Scarlett Mila Rodriguez

The dress is suffocating. Tight in all the wrong places. Gripping my body like a second skin, leaving nothing to the imagination. The tactic is a deep, dark red. Selected by my mother to ensure I stand out. The neckline plunges lower than I would ever choose, and the skirt clings to my hips, making every step feel like I'm walking a tightrope. I hate it. Hate every inch of it. But that's the point.

The car pulls up to the mansion. The grand estate looks before me. My stomach twists in knots as I step out.
The heavy front doors swing open, revealing a lavish entryway that feels more like a museum than a home. A pair of stern faced men in suits stand guard. Their eyes scanning us as we enter.

Five other woman dressed in their finest, make their way into the room. Each one more poised than the last. They all look nervous, their faces painted with forced smiles.

The doors open and shit...
Is that Rowan Marino?
I'm so fucked.
It's the same guy from the club last night. Shit.
If I had known it would be him I would've been more careful. God I called him an asshole. He's definitely going to kill me for it. The Marino's does not care for anyone.

Rowan Marino and his father, Alessandro, are a formidable pair, sitting like kings upon a throne.

"Welcome girls." Alessandro says as all of us stand in front of them.

Rowan's gaze meets mine and I look away immediately.
Has he recognized me yet?
Maybe it was dark enough in the club that he doesn't know what I look like.

"You will present yourself to begin with." Alessandro says.

One by one the women step forward. Their voices shaky as they introduce themselves.
The first girl, a tall blonde with perfectly curled hair, steps up with confidence.
"I'm Cassandra Elise Voss." She announces. "I believe in family values and nurturing a home that is warm and welcoming." She adds glancing at Rowan, her smile dazzling. But he merely raises an eyebrow, looking cold.

Next is a girl with long, flowing, black hair and a soft demeanor. "My name is Eliana Granger, I'm passionate about art and believe a home should be filled with creativity and inspiration." She says glancing at Rowan, who shifts in his seat, clearly uninterested.

Then a striking redhead with fierce green eyes steps forward, her posture strong.
"Ava Taylor Sinclair." She declares confidently.
"I'm not here to play games. I'm a businesswoman and believe that a partnership should be built on mutual respect and ambition."

Rowan finally sits up straighter at this, but it's only for a moment.
The girl beside me speaks now. Taking a step forward.
"I'm Sophia Winters. I'm not just looking for a husband, I'm looking for a partner who understands the value of power and influence." She says then steps back to her place beside me.

Finally it's my turn. I step forward, feeling the weight of their gazes upon me. Rowan's expression is blank, cold as he watches me.

"Scarlett Mila Rodriguez." I say, forcing my voice to remain steady, even though every part of me screams to turn and run.
I don't give them any more than that. No pleasantries, no charm. Just my name.

The silence that follows is heavy. I step back, my heart pounding. But there's a satisfaction in the way I've presented myself... barefaced and unyielding.

"Good. You all know why you are here. Follow Nadia to your rooms." Alessandro Marino says.

With that we are dismissed. I follow the others down the ornate hallways. The other girls chatter nervously, their eyes filled with excitement. I remain silent.

Once we reach our rooms, I enter mine and shut the door. Leaning against it for a moment to catch my breath. The room is big. A giant bed that looks like it belongs in a palace. I glance at the mirror and grimace at my reflection, hating the dress and the way I feel trapped in it.

I open my door back up and spot a lady coming down this way. "Excuse me, is there any chance you have any scissors around?" I ask the nice lady.

She nods. "Follow me." She says and I do. She takes me to a room and pulls out the scissor from a drawer.
"Thanks." I mutter then the lady heads back out.
I waste no time. I stand in the hallway and grab the sides of the dress, pulling it tight against my thighs where it's squeezing me. I don't hesitate as I start at the bottom hem, snipping a small lineup the side of the dress.
"Fucking dress." I say as the sound echoes in the hall.

The fabric gives away easily, and I grit my teeth as I cut further, splitting the side seam all the way up to mid thigh.
I switch to the other side doing the same. I breathe out as I finally feel the cool air hit my legs. At least I can move now.

I stand back straight and freeze as I spot Rowan watching me. For how long has he been there?
And, great, now my face is burning with embarrassment.

Rowans eyes are flickering from the scissors in my hand to the hacked up sides of my dress.

"You've got to be kidding me." I mutter to myself, glaring at the dress as if it's the one that's to blame for this entire mess.

"Dare I ask what you are doing?" He says leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, clearly amused by this situation.

"I'm fixing this disaster of a dress." I say.

He glances at the uneven slits on each side. His gaze slowly traveling back up to meet mine. His lips twitch as if he's holding back a laugh. "Fixing it, huh?" He says.

I grit my teeth. "Yeah. The damn thing is too tight. I could barely breathe."

He steps closer, not saying anything for a moment, his eyes still fixed on me.
"So, your solution was to attack it with scissors?"

I roll my eyes, hating how calm he is about everything, how unbothered he seems when I'm standing here, feeling like an idiot. "What else was I supposed to do, suffer in silence?" I say crossing my arms over my chest.

"Hmm..." he says scanning my dress. "Well...It's certainly a look...At least it's not soaked in alcohol." He adds.

Wait... does that mean he remembers?

Of course he does.

Shit.

"I hated this this to begin with." I say. God why am I even speaking with him still. I want nothing to do with him.

"You hate a lot of things, don't you, Mila?" He says as if he knows me.

"Yeah, you're making it pretty easy. And besides my names Scarlett. Mila is my middle name." I say rolling my eyes again.

"You can't speak to me like that." He says warning me, now looking more serious. I get scared and look back down on the floor.

I shift on my feet, suddenly feeling more exposed than I did when I was alone. But I'm not backing down. I'll not let a man speak over me, and tell me what I can and can't say.

"Sorry but if you're just going to stand there and judge me, I have to stand up for myself." I snap, trying to regain some control over the situation.
I'm not here to marry him.
Or to beg him to pick me.
I'm here because I'm forced to a life I do not want. And I'll do everything in my power to make him hate me, so that I can go back home. To how things used to be.
I don't care if my dad will punish me for it. I can't be forced to marry someone I do not love.

"I wasn't judging you." He says. His voice low.

"Then what are you doing?" I ask.

"I mean, wouldn't you too be watching, if someone started aggressively cutting into their clothes in the middle of the hallway?" He says and I nod.
I definitely would watch that, but I'm not going to admit it.

"Well the show is over." I say.

He takes another step closer. I take one back. I don't want him close to me. He's scary. Cold.

"You don't seem interested in this any of this." He says.

I stop to meet his eyes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I say confused.

"They're sent here to impress me, to be chosen...yet you don't want to be here, do you?" He says. He's right. I'm not here to impress anyone.

"At least you got one thing right." I say since he can't get my damn name right. I start walking away.

"Mila." He calls after me. I turn to look at him one last time before entering my room.

"It'll be fun seeing you lose tomorrow." He says.

Wait what's that supposed to mean?
Is that a challenge. I ignore his insult and head back inside to my room.
I'm not loosing. What am I loosing? Is he messing with me?

Shit he's gotten into my head. That asshole.

First thoughts on the Marino's? >>>