NEW LIFE

The cab came to a stop in front of a massive white gate and Raelle alighted. She paid the bill and got her suitcase from the trunk of the car before turning around to face the gate fully.

In front of the gate, two bulky men sat. Raelle could tell they were security men on duty. Without a thought, she walked to them and introduced herself.

One of the men who had a mole at the corner of his eye asked her if the boss knew she was coming and Raelle sighed.

"Technically speaking, he is aware. But, he wasn't expecting me until two days more." She replied truthfully and they nodded.

"Come with me, ma'am." The second man who had been quiet said to her as he led her into the compound.

Raelle mouthed a thank you to the man with the mole and followed the other one inside. Once inside the compound, her mouth hung open.

The house was nothing short of luxury. Huge, beautiful, luxurious… that was what her brain was screaming.

The mansion, from her point of view, was designed to be nothing less than a castle. Built as a three-story building, the outside was painted with a sun-bathed golden color that shone under the warm light of the setting sun.

On either side of the house, there stood two pillars with the designs of lion heads on them. The pillars were painted white but the lion's head was of royal blue colour.

Raelle took notice of the dying garden on the side of the house as she followed the bulky man before her onto the marble steps that stood below the large doors.

The bulky man stopped before the door and raised his hand to knock a few times. After a few seconds, light footsteps were heard from the other side of the door and the door pulled open to reveal a stout man clad in a suit.

"Baxter?" The man in the suit called out to the bulky man who was standing tall before Raelle.

"Ralph-" Baxter stepped aside to reveal the woman behind him - "she's here to see the boss."

Ralph, the butler looked at Raelle for a second before raising and bowing his head slightly in greeting.

Raelle responded with a harmless smile.

"Miss Collins?" Ralph asked and Raelle nodded.

Ralph's eyes widened and he quickly came out, brushing off the bulky Baxter as he grabbed her suitcase.

"Pardon me, madam," Ralph said with another bow. " Sir said you wouldn't be here until the next two days."

"It's nothing at all, sir. I figured two days are quite long."

---

Raelle replied, letting him take the bag.

"Come with me, madam. And please, refer to me as Ralph." The butler said, leading Raelle into the house.

Raelle who had been awed by the exterior of the house, was now dumbstruck by the interiors.

If the outside had been beautiful, the inside was nothing but magnificence at its peak.

Everything in the house was of immense worth and sparkled.

As they walked through the hallway, Raelle couldn't help but notice the different types of expensive artwork lined up on the wall. She even noticed the famous painting of the Notrê Dame, the only one of its kind. The painting had cost about two point seven billion dollars and no one was man enough to buy it.

It was expected that she was surprised to find it here.

Who exactly was Liam Wilson?

The butler came to a stop before a room. He pushed the door open and stepped aside to reveal a large bedroom.

"After you, ma'am."

Raelle stepped in and the butler followed. She saw him walk further in and come out a few seconds later. Having dropped the suitcase, Raelle realized it was the closet he had gone into.

"Sir would be with you shortly. In the meantime, familiarize yourself with the room. Welcome!" Ralph announced to her warmly before heading to the door.

"Thank you, sir." He heard her say in a small voice as he closed the door behind him.

*****

Raelle was now lying on the big bed, dressed in a simple butterfly gown as she watched the ceiling. After the butler had left, she had taken the time to get used to the room and also taken a shower.

In the closet, she had found clothes of a man and she figured this was the room she'd be sharing with Liam, her husband.

A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of sharing a bed with a man she had just met that morning.

Well, it wasn't like she had a choice. They were now married and just like other couples, they were obligated to share a room. He now also has every right to her, and as much as she would rather not think of it, her body too.

As she was lost in her thoughts, Raelle didn't hear when the door opened and Liam came in.

He stood at the door and watched his smallish lay on the bed lost in her thoughts.

Her brown hair was scattered over the pillow. Her left leg was propped up and the other crossed over it while it swayed back and forth lightly.

Unbeknownst to him, a small smile was on his face as he thought of how vulnerable she looked at the moment.

"Penny for your thought." He muttered, breaking the silence.

Raelle rustled noisily and landed butt-first on the floor at the foreign presence in her room.

Her heart rate decreased a little when she realized it was her husband but it soon began racing again when she remembered it was his room too.

"H-hi," she said awkwardly with a wave.

Liam shook his head and turned to head into the closet. "I wasn't expecting you until two days. What happened?"

Raelle hissed and picked herself from the floor. Dusting her body, she responded in a small voice, "Let's just say I broke ties with my family."

Liam's hand was rummaging through the closet for a pair of pajamas froze for a while at how casually she had responded.

A smile made its way to his lips at the thought of just how feisty his wife was. Curiosity brimmed in him about who she was beyond this external pretty face.

"You say that so casually. Aren't you supposed to be hurt?" He asked, sincerely curious.

He heard her sigh loudly from the room before saying, "I was. They're not worth it. So, I'm not going to be sad anymore."

"Hmm" was all he responded before heading into the bathroom.

Raelle sighed in relief when she heard the sound of water pouring down from the shower. She had been tensed out of her wits, being fully aware of his presence in the room.

"I better get used to him." She whispered to herself as she went to sit on the couch.