Chapter 4

A text from Luca woke me up the next morning. He sent me an address to a place in the Upper West Side. With a side message which said: My dad says he’s free tonight.

Yes, ever since I’d said yes to Luca’s proposal, things had moved quickly—right up to meeting his family. I had no idea where fate was pushing me, but there was no pausing this now.

How could I be so ungrateful, how could I ever think of pushing away the man who had practically saved my father’s life?

After a deep breath, my eyes dropped to the familiar address on the screen.

I recognized the name immediately. The Meridian.

The exact same hotel where I had almost had a one-night stand with a man I didn't even know his name. I only knew the way his hands had felt. The way I’d nearly let a stranger ruin me in every way that mattered.

The exact same strip where my father was beaten in one of the casinos.

The universe was pulling things out of a box to test me. And I couldn't take it anymore. I would break in the same way toys broke when children bent them too far.

Another message came in. This time, an email with the dinner reservation for 8 PM.

Who wouldn't want to meet their fiance’s parents in an upscale restaurant attached to one of the city’s most luxurious hotels?

Me, apparently.

Why hadn't Luca asked for my opinion before he made reservations? What if it wasn't somewhere I liked?

Even as I had those thoughts, I knew the answer.

I didn't want to run into that man I'd met last night. It was selfish but true. I didn't want to be reminded of all the things he made me feel while getting married to Luca.

My phone started ringing. Luca.

I answered immediately.

“Did you get my messages?” he asked.

“Yes! The Meridian is so fancy. Fancy is great!”

Luca must have heard how sharp my voice sounded although I tried to soften it. Because he paused.

“You don’t like it?” he asked, voice laced with concern.

“No—no, it’s fine,” I said quickly, forcing happiness into my tone. “We deserve to be happy. I'm meeting your father!”

I couldn't possibly explain that the last time I was here, I'd been pressed against the door of a penthouse suite by a man whose name I still didn’t know. He had kissed me on this bed in fevered passion and I’d almost cum. What would have happened if Luca hadn't called?

That wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was…

And I couldn't even confess the incident to Luca. Where would I start? With a description? I didn't even know his name.

That knowledge and the fact that it would sound dishonest kept me from confessing the incident all these weeks—not guilt, not shame, but the strange, lingering thrill that memory stirred in me. He was the most thrilling mistake I've ever made.

The attraction I'd felt went beyond a mere impulsive moment.

-

The day of the dinner arrived and I dressed carefully, choosing a high neck silver dress that hugged my curves but still felt undeniably like me.

The dress was, in reality, rented last-minute from a boutique. I owned nothing suitable for an occasion this formal, and it felt weird to start hitting Luca up for gifts the minute I learned he had money. At least this one fit.

I felt like I was a princess imposter.

I put on red lipstick and piled my hair on top of my head. Normally, my mother's necklace would have been on my neck but since I had sold it, my neck was bare.

I was ready to meet my future father-in-law.

Luca told me to meet him in the restaurant because he had to check in with the reservation so I used a taxi to get there.

As soon as I stepped into the marble-lined lobby of the hotel, the shimmering chandeliers above my head made me feel small, out of place— like a child playing dress-up.

Like the last time I was here, this place still looked like it would charge you extra for breathing.

How did I not feel out of place the last time I was here? Up to the point that I not only entered but also made out with the hottest man I had ever seen?

Sadness was a hell of a drug.

I instinctively looked around the place for him and breathed easier when I didn't find his tall, broad frame anywhere.

Luca was by the bar— the exact spot I'd ordered whiskey neat. He was typing a text on his phone when I snuck up to him.

He didn’t notice me walking in. He was distracted, visibly irritated.

“Hey.” I hugged his arm, his tuxedo was soft against my check. “You clean up really nice.”

This was my first time seeing him in a tailored suit.

I have never seen him in anything which wasn't jeans and t-shirts but I can get used to seeing him this way since his father was a literal billionaire.

Luca dropped his phone into his coat pocket and sighed.

“I reserved the prime table with the city view,” he muttered, glaring at a table which an elegantly dressed man and woman occupied. “How could they give it away?”

I blinked, surprised. This wasn’t the Luca I knew. I was barely sure I ever even knew him.

This Luca was entitled and had veins popping at his temple.

This Luca sounded like he was used to snapping his fingers and watching the world rearrange itself. This Luca might be the true Luca because he had manipulated me with my father’s debts into marrying him.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, touching his sleeve. “We can take another table. I don’t mind. I'm sure your father wouldn't mind too.”

“It's not about my father. It's about people doing what they are fucking told.” He sighed. “You don't understand.”

“But the restaurant is already so lovely,” I tried to reason with him. “We will still have a good time regardless of where we sit. It's just a table.”

But he wasn't listening to me. He slipped off his jacket and draped it into my arms. Like I was his personal coat rack.

The jacket had a slight weight in the pocket.

“No. I’m finding the manager,” he said firmly, jaw set. “Someone has to stop this before he runs this place to the ground.”

Then he walked away without waiting for my answer.

I stood there awkwardly, clutching the heavy jacket. A buzz came insistently from the pocket. He had forgotten his phone with me.

Since the big revelation, I didn't know exactly what Luca did with his time when he wasn't with me.

Checking his phone suddenly felt like I was snooping which was strange because I was wearing his ring and would be his wife soon.

But I knew he was hiding things from me and needed to know the truth. I fished out the device, and surprise colored my cheeks red.

Chloe’s name flashed on the screen. It was a little late for phone calls or texts.

A flicker of temptation whispered in my ears—just take a look. One look.

But before I could swipe up to unlock the screen, a stir rose at the hotel entrance.

I turned instinctively at the sound and my entire body went rigid.

It was him.

The man from yesterday in the flesh again.

His tall frame was impossibly composed in a dark gray suit. The sinful cut of his jawline and the self assurance of someone born into a lot of money. The entire lobby seemed to tilt toward him the moment he stepped inside and I was no exception.

My feet stayed rooted to the spot. I couldn't even run away before he spotted me.

I stood and stared—completely undone by a flood of emotions. Fascination at his presence, embarrassment at how our night had turned ended that day, and something dangerously close to longing. I suddenly wished it had ended differently. Maybe we had done a little more than kiss. I shouldn't be thinking of that right now.

The hotel manager—the same one Luca had been searching for—practically sprinted over to the man, smiling too wide, his voice pitched somewhere between fear and admiration.

All the pieces clicked together at once.

The penthouse suite he’d taken me to, the effortless authority he just seemed to carry, the way the staff and other patrons reacted to him…

He lives here.

He was someone important. Someone powerful.

My pulse hammered in my throat. It was too late to run now because he lifted his head and our eyes immediately met.

Heat exploded across my cheeks. I was terrified to feel my blush spreading.

I still had to leave. Had to make my feet move somehow before Luca witnessed this awkwardness. I had to find Luca and beg him to change restaurants.

The potential for catastrophic awkwardness was too high.

The man looked at me for a second longer before his eyes moved away and he listened to whatever the manager was telling him.

He hadn't recognized me. I didn't know if I should be offended or glad.

I spotted Luca weaving through the crowd, heading back toward me—but then realized he wasn’t looking at me at all. He was looking at the man.

Luca approached the man directly.

My heart stopped.

No, no, no— let this not be how they know each other.

Before I could finally run, Luca turned to where I stood, and motioned me over with a bright smile.

“Babe!” he called. “Come here. I want you to meet my father.”

He was the Sebastian Rossi? Luca’s father?

The world blurred and I felt my heart drop straight into my stomach and die there.