Her heart kept racing, and she feared he was going to hear her heart pounding heavily against her chest.
"Olivia!" Aiden called for the second time, his voice calm, but void, with no emotion attached to it.
"Yes," Olivia managed to reply in a cracked voice.
"You should sleep now, today was indeed a long day. But you can go to the guest room if you're not comfortable, that's the only kindness I can give." He uttered and adjusted himself on the bed, and Olivia felt he was kidding with his last words, unknown to her that he really meant it.
She felt butterflies in her stomach that he cared, even though it wasn't a big deal.
Olivia took a deep breath and closed her eyes while trying so hard to get some sleep. And after an hour, nature gladly took over her.
*
*
The ray of sunshine coming through the window woke her up. Her scattered hair was all over the pillow, while she turned and faced the direction Aiden had slept.
Olivia snapped her eyes open, she had totally forgotten that she was married and needed to wake up before her usual time at home.
She sat upright and rubbed her eyes with her palm while releasing a yawn. Then she flicked her eyes around the room and discovered she was the only person inside.
She got out of bed and wore the floppy slippers she sighted close to it. Then her eyes landed on the wall clock, and it was ringing 6.55am, just five more minutes to seven.
"That's not bad, at least I didn't wake up by 10am." She mumbled. She tried to step out of the room to check on Aiden, where has he gone so early, huh?
Then she noticed her nightgown was transparent, and she quickly went back into the room to change. She sighed in relief when she remembered that Aiden didn't even attempt to touch her last night.
She had silently prayed he shouldn't and deep down she was grateful because she wasn't ready. Olivia smiled sheepishly before wearing a long sexy dress and heading out of the room.
She paused when she got to the door, and it was at that moment she noticed how big the house was. There were two staircases, and she couldn't even remember the one leading to the sitting room.
She stood there like a statue, cracking her brain on what to do on her first day as a wife, but her head went completely blank and then her mom's words echoed inside her head.
Her mom had advised her to make sure she serves Aiden breakfast before he leaves for work. That's what a good wife must do.
Olivia bit her bottom lip while running a hand across her face. Then she took the stairs on the left-hand side and began to descend it.
It led her to the sitting room, but there was no one there and suddenly a voice made her flinch and she almost lost balance.
"Madam, are you looking for the boss? He asked me to call you." Max proclaimed and looked keenly at her.
"Oh, okay. Where is he right now?" She inquired quickly, and he pointed in a different direction.
Max led the way while Olivia followed him behind. Max opened a door and walked in, while Olivia paused for a bit before going in. Then, she sighted Aiden seated on a chair like a king while an elderly woman walked up to him and dropped a tray before disappearing into the kitchen.
Does he already have a cook? Olivia thought.
"Boss, your wife is here." Max announced like he was blind, and Aiden spared her a brief stare.
"Have a seat!" He declared, and Olivia marched slowly towards him. She pulled the chair behind and sat on it.
Suddenly Leah-the cook almost lost her balance and Olivia stood up immediately to help her get the tray from her hand, but Aiden asked her to sit.
Olivia arched her brows while a frown tried to find its way on her face. "I didn't ask you to stand up, everything will be on my command and rules." He voiced out strictly.
"What rules?" Olivia questioned curiously.
"I have set aside rules that every individual who lives under my roof must obey. Including you!" He uttered and opened the covered plate filled with delicious pancakes.
"Leah will give you a tour once we are done here, you need to be familiar with the house and places you shouldn't step foot in. I hope you can hear me, Leah." He yelled the last part to the elderly woman in the kitchen, and she responded immediately.
Olivia was curious, she was anxiously waiting to hear the rules he has for her. "Olivia, the first rule is obedience. I hate disobedience." He spoke and sipped his tea.
"And what's the next one?" She questioned.
"You're not allowed to go out until I permit that and if it is an emergency, never should you step out without a guard. Is that clear?" He asked in a deep voice like he was talking to a child, but Olivia didn't utter a word.
"Can… Can I say something?" Olivia questioned and played with her finger. "I'm not a prisoner here, why do I need to seek your permission before going out?" She added.
Aiden paused for a second and looked into her direction. "Because I own you, Olivia." He added, and Olivia looked at him with beady eyes while trying to process his words.
What does he mean by he owns her? Marriage isn't done that way.
"You can leave, I'm done talking." He spoke harshly and Olivia stood up.
Why does she sense that there is a high level of disdain attached to his tone whenever he is talking to her? And his words kept ringing in her head, though she tried not to create a meaning out of it.
Olivia reluctantly walked into the kitchen instead of heading straight to the bedroom. Leah was surprised to see her there, but Olivia had offered to help her wash the dishes which she declined immediately, but Olivia wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"Thank you for helping me out. No one seems to care about me." Leah stated and placed a hand on Olivia's shoulder. " Are you okay? Something seems off between you two. Did you guys have a fight last night?" Leah queried in concern.
"I… I…well," Olivia stammered while she tried to find the right words. Heavens! Even Leah could notice how distant they were for newly wedded couples?
"Hey, you don't have to say anything, sorry I crossed the line. And just bear with him, he acts inhumanely sometimes, but deep down I know he has a soft heart." Leah added and wiped her wet hands on a clean rag.
"How long have you known him? You must have been working here for a while." Olivia inquired with a puzzled look on her face.
"I guess it is over eight years now, before Aiden's father passed away. Aiden changed completely when his father died, his lifestyle also contributed to how cold he acts," Leah pressed further while Olivia focused all her attention on the discussion.
"His lifestyle? What kind of lifestyle are you talking about?" Olivia questioned when she felt there was more to Aiden that her parents didn't tell her.
The moment Leah opened her mouth to speak, a voice interrupted their little conversation. "I'm leaving for work, don't you think you should head to your room now. Leah will call you out when she is done cleaning the house. Right Leah?" Aiden asked harshly and the woman nodded.
Olivia couldn't understand why he was treating her like a child and to avoid making a fuss or to look disrespectful, she walked out of the kitchen quietly and headed upstairs.