It took Bella a while to relax and calm down. Today would be the first day of her life as Madam/Mrs. Messina. After a quick shower, she decided to unpack a few dresses she might use for this morning and when she did get dressed, she went to a dresser and sat down.
She wore a yellow floral dress which would be perfect for summertime. The soft fabric glides gently along her skin, cropped around her bosoms to her small waist, and flares beautifully above her knees which lastly is completed with cap sleeves.
She stares at herself in the mirror and sighed. A little sad that the long blonde hair she had kept all her life now ends directly on her shoulder. Beatrice was known for her short hair and Bella was struggling to make it as short as hers so she and her family came to a middle ground of making her hair just on top of her shoulder.
Quickly combing through her wavy locks and putting on light makeup, she heads for the dining room. It took Bella 2 minutes to arrive at the dining room since the distance between her bedroom and dining room was pretty far from what she was used to. When she walked in, Dante was already there, but all of the food in front of him had been untouched. He was reading a newspaper and when it was obvious that Mary Jane made a sound he maintains his focus and refuse to even acknowledge her accept.
"Breakfast is at 9 am. It's 9.15 am right now." His voice was emotionless.
She was an early rise but only today had she woken up a little late since no one had the decency to tell her what time breakfast starts in the Messina Mansion. Moreover, she had planned to avoid him. Alas, she had failed.
Bella couldn't even hide the shock on her face. Luckily for the newspaper.
"Good morning, sir." She felt obliged to greet him in some way.
It took a lot from her to address him after last night's alcohol horror yet, she was not rewarded with a reply. Either he was too busy reading some kind of long article or just trying to ignore her. She was tempted to run away at that point as she stood beside the table and stare at her cold new husband but, she knew that leaving was not an option.
She clear her throat and sat as far away from him as she could and tried to make herself as small as possible.
A young and beautiful maid, obviously Hispanic with tight maid clothing serves her breakfast. It's not like she was being possessive or anything but she was pretty sure her clothing was not appropriate. On her chest was a name tag written "Odessa".
Even her name was pretty.
Later, Dante suddenly flips and puts down his newspaper and accidentally looks at her. Their eyes met and just like that, Bella felt the time stops and all the universe's attention is centered on them and no one else.
It was faint but she could've sworn his dark lifeless eyes came to life when their eyes met. It would be impossible if he didn't because she herself felt it. It reminds her of the cartoon she had watched out of boredom.
A zing.
Is that even real?
Dante was like a light switch. All the emotion she had read for a few seconds disappeared in an instance and Dante quickly got up abruptly.
"I'm not hungry." He says, avoiding looking at Bella, and leaving. Did it hurt when he brush her off like that?
Sure but, she'll take it anytime. It didn't matter. Bella was happy enough to have him far away from her.
"I must tell you that this is very strange, MADAM," Odessa spoke as she clean up Dante's plate. Bella looks up but her mouth was chewing on her breakfast. Oddly enough, Odessa was stressing over the last word.
"That was the first time Young Master Messina left his food untouched." She wanted to sound concerned.
"He must have lost his appetite." Apparently, Odessa wasn't going to let it go.
"I wonder why?" She said and hurried back into the kitchen with a smirk on her face.
Bella continues to finish her meal and drink her fresh orange juice.
She leans back and sighed.
"What have you put me into, Beatrice?"...
Since she was already there, Bella thought that it would be appropriate for her to check the mansion out. It was bigger than her parent's mansion and seeing Juju so excited - running around without a care in the world, her lips peeks up.
As much as Miss Nona has been welcoming compare to Odessa, it was Juju that made her feel safe and accompanied. She would look back at her to see Bella was close by.
The decorations, stained glass window, grand staircase with wooden handle and carpeted floor – every single design of it was a perfect presentation of a house owned by a single men. Dark and somehow intimidating though the paintings of the ceiling reminds her of something she would see in museum.
Her cute little butt sway with her long tail was enough to lighten her mood. Any bad memories or time she had there was instantly overshadowed by the cloud of angel in her pink tutu dress in front of her. She remembered the day she had adopted her precious angel and yes, ADOPTED indeed since Juju was an abused dog, saved by a college friend of hers while volunteering at a local shelter.
Poor girl had a shaved hair and dry skin. Juju was only 2 years old and from the moment Bella sees her tucked in her friend thick blanket, she knew she couldn't live another day without her.
When they arrive in a hallway on the ground floor, Juju suddenly stops on her track. Her head peeks up and she was sniffing the air a bit rougher than her little body ever did. In a flash, she darted from there and disappear after she turn to the left.
"Juju!" Bella scream and ran after her. A few maids were doing some dusting and she passed by them, in shock of the lady of their house running after a dog. She even hits the side of Odessa's shoulder the maid cried out in pain and had a vase filled with water spilled on her.
Bella would be lying if she were at least a bit happy when that happens. By no means was she arrogant or looks down on people who work for her but this maid doesn't seem to understand her boundaries and in the future, she probably had to remind her of that situation.
Nevertheless, she was only sitting in until Beatrice shows up and she would give her a piece of her mind.
As she ran forward, she see Juju enters a gap in a slightly ajar door and she didn't hesitate to enter.
Swing opens the door, she felt her breath left her body when she slams hard into a dark, tall and huge surface. She sucked in a breath as her feet bumps into an edge of a carpet and she quickly loses her balance. Bella felt her body doing a free-fall and she was just ready for the impact no matter how bad it would be. Her clutch on the hard surface tightens and Bella cried out when something wrapped itself around her body and she was turned to 180° degrees.
Of course, the loud thud on the ground made her shriek and groan in pain. She was lying on the hard fabric-covered surface. Her hands finally harden to help her push herself up.
Her wrist was suddenly pulled down hard and Bella sighed loudly. Her other hand moves a little downward to find the ground but, her palm ended up gripping something she had never had the pleasure or displeasure to do so before.
She gasped loudly, eyes in a concerned frown but fear made her look down. Her gaze froze on the Armani suit beneath her body. Though the fabric was thick, the flesh under it was hard and warm. She removed her hand immediately before giving a couple of squeezes.
"You do that again, we'll be spending our honeymoon on the floor."
Her cheeks reddened and she froze at the familiar sound. Her eyes slowly look up and her face swarm with guilt and fear. Tears pools in her eyes as she stares eye to eye with a pair of intense yet beautiful and angry eyes that belongs to her husband - Dante.
"What the fuck are you doing here and how is that rat in my house?"
Bella bit her lip and overcome with nervousness until she hears a loud panting sound at the corner of what seems to be Dante's office. She sighed.
No wonder Juju acted out.
She wasn't the only canine in the house and beside her was a creature that was loose and pendant, with heavy wrinkles and thick folds on its face and a dewlap hanging from his throat. T'was the first time she has seen an English Bulldog up close.