Chapter 11 Endearment

DANTE“When was the last time you were plagued by such…feelings?”This wasn’t how I’d planned the eve of my engagement party. Before my therapist, and having to be the center of his observant, churning eyes. It was just a little to midnight and I really should have just booked it all the way to bed. But it had happened.Again. “If you even think this is going to work out, then you’ve made a fucking mistake, DeLaurentis.” The elder Vitale brother had phoned me, and talked long enough to keep what he wanted to say brief.None of their family members approved of the arrangement between me and Amara. And they would do whatever it took to get me out of the picture. Even if it meant tearing me down and relishing every last bit of it. The tipping point, however, had been the mention of my father.“My father sends his regards,” The man had said coldly. “To the late DeLaurentis. Although, he must be so disappointed.”And then my phone had ended up in smithereens, smashed against the wall ju

Chapter 12 Too Close To The Sun

AMARATwo hours.That was how long I’d been pacing for. How long it had been since we’d been forced to bring the engagement party to an abrupt end.Dante was quite the actor himself. His eyes held the tensed pain he probably was going through. But none of the guests read through him. Cassian had been there to pull him away quickly enough.And I’d been told to head back to my room.I bit my lip, kicking my heels off before turning to the mirror. Staring back at my reflection, it was hard to ignore how I mirrored everything expected of the wife of a don. A trophy. All a performance.Dante didn’t love me, and I held the same endearment. But in the months to come, we’d spend all the time convincing the general public that we actually did.“Are you okay?”I really meant it at the time. Of course I’d done a bit of research on Dante. Learning he had an allergy to cherries had been a bit blindsiding in all honesty.But oh how wonderful it was to have seen him so…powerless.He’d known it was m

Chapterr 13 The Birth of a Vendetta

AMARARays of sunlight slipped through the curtains, more invasive when it should have been pleasing. I tossed a little, failing to push away the dull throb at the back of my head.“Shit.”I forced myself off the bed after unceremoniously failing to fall back into that dreamless slumber. Instinctively, my fingers moved to my neck.I winced.There’d likely be bruises there. Memories of last night flashed in my head without respite. Dante’s rage filled eyes. And the surety that I was going to die.What if he had actually killed me…A sharp knock on the door cut through my thoughts. I didn’t bother hiding my annoyance when the maids’ faces came into view.“Donna.” They all bowed in unison.Something about that word made my stomach tighten. I was Dante’s fiancée now. And by fault, this new title was mine to bear, even I didn’t want it.The head maid raised her head. “We’re here to help you get ready for the day.”Maybe it had been the events of yesterday. Or just the inner walls of my min

Chapter 14 Love The Way You Lie

AMARA“Dante’s sister?”I didn’t move for a while, too stunned to even speak. Slowly, the corners of her lips tugged up. She nodded, closing the distance between us in one single step.“Yes,” She continued. “Dante’s sister. Surprised?”My mouth remained open for a while. His family was estranged for all I knew. And I had done my best in digging up as much as I could about his family.But nothing about them was known. Nothing that could be of any major benefit to me. Dante was as elusive as they came. If there was ever anything to be learnt about his past and the truths they held, he had done a stellar job at completely hiding it all from me.She plopped her bag on one of the plush chairs and turned to the house excitedly. The glint that had been in her eyes before seemed to glimmer even brighter than before.“Where is my brother?”Cassian, who had been silently watching this entire time finally moved. He slid into her view with the grace of someone who had been forced to do this multip

Chapter 15 Bulletproof

DANTEHaving things go off rails was one thing I would never stop hating.Celeste’s presence in the house wasn’t quite what I anticipated. I had put off them knowing my whereabouts and actions for a reason.But of course, news of the engagement had somehow managed to trickle to every corner of Chicago. Including, their ears.And so I waited, up until the right moment, until I could get a moment of time alone with her.It came with two rapt knocks on the door of my study at around ten in the night.“Come in.”The door slid open, slow and deliberate, just like everything Celeste did. Stormy eyes stared at me with a certain expectation that scratched at my nerves. Irritation filled me on instinct.“Did you hope to fulfill something by coming here?”Celeste didn’t stay anything, crossing the room in swift strides until she got to my desk. Then she unceremoniously plopped down on the seat before me.“I didn’t peg you as the damn asshole I should have,” she said, bitterness bleeding into her

All Chapters of Claimed by My Rival: Chapter 11 - Chapter 15

Chapter 11 Endearment

Chapter 12 Too Close To The Sun

Chapterr 13 The Birth of a Vendetta

Chapter 14 Love The Way You Lie

Chapter 15 Bulletproof