LOGINDahlia’s POV
I gasped from the pain and shock. His grip was tight, rough, like he wasn’t even trying to be gentle. I tried to pull away, but he didn’t budge. It was like trying to fight a wall. My voice caught in my throat; I wanted to scream, but no sound came out.
Then he shoved me—hard. My body stumbled backward until I hit the bed behind me. The mattress dipped under me as I landed, my breath leaving my chest in a quick gasp. My heart was pounding so fast it hurt. I could hear it thudding in my ears, loud and desperate, like it was begging me to run even though my body wouldn’t move.
I looked up at him, terrified, and for a second, I thought maybe he would stop. Maybe he would just walk away. But then he moved closer, climbing onto the bed. I shut my eyes quickly, tears spilling down my cheeks. My whole body shook.
Was this really happening? Was he really going to take advantage of me? The thought made my stomach twist. I could barely breathe as fear settled over me like a heavy blanket I couldn’t escape. I wanted to disappear—to wake up and realize this was all some terrible dream—but I knew it wasn’t. This was real. Too real.
He held my hands above my head, pinning me down with his weight. "Denise," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Why are you feeling shy all of a sudden? Last time we met, you practically begged me to fuck you. So what's changed?"
"Please," I whimpered, trying to shrink back from him. "Please let me go. I'm begging you."
"Why should I?" he sneered, his eyes glinting with a cruel, hungry light. "Why shouldn't I fuck my own wife?"
I shook my head frantically, tears now streaming down my face. "Please," I begged again, my voice barely above a whisper. "Please don't do this. I'm begging you."
He just laughed, a harsh, cruel sound that sent chills down my spine. "Begging won't help you now," he sneered, his eyes glinting with a malicious light. "You are my wife and you now belong to me."
I knew I had to think of something, anything, to make him stop. My mind raced frantically, searching for an excuse, a lie, anything that might save me from what was about to happen. And then, suddenly, it came to me.
"I...I'm on my period," I stammered, hoping against hope that he would believe me. "I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier. But please, you can't...you can't do this to me right now."
For a moment, he just stared at me. His face didn’t show anything—no anger, no softness, nothing at all. I couldn’t even read what he was thinking, and that scared me more. My chest rose and fell too fast, and I held my breath without realizing it. I was praying deep inside, hoping he would believe my lie, even though a part of me knew it was stupid to think he would. He was a mafia don, not some regular man you could fool easily. People like him didn’t just stop because you begged.
The silence stretched between us, heavy and cold. My heart was beating so loudly it felt like he could hear it. I kept my eyes on his, waiting for him to get angry, waiting for him to do something worse.
To my surprise, he leaned away
But then, he leaned in close, his breath hot against my ear. "Don't think this is over," he whispered, his voice low and menacing. "You may have gotten lucky this time, but mark my words, Denise - I will fuck you soon. Hard. Whenever and however I like. And you will enjoy it because you belong to me. Every part of you. Your mouth. Your pussy. Your ass."
With that, he stood up from the bed, his movements sharp and angry. I watched him, frozen, my heart still beating too fast. He didn’t even look at me as he walked toward the door. His footsteps were heavy, echoing in the quiet room. Then he grabbed the door handle and slammed it shut so hard the walls seemed to shake.
I lay there for a few seconds, too scared to move. My body was trembling all over, and I could hear my own breathing—shaky and uneven. The room felt colder now, emptier, but his presence still lingered like smoke. I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm my heartbeat, but it didn’t help much.
His words kept replaying in my head, every tone, every look he gave me. It made me shiver again. But there was also this strange feeling in my chest—confusion. Why did he stop? Why did he let me go just because I said I was on my period?
If he was really as cruel and heartless as everyone said he was, then he wouldn’t have cared. He could’ve done whatever he wanted. So why didn’t he?
I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, staring up at the ceiling. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as they said. Or maybe… maybe he was just waiting for the right time.
Dahlia's POVLiam opened the rear passenger door of the SUV with a slight bow, offering his hand to help me climb in. I took it gratefully—getting into tall vehicles was becoming increasingly difficult with my growing belly and the short dress I was wearing.Once I was settled in the back seat, Liam helped Andrea in as well. She slid in next to me with considerably more grace than I'd managed.Antoine got into the front passenger seat while Liam took the driver's position. Within moments, we were pulling out of the villa's driveway and onto the streets of Paris.The city was beautiful at night. The streetlights cast a warm golden glow over everything, and as we drove, I caught glimpses of the Eiffel Tower in the distance, lit up and sparkling. Couples walked hand-in-hand along the sidewalks, and café terraces were filled with people laughing and drinking wine.It was romantic and magical, and I felt a flutter of excitement in my chest. Tomorrow, I would be standing in this beautiful c
Dahlia's POV"You love it," I said."I do," she admitted. "You guys are perfect together. I'm so happy for you, Dahlia. Really."But even as she said it, I saw that shadow pass over her face again. That sadness that she couldn't quite hide.My heart ached for her. Here she was, throwing me this bachelorette party, celebrating my love story, when her own had ended in heartbreak."Andrea—" I started, but she cut me off."Nope," she said firmly, holding up a hand. "Tonight is not about me. Tonight is about you and your last night of freedom before you marry that wonderful, annoying cousin of mine tomorrow.""But—""No buts," she insisted. "Tonight, we party. We drink—well, you'll drink virgin cocktails, but I'll drink enough for both of us. We watch beautiful people dance. We have fun. Got it?"I studied her face, seeing the determination there, the need to focus on anything but her own pain."Got it," I finally agreed."Good," she said, linking her arm through mine. "Now let's go. We ha
Dahlia's POVI put my hair up in a high ponytail, which made me look younger and more playful. Then I did my makeup—smoky eyes with gold shimmer, rosy cheeks, nude glossy lips. By the time I was done, I actually felt pretty. Sexy, even, despite the growing belly.I stood in front of the full-length mirror in the suite I was sharing with Andrea tonight—she'd insisted we stay in a different suite from Luca because, as she'd said very seriously, "It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."I'd tried to argue that we were already married and this was just a vow renewal, but she'd waved that off. "Doesn't matter. Tradition is tradition."Looking at my reflection, I felt a flutter of excitement. I looked good. Really good. And I couldn't wait to see Luca's reaction.On impulse, I grabbed my phone and took a selfie in the mirror, making sure to get the full outfit. Then I sent it to Luca with a simple message: "Getting ready for tonight "Not even thirty seconds later,
Dahlia's POVA week later, and we were in Paris.The City of Love. The city of lights, romance, art, and everything beautiful. And somehow, it was even more magical than I'd imagined.Luca had spared no expense. He'd rented an entire luxurious villa in the 16th arrondissement, not far from the Trocadéro Gardens and with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower. The villa was a historic building that had been renovated to include every modern luxury while maintaining its classic French elegance.It was beyond beautiful.The exterior was cream-colored stone with tall windows framed by dark green shutters. Inside, the rooms were spacious and filled with light, decorated in soft creams, golds, and blues. There were marble fireplaces, crystal chandeliers, antique furniture mixed with comfortable modern pieces, and artwork on every wall. The master suite where Luca and I had been staying had a balcony that overlooked a private garden and, in the distance, the Eiffel Tower.Our guests were stayin
Dahlia's POV"Paris?" I breathed. "Luca, that's... that's incredible.""The city of love," he said with a grin. "Where better to renew our vows? We could get married at a beautiful venue overlooking the Eiffel Tower, have a reception at one of those elegant French restaurants, spend a few days there as a honeymoon."I was already picturing it—the romantic streets of Paris, the beautiful architecture, saying our vows with the Eiffel Tower in the background. It sounded like a dream. The complete opposite of that terrifying day in the church."But the baby," I said, my hand instinctively going to my belly. "I'm already almost five months along. How much longer can I safely travel?""That's why we need to do it soon," Luca said. "I've already talked to your doctor this morning—""You called my doctor this morning?" I interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "When?""While you were sleeping," he admitted sheepishly. "I wanted to know if it was safe before I suggested it. She said you should be fin
Dahlia's POV"Dahlia," he breathed, and then he was kissing me.It was a kiss full of promise and love and second chances. It was a kiss that said everything words couldn't express. It was perfect.When we finally broke apart, both of us were crying and laughing at the same time. Luca carefully took the ring from the box and slid it onto my finger—my right hand, not my left, since my left hand already wore my wedding band."It's beautiful," I whispered, looking at how it sparkled in the candlelight. "Luca, it's perfect.""You're perfect," he said, cupping my face in his hands. "And I promise you, Dahlia, I'm going to spend every day of the rest of my life making sure you never regret choosing me.""I could never regret it," I said firmly. "Not in a million years."We kissed again, softer this time, sweeter. And sitting there on that beautiful terrace, surrounded by flowers and candlelight and love, I felt like the luckiest woman in the world.Luca had given me back my choice. He'd giv







