Forbidden Desires

Chapter Three

The honeymoon apartment at the Grand Romanov Villa near the Italian Amalfi Coast was magnificent. floor to ceiling windows that led onto an enclosed balcony with an amazing view of the blue Mediterranean, ancient Persian carpets, and vaulted ceilings covered in paintings.

But Amelia simply felt more little and unimportant in the rich surroundings. Just inside the enormous suite's elaborate double doors, she stood motionless, her hands twiddling her silk negligee nervously.

Amelia's attention was immediately pulled back to Vladimir as he stood in the entrance of the apartment, his massive, imposing figure seemed to dominate the area around him, by a faint cough coming from behind her. He stepped by her, removing his tuxedo jacket and spreading it over an escritoire with a marble top.

"Well then, wife..." He spoke in a clipped tone and businesslike as he began undoing his cufflinks. "I trust you understand the expectations here tonight?"

Amelia's cheeks flushed pink at his clear connotation. She knew her duties as a wife in the marriage bed, of course. But hearing Vladimir state things so harshly created a new rush of unease.

"I...I beg your pardon?" She asked, a little too softly not knowing whether he needed more than quiet agreement.

Vladimir turned back to face her full, his eyes giving her body a once-over that made Amelia's skin bristle with derision. He then let out a snort. Despite his previous heirless status as a widower, which had convinced her of his prudence, she felt incredibly vulnerable to his sly sneer.

"All right, Amelia, let me be direct." He said fiercely. "Our marriage was based only on a mutually beneficial agreement, nothing more. I provided your struggling family a literal fortune in exchange for you joining my household."

He took a step towards her, invading on her personal space with his massive frame. Amelia reflexively retreated a half step, but Vladimir persisted in his pressure.

His heavy-handed statement, "And in doing so, you become a passage for extending my family bloodlines," lingered in the air. "You are a method of securing my legacy, no more."

Even though Amelia was aware that this was exactly what had been agreed upon by their families, the words nonetheless felt like a blow to the face. In this relationship, she was nothing more than a baby making machine, her only value being in her ability to bear children for the wealthy and powerful Romanov empire.

"I...I understand, Vladimir," she stumbled out, unable to withstand his controlling gaze. "Providing you an heir is my duty."

A disturbing smirk marred the corners of his mouth, giving no warmth to his cold grey eyes.

"That's a good girl," he said softly. Vladimir extended his arm in a roughly kind gesture to stroke Amelia's cheek. "As my spouse, you will have whatever you need as long as you meet your responsibilities. New jewellery, lavish events, fancy cars—my money is now yours to enjoy."

With the intention of letting Amelia smell the smoky scotch on his breath, he leaned in closer. "But counter me in this transaction, try to deprive me of the heir I've purchased, and I will take everything back just as quickly."

His comments were like a barely disguised threat, hanging in the air. Amelia was only able to nod softly.

Never before had she felt less of a bride commencing the exciting journey of a new marriage.

Vladimir undid his necktie, his lips curled into a sly half-smile as he started guiding Amelia forcefully in the direction of the bedroom.

"Well then, wife...let us begin the matter of securing my legacy."

A few hours later, Amelia lay in the dark, peering up at the canopy from the rumpled high-thread count bed sheets of the gigantic bed. In an adjacent crumpled heap, her negligee seemed to be on the verge of desire and violation. The rawness of possession tore at every inch of her body.

Beside her lay the massive, sleeping figure of Vladimir, his cologne's musky fug clinging to her hair and skin. In spite of the open air from the terrace doors, Amelia felt the weight of her new life pressing down on her chest, making her feel completely suffocated.

She got out of bed and wrapped the bedsheet about herself, aching for even a little bit of separation from her husband. Padding silently over to the balcony, Amelia tried to feel purified by taking deep breaths of the clear night air.

The dazzling full moon reflected its presence in the Mediterranean's shimmering seas below. Amelia closed her eyes and allowed the salty sea breeze caress her for a few quiet moments, visualising herself as light as a seabird in flight, completely free.

However, the fantasy did not last long. Vladimir let out a heavy snore from behind her, his thick mucus vibrating pulling Amelia's soul downward like an anchor in the sea.

She covered her exposed upper body with her arms, consumed by an intense cold that seemed unrelated to the weather. Her body, her soul, her entire existence was tied to Vladimir alone, from this point on until her dying breath.

Amelia turned her back on the bright ocean, her heart frozen in ice from the harsh taste of that terrible realisation. Because this night had forever destroyed any chance that a loving marriage would be anything more than a cold, calculated transaction for a billionaire.