Chapter 2

THE WEDDING

~GISELLE POV~

Three days went faster than I thought they would.

Isn't that weird? You would think the days leading up to your forced marriage to a literal psychopath would drag. Like time would slow down and give you a chance to figure out an escape plan.

Nope. I blinked and it was Thursday. Blinked again and suddenly I was staring at a wedding dress hanging on my closet door. White, obviously, because Alessandro Romano is apparently traditional when it comes to the woman he bought like a fucking timeshare.

The dress came in a black box with no note, no card. Just this gorgeous, expensive, suffocating piece of fabric that fit me so perfectly it made me want to throw up. He knew my measurements. Down to the inch.

I had spent the last three days looking for exits. Literally and metaphorically.

I tried calling Vincent, but his number was disconnected. I tried leaving the house. There were suddenly guards at every door. "For your protection, Miss Castellano." I even tried talking to Marcus. Big mistake.

He had cornered me in the hallway yesterday, got way too close, and whispered, "If you need saving, Sorellina, I'm right here." The way he said it made my skin crawl. Like he was offering to save me so he could lock me up somewhere else.

So yeah. No exits.

And now it was Saturday morning and I was supposed to put on the dress and walk down an aisle and promise my life to a man who'd been watching me since I was twelve.

Cool. Totally normal. Nothing to freak out about.

*********************************************

Isabella came into my room without knocking, she never knocked. "You're not dressed yet?" She looked at me like I had personally offended her. I was sitting on my bed in my underwear, staring at the dress like it might spontaneously combust if I looked hard enough.

"I'm working up to it," I said.

"Well work faster. The car leaves in an hour." She walked over to the dress and started unzipping the garment bag. "Do you need help or can you manage to put on a dress without embarrassing the family?"

Ah yes. The family. The one that sold me.

"I can manage," I said.

She looked at me. Really looked at me. For a second I thought maybe she’d say something. Maybe she'd apologize. Maybe she'd admit this was fucked up. Instead she said, "Don't cry during the ceremony. It smears the makeup. And for God's sake, smile. You look like you're going to a funeral."

Then she left.

I sat there for another minute. Then I got up and put on the dress. It was beautiful. I hated that. I wanted it to be ugly so I could hate it properly. But it was this gorgeous lace and silk situation that made me look like a princess.

A princess being fed to a dragon.

I looked at myself in the mirror. The girl staring back looked perfect. Hair done. Makeup done. Dress fitted like a second skin.

She looked expensive. She looked like fifty million dollars and a port authority contract. I practiced my smile. The one I would wear when I said "I do" to a man I had spoken to exactly once.

It looked pretty good. You couldn't even tell I was dying inside.

The church was packed.

I didn't know half these people. They were here for the show. For the merger. For the chance to see if the Castellano girl would actually go through with it or if she'd run screaming.

Sorry to disappoint everyone. I didn't run.

Julio was waiting for me at the entrance. He looked relieved when he saw me. Like he'd been half expecting me to show up in jeans and flip him off.

"You look beautiful," he said.

"Thanks. You look like a man who sold his daughter." I smiled when I said it. Sweet as sugar.

His jaw tightened. "Giselle…."

"It's fine, Papa." I linked my arm through his. "Let's get this over with." The music started. Some classical thing I didn't recognize. The doors opened.

Everyone stood up and turned to look at me.

I lifted my chin and walked. One foot in front of the other. Like I wasn't about to sign my life away to a stranger. Like this was totally fine and normal and exactly what I wanted.

And then I saw him.

Alessandro was standing at the altar and holy shit.

He looked good. Like unfairly good. Like "this shouldn't be legal" good. Black tuxedo. Hair perfectly styled. Face all sharp angles and cold beauty.

But it was his eyes that got me.

Those pale blue eyes locked onto me the second I stepped into view. And they didn't leave. Not once. Not when I was halfway down the aisle. Not when I was ten feet away. Not when Julio handed me over like a piece of luggage.

He just stared at me like I was the only person in the room. It should have been romantic, but it was terrifying. The priest started talking. Something about love and honor and cherish. Words that had nothing to do with whatever this was.

I wasn't listening. I was too busy trying to breathe in a dress that suddenly felt three sizes too small.

"Do you, Alessandro Dante Romano, take this woman…."

"I do." He didn't even wait for the priest to finish. His voice was clear, confident, final, like he'd been waiting his whole life to say those words. The priest blinked. Then turned to me.

"And do you, Giselle Maria Castellano, take this man….." I opened my mouth.

Nothing came out, the church went silent, and I could feel everyone staring, waiting. Alessandro stepped closer, close enough that only I could hear him.

"Say it," he whispered. His voice was soft but there was steel underneath. "Or I'll say it for you."

I looked up at him. At this man who'd bought me. Who'd been watching me for eleven years. Who probably knew what color underwear I was wearing right now. I should have said no. Should have caused a scene. Should have set the church on fire and run.

Instead I whispered, "I do." It came out broken. Barely audible, but it was enough.

"I now pronounce you…."

Alessandro didn't wait for that either. He grabbed my face with both hands and kissed me. It wasn't a gentle "we're married now" kiss. It wasn't a sweet "I love you" kiss.

His mouth was hot and demanding and everywhere. His fingers dug into my jaw. His body pressed against mine until there was no space left between us. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. Could only feel his mouth on mine and his hands on my face and the way my entire body lit up like someone had flipped a switch.

When he finally pulled back, I was dizzy, he looked down at me, his eyes were darker now, Hungry.

"Fuck," he whispered against my lips, then he took my hand and turned us toward the crowd.

Everyone was staring. Some looked shocked. Some looked scandalized. Marcus looked like he wanted to commit murder. Alessandro didn't care. He walked us down the aisle with his hand wrapped around mine like a shackle.

We stepped out of the church and into the bright afternoon sun. I blinked against the light. Paparazzi were everywhere, cameras flashing like strobe lights.

"This way, Mrs. Romano!" someone yelled.

Mrs. Romano. That was me now.

I looked for my parents. They were supposed to meet us at the bottom of the steps. We were supposed to take photos. Play happy family one last time. I spotted Julio and Isabella getting into their car. The vintage Rolls Royce that Julio loved more than he'd ever loved me.

"Wait," I said, pulling against Alessandro's grip. "I need to say goodbye…."

"No." His hand tightened on my waist.

"What? They're right there, I just…."

"Get in the car, Giselle."

Something in his voice made me stop. I looked up at him, he wasn't looking at me. He was looking at my parents' car. His face was completely calm, too calm.

"Alessandro, what…."

He pulled me against his chest. Hard. His hand came up to the back of my head, pressing my face into his jacket. "Don't look," he said quietly.

"What are you….."

BOOM.

The sound was huge, massive, It punched through my eardrums and rattled my bones. I felt the heat wave hit us even from twenty feet away. Alessandro's arms tightened around me. He didn't flinch. Didn't duck. Just held me in place while the world exploded behind us.

I couldn't see anything. His chest was blocking my view. But I could hear the screaming, the car alarm, the crackling of fire. "No," I whispered against his shirt. "No no no…." I shoved him. He didn't budge.

"Let me go!" I screamed. "Let me GO!" I twisted in his arms. Managed to turn my head.

The Rolls Royce was gone. In its place was a twisted metal frame surrounded by orange flames. Black smoke poured into the blue sky, my parents were in that car.

"No," I sobbed. "No, we have to help them, we have to…."

"They're gone." Alessandro's voice was flat.Cold-blooded. Like he was telling me the weather.

"You don't know that! We have to…."

"The fuel tank ruptured. The interior temperature is over two thousand degrees. They were dead before the sound reached us."

I stared at him, his face was perfectly calm, his clothes were perfect, not a hair out of place, and then I saw it, His left hand, the one not holding me. He was checking his watch. He looked at the dial. Nodded once. Like he was confirming an appointment, everything clicked into place.

"You knew," I breathed.

He looked down at me. His blue eyes were empty.

"Get in the car, Giselle."

"You KNEW." My voice was getting louder. "You pulled me away. You held me so I couldn't see. You checked your fucking WATCH….." He grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward his SUV.

"Stop!" I dug my heels in. My white dress dragged through the ash on the ground. "You killed them! You murdered my parents!"

"I didn't plant the bomb." He said it so calmly.

"But you knew it was there!" He stopped, turned to face me fully.

"Would you have preferred to be in the car with them?"

I couldn't breathe, I couldn't speak, he leaned down until his face was inches from mine.

"I saved your life, Giselle. You're welcome."

Then he picked me up and threw me into the SUV like I weighed nothing, I landed on the leather seat. He climbed in after me and slammed the door. The partition went up. The driver pulled away.

We left the burning church behind, I was shaking, like full body shaking, my wedding dress was covered in ash, my makeup was running. Alessandro sat on the opposite seat, perfectly calm, perfectly clean.

He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped a smudge of ash off his shoe.

"You're a monster," I whispered.

He looked up at me. "Yes."

"I hate you."

"I know."

"I'll never forgive you for this."

He leaned forward. Rested his elbows on his knees. Got close enough that I could see the ring of darker blue around his pupils.

"You don't have to forgive me, Gisella," he said softly. "You just have to accept reality."

"What reality?"

"Your parents are dead. Your home is gone. Your brother will come for his inheritance. And you?" He reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "You're mine now. I'm all you have left."

I slapped his hand away. "Fuck you."

He smiled, actually smiled. "Eventually," he said. "But not today. Today you're in mourning." He sat back. Pulled out his phone. Started typing like we weren't sitting in a car driving away from my parents' murder.

I stared at him.

This was my husband, this was my life now, and the worst part? The absolute worst fucking part?

He was right.

I had nowhere else to go.