A journey to freedom

ChapterFour

After the wedding, Tristan and Selene made for his brownstone on the Upper West Side of New York in a sleek black Lincoln town car. They were quiet the entire ride. The tension between them could have been cut with a butter knife.

After they were dropped off, the newlyweds made their way into the house. The home was minimalist-all steel and glass panes- and sterile, it felt empty and unlived in. There were no personal touches that pointed to the personality of the house's inhabitant. Everything felt generic and impersonal, even the artwork that adorned the walls.

"You have a beautiful home," Selene said, not because she truly felt that way but because she thought it was the polite thing to say. She took off her coat as Tristan helped her with her luggage.

"Thanks," Tristan replied gruffly and led Selene down the hall to a large room. "This is where you'll be staying."

"Oh, we won't be sleeping together?" Selene was surprised.

"No," Tristan said curtly. "This is your room. Mine is down the hall. Are you okay with that? There are other rooms to choose from if you don't like this one."

"No. It's fine. I'm sure we'll get along well."

Tristan shrugged. "We wouldn't have to. I won't be home most of the time. Anyway, there's space in the wardrobe and drawers for your things. There's an ensuite bathroom and the lights are voice controlled. Well, that was Seraphina's request. But it's yours now."

His words served as a reminder of the fact that this was never supposed to be her life. It was Seraphina's and she was just a substitute.

"Yeah, I appreciate it."

"I'll leave you to get settled," Tristan said, leaving the room. He stopped at the door. "I'm about to order pizza. What would you like?"

"Pepperoni and cheese works for me, thanks."

"Okay."

Tristan left Selene to her own devices, and she didn't know what to do. He was a stranger to her and she was a stranger to him, yet, they were supposed to make a life together. She raised her left hand and admired the ring on her finger. The diamond on it shone as it caught the light and Selene wondered if it was Seraphina who picked it out, if it was her choice and now, she was the one who had to live with it. Selene got up and started to arrange her things. If this was home now, she might as well make the best of it.

She didn't know how many minutes had passed by the time Tristan knocked on her door. "Hey, the pizza is here," he said when she pulled the door open.

Selene took a quick shower and changed into a comfortable pair of sweatpants and an old top. Her hair was piled in a messy bun. She met Tristan in the living room working on his laptop, two boxes of pizza sitting next to him. Selene stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"Um, hi," she finally said with a little wave.

Tristan looked up. "Hi, help yourself," he said, gesturing towards the pizza.

Selene reached for the carton with pepperoni and cheese and turned to face her new husband.

"So. . ." Selene didn't finish her sentence because by the time she looked back, he was gone. She shrugged and settled down to eat her food. "That went well."

***

Tristan was typing furiously on his laptop. The deal with Yamamoto Cars was about to fall through thanks to the indolence of one of his interns.

"Good evening, Mr. Vortex," his assistant, Anne said as he picked her call. "Congratulations on your wedding."

"Thank you, Anne," Tristan replied, his voice hard. "Now, what's this about Mr. Yamamoto backing out?"

"I'm not sure what's going on exactly. The Yamamotos aren't being forthcoming with information."

"Fuck."

Anne sighed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Vortex."

"Sorry you won't fix this, Anne. Book me a flight to Japan. I want to be there by tomorrow. And get in contact with Mr. Yamamoto's team. Tell them to fit me in for a meeting with him tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay, Mr. Vortex," Anne said. "I'll do that now."

"Good."

"Mr. Vortex? What about Mrs. Vortex?"

It was Tristan's turn to sigh. "She'll be fine. I'll give her your number so she can contact you. You have the house number, yes?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Let me know about the flight."

"I will. Goodnight, Mr. Vortex."

"Goodnight, Anne."

Just as Tristan was about to turn in for the night, there was a knock on the door. He got up to open the door.

"Is everything not to your liking?" he said sharply. "Make a list and forward it to my office. My assistant will take care of it."

Selene tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "No, that's not the case at all." "So, what is it?"

"Can we talk?" Selene asked.

The two of them walked into the living room. An awkward silence descended before Tristan broke it, "Well, I'm listening."

"I know this is a really strange occurrence. But we're married now, and I was thinking we could get to know each other."

Tristan scoffed.

"Is something wrong with that? I know we're strangers to each other but I just think getting to know each other would make us feel less like roommates and more like . . ."

Tristan cut her off. "More like what? A couple?" He leaned forward. "I'll say this once: this was never meant to be anything but a transaction between our families. I was supposed to marry Seraphina, and you're here in her stead. That should tell you, more than anything, that it doesn't matter who I marry, as long as it secures an alliance between the Vortexes and the Aldridges.

"To answer your question, we don't need to know each other. Why should we? I'm not here to be your husband. I'm here as a representative of my family in a deal. It is purely business. You can forget about us having s*x too. I'm sure you don't want me to touch you, and I never come in where I am not invited."

"So it's just a deal?"

Tristan nodded. "Yes, it's just a deal. You can get someone to sort out your needs as long as you're discreet. Don't embarrass me. This may be a marriage of convenience but I will not be humiliated."

Selene was speechless. Her jaw hung open.

"If that's all, I would like to go to bed now. I have to be in Japan in the morning. My assistant will contact you then. If there's anything you need, be sure to let her know. She will take care of it."

"What if I need to contact you for anything?"

Tristan stood up. "You can do that through my office as well."

Tristan walked out of the living room, leaving Selene sitting there. Eventually, she got up and made her way to her room. The walls of the brownstone seemed to be closing in on Selene as she fought back tears of anger and frustration.

This was her life. It was her against the world now. She was alone, and her heart broke at the thought.