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)
Oh, thank God.
The passage was dimly lit, our footsteps echoing against the stone floors, just like the echo of my heart thudding in my ears.
My teeth chattered uncontrollably now, my body trembling with cold and what I could perceive as maybe delayed… shock. Matteo’s pace quickened as we ascended a narrow staircase, emerging onto the second floor where my guest room waited.
Matteo remained quiet, his jaw tight, his expression unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he was angry or concerned, and the uncertainty made my stomach churn terribly. I just hoped the night wouldn’t end with me vomiting all over Matteo’s expensive, polished shoes.
The distant strains of the orchestra floated up from below, a haunting reminder of the celebration continuing without us.
Without the bride-to-be who had fled into the night, only to fall into a fountain, and worse… into the arms of the man who was forbidden for me.
Into the embrace of the man who seemed to want my ruination.
I didn’t understand why but it felt like a personal vendetta against me.
When we reached my door, relief washed through me so powerfully my knees nearly buckled. Some small shred of my dignity had been preserved. No one had seen me like this: soaked, disheveled, wearing another man’s jacket.
No one except the two brothers who now glimpsed the fractures in my carefully constructed facade.
Adrian had seen me unravel and he was the cause of it. He now held my weakness and my shame in his hand like a prized trophy.
And Matteo… God, Matteo may not have witnessed it, perhaps not all, thankfully not all of it… but what he had seen was already too much.
Matteo unlocked the door with a key I hadn’t realized he possessed, pushing it open for me but not stepping inside. He hesitated at the threshold, his expression unreadable in the shadows of the hallway.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, his voice carefully neutral.
I nodded, not trusting my own voice to remain steady. I wasn’t okay. I would never be okay again.
Adrian’s touch…his kiss, they still burned on my skin like a flaming brand.
My fingers clutched his jacket tighter around me, maybe it was instinct, I didn’t know but I convinced myself it was because of the cold.
Matteo cleared his throat and his hand lifted slowly toward my face. Thud. Blood roared between my ears and my body reacted before my mind could intervene—a flinch, sharp and unmistakable, my head jerking back from his approaching touch. Perhaps it was to brush away a strand of wet hair or to offer some comfort, I didn’t know because I didn’t wait to find out.
The movement, my flinch, hung between us like a painful confession.
Matteo froze, his hand suspended in the air between us. Something flickered across his features, something unreadable, maybe it was surprise or hurt or maybe he tried to hide his anger, I wasn’t sure. Before I could process anything, he carefully schooled his expression back to neutrality. Slowly, deliberately, he withdrew his hand and slipped it into his pocket.
“I want you to feel safe with me, Serafina,” he said quietly. “I know this arrangement isn’t what you wanted, but I’m pleased with it. I always knew I’d be married to you. So I’ve waited for this day for a very long time.” His gaze on my shoulders where Adrian’s jacket was draped before he met my eyes again. “I want you to be comfortable.”
“I am.” Lies. Liar. I was such a fake.
He smiled, but it was devoid of any readable emotions and it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s okay, you don’t have to lie to make me feel better. We still have four weeks until our marriage. I look forward to us knowing each other more.”
Matteo pulled away, taking a step back. “You should change in some dry clothes and get some rest. I think the night has been eventful enough for you, so I’ll take care of the rest.”
For a moment, I was grateful for his understanding. I didn’t question it because I didn’t have enough energy to find myself suspicious of him, his words or his motives.
He gave me one final look before turning around and walking away. I couldn’t close and lock the door fast enough. My legs grew weaker and I stumbled to the bed. Dropping Adrian’s suit jacket to the floor, I quickly peeled off my wet clothes and slumped onto the mattress.
I dragged the covers over me, closing my eyes and pushing my face into the pillows. Then… finally… I let out a breath. An exhale. Long, slow… pitiful.
“All that fire, drenched but not extinguished. I wonder what my brother would think if he saw you now.”
My eyes snapped open in the darkness, the phantom sensation of Adrian’s mouth still lingering against my own.
My heart thrashed wildly in my chest as I sat up violently, the memory replaying with cruel clarity; his fingers tangled in my hair, the pressure of his body against mine, the shameful whimper that had escaped my dreadful, deceitful throat.