Capítulo 3 Remo

3

"Today. You can meet Remo Cainn today at three in the afternoon."Three missed meetings later, I am sitting in my office with no sign of Remo. London traffic playing its part, Remo taking on another meeting in place of my own, our tight schedules. Nothing is going to plan, and it's leaving me uneasy.

"Just one meeting," I mutter, frowning at the screen in front of me displaying the first draft of my wedding dress.

The cold seeps through my clothes, and I sigh, glancing outside at the gentle rain that blankets the buzzing city. The dark falling outside makes me realise how long I have been in the office.

The long hours I've been working the past three days are causing a headache to form, the faint throbbing in my temple now a constant as I keep thinking about Remo, our wedding, and exactly what I may ask of him if I were to meet with him before the wedding.

I need to be serious about this. Need to be critical and straight forward.

My father and Remo are the powerful figures here, the ones with money and the ones who could crush me and bend me to their will, make me follow their commands so I am nothing but a puppet in their little plan.

Remo's wealth exceeds my father's; it creates an unsettling feeling inside of me. How will I demand him to keep my business out of Father's and his alliance?

Then there is the uncertainty of if he will agree.

I wanted love, but the failed dates and disgusting looks from my potentials have felt anything but like love. I may not know what love exactly feels like, but it's no crime to wish for it. It certainly isn't what my previous dates over the past couple of years made me feel.

Maybe it isn't written for me, but surely wanting that kind of love isn't impossible?

People know of me as the sweet daughter of the famous magazine mogul. I would go home dejected and call Kamari, so she could make me feel better, even if it were only temporary.

The scars have always been left on my heart.

Sometimes I wondered if it was me. If it was the dresses I always wore, or maybe I looked too stuck up... But my attire was always simple. My clothes varied between soft colours, and I loved wearing my heels. The ones with butterflies on top, diamonds, tulle, and even pointy tips or simply strappy heels.

The comments from my dates made me feel less like a princess living in my dream but like the adored doll everyone wanted to play with but didn't want to keep.

I hated the disgusting feeling that washed over me.

That's why I stopped trying.

Because I tell my heart this every day. Love is hard. It's not an easy road.

I value my confidence and self-worth, which is why I want to wait for a moment to happen, and yet, after twenty-nine years, I am still here, searching for the same thing.

That one moment of love, that one moment when the flutter happens, and I would know it's him that I want.

I may not want to live a fantasy that doesn't happen in real life, but I want to believe the romance in the books I read exists. It cannot come from just mere imagination.

It cannot be a lie.

So instead of trying to reach out to Remo again, I grab the files from my desk and head out of my office. The murmur of chatter fills my ears, and my heels click softly on the floor as I swiftly make my way towards the meeting room with my selected staff, two designers and Claudia.

As I am setting up the projector behind me, a familiar uncomfortable feeling grows inside of me. This isn't what I wanted.

Swallowing thickly, I clear my throat as everyone starts to pile in. The glass door shuts, and the voices from the main working area dim. The staff in front of me sit up straight around the oval desk, ready to listen.

"So, I'm getting married,"

There are gasps, shocked faces, dropped jaws, and wide eyes around the table.

Silence falls for a long minute.

"When did you get engaged?"

"Can I see the ring?"

"Why did you not tell us?"

The questions come all at once, and I vaguely reply, not wanting for the answers to dig deep into me, causing me more agony than necessary. An empty laugh escapes me, trying to calm the nervous jitters inside of me.

"Who?" This one makes my heart pinch in pain, my eyes falling to my empty ring finger.

Fake.It's all fake.I clear my throat as I look around at their eager faces, and those eyes seem to come back to my mind. The man I have been chasing about for the last few weeks. The disastrous haunting eyes and the faint hint of a smirk. The big body, the pressed black suit, and his ghostly gaze that suggests he doesn't care about you unless you interest him.

"Remo Cainn."

Everyone's eyes widen, and so do Claudia's. Her lips open in what could only be shock.

"Yes. Now, if you are done asking questions, let's get started on my wedding dress." My tone is light yet restrained. I don't want to talk about this any more than I need to.

I press the button on the remote and a mood board comes up for how I want my dress to look like.

"Did I mention we need to prepare this in under two weeks?"

We all get to working, jotting down ideas, making draft designs, and spend almost two hours in here before we call it done for the day. I glance outside once more. It's now much darker than before. Night is fast approaching, and the rain is barely a faint drizzle now.

"We need to keep this confidential, because no one knows yet. I am placing my trust in you guys."

They enthusiastically nod their heads with hopeful smiles at being in on this secret project as they file out one by one.

Their excited murmurs and double glances at me make me smile faintly.

Packing my own work, I stand up and turn around, only to bump into someone. My papers scatter everywhere.

"Oh my! Are you okay?" I say, then bend down to pick up the papers. I place them on the table next to me and glance up at the person I bumped into.

I suck in a sharp breath, my heart instantly speeding up at the sight of the man in front of me.

The same man I had been talking about, thinking about shamelessly, and the same man I haven't been able to meet with for two whole weeks.

He watches me narrow my own eyes at him. I hope he can see the annoyance in them.

"I've been trying to meet with you for the past few weeks," I say, taking a step closer to him. I raise my chin so I can look at him in the eyes.

Remo looks to the side, showing me his sharp jawline, and rubs a hand right on that spot before turning back to look at me.

I suddenly realise it's wrong of me to accuse him like this.

He looks back at me, and it's like being drenched in freezing cold water. Those eyes hold no emotion and no warmth. This isn't the gaze of a man I'd want to marry.

And within that moment, I see a flash of my lonely and miserable future.

"I'm aware." His voice is deep, twisting my nerves until I want to walk away from him to relieve the sweet, deep ache he causes in me.

His intimidating presence already makes me want to take a couple steps back. I glance behind him at his security detail, and I am reminded of his position.

Of his powerful reach, his strength, and the force of his words.

This news will definitely stir up a ruckus around the office.

His peculiar gaze makes my insides tremble in a way I can't figure out. Whether it's the way he has a positive effect on me, or if it's because he is instilling a sense of fear. Maybe it's a warning of some sort of danger my body is telling me, and I am ignoring it.

His eyes start at my head and down my body, then rise again, as if trying to figure me out.

And I like that it doesn't evoke that disgusting feeling I usually get when a man checks me out.

My shoulders drop, my body suddenly light.

"Let's dispense with the formalities and get to what you need from me." His voice is quiet yet still holds enough authority that I don't dare ignore him.

I smile at him, and his eyes drop to my lips for a second before looking back up.

"Please, come into my office so we can talk."

I'm not going to act clingy with Remo, but I really need him to do this for me. I give him a quick glance over my shoulder as he walks behind me with a hand in his trousers pocket. His security detail follows behind him, and his eyes continuously examine the people around my office.

I can't fathom how he moves with so much fluidity with that big body. He is tall, a roughed-up look on his face despite having no scratches or scars visible on his muscled body. His light stubble and the slicked back black hair instantly draw everyone's attention to him.

When he looks straight at me, my stomach dips ever so slightly.

Walking inside my office, past Claudia's desk, I hold the door open for Remo and shut it before his security guards can walk in, biting my lip to hold in a laugh at the abrupt way they stop.

"I wanted to talk about a few terms on our marriage contract since I am accepting it now," I start, turning around to face him.

"Aurora?"

Remo slowly advances towards me, stopping in my personal space. My mind is instantly on high alert, and I stand my ground. I grab hold of my skirt, the silk fabric slippery in my hands as I try to stay still, no matter that my heart tightens in my chest. He takes one more step until he is right in front of me, his eyes overflowing with malice in them.

I force my eyes to stay on his face, even as my vision darkens. The only thing in focus is Remo's black eyes and the glint of suspicion that resides within them.

"Don't mistake my silence for anything other than me questioning whether I need you in my life or not." His voice is deep and laced with a clear threat, but what is the threat for?

I am merely wanting to protect myself from a monster just like him before I dive into this marriage. I want something on my terms.

"You will soon realise that my silence is anything but silent." He keeps going, and the fear growing within me suddenly spikes, a dark shadow slowly starting to swallow my world.

"So careful with what you ask."

I take a deep breath before walking around him, effectively dismissing him.

I drop into my chair and open up my computer. Remo remains standing. His words are fearsome and elicit a strange reaction out of me, but I need to maintain control of this situation and keep from being manipulated.

Taking hold of my hair and pulling it onto one side, I look over my shoulder to see Remo's eyes, intense and heated. He followed me and is now standing behind me.

"Now, my terms. I want you to make this deal believable, so don't walk away when we are in front of people and disrespect me like that. You want this to look real? You keep your affairs in check while being married to me. I won't be humiliated when some other woman is warming your bed," I list out. My tone clipped as I keep it levelled, keeping it from trembling.

"I don't want my business mentioned on anything in the contracts. Not a single word about it unless it's specifically stated in the prenup that I will keep full ownership over it, and I will still keep the greatest number of shares in my company," I continue.

As I am speaking, Remo's eyes don't move away from me once. It's so intense that a sweat breaks out on the back of my neck.

I feel nervous under his gaze.

My knee starting to bounce, but I stop it before he notices, no matter if it's under the table. Something tells me that Remo notices even the most miniscule mistakes a person makes.

"Send me the contract. I will read it with my lawyer and check. You get this done, and I will happily walk down that aisle. You won't hear me complain," I finish off before grabbing a pen and paper.

"Here's my email address. It's my personal one. And my phone number, since you clearly aren't interested in giving me yours." I write down both details and stand up, placing them in his breast pocket before tapping it once.

"Got it, handsome?" With a grin, I step back.

Remo rolls his eyes, but he will learn to love the nickname.

"Mr Cainn?"

The only response I get is the lift of his brow, his face still indifferent.

"Why are you in this marriage?" his mouth twitches as if in dark amusement.

"Same thing as you." His answer is quick, calculated. Rehearsed, almost.

"And I have two pet unicorns."

His eyebrows rise at my sarcastic tone. "You do not believe me." It isn't a question. He is stating it as an observation with a hum deep in his chest.

"I am tied to this, no matter what I want. You? You were in this before me, so what was it?"

He strolls around me, taking my previous seat at my computer, and I quickly take the one right in front of him. His leg rises, and he rests his ankle on his knee as he watches me.

He looks away, as if not wanting to look at me when answering, and I have a deep, ugly feeling that whatever he says next will be a lie. Sure, he may not be honest with me right off the bat, but it sucks that the person I'll be spending so much of my time with for the foreseeable future will lie to me from the first day.

I brace myself for his answer.

"You're a good-looking woman, Aurora. Not only will it benefit my image, but it'll also create buzz around me. I have my most awaited wine collection coming out, and your father was willing to place you forward to convince me to invest in his business."

No matter how many times I hear the words. Over and over. It will never hurt less. It will never lessen the sting I feel as those words dig deep.

My beauty. My image. My father.

All the reasons I was agreeing to this marriage are the reasons he wants to do this. I wanted to get away from those things, and he pulled me in because of them.When will it ever be me? Just me?

When will I hear the words, 'for you, Aurora'?

I guess my expectations may be too high for men. They may be too high for what I want from love, but there is always something that gives me hope all over again.

My smile becomes strained.

Words always hurt me, but they never leave visible scars. So my smile stays on when Claudia knocks on the office door, bringing us lattes. When I slide one over to him, he gives it a brief look, then gets up.

"I'm leaving." He walks out without so much as a backward glance.

And I sit there, thinking about how many times I will need to pick myself up.

The next few days pass by in a blur as we get my wedding dress ready. The wedding planner I picked out prepares the venues. I attend dress fittings-though there are no bridesmaids or groomsmen, because we both didn't want any-and choose the flower arrangements. The guest lists are done by my parents and finalised by Remo.

I didn't see Remo after that meeting in my office.

His secretary sent the final marriage contract, and he did exactly as I asked him, which made me feel a little victorious. He isn't objecting too much, and that makes me question this whole marriage more. I have so many questions, and I know the answers are lying within my father's office or even Remo's office.

I'll find out eventually, but for now, my focus is on trying not to panic when thinking about the wedding. It's not real by any means, but it's here. It's so close, and I still have a feeling that something is wrong.

Or something will go wrong.

Am I making a mistake with this?

The silence from my father and Remo makes me jittery, nervous, and utterly conscious of everything and anything. What is it that I am missing? What is it that is bothering me?

These questions take over my mind, and soon enough, it's two days before the wedding. The wedding is planned, and I am standing in front of my finished wedding dress in my office.

Alone, in silence, as the quietness of the office floor leaves me with my thoughts.

Everyone is gone for the day, but I am looking at my dream dress come to life, yet nothing else is real. I remind myself every day that I am doing this for me, for my future, and yet the present feels like it's trapping me.

Like it may never let me go. Like the present may be rough, but the future will be worse.

I look down at my phone, the contact number saved in my phone as 'Remo,' and I just stare at it.

It's getting real. So real.

The news is rife with rumours about Father's Glamorous magazine now being in partnership with the businessman and owner of Giorgio Vino. I watch the news and read articles when I have time, so I can keep up if anything may go wrong or may get leaked.

Some people think it's a power move, some think it's merely because Glamorous was losing its profits and shareholder attention. Some think they are planning something bigger, and some even think Remo Cainn wants to take over Glamorous to add to his business portfolio.

The funny thing is that I am just as in the dark as them.

I walk out of the office and get on the elevator to go back home and get some good sleep. Heavy pouring rain is cascading down, and the empty car park a ghostly place.

As I step outside the sliding doors of my office building, I freeze at the sight in front of me.

A soft gasp slips from my lips.

Leaning against a black Range Rover is Remo, holding an umbrella over himself. His leg crossed over the other as he smokes. A guard is standing close to him, holding his own umbrella.

Remo looks to the side as he blows out a thick puff of smoke that covers his face. Through that smoke, he turns his head and looks right at me. Instantly our eyes connect, and my chests tightens at the eyes I can never get used to.

They are laced with the darkness I imagine the worst of monsters have in their eyes. Egoistic malice. Haunting eyes that hold me in place, make me stop in my tracks, and trap me under their wicked spell.

The smoke slowly disappears. He takes a step away from the car and sucks in another blow. The tip of the cigarette goes from red to a bright orange before he throws it to the ground and smashes his shoe over it.

Then he starts advancing towards me.

Predatory steps, his eyes fixed on me.

They start to trail down my figure, lingering on the skirt that hugs my hips and defines my curves. Those dark eyes stop at my white Dior heels, then instantly flick up at my eyes. A flash of a familiar glow goes through them before it's gone.

Taking a step forward myself until we are both in front of each under the extended roof, I let my eyes take my fill of him. Of the deep-green suit he is wearing and the black tie he has on. I tilt my head back and let a small grin take over. I can clearly see he likes what he's looking at."Here to pick me up, handsome?" I tease, hoping it masks the surprise and the glimmer of fear I feel.

Something is wrong, or may go wrong, and his presence is making me wary of everything.

I lean forward until my lips are right next to his ear and whisper, "Careful, I might get swayed into thinking you like me." I lean back and wink at him.

"Let's go," Remo rumbles, placing a hand on my mid-back before leading me towards his car. The heat from his hand a surprise to me. I feel it through the thick wool fabric of my jumper that is tucked into my skirt.

"But my car." I point to the parking lot where my white Rover is parked.

"Don't worry about it," he mutters before the guard opens the backseat door for me.

I climb in, hoping to God I don't get killed today for trusting the man next to me.

One who I've only met a total of three times.

This is how horror movies start. The main character does something stupid. In other words, me. I am doing that stupid character.

I eye the handle, watching it as the doors click shut, trying to plan my escape in case Remo decides he wants me gone.

My mind is telling me to remember the abrupt way he left, the way he hurt my feelings without meaning to, and yet those words whisper back to me in my head. I am unable to stop myself from looking over at Remo again. He takes up quite some space in the car next to me.

He doesn't owe anything to me, so really, I should stay away from him as much as possible, but how can I deny the invisible pull I feel every time I am in his presence?

I look away before he can see me looking at him again.

I need to tell myself that he doesn't know anything about me. At that thought, the place behind my ear starts to burn in memory. I rub over the skin to lessen the burn, but I feel it. The scar left behind by using a burning cigarette.

"Where are we going? You know you aren't supposed to see the bride a few days earlier than the wedding? How about we go to eat something instead? I haven't eaten anything all da-"A large palm lands on my thigh. My heart skitters in my chest, then it bursts into flames and burns inside of me as his rough and surprisingly warm hand softly palms my thigh.

"Quiet, Aurora, or I will need to silence you myself," his threat makes me swallow thickly.

Laughing nervously, I look at him to see him looking at his phone, but his chin is tilted in my direction. Finally, he looks up at me and removes his hand from my thigh.I try not to let any reaction show on my face.

My future husband may look like the last person you want to encounter, but he has already shown small gestures that not even my family has thought to do. Gestures that aren't grand by any means but still are dear to my heart.

He came to me in my office when I couldn't reach him. Without question, he accepted my terms, even if I didn't ask for anything big, anything from his business, or just materialistic things. I didn't need any of that, and he granted it to me, nonetheless.

I will take advantage of this marriage in any way I can to escape my father.