BEAUTY IN THE BEAST

The Manor

Ch 98: The Manor

Kat

A manor. That's what I am calling this monstrosity which is standing in front of my eyes. we have reached the house Ace has in here but I can't keep my eyes from bugging out, there are guards, more than I have ever seen, and even in my state of tranquillity I am perfectly aware of all the eyes on us, as soon as we stop in front of the gate, it felt as if we were transferred into some other universe.

Acres of lands spread wide in the heart of New York, how is it possible, this much land, and lights so many lights, the house looks like a looming structure of stone and glass, new but aesthetically old and very rich.

"let's go inside." Ace tells me.

I look back at him, and he smiles a little. Here I feel him as the Pakhan he is, a ruthless head of mafia in his element.

I nod my head but before I could take another step he pulls me in his arms and carries me bridal style. I squeak, but he takes long strides towards the short flight of stairs towards the gate of the house.

"Is it just the two of us here?" I ask him.

"Just the two of us along with the servants and guards."

I open my mouth to shoot something equally nonsensical when a woman's voice stops the powerful strides of my husband.

A short woman, maybe in her fifties but very elegant walks up to us in the cliched American maid uniform, I see her eyes sternly focused while... Jesus... my husband looks actually sheepish.

He smiles at her apologetically and his eyes soften around the corners.

"Alexander, you told me you would be back soon, you didn't tell me that soon would mean this long and that the next I would see you, I would see a Pakhan."

"That's why it was a secret Maria." Ace says blandly.

"See yourself... dear grace I couldn't see her, who is it?" she looks at me suddenly as if just realising that this burly man was carrying a woman bridal style, she adjusts her glasses and gives my lithe body a once over.

"Meet my wife and the lady of the house Maria." Ace says smoothly.

My cheeks heat as I glower at him which clearly mean to put me down, he very smartly ignores it though, my body feels weary and my energy feels drained, all I want to do is sleep in a bed preferably in my husband's arms. I try to smile at Maria, knowing she is important to Ace but all I could muster is a slight curve of lips which I am sure feels as fake as me.

As if knowing my mind, Ace says, "We'll talk more tomorrow, Maria, make sure all the arrangements are made according to my wife's likes, ask the staff in Russia." With that he strolls up the stairs and whatever gothic freakish manor routes, I feel sleepy, so I close my eyes but as sleep touches me I remember something, in the state of half delirious nature, I mumble, "Happy Birthday Ace.", then like everything else, my eyes close and I fall into another deep slumber.

................................................................................................................................................................................

I stand there cursing the lord, cursing this fate I so much hate, death is a boon, life a curse, my body feels broken, nothing and no one could heal the agony I have been trapped into.

Death isn't coming to me though, every day when I am on verge feeling that's gonna be the end of it, it isn't. All I want is to see my brother and my parents once, see them and hug them, tell them how sorry I am, ask them, to forgive me.