# Chapter 5

“You need to let me go,” said Phoenix as she tore her touch away from his skin, slightly pushing Lorenzo aside.

She watched as he stiffened. “Where are you off to, wife?”. She did not like his tone, considering he wasn't present at the sign up and he wasn't there to even get to know her; his supposed wife.

Phoenix walked past him, not wanting to pay heed to Lorenzo. She had to leave the manor, she had her own dreams to chase and just because she settled her brother's debt with her future chances of getting married to someone she loves, she wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in the way of her dreams of working in the forensics department of Santa Barbara's local police station.

***

Phoenix had studied.

Even amidst the Salvadors drama, she had studied. So when she left the precinct with all smiles, the feeling of victory wasn't odd to her.

Also, it probably helped when she saw Aubrey waving ecstatically and Charlie who was typing away on her phone.

Walking over to them, she listened to Aubrey. “Tell us how it was. Were you asked to do something gross?”

“It was fine Aubrey..” Phoenix held Aubrey's waving arm and dropped it to her side. “Your arm's gonna fall off.” she said with mockery.

“I don't know…” eased Charlie, her fingers typing away on her phone and not bothering to look up. “I've been trying to tell her but..” she clicked her tongue against her teeth. “Perhaps she'd like to be a doll. We could make some money off her, right Nix?”

Aubrey shoulder bumbs Charlie in which Charlie responds with a chuckle. “Come on Nix, we'll drive you home.”

Home. Home?

It clicked to her. The Salvadors would know about Aubrey and Charlie if they so much as go anywhere near a 30 meter radius from the property. And if they did, they'll also use them to threaten her to do something she probably wouldn't want to do.

“Um..” she muttered, searching her purse. “I uh..” she grabbed her phone and yanks it out of her purse. “Noah!”

Phoenix lets out an awkward chuckle. “Just got a text from Noah, I gotta go meet him.”

“Oh!” Aubrey moves closer to Phoenix, grinning. “How's the Munchkin doing?, haven't heard of him in a while.”

“Oh would I love to tell you all about it, but I gotta run.”

“Yeah, sure.” Charlie nods. “Tomorrow night, Dawn Grill?”

“I'll be there.” says Phoenix. She watches as Aubrey drives away with Charlie, they're both talking about something they'll probably tell her tomorrow night.

***

“Welcome Miss Salvador” Niccolo lowered his upper body, showing respect to Phoenix.

But Phoenix stiffened. She wished she could take everything back, her choices. She didn't even like the term -Miss Salvador-.

“If I may, miss..” Niccolo gestured towards the third floor of the manor. “You need to have a change of attire.”

“Why?”

“Dinner miss.” Niccolo answered sharply. “Lord Edd Alessandro Salvador is home and he has requested your presence.”

Phoenix had never known what it was like to break the rules. Growing up, she kept them. In school and all through school, she kept them, even in her day to day life, she kept the rules.

She wasn't supposed to leave the manor. And worse? Lord Edd Alessandro Salvador just had to return today.

The tightening in her throat grew, her palms grabbed her jeans, threatening to pull out threads.

“Miss..” Niccolo called. “You need to make haste.”

The corner of Phoenix's lips turned downwards. Her lips parted and gave a half pleased smile, obviously faking it. “Yes. Yes I must.”

She's never paid much attention to the ground floor of the manor. The darkness, the eerie feeling it gave off, the small traces of gold patterns on the walls, the view of the manor grounds.

As she neared the hall, Niccolo who walked beside her gave her a pleasing look, ensuring that she is at her calmest.

The attendants open the door and as Phoenix walked in, she'd never felt so out of place. In that moment of realisation, she also realised Niccolo was no longer beside her.

She turned around and watched as Niccolo bowed in the presence of Edd Alessandro Salvador before returning. If only Niccolo could read her mind, he'd see…how much she needed him.

As she walked towards the table, she noticed Lorenzo. He was sitting very comfortably opposite his father, his grey shirt lay loose on his body as he ate peacefully.

“Are you done watching him?” Edd's voice shook Phoenix. He gestured towards the chair beside him, inviting her to sit.

The maths wasn't right at all. She was supposed to sit beside Lorenzo. Not that she wanted to, he vexes her, but being husband and wife.

“I do not look forward to your disappointment.”

Phoenix sits beside Edd, her floral dress spilling from the sides. “Not at all…Lord?”

“Tis Edd to you.” She watched as he tore flesh from his chicken. “You're family now!”

Phoenix chuckled lightly. “Yes, of course.” She turned her gaze towards Lorenzo to find him focused on his food, he hadn't looked her way at all.

Some husband he was.

“Speaking of; where did you go today?.” She snapped towards Edd at his question. “I was expecting a warmer welcome from you.”

Pheonix sighed. The truth was bound to come out either way. “My exams. I went to write them.”

“What exams?”

“F..”

“Forensics.” Lorenzo cut in, a disheveled look on his face. “Miss Salvador here wants to work in the police.”

“Why Lorenzo?” Edd raised a brow. “Anything wrong with it?”

At this, Phoenix barely held her grin.

“Father…she cannot..”

Edd turned to Phoenix, his smile growing. “Did you pass?”

“Soon, I will be able to check.”

“Good.” Said Edd, he turned to his son, giving him a cocky wink.

Lorenzo stood up, moving his chair out of his path with three fingers. With a disgusted look at Phoenix, he walks out of the large room.

Phoenix jolted but Edd held her back, gesturing to her filled plate to eat before doing anything else.

***

After dinner, Phoenix made her way to her room. What she thought would be a tough night, she didn't think Edd would put an ease to her conflicted mind.

“He has you smiling and happy…”

Phoenix turned at the sound of the voice. Hoarse, deep, frightening. Her room was dark and the small light that passed through the glass window came to rest on the wall.

The figure stands up, walking slowly towards Phoenix, making her inch closer and closer towards the wall. Finally, the figure walks into the light and the glistening face of Lorenzo Salvador is revealed.

“It shouldn't bother you.”

Lorenzo scoffed. “It doesn't. He's manipulating you.”

“Why are you in my room?” Phoenix retorts. Her feelings were mixed. She didn't know whether to dislike Lorenzo or not. But with recent events, her odds of liking him were really narrow.

“You're my wife. Is that another odd thing of yours?”

“What other odd thing is there?”

“Your foolishness.” Bluntly, Lorenzo speaks. “Only a fool would sign a contract marriage with people she has no clue about.”

“You're literally the worst.” Phoenix says walking away from the wall, meeting Lorenzo's gaze. “You went through my things when I was out, didn't you? Or how else did you find out about my exams?”

“I asked Niccolo, wife. He's the eyes and ears of this place.” With a step back, Phoenix admitted that he had the upper hand in the conversation. There was nothing else she could say.

Maybe somehow, she was expecting that he'd be at least a bit more curious about her and that he'd search her room.

Lorenzo opens the door, proceeding to walk away. “I don't want to run into you, you're stupid, more foolish than any lady I've ever met and naive. Stay in your room and don't act like you know me.”

“I don't want to run into you either.” Lorenzo scoffed, stopping in his tracks. He listened to her speak. “You are no husband, just an airheaded asshole with no parental care.”

She watched as Lorenzo turned to her, an amusing look on his face to match her cut vex look.

Phoenix walked towards her door, meeting Lorenzo's gaze before closing the door shut. In a nanosecond, she opened the door again, sticking her middle finger out, catching Lorenzo by surprise.

“Oh! and to hell with you!”