Dimitri

I closed the door behind me after walking out of the room and leaned my head against it, listening to Kate sob. I realised I had made her cry twice and it had only been a day since she had been with me. I was the reason for her tears, when all I ever wanted was to see her happy.

I walked down the hallway, opening the last door and walking inside my study. Sitting on the leather chair behind the mahogany table, I took out my phone, calling Eric, my right hand man.

"Boss." He replied on the first ring.

"Come to my study." I ended the call, putting my phone aside.

A few seconds later, a tall, handsome man with a powerful aura around him, walked in without knocking. He sat down in the chair opposite to me, staring at me with an impassive face.

He was the only man I trusted with my life and everything I had. And now, when I was having doubts about my decision regarding Kate, I knew he was the only person I could talk to.

Relaxing himself, he looked at me with a questioning gaze. I sighed.

"I told her about the wedding. She won't stop crying."

"You should've given her more time," he said taking in a deep breath.

"She has been crying a lot. I say one thing and the damn tears start flowing. She still won't stop thinking about that bastard." I told him, anger consuming me.

He looked at me with some concern etched on his previously blank face. "Like I said, she needs time. But it will do her good to talk to someone. Perhaps make some friends with the girls here."

"Friends," I scoffed. "She considers anyone around her an enemy. And she will never want to be friends with people working for me."

"Don't you think it's a bit too soon for marriage? She watched her husband die not even two days ago. It's difficult for her Dimitri." He was somewhat right. But I had to do this, no matter what.

"It's affecting me," I told him honestly. "I can not concentrate on anything knowing that she is just down the hallway, crying her heart out."

Eric looked like he wanted to say something. But my moment of weakness was gone now, my inner demons concealed, I looked at him with a blank face.

"Let the wedding preparations begin. Invite all the families and all our business partners. Also make someone bring in bridal clothes for Kate to choose tomorrow." I ordered in a cold voice.

"Ok, Boss." He nodded at me before standing from his seat. He left the room and I sat there, my mind telling me not to succumb to my demons and fears, my heart asking me to go comfort the sobbing woman sitting on my bed, who had captured my heart and ruled over it.

I sat there for sometime, going through various business files. After a while, I listened to my heart and left the study and walked into my bedroom. The lights were switched off and the room was dark and quiet. The only sound came from the bed, the sound of sniffling.

I took off my suit jacket and placed it on the couch before walking towards the bathroom. I took a shower to relax myself but it was a difficult task. When I was done, I dried myself and put on some trousers. I walked back to the room and slipped into the bed.

Swinging my arm around Kate's waist, I pulled her closer, feeling her body stiffen. I sniffed her hair and murmured softly in her ear. "Why are you crying?" She inhaled sharply but remained quiet.

"Tell me." I tightened my arm around her, urging her to talk to me. "Why do you keep crying Kate? What should I do to stop it? Answer me." She kept queit for a few more minutes. Then she uttered the words that I didn't want to hear from her ever.

"Bring my Elijah back. Or take me to him. I will stop crying the moment I'm in his arms." She said in a shaky voice.

She still wanted him. She wanted to be with him and it made anger course through my body. My arm tightened painfully around her waist. It took every ounce of self control to stop myself from saying something that I would regret later.

"Sleep, Kate." I whispered in her ear. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day and you need to rest." I didn't know what else to say. What could I say to console the woman I loved when she was crying over her dead husband. I felt her body shake and I knew she was crying once again.

It seemed like forever before she calmed down, her tears finally coming to a halt. And then, just when she was about to slip into oblivion, she made sure I didn't get any sleep.

"I miss him, Dimitri." She whispered in a small voice, before her body finally relaxed and her breathing became even. She slept like a baby, while I stayed up, thinking where I had gone wrong and how I could win her heart.

Kate

He was here. My Elijah was here with me. He had his arms around me and I was curled in to his naked chest. I was at peace. And suddenly, he was gone. Dimitri had taken his place.

I woke with a start and found myself wrapped in Dimitri's arms and broad chest. I looked at his face. He looked so peaceful while sleeping, there was no trace of the man who had ruined my life.

I slowly pushed his arms away and went to the bathroom. I took off my clothes before standing under the shower, the warm water cascading around me. I closed my eyes and slid against the shower wall, my mind taking me to the happy days spent with my husband.

      I was wearing a maroon dress, my hair let down in waves, my lips a deep shape of red. I was standing on the beach with my sandals clutched in my hand. I was looking around for Elijah, when I saw him walking towards me.

      He stopped in front me and raised his hand to softly caress my cheek. He leaned forwards and placed a kiss on it. "You look beautiful." He whispered in my ear.

      He pulled back and produced a blindfold from his pocket. "I'm going to blindfold you." And then, with my eyes covered, he led me to our destination. I could feel the sand under my bare toes as we walked, led by Elijah, his hand on my lower back, guiding me.

     "We're here." He removed the blindfold. The sight in front of me was breathtaking. The place was decorated with flowers and pictures of both of us together. He had done so much for me.

      I looked at him to find him on his knees. He was holding a beautiful ring and I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips. His eyes met mine, he seemed nervous.

      "Kate Nelson," he smiled, "I still remember the time I saved you and brought you home with me. We were strangers, yet it felt like I had known you for ages. We have come so far since then.

     "I love you Kate. I love you with all my heart and soul. I love you so much and I can't imagine my life without you. I want to be with you forever. Marry me."

      I could feel my eyes water after hearing his sweet words. He looked at me with tender eyes. "Yes," I breathed. "Yes. I will marry you Elijah. Because I love you and I can not live without you."

      He slipped the ring on my finger, then stood up, taking me in his arms and twirling me. He pulled me closer and his lips met mine, making my heart beat faster, taking me away to the world we had created together.

There was a knock on the bathroom door, followed by Dimitri's voice calling me. "Kate you have been in there for an hour now. Are you ok? Open the door." He had brought me back to reality. He always did. He never let me live in my world of fantasies.

"I'm fine." I said loudly. "I'll be out in a few minutes." Getting out of the shower, I quickly dried myself and got dressed. I unlocked the door, turning towards the mirror, before drying my hair with the towel.

The bathroom door banged open and Dimitri came in. His hair was ruffled, he wasn't wearing any shirt. His expression was that of authority. He looked ready to kill.

"What took you so fucking long?" He growled. I looked down at my hands, not wanting to listen to him. I heard him sigh deeply. "I got worried." I didn't say anything, just kept staring at my hands. They looked nice. My nails were a bit long though.

I looked up after a few moments of silence from him. He was watching me with a concerned look on his face. I walked past him and into the bedroom. There was a tray full of delicious food on the coffee table, its intriguing smell making my mouth water.

I sat on the couch and started eating. I was very hungry. A few minutes passed with me enjoying the delicious food, oblivious to the world around me. I was halfway into devouring the food when I felt someone watching me.

I looked up to find Dimitri standing near the edge of the bed, fully dressed. He now looked like the mafia boss he was, the monster that had destroyed my life. My appetite vanished by looking at him and I cleaned my mouth with a napkin.

"Don't stop because of me. Finish your breakfast. You will probably need lots of energy to go through the day. I have many important issues to handle today. So I won't be able to check up on you later. Behave yourself. And don't do anything stupid."

He walked towards me, bent down to place kiss a on my head, before walking out of the room. I sat there, the plate of food long forgotten, my mind once again taking me to wonderland.

Later on, somebody knocked on the door. I called out for them to come in. A maid walked in, a small smile on her face, a woman in a business skirt following her.

"Ma'am, I was told to accompany you today." The maid looked at me, before pointing towards the other woman. "This is Clara Pierce. She is the family's designer. She will help you choose your wedding dress."

The woman, Clara, smiled at me, though she seemed a bit cold. "I have brought some amazing dresses with me. You can see them. If you dont like them, I will design for you a dress of your choice."

Clara signaled for the maid who walked towards the bedroom door, opening it wide, and bringing in a rack of clothes. The white dresses made my breathing laboured, my heartbeat speeding up.

My eyes closed as I remembered the past. My wedding shopping had been a wonderful experience. Elijah had wanted to come with me and he had helped me choose my wedding dress.

I sat there for half an hour, reminiscing the past, as Clara continued showing me "the best" wedding dresses. Finally, my patience gave way and I told her to stop.

"I don't want you to show me any more dresses. You can leave now." My voice sounded cold.

"But you haven't chosen anything yet," the maid said. "Boss will be really mad if he finds out that-"

I didn't let her finish her sentence. "I don't care what you're boss will do. If I don't want a dress, it's my choice. You can not force me. Leave, now."

They finally left the room after much contemplation. And I was once again alone with my thoughts. I should run away, I thought to myself. If I do, I won't have to choose a wedding dress and get married to that monster.

"Why didn't you select a wedding dress?" A voice interrupted my train of thoughts. He was back. "I had so much work to do and I had to come back here just because my woman was being stubborn."

He took in a deep breath. "If you didn't like them, you should've told Clara. Or I can take you back to New York tomorrow and we can go wedding shopping together."

"I don't want to go anywhere with you. And I already have my old wedding dress. There is no need to waste your money on me." I told him.

His face became hard as he glared at me. "My money is your money as well. And I will never let you wear that dress again. I don't want you remembering that bastard on our wedding day."

My body tensed at his words. "That bastard is my husband."

Dimitri smirked. "He was your hubsand. He is now dead. He won't come back even if you wear that old dress."

My vision blurred as the harsh reality came to me once again. He was dead. My Elijah was dead. He won't come back to me. How was I supposed to live? The man I loved was dead and I had no choice but to marry his killer.

"Look Kate," Dimitri began, sitting beside me, his voice a bit soft. "Whether you like it or not, you're going to become my wife. It's better to forget that man. If you don't, I will force you. You have now choice, darling."

I looked down at my lap as a tear escaped my eye, going down, leaving a wet trail on my cheek, before the whole dam broke loose. Dimitri circled his arms around me, pulling me into his chest, trying to comfort me.

But how could he comfort me when he was the reason I was like this in the first place?

I don't know how long we sat there, with Dimitri holding me like I was made of glass, afraid to tighten his hold, scared to let go. He pulled back a little, wiping my tears, before taking my hands in his.

"Don't cry. I hate seeing you cry." He whispered, peppering my hands with kisses. His lips were smooth, tender and his voice held sincerity. His face had a guilty expression, making my heart clench.

Pulling my hands away from his, I looked into his eyes, trying not to sob again. "It's not like you care. You wouldn't force me into marrying you if you truly cared."

His expression changed completely at my words. His face held a glimpse of the beast inside him. The way his eyes bored into mine, I was crowded. The next time he spoke, his voice was cold as ice.

"What I've started I must finish. I've gone too far to turn back now. Regardless of whatever you say, you will marry me." His each and every word had the power to make my heart tremble in fear and panic.

I was on the verge of breaking down yet again. But I managed to control myself in front of him. Mustering up courage, I voiced my only thought.

"Why? Why me?" I asked in a voice small enough just for him to listen and with so much distaste and revulsion to shake his damn attitude, to let him know I was angry and disgusted by the mere thought of being his wife.

With a devilish smirk and eyes glittering with a terrifying disaster, he leaned forwards. "Because I love you. Because you're mine!" He whispered into my ear, trailing a finger down my jaw, making me shiver.

The immediate silence that followed his words was deafening. My face paled and then slowly got very, very angry.

"No, no I'm not! THAT'S THE WHOLE FUCKING POINT!" I yelled back at him, pushing him away with all my might, making him stumble. He stood up, glaring down at me with hard eyes.

"Cry all you want Kate. But darling, you're fate has been sealed." With those words he walked out of the room, leaving me in a state of dread and agitation.

A long time seemed to pass before I pulled myself together. Walking into the bathroom, I started searching for Dimitri's shaving kit. When I finally found it, I took out the razor and sat down on the floor.

Running my fingers along the sharp metal object, I thought about my life. The happy moments never lasted long, always leaving me in a pool of sadness. Very slowly, I put the the razor against my left wrist.

As I made a cut deep enough to penetrate my veins, Elijah's face flashed before my eyes. Taking the razor in my left hand, I slashed my right wrist. I pulled my hands into my lap, resting my back against the bathroom wall, as pain coursed through me.

My body, at last, became numb, as darkness started to consume me. The last thought I had, before closing my eyes and slipping into oblivion, was that I was now returning home. Returning to my Elijah. Finally reuniting with him.

A/N: Vote, comment and share.