Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Thud. Thud. Thud.
A heavy coolness settled on my left finger.
The corner of Adrian’s lips quirked up in an arrogant, wicked smirk.
I wanted to but I couldn’t look away.
My breath trembled when he took a step back, moving closer into the darkness until he was completely swallowed by it.
And then he was gone.
The tingling in my body disappeared, leaving me feeling so suddenly… cold. Empty.
“Serafina.”
I gasped at my name, the sound of it on Matteo’s lips, snapping me out of the sinful, corrupted spell I had been in.
My gaze swiveled to Matteo. I blinked looking at his face for a second, my head spinning, and then my eyes fell to our hands. And then I saw it.
The ring on my finger.
My engagement ring.
Oh…
“Do you like it?” Matteo asked. “It was my mother’s ring. I wanted it for you.”
Oh…
I stared at the ring for a long second like a silent, foolish ditzy girl.
Why couldn’t I speak?
God… I wasn’t breathing.
My chest rattled as I inhaled a shuddering breath and then exhaled.
Matteo squeezed my hand, harder than necessary. “Look at me,” he demanded, his voice low and rough, only for me to hear.
I finally looked up. At my… fiancé.
Oh…
His eyes darkened. “Pay attention, Serafina. Smile and don’t make me look like a fool.” I almost flinched at the admonishment, but it was enough to snap me out of my daze. To remind me who I was… and why I was here… and who I belonged to.
I lifted my chin, meeting my fiancé’s eyes confidently and then I plastered the most perfect smile on my lips. “The ring is beautiful, Matteo. It’s everything I ever imagined.”
The words came out poised and perfectly practiced through my lying teeth.
Just then, the orchestra struck up a waltz, its melody weaving through the ballroom like a silken ribbon. Every tune was a masterful stroke, haunting and painfully beautiful. Matteo’s hand found the small of my back, his touch light but firm as he guided me to the center of the floor.
Every single pair of eyes were on us, watching carefully, studying us, seeking for flaws to gossip about. A weakness they could latch onto.
But Matteo and I gave them none.
We were perfect, selling the image of a loving couple like no other. “Our first dance,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear.
I managed a smile that felt brittle on my lips. “Indeed.”
His arm encircled my waist as we took position, our bodies maintaining a proper, respectable distance. Yet even this proximity made my skin prickle beneath the satin of my gown. The crowd around us dissolved into a blur of colors and masks as Matteo led me into the waltz, his movements precise and practiced.
One-two-three, one-two-three.
My body moved mechanically, perfectly, and I followed his lead flawlessly.
My lower spine tingled once… and my heart thundered. That familiar feeling returned, the one I had tried so hard to escape from.
Goddamn you, Adrian Salvatore.
I almost missed a step, but caught myself just in time. A mistake Matteo, my fiancé, didn’t miss. “You dance beautifully,” he said, his eyes studying my face. “Though your thoughts seem elsewhere.”
I forced myself back to the present. “Forgive me. It’s overwhelming… all of this.”
His lips curved into what might have been a genuine smile, though I couldn’t be sure. “I imagine it is. But you’re performing admirably. My father is impressed, and so am I. That’s no small feat.”
The compliment should have pleased me. Instead, it reminded me of what I was—a mere performance, a peace treaty with a beating heart, a political pawn.
As we turned, I caught glimpses of watching faces, all hidden behind ornate masks yet still somehow hungry in their observation. I couldn’t see Adrian anywhere, but I knew… I just knew he was there. The familiar sensation trailed up my spine, that awareness of being watched by eyes that saw too much crawled across my skin like phantom fingers.
I loathed how his eyes lingered, like he was trying to dig deep under my skin, sink into my flesh and tear out all my dark secrets with his teeth.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
“Your brother,” I began, uncertain why I was even asking, “is he still here?”
Something flickered in Matteo’s eyes. “Adrian comes and goes as he pleases. Why do you ask?”
“Merely curious.” I kept my voice light. “He seems... unpredictable.”
Volatile. Corruptive. Maddening.
Purely wicked and sinister.
But I said none of those words out loud.
“That’s one word for him.” Matteo’s grip tightened almost imperceptibly as he guided me through a turn. “My advice? Keep your distance from Adrian. He has a talent for complicating things.”
Other couples had joined us now, filling the dance floor with swirling fabrics and glittering jewels. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that somewhere in this sea of bodies and masks, Adrian’s stormy blue eyes were fixed on me. Following my every movement. Judging. Mocking. Devouring.