Chapter 3 GONE AS IT CAME!

*Marcella POV*

FEW HOURS BACK_____

I am tossing and turning on a soft mattress. "Yeah!" I hum softly before my eyelids flap open. "Fuck!" I fly out of bed like someone who was bitten by a spider. The cover drops my body due to my action. I facepalm myself, staring at my naked inflection in the mirror. I need no genius to tell me what I had done.

"Holy Chris!" I clench my teeth barely, gripping my chocolate-wavy hair. A conversational voice from the outside flowed into my ear; they were discussing a wedding plan; that's when my mind clicked about mine. "Jesus! Father ---" I scream out, running around the door to get my dress and shoes that were scattered everywhere in the room. "The bastard!" I curse at the fortunate person I met yesterday.

I rush out of the room all dressed up, heading to my father's residence. I don't know why he badly wants to get me married, not that he will gain anything from this marriage alliance, he already has wealth and connections. What else is his purpose for this marriage? I didn't agree with this, this marriage is like a threat to me, a threat to the secret I have been hiding for years. But how do I escape this fate?

__________&_____

I step down from the Bugatti and walk straight into my father's house. He requested for me to come here today to see my so-called fiance. I walk with a confident swagger into the house, shoulders back and my hips swaying. As soon as I am near my father's 1970s furnished-style sitting room, I add more pressure to my foot due to the tense atmosphere.

"They said, 'The first impression matters.' I don't care who the fuck he is, but for him to have the guts to point his pistol at my father, he earns me as an enemy from today." I conclude inwardly.

The noise coming off my heels made their attention shift towards my direction, and they quickly slipped away from each other.

"Welcome, baby girl!" My father's face lit up quickly with a bright smile. "Come and take a look at who we've got here," he gestures towards the other man. I spare him a glance; his unkempt beard makes me want to puke. I don't think I can stand this one," I whisper to myself, unable to shield the feelings from my expression.

My gaze shifts back to my father. "Good morning, father," I spare him a hug. "Marcella, greet your fiancé properly!" He reprimands me, knowing I am purposely ignoring the man. "Tsk!" I smack my teeth with my tongue, feeling so annoyed with my bone. "Hi!" I manage to say before turning away from him.

"Don't you have manners!" He roars out, his face glows red, his cheeks burning with rage; even my father flinches back. I was too scared at first but quickly recomposed myself. "He can't hurt me," I assure myself inwardly, leveling my gaze at his gaze, not budging.

I tear my orbs away after a while and say, "I reckon the date is fixed; please let me know when I'm going to order my wedding rag." I attempt to walk away after my statement, but a muscular, tattooed hand pulls me back with sheer force; if I hadn't held my ground tight, I would have landed barely on the floor.

I reflex swiftly with my left hand and give him a resounding slap that erupts in the silent atmosphere. The sound of several mouths grasping emits the atmosphere as well. The world looks like it is still for a moment.

The man's hand is still on his face, staring at me with unbelievable eyes. I, too, on the other hand, was breathing heavily, my hands shaking because of what I had done. I didn't mean to hit him; it was all a mistake. "Please, Autorino, let this slide." Thanks to my father, who intervened, allowing me to catch a moment of fresh breath.

"You need to teach your brat of a daughter some manners!" He barks out, eyes fixed on me with a piercing stare; his eyes were blazing like a hungry wolf. He turns away to leave, and his goons follow suit.

"The wedding is still going to be held on Thursday, STILL!" My father shouts out to him. I use that opportunity to race out of the sitting room to my room; I don't have time for his sermon right now.

I rush into my room and close the door immediately. "Ah!" I scream out in fear due to a sudden movement, but it turns out to be my pet. "Ava, for fuck sake!" I kicked my cat with my foot; she licked my leg in return, and that brought a soothing feeling to my body. I hunch down and pick her up; hunching back up, something drops from my pocket. A diamond panther bracelet—yeah, I saw it at the hotel and couldn't resist the feeling of taking it. I guess it belongs to the bastard I laid with yesterday.

I walk to my bed, place Ava on it, and I sit beside her as well. "Ava, what should I do? Should I run away?" I speak to her in a hushed tone; she just stares back at me with her bright brown eyes. That's what we both have in common. On some occasions in this type of conversation, she would make a sound to give a sign of approval or shake her head as a sign of disapproval, but today she is indicating no response, and it's pissing me. I abruptly stand up, smacking my teeth with my tongue and pulling on my hair hardly. "Bravo, it seems everyone and everything in my life is so fucked up. First, my dad decides to marry me off to a stranger. I left home to clear my head about the situation and ended up getting fucked, and now my bestie refuses to talk to me."

I turn back to my cat with blazing eyes. "Listen, I'm not going to sit here and allow---" The rest of my statement stuck in my throat when my eyes caught a ticket lying on my desk. "That's a ticket to the book fair I wanted to attend last week; the event was supposed to last for a month and it's just one week gone." That's when it hits me that there is a way out of all of this. "Ava! Get ready for some adventure." I dance on my toe, cooking my escapade.