He smiled. I could feel because his mouth was on my neck, moving back and forth. "It's my mother's old summer home. No one comes here anymore." I was so surprised, my eyes flew open instantly. "Why did you bring me here then?"He hummed, sending vibrations down my body. "Because it's quiet. And I figured you would use a break from all the noise." He squeezed gently, his fingers tracing circles around my stomach. "I promise you'll have the best time here, Dahlia." That made me think for a moment. Michelle was right, I had to make him fall in love with me. So much so that he wouldn't believe a word anyone said against me. I hadn't worried about Enzo since we entered the plane, and while all of this was heartwarming. I couldn't lose focus of the true reason for this honeymoon. There was no assurance that Enzo wasn't going to start tormenting me once I returned, and I needed insurance. This was the first step. I turned around, and took his face into my hands, leaning forward. There
Giovanni leaned back in his seat, watching me closely."You deserve more than what you've been handed," he added softly, "Let me give it to you, even if it's just for a few days." If that didn't steal my breath completely, then I don't know what would. "Where are we going?" I asked, trying to steer the topic in another direction. Thankfully, he was able to pick it up as well. "Venice."My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "In Italy?" He nodded, nonchalant. I couldn't blame him, traveling was probably like a walk in the park for him.But me? I was literally living the fairytale life. An expensive ass wedding, a husband that has a private plane, and a honeymoon in Italy?Michelle wasn't wrong, many girls would die to be in my shoes, and I planned to make the most of it. I took another sip from the wine, this time appreciating the sweet sourness that hit my tongue. My gaze flickered to the window, watching the beautiful night sky and the stars that twinkled. We were so clo
"Are you okay?"I shifted to face him, my eyes wide with a mixture of shame and horror. "What?""You've been mumbling to yourself for some time now."I blinked, pointing at my chest, "I have?"He bobbed his head, and I swallowed, blanking out in what excuse to give. I didn't realize I'd been mumbling my stupid thoughts out loud, and I eyed him,Did he hear anything I said? Judging from the look on his face, he didn't seem to have heard anything. I sighed in relief, that meant I was in the clear. But I still didn't know what to tell him. I opened my mouth to respond, when the car suddenly screeched to a halt. He leaned forward to pull the partition open, I could barely hear what he was whispering, but after a moment, he shut the partition close and leaned back with an excited smile. "We're here." My heart leapt in her chest. My fingers gripped the edge of the seat as my mind spiraled. Already? I wasn't ready, not mentally or emotionally.The idea of being alone with him in some
The rest of the evening flew by, and I was all but excited when the hall lights started to dim, an indication that the dinner party was drawing to a close. Guests had begun to filter out, giving their well wishes to I and Giovanni. We stood by the exit, side by side, as we waved each person goodbye. It was exhausting, and my legs had begun to ache from standing all day but soon, most of the people had left already.It was time to leave. Giovanni had whispered into my ear, the wedding coordinator would take care of the rest. He'd gone inside to make sure they wrapped up nicely, while I stood near the black car waiting at the curb, Dad, Michelle, and the guys at the club gathered around me, each of their expressions communicating more than words allowed them to say. I ignored the way Cristina and Luca sneered at us from the opposite end, exchanging malicious whispers which were no doubt pointed at my family's lack of wealth."Be a good girl," Dad murmured, snapping my attention away
After a very long and excruciating moment, he finally opened his mouth, saying the words I'd waited for. This was it. My life was going to be completely upended from now. "You're Dahlia Monroe," he said, his face straight. "That's who you've become." What the hell?I tried not to make any facial reactions, but my mind was already racing. How did he not figure it out? Enzo looked like the meticulous type. He'd taken it upon himself to find out about my life. Surely, he should've gotten a whiff of something. Was Dad really able to erase my existence that well?Had he, out of desperation, covered my tracks so perfectly that even someone like Enzo, with all of his resources, had no clue about my identity? "Hey," Enzo's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I blinked up at him, startled by the sincerity in his eyes. The suspicion was gone, even the curious glint, it was replaced with a quiet heaviness. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," he said, guiding me gently across the floo
Luciano stepped forward, and placed his hands on her shoulders as he leaned to kiss me on the cheek."A hearty congratulations, figlia." His tone was smooth, almost affectionate."Thank you," I replied politely. He was the only one who seemed genuinely pleased at our union. Luciano's eyes sparkled with something unreadable. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I hear there's a 1965 in the cellar calling my name."He winked and turned, but before he could take a full step away, José was already behind him, catching his elbow with a grip. "I don't think that's a good idea, Dad," José muttered but his father was barely listening, already sauntering into the crowd. "Oh, come on. Dad, wait!"Cristina rolled her eyes at their antics, standing straight when I looked at her. "Excuse me," she said in a clipped voice, gliding away before any one of us could respond. I exhaled slowly, relieved that the Orlando family were leaving one by one. I wasn't sure I could bear their scrutiny any longer. When I
The hall that was rented out for the after party was even more sparkling. I couldn't resist gawking at the soft golden lights that sparkled from the crystal chandeliers that towered over us. The sound of laughter mingled with the soft clink of glasses, and a live band playing something sultry in the corner made me feel like I was in a scene from a movie.I'd changed into something to match the aesthetics, my wedding dress was replaced with something lighter and easier to move around in. It was an ivory silk dress that stopped an inch above my knee with a dramatic open back and gold accents that shimmered when I moved. It was luxury without trying too hard, and it hugged me like it had been made for me. Which, apparently, it had. "Come on," Giovanni reappeared beside me with a glass of champagne, his hand resting against her back. "There's someone I want you to meet."They wove through the small clusters of guests, nodding politely, until they reached a woman standing near the bar.
When his lips parted to break the silence, I sucked in a deep breath. "You're beautiful." I blinked, startled by the unexpected compliment. "I bet you say that to every unsuspecting bride."He smirked, stepping closer with his hands tucked casually into his pockets. "No," he said, his gaze dropping briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes. "I only say that to my own bride. The woman I'm looking at right now."I couldn't help the way my lips twitched, "what are you doing here?" I quipped, tilting my head. "You know it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding, and especially in my wedding dress.""I just wanted to make sure you weren't having any second thoughts," his fingers found her exposed arm, trailing gently. "You're going to become the Mafia Boss's wife after all."Well...if he was going to play this game. "Why? Is there anything I should be wary of?"He chuckled, the sound like deep rushing wine. "Maybe," his fingers stopped at my pulsing neck. "How good are you w
It was finally here. The day I was earnestly praying not to come, certainly not now. I was standing in front of the grand vanity, the golden lights from the bulb above illuminating my form.The room smelled faintly of roses and vanilla, and the quiet hum of classical music drifted in the background. I silently stared at my reflection. The woman in front of the mirror didn't feel like me, the makeup artist had spent hours perfecting my face. My skin was flawless, her light grey eyes accentuated with subtle shimmer and bold cat-eye flick that made them seem sharper. My lips were a muted rose color, and my hair had been curled into soft waves, pinned delicately beneath the lace trimmed veil that spilled down my back like a waterfall. And the dress. Another gasp slipped out of my mouth as I gazed at the beauty again. The gown hugged me in all the right places. It was a timeless piece of ivory silk and intricate designs that cinched at my waist and flowed to the ground like a dream.