Rachel's POV

The sun shone through the massive glass walls that also served as the windows in the bedroom. I woke up feeling... trapped.

My back was against Alexander's chest and he was holding me tightly while his face was buried in the crook of my neck. His breathing was steady and from the corner of my eye I couldn't help but think about how lost he look in his sleep. Like a little a boy looking for something.

His grip on me tightened and his hand was resting on my waist, but it was a little too tight that it was actually painful. I softly tried to pry his hand away but he was the definition of a rock.

I squirmed and tried to sit up and unfortunately he woke up. His eyes were barely opened and he looked a little confused. "Princess?"

"I'm sorry for waking you. You were holding me too tight and hurting me." He glanced down at my exposed waist where his hand was he looked disappointed with himself. I was aware that my waist felt as if it was being crushed but I wasn't aware that a big purple bruis had formed.

Alexander looked angry. He abruptly woke up and strode to the bathroom slamming the door behind him. Like I said before, he was so manic.

I decided not to dwell on him and his mood swings. Instead I made the bed and went to freshen up in the guest bathroom. I changed into a beautiful yellow dress with some white sandals and treated the bruise before heading downstairs.

The plates from last night were all cleared and a fresh basket of fruit was placed on the counter top. The place was spotless so I assumed that somebody had been sent in to clean earlier this morning.

I prepared breakfast and cut up the fruits, placing them on a wooden platter. It wasn't overly done so I had decided to serve it on the kitchen breakfast counter rather than the dining room table. I opened the patio doors and let some fresh air get in.

I heard strong steps descending and Alexander walked down with wet hair dressed in his usual black slacks and white shirt.

I set the pot of brewed coffee on the table and took a seat. We began eating in silence only the sound of the cutlery hitting against the plate.

"You're looking very pretty in that dress," Alexander said quite softly while looking down at his plate.

I smiled at him thanking him for his compliment and began clearing up.

"Leave that, somebody will come in to clean up. We need to go now, I made an appointment with a gynaecologist. You can ask her all whatever you want."

A gynaecologist? I surely hope its simply a consultation and that she's not going to check anything up there.

When we arrived at the doctor's office, we were ushered inside a room that had many pictures of babies on a wall and child quotes everywhere.

Alexander came in and sat next to me. I didn't want him to accompany me but he always gets what he wants.

In walked a lady who looked to be in her thirties and greeted us with a smile. She shook Alexander's hand firmly and then mine.

"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Viotto and congratulations to you both on your marriage," she grinned and took a seat.

Facing me, she nodded and grabbed her pen and began writing in what I assumed was my patient file. "I am Dr Brown and your husband had informed me that we're here today to explore some options about birth control. Before continuing, do you have any questions of you own?"

I shook my head no because I didn't know what type of questions she was referring to.

"Good. So I'm sure you know that there are many types of contraceptives. Namely the shot, the patch, an iud, Nexplanon and the most common form – the pill. As you are only 19 years old, your body shouldn't have any trouble adapting to any of the listed methods. It completely your choice."

I contemplated my answer. I knew that I didn't want an iud and Nexplanon. I wasn't comfortable having foreign objects inserted into me. Neither did I want ring patch. It would have been an inconvenience to constantly wear it. The shot was a good option but constantly having injections throughout?

"The pill would be fine."

She nodded and wrote down some more in my file. "Good choice. It's a very popular option that works effectively if taken everyday at the same time. I'll start you of with something light because you're young."

She slid over a pamphlet to me, "If you read through that, then you'd familiarise yourself with the possible side effects. Nothing too serious, only a bit of bloating, body tenderness and maybe some mood swings. It should altogether disappear within 3 months when your body adjusts."

"I'm hoping there is no family history of genetic diseases? Especially cancer? If there is, then we'd have to reevaluate the selected method of contraceptive," Dr Brown inquired.

I was going to speak up and say that my grandmother had lung cancer but Alexander beat me to it. "No. No history of any genetic diseases and no cancer either. She'll be fine."

I looked at him jarringly. Why did he say that? He knows grandma had cancer.

"When can my wife and I have sex?" Alexander then asked super bluntly. I looked at him in horror but Dr Brown didn't think anything of it.

"That would depend on Mrs Viotto over here. Tell me, are your cycles regular?"

Again I shook my head no. "Not at all."

"When last was yours cycle?"

"About... 3 days ago."

"Then that should be okay. You can start your pill today, taking it everyday at the same time. Morning or evening is recommended so that you remember. As for Mr. Viotto's question, give it a few hours after she takes the pill today and you'll be fine to have sex without the risk of pregnancy."

"That's music to my ears," he said and smiled satisfied.

Dr Brown didn't have to do any physical examinations seeing that I wasn't properly sexually active as yet. She told me that after I turn 21 I should visit her again for a pap smear as it was good to make sure things down there are all fine once sexually active.

Alexander was a gentleman as he offered to go to the pharmacy and pick up a year supply of birth control pills for me. He told me to wait in the car and he went inside to get them with the doctor's prescription in hand.

He got back into the car and handed me a small bag filled with 12 boxes of pills. He took out the first pill and handed it to me along with a bottle of water.

"I'll drop you back home because I have to go back to the estate. I don't want you there because everybody will only give you a hard time. Once I'm done there, I have to take go to the office building for an AGM which will be a long tedious meeting," he said and placed his hand on my thigh.

"I'll be home late. I trust that you will be able to keep yourself occupied?"

I frowned at him. I wasn't needy by any means but I didn't want to be alone. "Can I come with you?"

He was hesitant to agree. "No, you're not coming to the estate. William and Therese will try and do something to you I'm sure. I'm not risking that. You need to be safe."

"I'll just wait in the car or something. They won't even know I'm here," I tried convincing him.

"I said no, Rachel." I hate how he orders me around and that he always gets his way. I don't know how I'm going to put up with him for the rest of my life.

He drove some more and slowed down when we got to a red traffic light. I looked at the bag of pills and pulled out a pack reading the information on the back of the box. My eyebrows furrowed as I read the box.

"Alexander?"

"Yes?" he looked at me since the light was red.

"Why did you say that my family doesn't have a history of cancer? I'm reading the box and it says that-"

"Because your family doesn't," he cut me off as I was explaining. I sighed and threw my arms down in frustration.

"You know that grandma-"

"She's was not your grandmother."

I shut my mouth as soon as I heard that because did he really just say that she wasn't my grandmother?

The light turned green and he sped off.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked a little softly, afraid to hear the answer.