Married by Mistake, Desired by Fate

Chapter 6 - Breakfast

Sienna Koch

Another knock on my door, and it was not even eight in the f*****g morning… After my mother and sister's departure, I couldn´t go back to sleep.

I took a shower and wrapped myself in a robe. I was either wearing my habits or this, for the time being. I opened the door, and my mother smiled.

“Good, you are already showered,” she said, and I nodded.

“Well, you and Scarlett insist on keeping me awake… I just put my free time to good use.” I sighed, and she nodded.

“Good, you don´t have much time…” she said, and I looked at her curiously.

“What for?” I sighed, and she looked at me, exasperated.

“Don´t play dumb… I told you, you would do as I say… and surprisingly, Salvatore agreed to take you as his wife,” she said, “Even when I told him Scarlett´s beauty was beyond comparison.” Mother said, and I trembled in rage. I was always being compared to my sister, and always falling short of their standards.

“How dare you? I am not a sacrificial lamb! I am not your pawn, so you can use me as you wish!” I was livid, and she took a deep breath.

“I am doing what is necessary to keep our family afloat…” she said, “You have five minutes to be ready, and wear something nice…” she said, not giving me any choice.

I walked into the closet. There was no point in fighting this. My mother would kill me if necessary. I have never seen her like this, so determined, strong. I searched among the garments Aunt Claire chose to bring up to my bedroom, and I laughed. All of them were completely different from what she used to force me to wear… The shy colors, the dull cuts, the soft fabrics, were replaced by bold garments, skimpy dresses, and sexy tones…

That style was not mine, so I rumaged around trying to put on a decent outfit. Certainly, I need to go shopping and buy some clothes, since my habits will not do anymore, and the ones Aunt Claire decided to shove my way were so not me. We were at the beach, and they had provided several bathing suits, all of the two-piece sets. I took a deep breath… If I were being forced to go down this path, I would do it with style, poise, and determination.

After roaming the closet, I couldn't settle for a proper bathing suit that matched the dress I liked. So, I decided not wear a bathing suit at all, only the bottoms of a matching high-waisted bikini, because the dress didn't allow a bra. It was backless and had cutouts at the waist. I styled my hair in a high messy bun and decided to wear as little makeup as possible. I was not my sister; people never praised me for my beauty, but I liked to believe that I was beautiful in my own way. I didn't wear heavy makeup, I never dressed as a femme fatale… I had what I liked to call a quiet beauty… or so I had convinced myself of it.

I looked at myself in the mirror one more time when my mother banged on my door again. “I am ready, mother,” I said with disdain, and she gave me a once-over.

“Orange? Seriously?” she huffed, and I shrugged my shoulders. Then she sighed, “Well, it is better than those hideous habits,” she said, and I gave her a sweet “f**k you” smile.

“He is waiting for you, at the beach…” she said, and I nodded. I wore my big sunglasses, and without saying another word, I made my way down to the lobby and out towards the beach. A butler looked at me and smiled. “Ms. Sienna? This way…” he said, and I nodded, following him.

I was taken to a secluded part of the beach where they had placed a romantic gazebo with white sheer fabric wrapped around to protect us from the sun. In the middle, a table with two chairs. Sitting at the table was a man, staring at the ocean, deep in thought, holding a champagne glass. A bit early for alcohol… but nothing about this situation was normal, so I took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the gazebo.

“Mr. DiMarco…” The man who took me there said, and the one sitting on the chair quickly straightened up and stood. “Mrs. Koch is here,” he said with a heavy Italian accent. Only then did I realize that he was not a butler but one of Mr. DiMarco´s assistants.

“Thanks, Paolo…” his baritone voice and his impressive frame made my entire body stiffen.

He slowly turned around, and I was gobsmacked by the way this man looked. I saw him tangled in my sister's arms, with his face buried into hers. I expected a good-looking man, but nothing prepared me for this. Frederick was handsome in a boyish, cute way. This man was something else… broad shoulders, clad under a tan button-down, tall, with strong legs covered by white shorts, strong jaw with a faint goatee… extremely manly features, and piercing brown eyes.

“Sienna,” he called my name, and only then did I realize I had been staring an embarrassingly long time.

I cleared my throat and nodded. “Mr. DiMarco,” I said, and slowly walked toward the chair he had opened for me. Every single one of his movements was calculated. All of his muscles tensed and stretched with every move he made.

“So, Sienna…” he said, and I looked at him. “Let me see you,” he said, and I gasped. What did he mean by that?

“I beg your pardon?” I said, and he chuckled.

“God! Who do you think I am? I mean, yeah, I would like to see what you are hiding underneath your tangerine costume, but I meant for you to remove your sunglasses; they cover most of your face.” he chuckled, and I could feel all the color rise in my face.

“Tangerine costume?” I said, and he chuckled.

“Don´t you have a sense of humour?” he said, and I sighed.

“I guess your idea of humour and mine are completely different,” I said, removing my sunglasses.

Suddenly, his eyes met mine, and I felt completely exposed. “I don´t see it,” he said, and I shrank a little in my chair. I was used to the mean comments, the ones people said when they had met my sister and then met me. Somehow, I expected it from him as well, even when, for once, I wished people would stop and really look at me.

“What?” I mumbled and braced for impact, lowering my gaze, fumbling with my fingers

“They said Scarlett was more beautiful than you, but honestly…. I don't see it,” he said, and my face snapped up, meeting his piercing brown eyes.

“What?” I said, and he chuckled.

“You are gorgeous in your own right…” he said, and I lowered my gaze again. “And I was out of line with the tangerine comment,” he said, and I lifted my gaze.

“Apology accepted,” I said, and he smiled. For the first time, he smiled at me with an open, sincere smile. Not a mocking smirk, not a sassy one… just a smile.

“Did your mother talk to you?” he said, and I sighed.

“She spoke to me earlier, and didn´t give me the option to refuse,” I said, and he nodded.

“So, do you agree with her idea of us to marry?” he asked, and I slowly nodded.

“Sienna,” he called my name, and I looked up. “Tell me the truth,” he said with a commanding voice.

“Do you want the truth?” I said, almost losing my composure. He nodded and took a sip out of his glass. A waiter walked in and placed a glass before me, and a plate of fresh fruit and cottage cheese.

“Yes,” he said, and I took a deep breath.

“The truth is that all my life, my family used me, fed me the idea that I would marry Frederick, and when he chose another one, my sister, for that matter, they decided to send me away, like broken furniture, like a burden they needed to get rid of. I was humiliated, and they didn´t bat an eyelash about how the entire situation made me feel. They shipped me away to a convent, and now, my dearest sister, messed up, and I am brought back, to be sent down the aisle like a lamb to slaughter,” I said, and realized that I had said too much. I vented out to a stranger.

He nodded and sighed. I expected him to be upset, to mock my feelings, but instead he nodded. “I appreciate the honesty, and I understand,” he said, and I bit my lower lip.

“So, here is the deal…” he paused, “Your mother offered me your hand in marriage, I guess she thinks adding me to your family will keep me quiet and at ease…” he said, and I sighed. I had figured as much.

“Now that I have met you, Sienna… I think I will settle for the offer your mother did to me,” he said, and I trembled, with tears in my eyes. He is settling, as if I am not good enough for a man like him to pay attention to me, unless I am offered a sacrificial tribute. Scarlett was right, I can never compete with her, and I am a mere consolation prize in this grand scheme, I call life.

I will not let them hurt me, I will not cry… He suddenly pulled out a little black box. “Sienna, will you marry me?” he said from his chair, opened the box, and without even waiting for my answer, he slipped the ring onto my finger. He was popping the question, but in reality, he was not asking if I wanted to; for him, it was a done deal, whatever I wanted, however I felt about all of this didn´t matter.