F I V E

~ ANASTASIA ~

“Say ‘I do’.”

Claud’s voice rings in my ears and I gulp.

“Do you, Anastasia Zhukov, accept Damien Vicenzo as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?”

“I…” I open my mouth, my eyes landing on the devilishly handsome man clad in a black suit before me.

It's hard. I wonder how he said ‘I do’ so effortlessly and I gulped again. I can't subject Isabella to the gruesome fate of wedding him in my stead.

“I do.” I say.

The crowd erupts into cheers and my eyes dart to Alexander who's staring at me in satisfaction. I grit my teeth, glad that the veil is still covering my face.

The ring bearer brings the ring and Damien steps closer to slip the golden ring with a ruby stone into my left ring finger.

My hands shake as I take the second ring from the case. I hold my breath, slipping it into his extended finger as the crowd erupts into cheers and claps once again.

The priest waits for the noise to dwindle before saying, “You may now kiss the bride.”

Time stands still as Damien's eyes lock onto mine, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He lifts my veil, his fingers grazing my skin, sending tingling shivers down my spine.

But I gulp it down. I don't care if I'm wedded to him even though I lust after him. The fact that he's my enemy and I hate him with every fibre of my being still stands. I hold his gaze, making sure that he sees the deviance in my eyes.

Anxiety clouds my senses as he leans in until I can feel his hot breath on my lips. The crowd was silent.

Then, his lips brush against mine, sending a jolt of electricity that shoots straight to my core and I suddenly get the urge to clench my thighs together.

This is bad.

It was as if he was testing the waters with the mild brush because in the next moment, he seals his lips with mine and I clench my teeth together. He sucks on my bottom lip while his tongue probes my teeth, demanding entry but despite the pleasure, I hold on tight. The fucker can go to hell for all I care.

However, an involuntary moan slips from my throat when he bites on my lips, using that chance to slide his hot tongue into my mouth and I can feel my legs growing weak. He hand coils around my waist, drawing me closer to him as he deepens the kiss.

Jesusfuckingchrist.

I'm going insane.

Damien wasn't kissing me. He was devouring my mouth. And I hate it. I hate that I'm enjoying it. I hate that I hate him but my body doesn't feel the same.

He smiles into the kiss before pulling back. Then, his tongue peeks out and licks his lips. I stand there, staring at his grinning face in daze.

The sound of the priest clearing his throat broke me out of my reverie.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to introduce to you, Mr and Mrs Vicenzo.” He announces.

Damien turns to the small crowd, his face hard as if he wasn't smiling a moment ago. I gulp as he pulls me lightly, urging me to follow him.

We step into the crowd and I swallow the lump in my throat. Everyone except the main family congratulates us. And I couldn't be more than relieved.

The congratulatory session is a blur and I watch as the crowd slowly disperse. We all step out into the chapel's parking lot after the paparazzi which Alexander approved their entry left.

I sigh, turning to Damien who's still holding my hand. “So, what now?”

“What?”

I roll my eyes. “Is that even supposed to be a question?”

He glances back at Isabella and Claud who are stepping out of the chapel's double doors.

I peel his hand away from mine. “We are only married by name, remember?”

“I remembered telling you that you don't get to have a say in this, baby.” He whispers, his deep voice dropping to a low edge.

I gulp, stepping back while shaking my head. “Alex wouldn't do that.”

“Well, he did.” He says with mock pity as his hand grabs mine again. “You are my wife now. So, let's go home.”

I turn back to the chapel's entrance to see Alexander standing there with his hands in his pocket. I'm afraid that if this goes on, I will have two murder cases on my neck.

Damien literally drags me into his waiting car and urges me inside before following. I sit opposite him, glaring at him.

“I will never be your wife, Damien.”

His gaze intensifies. “Have I ever told you that I love how you call my name?”

“This will be the last time you will ever hear it?”

He winks and I cringe. What the fuck is wrong with him? What happened to the Damien I knew? I turn away from him, hoping upon all hope that the ride should come to an end. His car smells like him and I don't want to inhale his smoky spicy scent any longer. Infact, I don't want him near me.

Soon enough, the car stops and I wait with bated breath for the door to be unlocked. Then, I'm rushing out of the car.

The two huge buildings stand side by side and our penthouses are on the first floor. His was my dream one and when I finally got the chance to buy it, my consultant said it'd been bought, so I had to settle on the one beside it but unfortunately, I ended up becoming the devil's neighbour.

I remove my veil and lift the front of my gown, marching towards the building. But his voice halts me on my steps,

“Where are you going?”

I turn to him, wondering if he'd really gone nuts. “My place obviously.”

“We are married now.” He says, walking towards me.

“Only by name, remember?”

He grabs my arm. “I said you don't have a say in that.” He grits out. “Your stuff has been moved to my place. We are to live together as a married couple now.”