Vivienne's Pov.
Luca pulls out of me and raises a brow. I feel his hands tremble slightly against my shoulders. I can't look at him. I don't have the courage to.
“Look at me, Viv.” He says calmly at first. I don't respond and keep my gaze down. “Look. At. Me.” He repeats firmly, forcing me to meet his gaze with his hands under my chin.
I bite my lower lip as it quivers. I'm still crying. I'm a very silent crier and I don't know if it's good or bad.
“What were you talking about?”
“I can't keep doing this, Luca.”
“Doing what?” His voice is raised, sharper than before.
“Don't yell, you're going to wake them up.”
“I don't care.”
“Well, I care, Luca. I care about this, about how you fuck her and then fuck me, about how she gets to kiss you and have you when and however she wants and no one ever judges her. I can't have that because you're not mine and I'm not yours.”
“Stop.” He cuts me off.
“No. I'm not doing this anymore. You're getting married so face it. I'm not going to keep being your dirty little secret while you claim another woman publicly.”
“You're just being paranoid right now and you know it. Is it because of what I said? I just got carried away with the whole thing. I didn't really mean it. If you want it to be just sex we can keep it that way.”
“Damn you.” I seethe as I push him off me.
He grabs my wrist and I yank his hold off. I pick up a towel from the cabinet and wrap it around my body. I don't want to take time getting dressed.
He didn't mean it? I feel so stupid now. More tears are flowing freely. My body is slowly trembling and I can't even see clearly as I walk out the door, but he grabs me before I open it again.
“You're being unreasonable right now. Is it because of him? That moron at the party last night?”
I wriggle out of his grasp, but he's holding me too close. My breasts are pressed against his chest and I can feel his growing hard-on against me.
“I don't even know him. Maybe it is because of him. You get to harm whoever touches me and I have to watch you get married to another woman.”
“It's not that way and you know it.” He hisses. “You're starting to sound like you're having feelings already, Viv. Are you—”
“And why should I love a monster like you? You're a liar and a cheat.” The words come out fast as he slowly lets me go. A surge of hurt spasms through his eyes as he shuts them, then opens them with a sigh.
I want to regret what I said but I'm too angry to. I just wanted to hurt him as much as he's hurt me, and I'm right, he's a liar and a cheat. It's something he knows.
“Get out.” He orders.
“I was already leaving.” I frown as I storm out of the bedroom, shutting the door loudly behind me.
I've barely taken a few steps when I bump into Wren. My breath catches in my throat.
“Good morning, Viv.” She yawns, adjusting her bathrobe. “You're up early?”
“I, umm... the shower in my room stopped working. I just came up to see if any are working.” I lie through my teeth, hugging my legs together to hide her fiancé's fluid stuck on me.
“Did you find any?”
“Yes, I'll just go get my things.” I add nervously.
“Okay, I'm just going to check on Lu. I got so carried away last night that I fell asleep on the couch. Can you imagine that?” She's laughing. I don't like how she's trying to make me comfortable like she's an older sister that I can trust, but I just smile.
“Yeah, I'm still hungover as well.”
“I'll see you at the party tonight.” She grins as she taps my shoulder and walks away.
I resume my steps down the stairs. When she knocks, Luca doesn't open on time. He's probably hiding my things and changing the sheets like the dirty man he is.
The penthouse is exceedingly large, one of the places that Luca owns. They had chosen this because it'll accommodate the whole family and the bridesmaids. I don't know any of them and I don't have any friends. I've only enjoyed my mom's company, but now she's preoccupied with planning the wedding.
I choose the room next to his to stick to my lie as I walk past. I can hear her laughing. It's funny she can laugh at the jokes of someone who's cheated on her in that room. She's obviously very happy about the wedding. If only she knows.
While I showered, I tried to lean into my anger as I scrubbed his scent off, fighting back tears.
'I didn't really mean it.' His voice echoed within me as I slipped on my dress. How could I have been so stupid to believe him? He couldn't love me. If he loved me then he would be marrying me, not Wren.
Did he love her then? I know that their marriage had been bound to happen. Both their fathers are business partners and they started dating when Luca took over the business. I assumed that it was just a forced marriage and they weren't in love, but they always look so happy together that it makes me feel sick.
Today is going to be the usual again, with them chatting and laughing about the wedding. I'm going to have to pretend again and keep my alcohol intake low. Just as I finish with my sundress, a knock on the door startles me. I open it to see Wren staring at me with a smile. “Hey,” She greets.
“Umm... hi?”
She hands me a shopping bag. I feel my gut twist when I see my dress from last night alongside my underwear that he had ripped out of me. “What...”
“You forgot these, last night. Luca asked me to give you back.” She gives them to me and I collect them with shaky hands, expecting a slap, a curse, or anything. “You should really be careful, Viv. I understand that you want to get laid and all but I hope it's safe. I don't really trust the men that came for the party last night.”
The guilt comes back again. It's dark and annoying. She's playing the elder sister role again like she's trying to befriend me and prove that she's a good sister-in-law.
“Well, you're twenty already so you'll get these things.” She adds nervously.
“I'm nineteen.” I correct.
Was that why he didn't want me? Because he's ten years older? I blink away the thought and stare at his bride.
“Oh... sorry.” Wren giggles.
“Thank you, really.” I force a smile as I tighten my hold on the bag.
“I'll see you at the party, huh?”
“Yes.” I nod as she leaves, then I close the door with a sigh. I roll down the door as I break down in tears. It should end. Maybe he deserves her. I'm going to just get t
he wedding over with and return to France afterward. Maybe that's what I need. I need to leave.
Luca's POVMy father's face twists with disgust as my stepmother claps a hand over her mouth, her whole body trembling like she might collapse. The air in the bedroom is thick with tension, the kind that makes it hard to breathe. "Luca, you can't be serious—" my stepmother starts, her voice shaking. "I'm serious," I cut her off before she can finish. "I'm not marrying Wren." My father slams his fists down on the wooden desk so hard I half-expect it to crack. "You're sick," he snarls. "This marriage is happening, and I don't give a damn what you want." "Yeah? Then you can go marry her yourself," I snap back. I only called them here as a formality, to avoid a scene in front of the press. The wedding venue is ready, the guests are arriving, the tabloids are already circling like vultures—but none of that matters. I've spent all morning digging for proof to shut Wren up for good, and now I have it. "Luca," my father growls, "Wren is pregnant. I don't know if she's told you yet
Vivienne's Pov. The bathroom counter digs into my hips hard enough to bruise as Luca pins me against it. His hands are everywhere at once - one gripping my throat just the way I like it, the other roughly kneading my breast through the thin fabric of my dress. I can feel his wedding ring cold against my skin where he's pulled the neckline down, his thumb flicking over my nipple in that way that makes my knees weak. He takes it off and tosses it in the toilet bowl just as I gasp at his touch. He's going to be the end of me. It started about an hour ago. I was in the bathroom, trying to finish flossing, when he walked in. All I wanted was to know when we were leaving, when we could finally get out of here. Instead, he told me to pack my things, and then suddenly we were kissing. It didn’t take much, I wasn’t wearing underwear. "Look at me," he growls when I try to turn my head away, tightening his grip on my throat just enough to make my pulse jump. His dark eyes burn into mine a
Luca's POV.I find it hard to believe this. We used protection—I made sure of it. The only time I don’t is with Viv because she’s on birth control, and I always check that she never misses a pill. But Wren is convinced the baby is mine. She brought up some night a few weeks ago, one I barely remember, and just the thought of it makes my throat tighten with disgust. It was after the engagement announcement. Three weeks ago. Viv had been furious, kissing some random guy right in front of me just to piss me off. So I did the same—grabbed the nearest warm body and made sure she saw. And of course, that had to be Wren. Now she’s telling everyone;my father, hers, my stepmother, before the wedding plans even got finalized. She’s boxing me in, making it impossible to run. I left her crying in the bedroom and stepped into the shower, scrubbing my skin raw like it could wash away the mess I’ve made. The water was scalding, but I barely felt it. My mind was racing, turning over every poss
Luca's Pov:I can’t believe I finally said it. All I needed was confirmation that she felt the same way about me, and now I have it. I love her. I’ve loved her since the first moment I saw her, sunbathing in that bikini by the pool at my father’s house. The way the sunlight caught her blonde hair, the way she barely glanced at me before going back to her book like I wasn’t even worth her attention. That arrogance should’ve pissed me off. Instead, it hooked me. Weeks later, after I’d settled in, she started flirting—little teases here and there, wearing those short outfits that drove her mother crazy. Then, just a week after her eighteenth birthday, our parents left for a trip and put her in my care. As if she wasn’t already dangerous enough without supervision. She played her little games, testing how far she could push me before I snapped. I tried to resist at first, but the moment I gave in, I knew there was no going back. The way she felt under me, around me—nothing had ever been
Vivienne's Pov.It’s exactly what I expected. Here I am, tucked into the corner of the table, sipping something non-alcoholic while forcing myself to half-heartedly participate in the games. The noise of the club presses in around me, the bass from the music thrumming under my skin, but none of it reaches me. Not really. Wren is glowing, laughing with her bridesmaids, her white dress clinging to her in all the right places. The sash across her chest reads Bride to Be in bold, glittering letters. She’s beautiful tonight—radiant, even. The kind of beauty that should make me insecure, but it doesn’t. Maybe it’s because my mother spent years drilling confidence into me, making sure I never doubted my own reflection. Or maybe it’s the snide little voice in the back of my head that whispers, *If she was everything, her fiancé wouldn’t be sleeping with me.* I drown the thought with another sip of my drink. The club is packed, just how Wren wanted it. Music pulses through the air, bodies
Vivienne's Pov.Luca pulls out of me and raises a brow. I feel his hands tremble slightly against my shoulders. I can't look at him. I don't have the courage to.“Look at me, Viv.” He says calmly at first. I don't respond and keep my gaze down. “Look. At. Me.” He repeats firmly, forcing me to meet his gaze with his hands under my chin.I bite my lower lip as it quivers. I'm still crying. I'm a very silent crier and I don't know if it's good or bad.“What were you talking about?”“I can't keep doing this, Luca.”“Doing what?” His voice is raised, sharper than before.“Don't yell, you're going to wake them up.”“I don't care.”“Well, I care, Luca. I care about this, about how you fuck her and then fuck me, about how she gets to kiss you and have you when and however she wants and no one ever judges her. I can't have that because you're not mine and I'm not yours.”“Stop.” He cuts me off.“No. I'm not doing this anymore. You're getting married so face it. I'm not going to keep being your