Chapter 6 Bitter-sweet After-taste
Chapter 6 Bitter-sweet After-taste
The ride home from the courthouse was rather silent, so silent it was deafening and nauseating.
Livy couldn't help but feel like a traitor, especially since Markian agreed to drop her off at the Luthel
mansion.
She stared at her ring so hard as though at moment it might disappear, or she would wake up from one
of her love-dreams.
'So, is this how it feels like to be married? Why isn't he saying anything? He looked so furious at the
courthouse, but he didn't say a word to me then either. And now, he is still so quiet. Why can't I read
any emotion on his face? It would be better if he shows he's angry, so I can at least prepare for the
worse. Why is his facial expression so vacant?' Livy questioned, driving herself insane as the silence in
the car grew even more.
Her unanswered questions about her husband's unreadable mood were clouding her already throbbing
head.
Markian still looked dashing in his one piece twilight fog suit.
He just sat there in the car motionless, looking out the window of the limo and staring into space as the
car moved.
His arm is placed on the armrest of the car door making his gold wedding band visible.
His thick brows were not frowned, neither was his forehead wrinkled. He was perfectly relaxed and
looked more handsome and hot every passing second.
'What is wrong with me? If he catches me staring at him, he might finally flip and create a scene. But,
how can one person look so handsome, drop-dead gorgeous, sexy, hot and ruthless at the same time?
I could kill to know what's going on in his mind, and why he's so quiet?' Livy continued her self torture
as she tried her hardest to read her husband's mind all while getting distracted by his gorgeousness.
"You don't have to drive me home, you can stop anywhere around here. I'll call my driver to come pick
me up," she suddenly spoke, and immediately regretted saying anything.
He didn't act as though someone just spoke, let alone react as though he heard what she just said.
He totally ignored her making her feel more invisible than she already was.
She wanted to repeat herself, but she had no more courage left in her.
OK, at least now she knows she is getting the silent treatment from him, which means that he must be
very angry at her.
'Great! just great' she thought.
How would she ever get to know anything about her sister's death if her husband is giving her the silent
treatment?
"I have to make sure you arrived at the Luthel mansion safe and sound" Markian replied.
'Did he just reply or am I imagining things? I don't understand...does that mean he heard me? Does this NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.
mean he is not upset with me? Why talk to me after everything I did? If he'd decided to give me the
silent treatment, that would have been understandable. But him being all cool about all this is making
me nervous and more confused, its unbearable. What is going on in that mind of yours, Markian!'
Livy wanted to ask, while unconsciously staring at him.
But the questions she had were nothing compared to how uneasy she suddenly felt when she realized
he was also staring her down loathly, downgrading and downsizing her as his eye moved from her
face, down to her neck, to her chest, then to her thighs and back to the void he was previously staring
at, that seemed to interest him more than his beautiful bride.
Livy is a gorgeous beautiful young lady.
But unlike her sister, Sophia -who was slender and taller than Livy with a body most runway models
would die for- Livy was rather moderately thick in all the right areas and petite.
If put close to Markian, she would look very fine as Markian was much taller than she was.
Her head is bearly up to his shoulders -and since she keeps losing appetite for food in the last few
weeks, she had grown relatively thin- making him look more intimidating than he actually was.
The Winfrey's family tradition after a wedding was that, the bride would be allowed to return to her
parents house with her mother and get her things.
The bride's mother is to bring her daughter to the groom's home for the welcoming/reception before
8pm.
Judy had already left for the office after the marriage -some international clients requested a meeting
with her so she was indisposed.
Mr Winfrey had asked Markian to take Livy home so she could get her things ready and rest a little
before she is brought to the Winfrey's mansion.
After the registration of marriage was done, Livy was expecting a backlash from Markian but, she got
nothing.
No sign of anger, no rage either, he was unbelievable calm and cool about everything.
They both exchanged hugs with family members present as though everything was normal, and that
terrifies her.
Luthel mansion
They both finally arrived at the Luthel mansion and Livy got out of the car without hesitation.
She knew better than to speak or try to make any comment, so without a word from either of them, she
hurriedly walked into the building and closed the door behind her as the car drove off.
She didn't respond to any greetings from the maids and just walked straight to her room.
As soon as she step into her bedroom, she slammed the door behind her and slumped on the floor.
What is this feeling? She feels as though she had done something terrible. Was her decision to marry
Markian hasty?
No. She knew better. The reason she married Markian today wasn't because of what her mother had
told her, it wasn't even for Markian's sake alone.
Deep down, she wanted to marry Markian because she had loved him for a while now.
All she needed was a little push, an order to go ahead, and that was what her mother did.
This was the reason she now feels terrible. She was selfish in her decision, and now she has no idea
what to expect from her new life.
She had betrayed Markian, and that is far worse punishment than he deserves.
"You really should start acting classy, Livy. You are now the wife of Markian Winfrey -CEO of Castlehill-
you can't keep breaking down like this all the time," Sophy told Livy.
"Sophy...you are..." Livy started, but realised that her sister was no more and this was just one of her
guilt-dreams.
Scoffs... "of course, you should know, you were married to him after all," Livy replied sarcastically.
"Haha funny...you, my sister are now a married woman. Markian's wife at that and if he is good at
anything, it's how well to take care of his woman" Sophy responded.
"does he?" Livy questioned, but mostly to herself. Because, she has a sinking feeling that, that won't be
her case.
Markian's office looked really trashed, it seems he had really vented his anger and frustration out on
the poor documents, laptop and telephone placed on his glass office table.
His hands are securely placed in his pocket as he looked out of his office glass window to the nosy city
of Minneapolis, thinking of how stupid he had been to have made such a grave mistake by trusting Livy.
The Welcoming/reception must have started at the Winfrey mansion but, that was the last place he
wants to be.
So as he dropped off Livy, he headed straight to Castlehill, and that way, he could make it home on
time when called upon.
'that wench and her mother really pulled a fast one on me, and I was too blind to see the signs. Why
did I ever think that she would leave town, when this whole marriage idea was cooked up by she and
her mother after all. Yes... She is not as innocent as she looks, that's just what she uses to deceive
men, and like a fool I fell for it too. I hate her so much...and I'll make her regret making a fool out of me,
both she and her mother. I swear on Sophy's grave' he thought to himself.
He can't help but think of what a twisted sick joke his life is turning out to be.
He turned back to his office as he examined the wreck he had made. Grabbing his suit -which he had
tossed in a fit of rage- off the table, it dragged something that fell to the ground and shattered.
He looked down to see a small framed photo of Sophy he kept on his table.
Picking it up, he shook the debris of glass off the surface, then placed it back on the table while putting
a call through to his secretary to send someone to tidy his office.
It was already 6:47pm and Markian still didn't want to go home, but he had no other choice.
Winfrey Mansion
At the Winfrey mansion, Markian was careful to avoid everyone and away in the green house.
Unfortunately for him, he had just 30 minutes left to himself before he is been requested for.
Whatever he says or does would reflect on his family's reputation and honor, so he had to be careful of
his actions this evening.
His game face has to be on for tonight, and he must act without sentiments for the crowd.
"Please...just listen to me. I was only following orders, you should know how Markian can get when he
wants something done" Daniel tried to make Heather understand his helplessness, while Markian
moved to the darkest part of the greenhouse to avoid being seen.
"I really don't want to talk to you. Unlike some people, I'm busy trying to make sure everything is ok for
Olivia's arrival. I'm not trying to kidnap her or stop her from attending her own welcoming." Heather
stated pettily.
"Come on Heather, now you are just being petty. I wasn't going to kidnap her, it was strictly consensual,
or I thought it was...She said she wanted to leave town and I was only indulging her... "he replied but
was interrupted,
"only because Markian must have said something to her or blackmailed her somehow. You know what?
I'm just glad she changed her mind at the right time, cause if she hadn't, you would have been in
trouble if Mrs Luther had found out you had a hand in her daughter's disappearance." Heather reproved
and walked away from her brother disappointed.
He really hates it when his sister is upset with him, it makes him restless.
Ok, maybe it wasn't the best idea to have listened to Markian and followed his instructions without
hesitation or caution, but he really wanted Livy to leave town with him today.
If she had followed through with the plan, maybe at this moment they both would have been in another
town or even half way across the other part of the world together.
When Markian had told him about the plan and that Livy was on board with it too, he had lost all sense
of logic and was going to do everything exactly as he was told to do.
Maybe, she really was meant for him and this was just a sign from the universe to bring them together,
he thought.
Ever since he saw her two and half years ago, he had thought of her every single day.
Judy and Livy were on a business trip in Grenada when Livy first crossed paths with Daniel.
He was a source for the other party trying to bag the same contract Livy and her mother had gone to
Grenada to acquire.
At that time, Livy only went with her mother because she didn't have a choice and Sophy was in
London.
Sophy was the brillant one and Judy loved to take her on business trips, but this time, she had a
fashion show in London and couldn't make it.
So, Judy had to go with Livy instead.
Livy had tried to at least relax and get a some fresh air since Grenada was such a beautiful place, but
that idea soon turned cold when she was almost ran over by Daniel while he was escaping Judy's
henchmen.
There meeting was brief but her face wasn't easy to forget.
5months later, he was sent an invitation to his cousin's -Markians- wedding, were he met Live for the
second time, but she didn't recognise him.
He had relocated from Grenada -where he had been for 5years, trying to escape the tousle and huddle
of running the family business- back to Minnesota after Markian's wedding.
He had taken a job at Castlehill instead, which his father -Tion Winfrey- wasn't very happy about.
He hoped that maybe by accident or by coincidence, he might meet the damsel who has stolen his
dreams back in Grenada few months ago.
Her eyes hunts him every night. They were a pair of pure and clear hazel color, so much so that he
could see her hurt and loneliness.
Even when she had yelled at him that night, her eyes were so soft they couldn't hold any anger at all,
just tears.
For 2years, he patiently waited, waiting for her to come to him.
When she eventually did, it was on her engagement night.
Even though it had been a while he had set his eyes on her, she was still the same, she hadn't
changed at all.
Her eyes still held those clear hurt and loneliness he had seen in them, and oh, how he wished he
could just snatch away her hurt and loneliness and make them his, so she could be free and happy.
How he longed to see those teary eyes sparkle with joy, but it was late.
She has been promised to another.
Making her happy had became his dream until today, so when Markian had said that Livy didn't want
the marriage, he obliged without hesitation.
But she came out of her house today, with a soul piercing pain in her eyes as she pleaded with him in
tears to take her go to the courthouse and get married to his cousin.
He wanted to ignore her -he really wanted to- and take her to the airport anyway, but suddenly, getting
her to the courthouse felt like the only thing to do to make her happy.
If he knew he would be feeling this terrible pain in his chest right now, he probably would have left with
her, with or without her consent.
She was married now to his cousin, she is now his wife, and this realization somehow increased the
pain in his chest.
He combed his black hair with is fingers in frustration.
After 2years of waiting patiently and hoping that they both would eventually meet in a different light and
situation, fate have played a cruel one on him.
He left the greenhouse and never noticed Markian was there.
Luthel Mansion
"You snub! Won't you answer any of my questions? You've always been like this to me and I don't know
why. We used to be very close, you don't tell me much but you did tell me enough. I miss those days"
Sophy spoke sincerely.
"I don't know what you mean by that. I'm more open to you than I am with any other person. You're my
twin afterall" Livy replied half-heartedly.
"So why won't you tell me the truth?" Sophy questioned.
"What truth?" Livy inquired of her sister.
"Have you been in love with Markian all this years? Was that why you distanced yourself from me?
Please tell me... you didn't let me know when I was alive, at least you can tell me now" Sophy
questioned continuously.
"Then you tell me one thing. If you tell me this, I'll tell you mine. Does Markian have a hand in your
death?" Livy boldly questioned, taking Sophy by surprise.
She didn't know why she blurted the question, but she did and would really like an honest answer.
"You know what? You should be getting ready to go to the Winfrey mansion. I'll just be... " Sophy
replied, trying to change the topic, and Livy knew this.
"Tell me... Does Markian have a hand in your death, Sophy? I need to know... You have to tell me
please" she pressured.
"Why do you want to know something like that? You're starting a new life, just enjoy it" Sophy replied
instead.
scoffs, "how can I? when you are the reason I married him in the first place. I have to find out who
planned and executed your murder. So tell me already, was it Markian?" Livy continued questioning,
but Sophy would not say a single word.
"So, he had a hand in your death, I see... " Livy concluded when she got no answer from her sister.
"Do you really think he would do a think like that? Does he strike you as such a person? Do you really
think you've been in love with a murderer all this years?" Sophy questioned.
"Markian loved me so much, so why would he want to kill me? He is a good man...and soon he'll will
love you as much as he loved me. Trust me Livy" Sophy continued assuredly.
Phone buzzes.
"Hello?" Livy answered half-asleep.
"Livy, Are you sleeping? Get up fast and put yourself in order, you have less than an hour before I'll
come pick you from home to the Winfrey mansion. Hurry up!...What do I do with this girl?" Judy's
familiar voice sent waves of awareness all through Livy.
She had been sleeping since she got back from the courthouse, and lost track of time.
Her mother would be home anytime soon to take her to the Winfrey mansion.
So, she really is married to Markian, it was not a dream.
A trickle of tears ran down her cheek, and she wondered why she was crying.
She got up to fix her suitcase and pack a few clothes she might need before she would go shopping.
She put some basic toiletries in too, as her hands shaked and she weeped uncontrollably.
She thought of how empty the house had been since Sophy left, and once she leaves too, it would
become almost isolated.
How would her mother manage?
She finished fixing her suitcase and sat down on the bed and looked around, as she took in the sweet
smell of her room.
She would not be back here for a while, and it broke her heart that her memories here would soon
slowly fade away.
She took the photograph frame of her, her sister and her mother that sat on her dresser, and held it
close to her chest as she cried even more.
More than ever, she wished her twin sister was here with her today.