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Chapter 1

Guilia

"Fuck! Yes, harder," Screams tore out of my lips without any restraint.

"Do you like it when I bang you like a slut?" His dirty words further heightened my pleasure, my pussy flooding with hot wet fluid.

I was just about to respond when the sound of an object falling loudly onto the tiled floor of my bathroom jolted me back to reality. My eyes fluttered open from my momentary daydream and my gaze swept to the shards of the flower vase now scattered across the floor like a mosaic tile art.

"Shit!" I muttered under my breath, deeply embarrassed at myself for dreaming about my ex just a few hours to my wedding.

I'd intended to hide here while preparing mentally for the transition in my marital status.

Yeah, I was doing such a great job out of it if I was still lusting after my ex.

I'd done more than hiding for the past few minutes I was here and then I realized how becoming a Rossi would leave a bitter taste in my mouth. News about how worse they were than my family had saturated the town, but Alessio had assured me that they wouldn't be butting into our lives.

The noisy ticks of the large clock hanging on the wall of the bathroom disrupted my train of thoughts. Even without sparing the clock a glance, I knew it was just an hour to my big moment; my wedding. Yay, I'm so happy!

A wary sigh billowed from my lips while I stared wryly at my expertly made up face that reflected in the mirror, wondering if I'd made the right decision.

This marriage was one of convenience, a charade: I needed a father for my baby and Alessio needed a cover for his sexuality. We had given each other what we wanted, but why did it seem like it wasn't enough?

Again, my mind reverted to the first time Vladimir took away my innocence and made my heart beat for him.

The memories of our first night together flooded my mind as I tightened my grip on the bathroom's sink with heat spreading throughout my body. Even my thighs couldn't help but clench while I remembered how Vladimir's lips worshipped me that last night like I was the only woman on earth.

A faint knock on the door pulled me back to reality with a brute force that left me discombobulated for a moment. My cheeks flushed in embarrassment as I tried to hide the glaring signs of mortification.

Though this marriage was a farce, it was still disrespectful to think of my baby daddy on the day of my wedding.

"What are you doing in there, Guilia?" Mother's voice was as cold as ever, flat enough to tell anyone close by of how much she loved me, thick enough to make my skin jump.

For someone who never enjoyed her marriage, she was more happy to send me off to a man whom she didn't care if I had feelings for. Welcome to my world, a crazy and stupid world where love was as inconsequential as the thoughtless presents they gifted me on each of my birthdays.

I had to get out of the bathroom before my aunties began to stir up rumors about my plans of withdrawal from the marriage, so with shaky hands, I pulled the door open and flashed a fake, bright smile at my mom. I could easily pass for a hyena high on crack but it would do.

"Hi, mom, I was just about to come see you." Even I sounded too eager to my own ears. No one with smart brains would believe I was really about to do anything. I didn't want to do anything.

Her eyes did a brief scan on my body and then lingered on my face, her lips pursing in a tight grimace.

"Hmph. As if you have a choice. You should be happy that Alessio wants to be with you even though you have a child. Not everyone wants to be with old goods," She sighed, her lips curved in a disapproving pout.

Disappointment ate at my guts at the kind of mother I had. If shit had not hit the fan, I'd still be enjoying my time in Paris.

“I'm not old goods, mom,” I replied sharply, suppressing the urge to walk out on her, but then I wasn't ready for the backlash that would follow suit. I was already the black sheep of the family.

“I just happened to have a son who I can do anything and everything for and that makes us different. At least I won't be so eager to push my child into something he isn't ready for.” I hoped my words had enough bite to it, that they would grow talons and dig into her flesh until they found the core of her bitterness.

Crease lines formed on her forehead, her eyes narrowing down on me with those gimlet eyes of hers that always made me feel naked. She flinched at me and raised her hand, but it got suspended in the air.

“You're so lucky it's your wedding, but don't you forget that every ounce of peace and protection you're enjoying in this house right now is because of me.” She snarled.

"Are you even my mother? I retorted. “Yes, I made a grave mistake, but haven't you done worse? Why can't you forgive me?"

She scoffed and burst into a brief chortle "Forgiveness? That word is non-existent here. Tell me, dear Guilia, how many times has your father ever pardoned me of my mistakes?"

My lips trembled and tears pooled in my eyes. I blinked hard to keep them from falling. Even though the make-up artist had used a fixing spray to keep my make-up from falling apart, I couldn't risk it by allowing a single tear to drop.

"But you're not him, mom."

A glint of remorse flickered in her eyes and within a splitting second it was gone. She gulped, the lines on her face hardening.

"Make sure nothing brings you back to this house, Guilia. You have no say when it comes to fulfilling your husband's desires, whatever they might be, so do whatever he asks of you and maybe, just maybe, he might like you a little more," She didn't spare me a second glance as she stalked out of my room.

My heart shattered to pieces at what seemed like her parting speech. Her harsh words were more depressing than finding out that Vladimir had dumped me to get married to another woman.

And now I was expected to surge ahead with this stabbing pain in my heart and get married to a man who didn't even see me as a woman.

I'd considered committing suicide a few times, but I couldn't imagine leaving my sweet Dalian alone in this world. Vladimir was oblivious of his existence, and I didn't want my son to be a burden to Ariel and her husband.

Maybe I'd listen to my mom and make Alessio tolerate me. At least he was gay and our relationship would be cordial which was a good thing since he wouldn't want me to tell on him.

Feeling much better, I straightened the skirt of my beautiful white dress and traipsed out of the room, my head high with a contented smile plastered on my face.

~~~~~~

"If anyone knows of any impediment why these person's should not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, they are to say it now or forever hold their peace." The priest announced the Banns of Marriage just before we exchanged our vows while the knot in my stomach tightened, a heavy weight ball of uncertainty and nervousness sinking down into my stomach.

Holy Matrimony. This was no Holy Matrimony. It was not even a matrimony. This was a sinful facade.

For some strange reason, my mind was drawn to the only man who was more than capable of wreaking havoc in this wedding, but thankfully, he was unaware of this marriage as Father had ensured that the only people seated here were the guests we'd invited.

Shuddering slightly with anxiety, I began to count the number of guests present in ascending order in my head while waiting for the priest to ask everyone to remain silent till the ceremony was over.

"If no one is against this union, then the wedding ceremony shall continue and everyone shall forever hold their peace." The priest announced again with a firm note of finality. He was a pudgy man with worry lines wedged onto his forehead and moles the size of gumballs were scattered across his face like an afterthought.

I'd barely let out a sigh of relief when a deep, baritone voice resonated loudly in the hall. A violent shiver worked down my spine while I fought hard not to look in the direction of the intruder.

Alessio held my gaze, his brows knitted in confusion.

"Who's he?"

I didn't have the time to respond as the intruder interrupted me.

"I'm sorry for coming late, Guilia," My knees buckled, that familiar voice nearly sweeping me off my feet.

What in all the nine circles of hell was he doing here?

As always, he was so hard to ignore but he wouldn't be here if… Oh my god. Had he found out about Dalian?

My heart clenched and I evaded Alessio's puzzled gaze to look at the only man who could rock my world with just his presence. Our eyes met and my insides melted from uncertainty of the future, worry and then anger.

"Hello, buttercup," He winked at me.

Oh God, how did he get to know that it was my wedding?

I didn't have much time to think because he didn't stop rambling.

"And who are you?" The priest interrogated as whispers circulated loudly throughout the hall.

Though my eyes were on Vladimir, I could hear the women gossiping in hushed tones. It wouldn't be long before everyone in this neighborhood knew about the mess that was about to go down today.

"I'm Vladimir Mikhailov, the father of her two-year old son, Dalian. And I have come to inform you all that this wedding cannot continue because she has already been engaged to me," He explained with a huge grin spreading throughout his face, the smugness of it lighting up his features the same way it lit my insides on fire.