Hellooo everyone! This story is one I've been very excited to write because I LIVE for clichéd almost cheesy storylines and somehow I've always wondered what Rose would do if she had to marry a complete stranger, and that stranger was Belikov in a suit. Yaaas!

Disclaimer: These characters don't belong to me, they belong to the lovely Richelle mead. Also English isn't my first language, so please be patient with any spelling or grammar mistakes or if anyone would like to help me with that I'd appreciate it :)

Chapter 1

Married.

Traded.

Sold.

Something like that shouldn't happen to women, especially in the modern days we lived in.

As a woman the day you get married should be one of the happiest, instead as I stood in front of the mirror in a cloud of frilly white lace, I felt defeated.

I was no longer the young girl that dreamt of finding that charming prince, falling in love and riding into the sunset in his arms. No. Being the daughter of Abe Mazur, killed that child.

In her place was Rose Hathaway, the child of Janine Hathaway. Abe was as good as dead to me. As were any hopes I had of finding true love. But if being my father's daughter had taught me anything was that I would do everything in my care to survive. This marriage was a mission for the daughter of the leader of the Turkish mob. A mission I couldn't fail.

The many women before me knew, that the only way to leave home was dressed in white and to return in dressed in black. That was the only expectation men had of us, we got married had children and served as arm candy using every bloody dollar into turning ourselves into plastic robots at the beck and call of our men. And when Botox didn't cut it, our beloved husbands found a new women to keep themselves busy.

I laughed. Nothing was funny anymore, really. It was just pure mockery at the situation I found myself in. Somehow I thought that being away from home—studying—that I was safe. That I would be the exception to the rule everyone in our world knew.

I should've known… nothing would ever change. No exceptions.

"Rosey… It's time to go."

I shook the look of self-disgust off my face. My mother wouldn't suffer anymore because of me. "Hey, mom. What do you think?" I said, as I turned to look at her.

Something I probably shouldn't have done. Her usual fake tan was missing, she looked as pale as she had been before she had met my father. Being from Scotland her pale beauty had always fascinated me, she was naturally beautiful. But to fit in as the wife of the mogul Abe Mazur, she had taken all natural beauty and morphed herself into the perfectly dressed, perfectly behaved robot. In some sense we all had. That was the only way to survive in our world. A mask.

And in that moment the mask I needed was that of a happy bride.

"You look beautiful, Rose. How I wish…" she said a sob escaping her. Rushing to her I enveloped her in my arms. There would be no more tears.
"Shhh, don't cry, mom. This isn't you fault, you have been there for me every step of the way even when it probably wasn't convenient for you… and I couldn't possibly love you more. Please, promise me you won't get on dad's bad side. I couldn't have anything happen to you and not run to you. Dad wouldn't ever allow me to return to you, and god knows what my new husband will do if I ask to see you."

"You don't know, Rose, maybe your husband will be different. Dimitri's firm and strict but from what I've heard he's a just man and as long as you stay quiet and do as he says you should have no problems."

I sighed, blessed her heart was if she thought I could've ever lay low. Rose Hathaway wasn't about that life. "I'll do my best, mom. Let's get going before the old man has a coronary."

No backing down. I wasn't sure of many things, and if I was honest with myself I was terrified of being married to a monster. What if he didn't have a soul? If he was involved with a man like my father there was a possibility he didn't…

For a person who wasn't much of a believer I hoped and prayed then and there— as I took my father's arm in mine—that the man standing at the base of the altar wouldn't be the death of myself.

The church I had been brought to since I was child was adorned with beautiful bouquets of different colored hydrangeas and roses. Everything was suited for the most influential wedding of the year between Rosemarie Mazur Hathaway and Dimitri Belikov, one of the most successful Russian entrepreneurs in the United States. But one thing people didn't know was that was just a farce, a lie, a curtain to hide some deep sins. Something my family knew way too well.

So as Abe and I came into view, we walked slowly and steadily with all eyes and cameras trained on us. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders and I hoped I wouldn't faint. Especially when my eyes finally landed on the iconic Dimitri Belikov and his found mine.

Dimitri was tall and had brown hair that barely reached the back of his neck, he was what you call ruggedly handsome. So handsome, that if I hadn't known that I was being sold to him and had actually met him in some other situation I would have been extremely attracted to him. So that was why I wanted to reach the altar and I didn't, my feelings were mixed. I guess I was hoping for a lesser kind of evil deal, Dimitri instead of my father's sometimes cruel ways.

As soon as we reached the altar, my heart froze…Those eyes, from afar they looked a normal shade of brown but from up close you could see different specks of amber and honey. Jesus, this man…

Dimitri Belikov, was a handsome man from what I'd seen but up-close and personal he was downright gorgeous.

"Take care of my daughter, Belikov, make her the crown on top of your head, or else we'll have a problem." The old man said, using his old sayings as he let go of my hand carefully and placed in Dimitri's hand.

If I wasn't stunned that my father had asked the man he sold me to, to take care of me I would've laughed, the crown on his head? Who used those expressions anymore? Those thoughts were rapidly replaced by another, I was really getting married…

As I looked up, I found Dimitri's gaze was sharp and intense, but he also looked bored as if he would desire to be somewhere far away. Something about him made me wondered if it was possible that someday I would be important to him?

I guess I would have the rest of my life trying to figure that one out and hopefully at the end of this I could have a partner in an empty world like ours. Sure thing, marriage like ours was something common especially for people with power like my father but marriage in which love actually existed were zero to none with the exception of a very close friend of mine. Lissa Dragomir now married to Christian Ozera. Their marriage was also a union between higher up families within the faction, but in this case, both found that their attraction was not only physical but that they actually had feelings for each other. Something not every woman finds.

With a squeeze of my hand, Dimitri made me notice that the preacher had begun to speak. Something beautiful about true love and finding peace and solace in a person enough that you'd want to spend the rest of your life with them. With a heavy heart I turned to look at my mother in the first row, she was sniffing quietly next to the guilty party in all of this, his hand quietly gripping my mother's. Which if I knew him well enough, was meant as a warning, there would be nothing marring this occasion for him. Even emotions.

Before any tears left me, I returned my attention to the man standing before me. Was he as nervous as I was? I knew he could tell I was, by my sweaty hands.

"These two individuals, very dear to their families present today, have gathered here today to celebrate the joyous occasion of their union in holy matrimony, if anyone here has any reason to as why these two shouldn't be married speak now or forever hold your peace."

As if anyone would dare stop the wedding, every man in the room was armed to the teeth. I looked at Dimitri, wishing that if I was powerful enough I could say Yes! I do, I have an objection! I can't marry a man I don't love! but with a tight squeeze of my hand he gave me a warning. Do it, he said, see what happens…

So much for laying low.

"Alright, as there seems no one has any objections, we may proceed to the exchange of the rings."

A man as tall as Dimitri and alsmost as handsome, clasps him on the back affectionately while he passes him the small tray where the platinum rings lay. I take the larger one and proceed to repeat the preachers words, "I, Rosemarie Hathaway, give to you this ring, as a symbol of my commitment to love, honor, and respect you for as long as we shall live," as I place the ring on Dimitri's finger.

He repeats the same action, and he places the diamond incrusted ring on my finger and some sort of current goes through my fingers. Shit. What was that about?

We both stand there looking at each other.

"Since the rings have been exchanged, I have nothing more but to declare you both husband and wife. Dimitri, you may kiss the bride."

The guests around us clapped and cheered for us, the happy couple, while I felt too sad to even try to fake it. Dimitri following the preacher's words reached for me while I stood still frozen in place. He was going to kiss me!

Holy shits! As Dimitri lips grazed my own I was struck in place by the same current as when he had slipped the rings on my fingers, that and the fact that the man could kiss. His lips softly caressed, while his teeth nipped and toyed with my mind, that for a moment in time I forgot about any obligations anything but those sinful lips. A girl could get used to that. Sadly, everything was smoke and mirrors because as soon as he finished kissing me, he took my hand and almost dragged me across the aisle while people were still standing there clapping for the new Mr. and Mrs. Belikov.

Outside of the church, reporters and paparazzi's milled around trying to take pictures and to get a statement about the secrecy of the wedding. My head swam how could anyone live like this, my father was someone important but somehow I had always chosen to remain as invisible to the media as I could but know that I was officially married to Belikov I was just as famous as any other woman that had ever been photographed with him—and from what I could gather that wasn't many. Just a Tasha Ozera, and it was only because she was one of his business partner.

People pushed and shoved, making me lose my balance as one of the many reporters stepped on long train of my dress. But before I could land flat on my rear Dimitri's arm snaked around to hold my waist.

"Watch your step, Mrs. Belikov." He said as he helped me lift a side of the god awful dress. Stepping between me and the press, Dimitri escorted us to the back of an Escalade and for the first time since I had seen him was finally alone with him. My husband.

"Um… where are we going?" I asked, hoping he said we were going to assist the party so I could say my final goodbyes to my mother.

Silence was my answer. As soon the car sped into the streets Dimitri pulled his phone out and began to type furiously. "Dimitri?"

"Yes?"

"I asked you a question. Where are we going?"

"Home."

I laughed. "Aren't we going to the party? It is after all because us that they're having one..."

"No." he said as he looks back at his cellphone. It seems as if that has all his attention which just infuriates me.

"Do you always speak in monosyllables or is it because you don't understand much English? That seems much more acceptable than you being a rude jerk."

His gaze leaves his phone immediately, I have been married less than fifteen minutes and have already managed to get in trouble. Me and my big mouth…

"Look at me," he said as he held my chin. "You are my wife now, not exactly because I needed one but for the greater good of all of us. So behave and we won't have any problems, you hear me? Don't get any wrong ideas of love and flowers, that won't happen. You will have my protection as my wife and you will be looked after, but nothing more, you hear me? Go it?"

I sighed sarcastically. "Seeing as I have so many options, yes I got it." I guess he did speak English…

"You and that mouth of yours, how could the old man keep you in check all these years? You must have been a handful, but I guess it could be the reddish tints in your hair bringing you all this trouble." He said as he touched a loose curl that escaped my updo.

"Don't touch me, Belikov. And if you're curious, he couldn't. That's why you should be smart and not make the same mistake he has."

"And what is that?"

"Underestimating me."

He curses silently in a language I believe is his native one, "This outta be fun, wont it wife?"

Oh it definitely would be…