Axels Little Rose

Rose pov

Life is ironic. 

I'm surrounded by the luxury I've always yearned for, yet I'm unable to revel in it. 

The sweet-smelling fragrance of exotic perfumes and cosmetics fills the room. 

I suck in the air feverishly, inhaling and exhaling slowly. 

I attempt to ignore the hands of the ladies working on my body, believing they are beautifying me, but they are everywhere. 

I close my eyes tight and get lost in my thoughts instead. Anything to stop myself from thinking about what will happen in a few moments from now.

I'm no kid; I know what will be expected of me tonight and why these women are all over me. 

I may be naive, but I'm not stupid. 

My body is now slick from the oil-scented bath I've been taken through and as soft and supple as a baby's from their ministrations. 

Every part of me burns and feels relaxed at the same time. The beautification process is tiring, and I wish we could skip this part already.

Tonight is my wedding night. 

My heart pounds in my chest, not from excitement but from fear and anticipation-perhaps dread is a more apt word-of the next few hours and the future. 

This is a far cry from the plans I had, but life just has to get in the way. 

In a matter of seconds, my life was turned upside down. 

I gave my consent to this, but it has not been wholehearted. If there is an opportunity for me to escape this arrangement, I will readily lunge at it.

I'm eighteen-young, brilliant, youthful, and with a clear goal in mind. 

But-I release another deep sigh, my shoulders sagging-I guess this is my life now. After all, life doesn't always weave the pattern we desire.

This is my cross, and I shall bear it.

Finally, "You're ready to go." The voice of the lady before me breaks my thoughts, and I open my eyes. 

I meet her gaze as I raise my head, and she smiles down at me-a warm and compassionate smile.

"You look beautiful, dear," she says, as if that will ease the tension simmering through my veins. 

Her declaration has sent my pulse racing. It was finally time. 

With the corner of my cheek twitching, I return her smile with a ghost of mine. "Thank you." A whisper.

I'm led into the master bedroom suite, and the double doors close behind me as I enter. 

I'm awed by the grandeur that stares back at me as I step into the room. 

The room is impressively built, wide, and spacious, with plush furnishings, captivating decor, and a tasteful ambiance. 

Everything within it screams opulence and wealth. 

I wonder what a man who controls wealth like this wants from me.

I'm nobody, just a girl struggling to achieve her dreams but deterred by the enormous debts on my shoulders.

Much of what prompted his decision to marry me makes no sense to me, and no matter how much I think about it, I always hit an impasse in my head. 

Could it have been an attraction? 

He flirted with me the first time we met, but I politely turned him down. I had enough on my plate to contend with than entertain any man's coquetry.

I doubt that was the case. 

What on earth does he want with me? My head screams for answers.

I spin around as I hear the doors open behind me, and there he stands, looking all regal and hot like a Greek god.