MasukA L Y S S AWe finally reach the Valentino estate, and the sight of it feels even more overwhelming today, given what is to take place.Once the car parks at the front of the house, the driver steps out and opens my car door for me, and I have to admit, that's still something I'm not yet used to. I smooth my hands down the front of my white dress before stepping out of the car, conscious of every movement, of the way the fabric falls around my legs, of the fact that this is the closest I have ever come to looking like a bride. That's when I notice the same woman who greeted me the last time standing waiting near the entrance, dressed smartly in a formal dark grey dress, her expression polite as she watches me approach her."Welcome back, Ms Hart." She greets me just as I slow down my steps as soon as I reach her. That's when I notice that she's not the only one standing by the doors. There seem to be two men standing at either side, both of them dressed in black with an earpiece in ea
A L Y S S AThe next morning...I barely slept last night. I lie in my bed staring at the ceiling, replaying every word Stephano said to me, every look he gave me, the way he stood there, so certain of himself and so sure that I am temporary. I turn onto my side, then onto my back again, pulling the blanket up and then pushing it away, my mind refusing to quiet down. It is not just what he says that keeps me awake; it is how easily he says it, as if reducing me costs him nothing at all. By the time morning light begins to slip through the curtains, I feel more drained than rested, but there is no space to indulge that exhaustion today.Carmen sits across from me at my small kitchen table, her mug of coffee cradled between both hands as she listens to me recount last night in a voice that sounds unfamiliar even to my own ears. The breakfast she insisted on making sits in front of me, eggs and toast that would normally make me grateful, but I keep pushing the food around my plate instea
A L Y S S A“If I were you, I would speak to me with more humility.”He lets out without raising his voice, or stepping into my space aggressively... The restraint he shows makes his warning feel more threatening, as if he assumes I will understand my place without him having to spell it out. He stands a few feet away from me in the centre of the room, his hands resting casually in his pockets and jacket falling perfectly along his frame. His posture is relaxed, leading me to believe he has never once doubted his authority in this house. The same authority I will soon have to answer to if I am to marry him.His head tilts slightly as he watches me, not in an angry way, not even particularly annoyed, just as if he's expecting something of me, or waiting for me to correct myself.For a moment, I consider doing exactly that. Apologising would be easy, right? All of this will be so easy if I followed through with everything he says... or else the opportunity to save my mother's life will
A L Y S S AMy heart thunders as the words register in my mind...I will marry her...Stephano has agreed to marry me... just like that...I watch as Mrs Valentino releases a breath she has clearly been holding, her shoulders relaxing slightly, while her husband nods once, satisfied, both of them glancing at each other before they both look at their son, then at me.I stand there, stunned, my mind struggling to catch up to what has just happened. I have not agreed to anything out loud, yet my future has been decided in front of me like a business deal concluded without my signature."Spendid. We will begin with the preparations immediately." Mrs Valentino lets out, and that's when confusion forms on her face as I stare back at her, forcing me to take a short, timid step towards her."But... Mrs Valentino..." I begin nervously. "I-I thought you said I had till the end of the week..." I let out, remembering what they had told me when they both brought this offer to the table. I then watc
A L Y S S AI stand there like a deer caught in the headlights as the word replays in my mind.Bride.The word feels foreign, almost absurd, yet attached to me in a room like this, standing in front of a man who looks at me like a problem to be solved rather than a person. I feel small under Stephano's gaze as he looks back at me. He does not react right away, nor does he blink or move or soften his gaze. He stares me up and down, his expression completely difficult to read, making it almost impossible for me to tell what exactly is going through his mind. Finally, he turns away from me and turns towards both his father and mother, his eyes bouncing between the two of them.And that's when we all hear it. The humourless, cold laugh he lets out, one that means the atmosphere in the room is completely heavy and unbearable.“This is a joke,” he says, motioning his hand towards me, immediately making my heart sink to my feet before suddenly racing. The expression on his parents' faces cha
A L Y S S AThe guards at the entrance take a curious look at me before they finally open the doors, allowing me passage. Inside, the space steals my breath, marble floors gleaming beneath towering ceilings, a sweeping staircase rising upward, light spilling from a chandelier so large it looks like it probably cost more than my entire livelihood.Then a woman appears, beautiful in her simple yet elegant grey dress, smiling back at me with politeness."Miss Hart, welcome. Right this way." She says, and that's when she begins guiding me through a series of quiet hallways and into a sitting room filled with firelight and black velvet."You may wait here. Please have a seat." She instructs me to one of the couches, and I stare at her nervously before taking a seat and looking around the room in pure awe. Okay, I knew the Valentinos had money, but they're practically living like royalty here...“Would you like something to drink?” She asks me softly, and I contemplate it. Maybe a drink wou







