time she'd forgotten she'd been walking with me and crossed the street without me in a hurry. I ended up waiting at a police station after I couldn't find her for hours.

Dealing with neglect hurt badly as a child, I'd spend days not talking to anybody, I had to be homeschooled because I acted out at school at every slight opportunity and soiled the family name as I was always told. I'd do anything to make them notice me, make my father notice me. But as always Riccardo White was always going on and on about the Greys.

'You'd never hear that Keane Gray lit his classroom on fire, you'd never hear that Keane Gray kept rows of needles in his teacher's chair, this Keane, that Keane.'

He didn't care that Keane Gray was older than me with a full 10 years. Everything was always about being better than the Greys, I'd cancelled college plans and got engaged at 18 to Luke for my father and all he could think of was that Keane Gray would own a better engagement ring. And now that things are off with Luke my father couldn't act more disappointed in me if he tried. It's humiliating how I act around him even at 20. Once a neglected love sick puppy, always a neglected love sick puppy.

I stop at the grand door of the kitchen as the scent of freshly baked cupcakes I hadn't noticed before, wafts through my nostrils. One of the few staffs of the house left and my favourite, Grace sets a batch of chocolate cupcakes on the counter. At 60, Grace still moves with an agility I can't understand, she is always weirdly bubbly and downright happy. Her small frame shakes as she dances to whatever weird 80s music she's listening to. She shrieks as she does a spin and notices me at the doorway

"Cariño are you trying to get rid of me? I almost died."

She screams, her English thick with a Spanish accent as she whacks me with her mittens. I'm laughing as I put distance between myself and the tiny woman trying to kill me. I grab at the cakes but she pulls it away very swiftly, attacking my fingers with a ladle

"I just want the cakes Grace come on"

I whine as she catches up to me and pushes me out, she smirks and says

"Breakfast's by 7, I'll ring you down"

before slamming the heavy doors in my face with absolutely no stress. I laugh as I munch on one of the cakes I'd managed to get before she threw me out.

'One day I'll be making my own cakes in my own home'

I laugh at the thought knowing I'm never getting married again, I'll stay single and adopt a child or two whenever I feel I'm ready. Nothing is putting me back in a house with a man supposedly my husband.

"Mmmm...do you like that sir....I love how dark the green of your eyes are...mmmm...it matches your black hair...."

The woman on her knees in front of me drawls as she sucks on just the tip of my dick. I hardly give her time to say any other thing as I slam my full length into her mouth, she gags as it hits the back of her throat. I fist her blonde hair as I keep fucking her mouth giving her no time to breathe much less talk, she's moaning as I make a quick work of finishing down her throat, groaning out my release. She looks up at me, her blue eyes red from tears still falling down her face from choking before looking back down just as quickly. She remains on her knees, head bowed, not moving as she knows I have to leave before she leaves her position below me.

Wiping off with a Kleenex before buttoning up my gray trousers, I stand up from the bed of my hotel's presidential suite and walk out the door. My assistant, Dale stands outside the door where I'd left him 15 minutes ago. He follows me into the private elevator as we wait for it to go down

"You have a meeting with Mr. White in one hour, a reservation at Le Nouveau Goût in three hours with Madamé Rosa, a shoot for 'The Trendsetters' by 5PM, A board meeting by 7pm. You should know that the board members express their annoyance at the time set, Your sister wishes to know if you will be attending her baby shower set for tomorrow, There's a rumor circulating that you had a hand in the fire at Winston Charles' head company. The interior decorators for the new branch at Malibu are done with their work and that's about all for now Sir. Reviews on the woman brought for you today?"

The elevator dings, opening at the reception, I step out of the elevator taking no notice as a few bodyguards surround my assistant and I as we walk out of the hotel to flashing cameras.

"Is it true you were the evil mastermind behind the destruction...."

"Did you pay somebody to set the company ablaze...."

"Do you know the sentence for Arson Mr.White?"

"What do you have to say about the issue Mr....."

"Was it jealousy...."

I glance at my assistant's apologetic look, my face hard with irritation

"I...I'm so...sorry s...sir it's the r...ru...rumors."

He walks with his head bowed, avoiding any contact with me on our short trip to my car. I wait as he opens the door before I turn to face him

"Cancel the shoot and Reschedule the board meeting tomorrow for 8:30PM, if you receive any complaints make it Saturday by 4:30AM at the London branch. Tell my sister she can reschedule the baby shower to next month if she wants me there badly. I will meet with Madamé Rosa. You know what to do for the rumors, I expect fired reporters and failed companies. Arrange my jet for Sunday, I'm going to Malibu"

"Yes S...sir"

I slide into the backseat and soon the Rolls Royce Specter is on it's way to my office where I'm sure Mr. White is waiting to finally accept my deal.

ARIA

Sweat drips down my face as I run up the short stairs to the entrance of my house, I still feel the excitement from my short run around the property coursing through my veins. My daily morning runs have now been reduced to twice a week runs, I find myself too lazy to do anything nowadays. I wipe my sweat with the back of my hands before I walk into the house, my parents oblivious to the fact that I just walked in are having a screaming match. I stop to understand the situation a bit more before I try to solve the problem.

"Are you blaming me for our situation! I have no hand in the way you run the business like an idiot. What fool looses a company to the oldest trick in the book?"

My mother screams as she hits a vase to the floor, it shatters as it's dirt contents spill to the floor. My father is shouting his response as he throws down the bottle of wine he has in his hands. The red liquid mixes with the soil and sharp shards of glass and ceramic are scattered everywhere.

"I've found a fucking solution if you shut the fuck up and listen to the goddamn thing I have to say"

"Nothing you say has any meaning Riccardo, I think that's established by now!"

"Aria will marry the bastard and that's the last I want to hear of this discussion! He will give the company back if she stays married to him for two years!"

"You are willing to sell off our daughter to that monster with a deal like that?! Do you know the things he'd do to her? Riccardo think for once in your pathetic life. I don't know why I married you!"

"She could have stayed married to Luke but she failed at that! She's just like you Annalise, she's a fucking failure too"

My mouth hangs open in shock as their fight begins to make sense in my head, the marriage, a failure? A marriage? Me? Words are floating around my head as everything becomes blurry, I see black spots surround my vision. It seems too quiet as I try to suck in air but fail miserably, I can't breathe, I'm choking on nothing. I feel myself crash into the glass table as I try to find my footing. Everything fades to black....

....

"Aria? Aria? Open your eyes Cariño, go on you can do it"

Everything looks too bright as I struggle to open my eyes slowly, My head hurts badly as I struggle to see the blurry figure of Grace over me as memories of what happened begin to come back. I raise up the baggy white shirt I'd worn to hug earlier on and there's a nasty purple bruise already forming on my side from the fall. I look around for my mother, she'd been on my side then right?

"Grace, w.... where's s...she? Where's my mother! She should be here! Where is she?" I stammer as I burst into tears as the weight of the matter settles on me, I'm getting remarried again and to another monster.

Grace soothes me as I cry in her arms

"I can't face it again Grace, I really can't. What am I going to do?"

"Cariño, calm down child. Breath"

I keep crying profusely, not having any control over my tears or my voice as I scream in anger

"How could they do this to me! How could they do this? They know what Luke did to me! They know! I'm not doing it! I won't marry him"

" You will do as you are told Aria"

My mother says as she walks into the room, looking annoyingly perfect, looking like she's not about to agree to this.

"I fucking hate you, I hate you! I hate papa! I hate the both of you. Go to hell for fuck's sake! Leave my room!"

I shout as I struggle against the strong arms of Grace to get my hands on my mother. She stands there unfazed, looking at me with no pity, no sadness just nothing

"You will get married to Keane Gray, you will do what your father says"

I loose my mind at the mention of his name. Keane Gray? Me?

"Fuck you, I'm 20 I'll make my own decisions! I heard you support me! What'd he promise you! What'd he say to you! How can you force me to marry him! Him mama!"

She's still calm, her face still betraying no emotions,

"I raised you better than to be a selfish spoiled brat Aria. Grace, leave this room"

Grace reluctantly lets go of me as she exits the scene. I wipe my face as I stand to face my mother

"You'll stay married to him for just 2 years, Aria. You have to do it for this family. We're going broke. We are already broke Aria. You won't have all these if you keep acting this way."

"I don't care about these things mama, I can't do it again. I can't get married and I won't do it."

Something dark covers her gray eyes, the eyes and red hair were the only things I got from her. I know what she's about to do already

" Think about all the homeless people and the poor we donate to with the money we have. You'll have a lot of deaths on your hands if you don't do this. You can finally make your father proud Aria, don't you want that"

Tears well up in my eyes as her manipulation seems to work, I feel my will break at the thought of my father smiling at me with pride, he's never done that.

I see her smile innocently knowing fully well that she's won, tears fill my eyes as I consent

"I'll do it"

"The wedding preparations have already begun, we'll shop for a dress tomorrow. The wedding is on Monday"

My eyes widen in alarm

"What do you mean Monday? Mama today is Tuesday. Monday is in 5 days at most, there's no time"

"He's taken care of everything. The story with the media is that you have been dating secretly"

I nod, no longer having any strength to argue, my adrenaline high is done, I can feel all the pains from the past hour come back even more. I lie back down, signaling the end of our conversation. My mother leaves the room, turning back not once.

Grace barrels into the room in a panic, I don't know what she expects to find but it's definitely not me calmly laying on the bed

"Cariño"

She readies a warm bath for me, caring for me better than my mother would ever.

Dale opens up the black umbrella as I slide out of my car, it's quiet apart from the noise of the rain getting heavier. I move in the direction of the grave site, Dale hot on my heels

"Wait here with the umbrella" I say as I'm about to get inside

"You can't possibly be in the rain without an umbrella sir."

"Did I stutter?"

The rain almost immediately drenches my suit as I make my way to the grave covered in Blue granite, my black hair sticks to my face, blurring my vision. I hear thunder crash in the distance as the rain gets even heavier

"The deal's been made, I'm marrying White's daughter in 4 days. It's the same day I buried you"

I say as I pull out the single stemmed rose in my breast pocket, I twist it around my fingers as I speak to the grave

"She won't last two years with me, I'll make sure of it. I'll like to see how White handle this, I'll end him for good. I promise, it'll all be over soon. She'll be miserable with me."

Dropping the Rose on the grave, I make my way to a shivering Dale, Pathetic. He opens the door and slides the front seat forward as all Coupes require, I slide in signaling for the driver to close the door while Dale stands there stupefied.

"When I give an order, I don't expect questions. I expect you in the office before I get there. Don't bother coming back to work if you see I've gotten there first. Good luck"

My driver pulls away in silence leaving the stupefied boy there shivering.

"Drive as fast as you can, if he gets there, you're fired"

I get back to reviewing the files on the branch in Malibu I'd been reviewing before I'd gone to the grave site. Something doesn't quite sit with me as I look over the details of the executives.

'Dina Rosa, head of the Malibu branch. A key play to keep Madamé Rosa indebted as my plan for the Whites unfold"

I read through her file slowly, quite impressive. Done with school at 20. All I'd had to do was keep her jobless to get her mother on the same page with me.

Before I can make a call to my investigator to find out if Madamé Rosa has done her part, the car rolls to a stop at the back entrance of the office where Dale waits with a big smile and an umbrella. The front entrance is crowded with reporters wanting the scoop on the wedding to Aria. Dale walks to the car door holding a new suit covered in polyester.

Impressive.

The driver opens the car door and without another word hands over his work ID card and the keys to the house his job as my driver had gotten him. I hand them over to Dale as I face the driver again

"Clear out before 8pm, it's 6:20pm right now. You better get going."

I turn to face Dale who's smile doesn't look as big

"You are moving in to the house tonight, get me a driver and bring up the new suit. I have a place to be in 10 minutes"

I leave them both standing there in a daze as I walk into the company a bit amused at the turn of events. Dale might just be more useful than I thought. People pretend to concentrate on files or computers as I walk past them into the private elevator.

I pick up my phone in the elevator to call the investigator but stop as the elevator door opens to an angry man at the door into my office. Madamé Rosa came through then.

"You son of a bitch!"

The man comes running at me livid but stops when he notices the men at strategic points of the floor

"Hello Dexter, we have some catching up to do"

ARIA

Dread fills me as I walk around the dress shop, it's 4 days to the wedding and I can't help but feel sorry for myself and I'd very nearly been killed by the mob of reporters outside the first place we'd gone to. We'd had to change into disguises to leave unharmed and get to this shop. My mother is beside me, head raised looking down on the manager trying to kiss her ass.

"Honey, you'll have to make do with an already made dress. We can't have one custom made now. It's 4 days till you get married"

She finally turns her attention to the manager ignoring my lack of enthusiasm

"Get me the best designs you own"

The woman scurries away, almost slipping in her rush to please my mother. She spends a few minutes out of sight before returning with a tall woman carrying about 20 wedding dresses. I glance in horror at my mother who's smiling in perfect Glee. She seems to be enjoying herself way too much.

"Am I supposed to test them all out?'

I ask still very horrified, the manager is all smiles as she nods, grabs a dress and pulls me with her to a changing room. I refuse to undress with her in, scared she'd notice the bruises across my back and belly.

Obliging she leaves the changing room for me, leaving the challenging job of wearing the wedding dresses to me alone

I model a number of 15 dresses in total before I find a perfect one. As I walk out in it, my mother's smile looks genuine for the first time in here

"I want this one mama"

The manager is on me in a heart beat

"That's the perfect choice, it's by Lois Vanderburgh. It's a white daffodil laced gown with non- transparent daffodil laced sleeves and hand appliquéd lace on French tulle overlay accented with Lily laced godets. It's perfect for you and will be a perfect fit with a little adjustments too."

I look at her, not understanding a single word of the description she gave me. All I see on me is a body fitting turtle necked lace gown with embroidered flowers everywhere and a very long train. It does a good work of hiding most of my bruises and the few that would probably show can be covered up easily with make up. My measurements are taken to work on the dress more and I am very ready to leave the place and go home.

As we leave, I don't see any crowds of reporters luckily and we hurriedly get into the car

"Now all we need are shoes and Jewelry. I know the perfect place for that"

I groan as I am once again on my way to another madness