chapter 4

I stare at the satin black dress that had been hugging my curves .

I felt amazing looking in the mirror ,but only one thing had been missing...

" Dammmmn you look fineeeee ,girl!"Alex screams via Skype .

She whistles ,eyeing me like a teenage boy

Laughing I roll my eyes. We'll I do know I look good. But having someone telling you you looked fine made me feel alive.

Alexandra Monroe had been my only friend since childhood .

We bonded like sisters and gossiped like crazy for entertainment.We went to the same collage but she pursued a degree in Business Management.

She helped me get through certain situations in life ,one of the being laughing off my problems like a maniac or gossiping about the people who don't like us.

One thing about Alex was that she loved self care(yoga/ exotic getaways ) and she had been giving herself just that ... the only problem was she had been all the way in Bahamas without me . Off to see some popular Hot Yoga instructor.

Only she could keep me from losing my sanity aside Jax .

Sighing I look back in the mirror "I think it's honestly all too much , Alex " I say ,not knowing what to do with myself.So I start to figit with my fingers.

" Nonsense ,Lucas would literally drool when he sees you "

Taking a minute I stare at the person in the mirror .

She was just ... different.

" No accesories tonight ,Milady?" She asks ,knowing how much I loved my jewelery.

I honestly didn't have any shame for saying " I loved jewelry way more than my own father "

Heading to my jewelry box, I take out one of The Lombardi's famous designs . A silver diamond crusted chocker necklace with designs swirling into each other. (Only the best)

I might have loathed my betrothed but I had to give it to the man ,he had style .

'And like a woman of diamonds, you'd suit him' Romano would mock ,making me remember my place.

A woman isn't independent, she works on herself to become a good arm candy for her husband.

And yup,that was my father for you ladies and gentlemen .

' He was as cold as that '

Sighing, I look at Alex .

"Those diamonds would literally make your eyes sparkle " she says taking a sip of her beverage .

Only that she hadn't known that touching the diamonds only made me want puke,let alone wear it for the whole night .

' I'd rather die than give Lucas the pleasure of me wearing them' I brushed the thought off and focused on the necklace that lay in my hands.

' Lucas shouldn't have called at all last night ' I frowned .

Forgetting my friend ,I sit on my bed and look outside the balcony remembering his " effect " on me .

" Lombardi "I said with a sleepy voice

"Conti" He said with his husky voice and never had my surname sounded any " worse "

A shiver escaped my lips before I could even stop it .I then froze eager to hear what he would say next.

" Don't tell me I still have that effect on you".

He chuckled ,making me feel uncomfortable.

It wasn't an everyday thing hearing a man like Lucas laugh , I knew little about the man but I knew laughing hadn't been his everyday thing .He was up to something I just know it.

Hearing him do that all sounded weird despite how seductive it had been.

Taking a minute to gather myself ,I mustered the exact words without stammering .

"Goodnight to you too ,Lombardi "

And like that I cut the call. That was the best decision considering I would have embarrassed myself of did something awkward if I had remained on that call.

That line ..."don't tell me I still have that effect on you " ,had me thinking .

Only Jax had that effect on me ,but with Lucas even on a phone call it had me shivering.

'Maybe it was just power ' I thought 'or maybe it's just that I hadn't heard him talk in a while'

Letting my feelings lay low .

Brushing my hand against the diamond necklace ,my thoughts started wandering in restricted areas .

Anything that had to do with Lucas and how handsome he was back in the day AROSE.

Yesterday ,I had noticed alot just from the two minute phone call.

Lucas sounded different .

I bet he looked different as well.Maybe more manly too.

" Earth to Jennifer " Alex shouts snapping me back to my senses.

I blink twice before realizing I had totally went blank on Alex had me apologizing "Sorry, I'm just nervous"

' lie'

She gave me a worried look ,brushed aside how I had been lying and smiled .

"Don't worry you got this girl. And even if it doesn't end well atleast I'm coming back early and you can cry all you want"

I chuckled at that...I loved Alex coz she always knew what to say to make me feel better.

We talked for sometime and said our goobyes .

I grab my clutch rushing downstairs and spot Romano talking to someone on the phone.

I didn't miss the harsh tone he had been talking in .

It only had me thanking God I hadn't been on the other end of that phone call ,receiving hell from Romano Conti .

Like the good daughter I was ,I payed no attention to whatever he had going on and made my way to the car .

Having the chauffeur open the door for me ,I thank him and patiently wait for the former.

Finding nothing else to do, I scrowl down on my phone looking for messages ...

Messages from Jax ,hopefully but like a dessert our chat had been dry. I misses him and I felt the urge to text him and just ask how he is doing. But my ego didn't allow me to. So I turned of my phone and closed my eyes.

It only took five minutes for my dad to join me and starting giving clear instructions on what not to and what to do when we got there.

After some times silence followed.

I looked outside ,not daring to look at my father and ask him to just let this whole marriage thing go and let it be

And like that we drove for about thrity minutes .

We reached the Lombardi mansion and I gasped.

I hadn't visited in 6 whole years and it still looked the same .

All tge memories came rushing into my head .

Lucinda Conti's memories .

Coughing to get my attention ,my father finally speaks " Behave and don't embarrass me.I believe I raised you well enough to not be the rebel you are in other people's homes "

I fight the urge to roll my eyes and slowly fake a smile,nodding to whatever he had just said .

' I'd always be a rebel,24/7 'I grinned at the thought.

Before I could even chip into the light conversation of rules and regulations ,he leaves the car .

Reluctantly, I take the hand of my chauffeur as he opens the door for me.

' May hell break through' I smirked .