Victor

I watch Elena long enough to make out the expressions on her face. But observing and studying someone is not the same as really getting to know them. Each person has more than one personality, if someone says otherwise, then he is more than a liar, because if he really believes it, he is lying not only to others, but also to himself, and that is much worse.

At work, with acquaintances, with close friends, with relatives, with parents, with brothers and sisters, everyone behaves differently, revealing one of his personalities. The same applies to moods, when you are or are not comfortable, when you are angry, when you are calm, when you are bored. On average, fifty different personalities live in a person, and 90% of them are difficult to distinguish, or never show, depending on the self-control and the level of emotional and mental growth of the person concerned.

In my work, I meet people who switch from one persona to another so quickly that no matter how intelligent you are, if you don't catch the change in time, it can cost you your life, or you can lose an already won victory, just because you weren't quick enough to catch the change. I am no different from the others, a simple example - Elena. With her I feel like I'm never enough, never good enough, somehow, I'm constantly trying to please her, like if I upset her, it'll tear my world apart, my heart, and I'll lose my irreplaceable treasure. With my people or with my debtors, with my clients, this side of me is standing in the corner waiting for my green-eyed firecracker to appear.

A kind of defense mechanism. I have seen things that the man who is with Elena would never have endured if he was the original personality of my character. But it's not, Elena is the only one who has ever touched this person of mine that awakens this insecurity in me and even though I hide it because it's what Elena and I both need, the lovesick fool can't help it, aside from licking his tongue and drooling over this incredible woman.

Elena hardly realizes what exactly I feel for her, she will never know about the things I did so that she could stand by me today, she will never know how many bodies I passed through, how many lies I told, how much blood I washed away, she will never learned how I manipulated her father, his business, how many times I interfered until Nicholas Mascot had no choice but to agree to accept my offer. I'm not proud of it, I'll never forgive myself for manipulating Elena's life in this way, but I can live with the guilt, on the other hand, I can't live without Elena.

"Victor, this is Ophelia, Cristina and Oscar" I nodded to the two girls and the man who looked a year or two younger than me. Originally, as far as Elena is concerned, I am strangely and painfully jealous, I myself am still getting to know the man in love with my fiancee, so this jealousy of mine is a little strange even to me. I don't mind Elena's giggling girlfriends, I can stand them, but when I reached out to Oscar I was anything but tolerable, at least until I shook his hand and followed his gaze, raising an eyebrow.

"And these are?" melodic and soft, Oscar's tone sounded like those over-the-top sales reps who are ready to kiss your ass until they get every last penny out of your pocket. "I decided it wouldn't be fair to your girlfriends, my love, so I invited two of my friends to keep them company" I pulled Elena under my arm and released Oscar's to introduce Dominic and Simon. Dominic was a friend of mine from university and we often worked together, and Simon was not only my friend, but also the deputy director of Craven Groups, my legal business.

"That's very nice of you,Victor" Elena placed a hand on my chest and looked up after briefly waving to Dominic and Simon and I leaned in to peck her lips. I was getting to know another Elena, not the social woman, not the daughter, not the friend, but the woman who was starting a relationship, who wanted to get to know a man, who was starting to have feelings for a man. She was very different, her smile was different, warmer and alluring, her gaze shone differently, as if I were looking at a glass that had been pulverized under a warm green light.

I began to get to know this woman on an equal footing with Elena herself. That conversation at the spa, when she admitted to me that she also felt something for me, seemed to release something in her. No, Elena doesn't deprive me of her shy blush, she's too inexperienced with men to be able to do that, it doesn't deprive me of the moments of insecurity when she hesitates whether or not to tell me what she wants and thinks, which is sweet because in these moments she becomes somehow smaller, more vulnerable and makes me want to hug her so tightly, to keep her, to take care of her, to lift her in my arms and never let her go again, not even the tip of her toes to touch the ground again.

"Nice girls" Dominic bowed theatrically and I rolled my eyes. Apart from Marcus, Dominic and Simon were the two closest to me, and I know painfully the player in Dominic, who will flaunt himself all night in front of the two girls, and Oscar, who, luckily for him, is obviously closer to his feminine side, because at the moment in which Dominic opened her mouth, Oscar turned red like Elena when I kissed her for the first time.

"Are we going in?" I interrupted Dominic before he even started his turkey repertoire and our little group almost collided and jammed in the restaurant door. The truth is, I brought Dominic and Simon so I wouldn't have to be isolated while Elena talked to her friends. Naturally, I didn't expect one of them to be a man, but gay I accept. The eight of us sat in the VIP booth, me next to Elena, Oscar sat on the left of Elena, accordingly on his left were Simon, Christina, Dominic and at the other end of the booth, Ophelia opposite me.

"I must admit that I was surprised when Elena told us that she was engaged and that the wedding was so soon" Christina leaned forward, rested her elbows on the table and looked at me curiously. I've had relationships, short and lackluster, in some ways you can say I'm almost as virgin as Elena. There is a difference between dating a woman to fuck her and when that woman is your future wife.

"I'm sure you've heard far stranger and more surprising things" I tried to sound as nice as possible, wrapping my arm around Elena. "You promised you wouldn't bully him, Chris" Elena pouted sweetly and looked at me apologetically. We still lacked the comfort of a couple between the two of us, but slowly, it was emerging, Elena was really making an effort, adjusting, learning to be in a relationship and it was so sweet, I just don't know if there is such a thing, but I think I'm sick from a love diabetes that makes me dizzy and makes me want to squeeze her cheeks and kiss her until I pass out.

"I'm not doing anything like that, Elle, I'm just trying to understand" Christina pouted in turn, and Ophelia reached out and patted her arm. "That's enough, Chris, we decided that as long as Elena is happy, we won't interfere!" I raised my eyebrows and nodded to Dominic, who immediately intervened. "Shall we order?" he asked, and a waitress appeared out of nowhere, as if she had materialized as if with a magic wand.

"Sorry about that" Elena blushed and I looked down at her. "They're your friends, Elena, I expect nothing less than to have them dissect me to make sure I'm good for you" I smiled reassuringly at her and she fluttered her eyelashes charmingly. "Are you good for me, Victor?" her question sounded innocent, but her expression was far from angelic, her tongue wet her lips, which slightly popped forward in a kissable way. "I'll be good to you, my love, and am I good for you? No, for God's sake!" and I pressed my lips into hers, leaving our friends to guffaw and giggle around us.

Dissection was the exact definition of what Cristina and Oscar tried to do to me, while Ophelia was clearly more reserved and the voice of reason. Under other circumstances, such curiosity would have cost all three of their lives, but I would never have done such a thing to Elena, and besides myself and Nicholas, Elena wasn't much of an extrovert and I know those were probably her only true friends, and that I would never take away from her, at least as long as they make her happy.

"Victor? Charming?" Dominic burst out laughing, banging on the table. Cutlery, plates and glasses clattered and I shot him a look. "Not everyone is into sugary guys, Dominic" my heart skipped a beat when Elena was the one to answer him with a slightly edifying note. "Tell him, my love" I bent down and kissed her temple, and Elena gave me a soft smile. "Enough, I've known Victor for years, if I'm sugary, he's currently a glucose solution, just look at him!" Dominic moaned and I stopped my fork in front of Elena's mouth, looking at him with raised eyebrows.

Six pairs of eyes were fixed on us. Elena moved against my chest, we were both sitting slightly sideways, she was leaning on me, I was holding her by the waist, one of her hands rested on mine on her stomach, with the other she was holding a glass of white wine, and right now, I was serving to her lips a piece of cheese impaled on the fork in question. I only now realized the significance of the glucose comment. Somewhere between the talking, the questioning, the laughing, Dominic's flirting with Christina and Olivia, Oscar's attempt to get Dominic's attention, and the short, tight answers from the reserved Simon, Elena and I had relaxed to the point where the attraction between us had become natural and we had made us seek as close as possible.

"You're cute!" Oscar chirped and Dominic laughed loudly. "I admit, tonight is worth walking naked on Hollywood Boulevard!" he leaned back and began slapping his hips, head tossing in his laughter. "Given your reputation, Dom, that's where you belong, somewhere between the hookers" I growled and put the fork down, pulling Elena closer. Dominic choked and Cristina began patting him on the back, laughing.

"Come on, I'm not like that!" Dominic complained, distracting Elena's three friends from us. "Is he always like this?" Elena whispered up to me and I took a breath, nodding. "Dominic is our sex clown. Unfortunately for him, while he likes playing pranks on others and making fun of them, he's not up to it himself" I shrugged and Elena giggled. "They like you" Elena murmured and I tilted my head slightly to see more of her face.

"Good, because otherwise I'd have to move them out of my way to you" I joked, not giving the impression that my joke was far from a joke and leaned in to kiss her. "Sir?" Marcus' voice came from behind me and I grunted, forcing myself away from Elena's lips and looking at him. "A call?" he handed me the phone and I looked at him with annoyance. "Is it important?" I asked pointedly and Marcus took my hint. "No sir, I can handle it myself" he gave in, nodded to me and put the phone to his ear, walking away.

"Do you always let someone else do your work?" Ophelia asked and I looked at her. "Only if I can pay for it. Marcus is not only my bodyguard but also my assistant, part of his duties is to make my life easier" not everything I say is a lie. And while Elena will sooner or later have to face the truth about my life, I'm far from sure exactly how much she wants her friends to know about me, especially since she herself doesn't know everything, but only suspects parts. "So you like buying the favors of others?" Ophelia continued, glancing not very tactfully at Elena and the ring on her hand.

"I buy everything that can be bought, some things I resell, others I hold until the price rises. I trade everything that can be bought and sold. But never with my family" I took the glass of wine and raised it to Ophelia , who arched an eyebrow in my direction. I wonder if Elena's friends knew who I really am, would they still be so bold in their attitude and comments towards me? To them I was probably nothing more than a spoiled rich man trying to flaunt his money.

"Interesting, and what exactly do you trade, Viktor?" Oscar interjected. "Craven Group specializes in the manufacture and trade of military equipment" Simon answered for me and Oscar gasped. "So you make and sell guns?" Cristina also chimed in unhealthily. "Victor works with the army, when one of his scientists invents and develops a new weapon, or a detection and surveillance system, he offers it to the army, if it approves, a contract is signed and the corresponding product is developed, produced and provided for the defense of country" clown or not, Dominic's ability to be slick and get away clean from situations is what makes him one of the best hitmen in the country, and the world.

"That's right" I rested my chin on Elena's temple and looked around the table. "In addition, I buy and sell real estate, Craven Groups also deals with investment plans, we also have a department that develops computer systems, as well as a pharmaceutical department" I added. It was all true, to some extent, of course. It is not necessary for the uninitiated to know that the real estate department also deals with the legalization of real estate, which I seize when someone cannot pay his debts, as I would have done with Mascot's casinos, if he had not agreed to my marriage to Elena, nor that the investment department, in fact, deals with the opening and closing of small companies through which to launder the money from illegal transactions, and the pharmaceutical sector, along with our research on medical drugs, also produces a large amount of opiates that circulate on the streets of the country and abroad.

"Wow, that's...a lot of work" Christina blinked at me. "And how do you manage to find time for everything and Elena? Because as far as I understand from her, you two spend a lot of time together planning the wedding?" I nodded and smiled down at Elena, who looked at me embarrassed, probably because she had been discussing me with her friends and sharing parts of our relationship. "Simon is my deputy director" I pointed slightly to Simon, who smiled and bowed with his arms slightly spread to the side. "I'm the main liaison between Craven Groups and Victor, as such he has very few duties and meetings to attend in person" he replied, earning an adoring look from Christina who moved closer to him.

"So you're kind of a big boss?" Simon nodded, looking at me for permission. "It can be said that way, but the real boss and general director remains Victor" he hastened to add. Simon is a workaholic, he rarely took down women himself, he usually paid for it, or just visited one of our clubs and got VIP treatment. "Don't be shy,Simon" I pressed Elena closer. "He's a boss and what's more, as there are at least a dozen other sub-bosses under him" I hinted at Simon's advantages over Christina, who clung to him like a suction cup. My poor friend, find a jellyfish to wrap its tentacles around him.

"And when did you manage to achieve all this?" continued to push Ophelia. Each group of friends had one who always looked after the others, took care of their safety and looked out for them, apparently in Elena's group, this is Ophelia. Christina is the carefree one, Elena is the reserved shy one, and Oscar is probably the emotional support. "I'm one of those rich people born with a golden spoon in my mouth, second generation Craven" I raised my glass again and Ophelia snorted. "So, if I understand correctly, you did nothing more than be born under the right name?" I don't know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult, but for Elena's sake, I decided it was the former.

"If you're implying that I don't work and only spend what my father has achieved, yes and no" I answered the accusation anyway. "Even Elena can confirm that as much as I want to, I don't spend all my time with her. There are still appointments and duties that, despite Simon's rights and those under him, only I can fulfill" Elena squeezed her hand lightly on her stomach and I kissed the top of her head. I know that after my speech, in her memories, she bumped into me again in front of her father's office door. "It's true, Offi, when I first met Viktor, he was on a business meeting with my father" it's cute how Elena tries to protect me, even though she herself is still not sure how to feel about our relationship or about me .

Ophelia fell silent after Elena's statement. I don't know if it was because she noticed that Elena cared about me enough to side with me against her, or if she saw something that eluded me, but Elena seemed content to let the conversation end. "I chose the bridesmaids dresses!" she changed the subject and jumped off my chest rummaging through her small bag for her phone. I smiled, at first I was worried that Elena wasn't particularly interested in our wedding, because she didn't organize it herself and was forced, but the more she relaxed with me, the more I noticed that she was actually excited.

There was quite a commotion at the table, the three women and Oscar jumping over each other trying to sit next to each other until finally, thanks to me refusing to let Elena go, she and I ended up in the middle of the booth, Elena now to my left, leaving Dominic and Simon to my right, and she leaned forward towards Oscar, Cristina and Ophelia, rummaging through her phone for pictures of the dresses she had chosen.

"So it's her?" I turned slightly to look at Dominic, who had now dropped his flirtatious clown mask and was looking at me seriously. "She is" I confirmed and he grunted. "She's beautiful, congratulations, brother" he raised his hand and I took it, giving it a brotherly squeeze. "Thanks, I guess" I grinned and tilted my head slightly towards Simon, who kept staring at Christina. "What do you think, Sam?" I joked and he looked at me kind of distracted. "What for?" his brows sank and Dominic burst out laughing again.

"That's it, we lost him" I shook my head and Dominic exhaled dramatically. "If only he can balance his workaholism with his lack of a personal life" Simon grunted and punched Dom on the shoulder. "I don't suffer from a lack of personal life!" he huffed and Dominic raised his eyebrows. "So, what's the name of your fish?" he asked and Simon blinked in confusion. "I don't have a fish?" unsure of his own answer or question, he looked to me for help. "I have no idea" I laughed and for the first time tonight I really relaxed.

Two hours later, we found ourselves on the dance floor of one of the most chic and famous clubs in Los Angeles. "Thank you" Elena looked up and I shook my head in confusion. "For what?" I could feel her breasts against mine, her body brushing my skin through my clothes, her hips rubbing against mine as we swayed slightly to the rhythm of the dance, surrounded by other dancing couples including Christina and Simon and Ophelia and Oscar, Dominic licking the wounds with one of the waitresses at the bar, after neither Christina nor Ofelia fell for his flirtatious attempts.

"For putting up with Ophelia. I know she can be very...annoying sometimes" Elena smiled and I chuckled. "When you get to know Dominic, you'll know that Ophelia is far from annoying, my love" she turned her head and looked around the crowd. "Still, thank you, tonight was amazing" without breaking the synchronicity of our bodies, I lifted Elena's chin slightly and pressed my lips to hers, sliding my tongue between her parted lips.

My chest was heavy, tight and I wondered at what moment what I feel for Elena will lead to my end. I don't know how Elena would react if she could read my thoughts, what she would do if she found out exactly how obsessed I am with her, how dark and dangerous this love of mine is, so consuming and poisonous that in my veins, in every breath, every thought, every moment, everything I saw, wanted and knew was her and only her. What would she do if she found out about everything I've done for her? How would she react if she found out that all the gifts I give her were bought in the last year and a bit more?

Elena

"You don't have to marry him, Elena, I'll find another one...." I raised my hand and interrupted my father. I was getting sick of it all. Had I not done enough, had I not agreed to every condition, giving my life to a man whom I did not know, and about whom I had heard things that chilled the blood? Wasn't it enough? "That's enough, dad, that's enough!" my father's face turned red, never in my life had I spoken to him in such a tone, never had I allowed myself to interrupt him, even less, for something so important.

"What are you going to do? A loan from the bank? With the current state of the casinos, we both know that's an impossible decision" I sighed a little more quietly and my father gritted his teeth. "I know it's my fault, Elena, but this Victor Craven is nothing more than a criminal and a murderer" I closed my eyes and pinched the base of my nose. "I'll find a way Elena, just don't say 'I do' at the altar tomorrow, please?" pleadingly, my father moved to my side and grabbed my hands.

"Mr. Craven asked me to give you this, he said the white one is for you" I smiled and took the four bags from Mrs. Glear's hand. "You still have half an hour, your father is waiting at the beginning of the path to the altar" she informed me and I nodded. "What is this?" Christina stared curiously at the bags in my hands. "Gifts from Victor" I picked up the four bags, each, except the white one, bore the names of Christina, Ofelia and Oscar respectively.

Christina grabbed the bags with their names from my hands and the three of them formed a tight group, rummaging through the colored paper, and I left mine on the dresser and sat in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. The conversation with my father from last night was still fresh in my mind. I wanted to convince myself that the reason I almost couldn't blink the night before my wedding was his words, and to some extent it was so, but the truth was different and I fully realized it only that night.

Victor Craven was accused of almost everything that could be considered breaking the law, but none of the accusations were ever proven. And yet, in the short time I spent with him, even I noticed how dangerous shadows seemed to dance around Victor. However, despite all that, I can't deny what I was with him, his attitude, everything he made me feel, the way it seemed like everything he did and said was to make me happy and more confident.

His patience, tenderness and attention, always considerate, always with the right words, a ready solution, always putting me first, always taking into account my wishes and feelings, as if he read me like an open book, anticipating my movements, what I would say, how i will feel Victor was nothing but a gentleman and incredibly nice and sweet to me and that, combined with all the scary stories about him, confused me. I was also confused by the fact that in such a short time, he seemed to have managed to settle in a place in me, where I never allowed anyone else, except my family.

Our relationship seemed to be developing at the speed of light and yet, there really was no development, if that makes any sense at all. But no matter how much I thought about it, a part of me was afraid that everything that was said about him, that I could find on the Internet about Victor and that my father told me, were true and if it turned out to be the case, and I married to him, I don't know if I will be able to live such a life.

But the other half, the one who couldn't see the darkness, the one who was growing attached to him, the one who wanted him so badly it was starting to physically hurt, the one who saw both the gentleman and the fire behind the facade, who read unspoken sinful promises in his eyes, he was telling me that during these ten days, Victor managed to show me so much about myself. It showed me that I could desire and be desired, that there was a way for my life as a princess to progress into that of a queen. Victor showed me a side of me that I didn't know existed and that I want to learn more about.

And in those ten days I've gone from a point where I just wanted to help my father by agreeing to this marriage to a point where I can't wait to find out what else Victor can show me when the gentleman to the fiancee disappeared and the husband appeared, when my social inhibitions would not be between us, like in a couples massage, I realized that I actually started to like the idea of being with him. I began to like this overprotective side of him that kept him touching me, I began to like the possessiveness of his kisses, the fire he lit in me, I began to look forward to the day the woman in me would awaken to life and I wanted Viktor to be the one to help her get on her feet.

"Dear God, Elena!" I turned around startled. Cristina and Ophelia stood on either side of Oscar, holding something glinting in one hand and I stood up to see what it was. "These...these are real diamonds!" Oscar barely managed to say a word when I stood in front of them. Cristina and Ophelia wore matching diamond bracelets, and Oscar wore diamond cufflinks. All three simultaneously looked up, gaped at me, and then moved them somewhere behind me, before bringing them back to my face.

"There are also cards, it says that these are his gifts to the best man and your bridesmaids, Elena" Ophelia looked at me as if a second, or even a third head had suddenly sprouted in me and I am marrying the purple prince of Mars. "Victor likes to give gifts, even more so if they are expensive" I smiled and the three of them gasped in unison. "What...what's in yours?" Cristina asked and before I could tell her I hadn't looked yet she ran over to the dressing table and I turned to see her rummaging through my bag and pulling out a black velvet square box.

Her eyes flicked to mine before she opened the lid. My eyebrows shot up curiously. From day one, when I agreed to this marriage and Victor put the diamond on my hand, not a day went by that I didn't receive at least three to five gifts, excluding the morning after our engagement, when he showered me with gifts. From sunglasses, through clothes and shoes, to accessories, jewelry and my favorite cosmetic brands, Victor didn't miss spending a fortune every day.

The wedding, my dress, everything was at his expense. He kept telling me that I had to get used to it, because everything that was his was now mine, and he really made everything easy. Therefore, I am not surprised that my friends received such impressive gifts. "My God, Elena, this is amazing!" I tilted my head and smiled, I don't know what's in the box, but I guess it's a jewel, and considering Victor's ability to spend on me and his taste, Christina's reaction is something else that doesn't surprise me.

"What is it?" Oskar was the one who was curious and Christina slowly turned the open box towards us. A set of diamond earrings, bracelet and necklace, each set in the shape of a small rose, with a gold clasp in the shape of a rose leaf, lay on a bed of satin and reflected the light from the windows. My heart stopped, my breath caught and I pressed my hands to my lips. Nothing, absolutely nothing, that Viktor had given me so far could compare neither in beauty nor in price to this.

"You can buy a small country with that!" Ophelia exclaimed and I slowly walked towards Christina. My heart went from frozen to frantically racing. Gently, only with the tips of my fingers, I touched the small cool roses. "Help me put them on" I looked at Christina, who nodded with tears in her eyes. I turned my back to her and heard her put the box down, I took a deep breath and balled my hands into fists as the cold diamonds touched around my neck.

When the earrings landed on my ears, I turned and looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was pulled up high with hairpins with tiny white flowers that perfectly matched the set of my ears, neck and arm. I refused to wear a veil, thin spidery lace hugging my shoulders and descending to the soft silk of the bodice of my wedding dress. Bandages cinched my ribs and lifted my breasts above a V-neckline. A satin belt with small buttons held the skirt of the dress to the corset, making me look like I stepped off the cover of a wedding magazine. My skirt fell tightly around my hips to my knees, where it flared out into a satin bell-like shape.

"I know I was against this marriage" Ophelia stood behind me, put her hands on my shoulders and I looked at her in the mirror. "But you seem happy with him, Elena, you seem calm, and if you're really sure that this is more than a deal for him too, then" she stopped for a moment, turned me to her and hugged me tightly. "I'm so happy for you Ellie, you're so beautiful that Victor will go crazy just seeing you!" for the first time my eyes filled with tears and all my calmness went to hell.

"You're going to ruin your makeup, Ellie" sobbed Kristina, joining our hug. "Oh my god, you made me cry too!" Oscar whimpered and the three of us were tightly locked in his arms. "You're crushing her dress!" Ophelia laughed breathlessly and through tears, and the four of us broke away from each other with a sigh. A knock on the door made us turn and interrupted the melodramatic scene. "It's about time,Miss Mascot" my wedding agent's voice came and I took a deep breath.

"You may kiss the bride!" shouts, whistles and applause, the blinding whiteness of the decoration, the music, the few guests, the light warm May breeze, the sun, the priest's voice, the ceremony itself, when and how did Victor and I say our 'i do' and vows? I don't know. But the moment the ring landed on my finger, when Viktor's eyes captured mine and his hands pulled me close and I closed my eyes, savoring our first wedding kiss, all the pros and cons of this marriage, all the stories about Victor, every doubt that I was doing wrong, every thought that whatever was waiting for me with this man I might not be able to bear, all disappeared.

All that was left was him, me, us. The feeling of the strength and warmth of his body, his lips on mine, his promises, his oaths. I was now Mrs. Victor Craven. From here on there was no going back, it didn't matter what could have happened, what we could have done, what they told us, how it got here. With our 'í do' we put an end to 'before' and a beginning to 'now'.