Capítulo 5 Aurora

5

"I do.""You may now kiss the bride."

Remo turns to me, his eyes vacant of emotion, and when they flick over my dolled-up face, it feels like staring into the dark depths that hold endless secrets that could ruin your life.

My glinting brown eyes and the smile on my face are slightly strained just so my family doesn't see it. This is what I am. Empty. A pawn in the game. A doll who has perfected herself to be displayed for thousands to see.

Who knew the day I dreamed of would end up being me standing next to a man who looks right through me as I merely fulfil my part of the marriage contract?

I catch the murmurs of the audience behind us, and I find the patient eyes of the pastor on the other side of me. I look back up at my husband. Remo's eyes run over me again, so cold and indifferent. I am dreading a future with such an emotionless man.

And yet, my body loves to betray me in the presence of Remo Cainn.

The world tilts as the veil is lifted, and Remo takes another step closer to me. My breath hitches, and only then do his eyes zero in on my lips where a practiced smile is present.

His eyes go to the corner of my lips before I see a flash of softness wrap around his body. It feels warm, it feels content, and yet all I can think of it is that it's merely for pictures.

An illusion.

A sweet deception for the world.

A fairy-tale snatched from me only to be given to the world in the form of lies.

Remo cradles my face, a hand going under my jaw to tilt my head up, and I feel a zap of electricity at our touch. Tension builds in my chest. My airways feel tight as I struggle to think of anything other than the big warm hands that rest on my jaw.

When Remo leans in for the kiss, I close my eyes. I cannot bear to see his face as he kisses me for the first time in front of the world, while all I feel is the way this is so wrong.

It shouldn't feel like this.

A strong rosewood smell hits me, the manly cologne filling my lungs as I try to keep my erratically beating heart at bay. The soft press of Remo's lips brushes the corner of my mouth.

My heart launches out of my chest at his kiss.

"Welcome to a world of deception, Aurora. Don't bring your fantasies into this, or you will leave broken."

My heart drops in my stomach at his whispered words.

I don't know what he means. What fantasies would I be wanting that could ruin me? What is it about him that puts me off?

It's done. It's fixed. A marriage with an expiry date.

Could I hope to just... try to want something other than business out of this marriage? Something close to a friendship, maybe? Am I thinking too much with my heart?

The wedding goes by faster than expected. It was grand solely for the purpose of the media, and yet still it didn't feel like it was even fulfilling the desire I had to see this day. I planned it with the event manager, and it looked exactly how I wanted it to look despite the short notice.

We walked down the long aisle together, my arm looped around Remo's elbow even if I didn't want to make him uncomfortable with me touching him again; but it had to be done for the pictures and the hundreds of guests.

There are more than five hundred guests, and the hall is grand with flowers hanging from the huge arched ceiling, a simple white aisle in the middle, and white chairs on either side for the guests. The beautiful stage we stood upon was covered with the same flowers that hang from the ceiling.

On the right side are Remo's family and his guests, while mine are on the left. I didn't spare them a single glance.

We stand at the top of the steps of the hall outside, and flashes erupt from the bottom of the stairs as the paparazzi take hundreds upon hundreds of pictures. Shouts surround us, calling our names, congratulating us. It makes me feel trapped.

My hand tightens on Remo's arm, and I feel him glance down at me, but I maintain the smile on my face.

His gaze turns so intense that it forces me glance up at him. A soft gasp escapes my lips at the small quirk of his lips. Remo's face is beautiful, a type of beauty that one would fawn over, finding themselves constantly looking back at him just to catch another glimpse.

If he weren't holding me next to him, I would have tripped over how handsome he looks. He wears a pressed black suit with the white tie I demanded he wore. The black shirt beneath is stretched across his chest. His straight slacks and the beautiful white rose tucked into the small pocket of his jacket finish his ensemble.

His black hair is slicked back, clean-shaven, sharp jaw, and the tendons in his neck make me swallow. The sun blazing down on him only enhances the beauty of this man. The side of his face is tilted at an angle which softens the normally dark look around him.

"If I didn't know better, I would have fallen in love with you this very moment, Remo Cainn," I whisper, blinking up at him.

He leans down, his strong cologne curling around me, drugging me to the point I could overdose on it. It makes everything even more torturous for me.

"Then you are a smart woman not to," he replies, his voice crisp and clear.

When he leans back, I hope he didn't see the shattered hope he left in my eyes.

Would it have killed him to give me a nice answer?

"You could have at least complimented me," I huff.

His eyes shine with suppressed humour. This is the most he has let me see of his emotions, or the lack thereof, and I crave these emotions like a starved woman.

"But then, you would never come down from your high horse."

My mouth drops open. I can practically see the wry amusement in his eyes.

"I would not."

I tighten my grip on his arm, so he feels my nails digging into his arm, but all he does is turn towards the crowd of media and nods at few people as if they are interesting.

"Insulting your wife not even five minutes after marrying her," I mutter as I turn to the crowd too, and that's when our security walks out from the sidelines and gets the crowd to disperse.

Around ten men suited in black, with earpieces, push back the crowd of photographers. Remo's security. All tall, muscled men who have no problem pushing the demanding photographers away from the bottom steps of the church.

Once they are backed away, our car comes to a stop right in front of us, a white Rolls-Royce Phantom. One of the guards opens the door, and another guard pops out from the passenger side. He motions us to walk down the steps.

My dress, the one I designed-a good marketing move on my part, and also because I wanted to be able to do that myself-has a long veil that trails behind me for quite a few metres while the dress itself is made from beautiful silk that flows down from my waist. There is heavy lace on my chest area covering my breasts, and it's tight until my mid-stomach, where it flows down all the way to the floor.

We start our descent down the stairs, and I smile brightly as I make my way down into the Rolls-Royce. Remo helps me sit inside the car, gathering my dress and handing it carefully to me before he gets into the car.

That was nice of him.I suck in a sharp breath at the mere thought of knowing just how easily I almost believed his act.

The door shuts, and my nerves shoot through the roof. The car starts with a low hum, and nervousness crawls its way inside my chest again.

"The reception is-"

"We aren't going to the reception."

I snap my head towards him so fast, I don't know how it didn't come off. "What?"

Remo looks over at me, his eyes hooded by those dark lashes. Every time Remo looks at me... It doesn't compare to anything I have experienced before. It's intense, heavy, and with such force that if he were to command something from me, I wouldn't be able to say no.

Without trying, without even having the intention, I feel breathless when he looks at me.

It's like an automatic reaction to his beauty and the way he moves so smoothly despite having such a big body and the muscles hidden under the suits he wears.

"What do you mean, we aren't going? Did you forget why this marriage has been put into action in the first place?"

Remo shakes his head. "We are off to Italy. I can't take work off for long, so we have to go right now."

He leaves no room for argument.

My shoulders drop in relief. I knew we had to be at our reception, but I wasn't looking forward to all the people I had to meet and the quick rude remarks from my family that would have followed. I gave myself pep talks and told myself to get ready to listen to them. I also didn't expect Remo to do anything about it.

It's my family.

He wouldn't care unless it was in front of other influential people or people he cared about.

In a way, I am glad.

"I didn't pack anything," I tell him, my eyes cast down at the hands in my lap.

"I'll just get you everything you need. I asked someone to take care of your essentials, but if you need anything, we can get it there."

"How many days did you say?" I ask to confirm, my eyes now fixed on the big diamond ring and wedding band I have on my ring finger. For a moment, it feels like it's heavy, not because it's expensive and of high value, but because of my lies that are tied around the rock. The lies that weigh heavily not only on my heart but my body and soul.

"Four."

I nod, because him even listening to me in the first place is enough.

That is more than my father even did.

I'm not complaining.

It's not that I want Remo to act as his reputation has portrayed him. I don't. His past and secrets are his alone, but the fact that he hasn't once disrespected me nor shown unnecessary possessiveness makes me feel happy.

Whatever the media may label him as, whatever he may have done, as long as I know I have the chance to just make him give me, give us, a chance, I know I can work on seeing if we are compatible.He can't change me, and I can't change him. We have our own lives. Our own rules and morals. But if we can help each other change for the better, then that is a good change.

My morals are simple and easy to follow, and I am a princess walking on the right path. However, I have only known that. The right path. I didn't wander into the darker world; I was kept away from it, even if the brutality of it has touched me.

Even if the monsters from the other side managed to crawl into my safe heaven and ruin it.

If Remo can show me a world where possibilities are not strained by the rules and the impossible was possible, I may take the step over the line of right and wrong.

For now, I will try my best to keep myself intact while I try to be in a civil relationship with my husband. To just try to get through this year without hurting myself in the process or get hurt by him. I won't find love in a place like this, no matter how much a small part of my heart wants to disagree.

"We are here."

Remo gets out, walks around to my side, and opens my door. The loud sound of the engines and planes departing hits my ears. I look at my dress bundled up around my feet and can't even find my footing, even if there is a lot of space in front of me. Strong winds scatter my hair due to how close the engine is, and I push it out of my face. A red carpet peeks out from the open car door.

If I try to get out, I will trip over.

"I need help." I sheepishly smile up at him.

Remo's eyes drop to my dress pooled at my feet. My white-painted toes peek out from the fabric. He lets out a sigh before leaning down.

I think he is about to move the fabric away, but his arm reaches under the silk and goes under my knees while the other goes behind my shoulders. I try my best to hide the wide smile but I fail. Remo steps away from the car and carries me to the private jet.

Within that small moment, I find my eyes stuck on his face, at the way he is showing absolutely no emotion with the wind ruffling his hair up along with mine. The engine sounds grow more intense as we get closer. I catch a glimpse of the flight attendants from the corner of my eye, but my eyes won't leave Remo.

Right before he lowers me, I manage to get a sentence out.

"You definitely are a romantic."

"I am not," he says gruffly, making me chuckle softly.

When I stand on my own feet, I pick up the fabric and hold it in my hand. I planned for this, so I take the clip on my hip and pin the fabric. The dress is artfully pinched at the waist, not ruining my look at all.

"It will be a short two-and-a-half hour flight to Capri," Remo informs me before he walks away and climbs into the private jet, nodding at the flight attendant, who politely nods at him in greeting.

I sigh out as my eyes catch the lettering on the side of the jet.

Cainn.