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)
A woman in the mafia was only good for a few things. To look pretty, to keep our men’s bed warm, and to give our womb freely. We had to fight our whole lives to prove we weren’t disposable.
Matteo shook his head, tsking once again. This time, in disappointment. “So compliant. So… boring. And here I thought you had some kind of character. Never mind. You’ve lost your appeal, Ms. Morelli.” He lifted his hand and gave a quick, dismissive flick, as though I wasn’t worth another word.
I froze. His damning words left a hole in my gut, the feeling spreading through me like ice.
Lost my appeal…
The man I was destined to marry had spent less than five minutes in my presence and already he had discarded me. My future, my one purpose in life went up in flames with his words.
I was nothing. I had failed before I had even begun.
The thought was almost crippling… but then a burst of something ignited in me. Fear? No... that wasn’t it. Anger.
Defiance.
My hands shook as his words echoed in my mind, dismissing me after knowing me for merely five minutes.
How dare he? How could he?
Defiance lit up in me, a daring flame I had spent years squashing out. It had no place in me.
Poised. Elegant. Calm—I was all those things and nothing more.
But…
This man was to be my husband, and he had just rejected me. If my father found out, I would be solely to blame. A failure, he would call me.
A word, somehow worse than what he just called me. Boring.
Turning slightly, I moved before I could fully comprehend what I was about to do.
“Well,” I finally spoke, glancing back at Mr. Salvatore and squaring my back, allowing a small smile to curl my lips.
Be poised. Be elegant. Be calm.
Be daring.
“I guess I’ll have to try harder to… appeal… to you, once we’re married,” I enticed, wanting to reject his idea of me. To show him I wasn’t what he thought I was, to prove to him that I was the woman he wanted—needed.
His dark blue eyes flared in response. I wasn’t sure if it was surprise or amusement on his face. Either was good, I guessed. Matteo needed a submissive woman, but I knew I had to entice him, tempt him, keep him… intrigued.
He opened his mouth, probably to give me another refuting response, but my brother’s voice calling out to me stopped both of us in our tracks.
“Serafina.”
I looked over my shoulder to find my brother striding toward the gazebo with purpose. “Come here,” he beckoned me, demanding and forceful.
There was no room to refuse when Damon gave a command. I couldn’t possibly say no. I guessed maybe Matteo was right.
But to survive in this world, where men were powerful and cruel, I had to be compliant.
I had to play the game right.
The perfect pawn.
I swallowed. “Have a good day, Mr. Salvatore.”
The only response I got was a twitch in his jaw. His fateful interest was replaced with practiced indifference. I suddenly felt so small… and judged. A fist tightened around my lungs, squeezing painfully.
“Serafina,” Damon called out again, sounding more irritated this time.
I had no time to wallow in my stupid emotions. I gave Matteo one last look before walking toward my brother.
As I approached Damon, I finally noticed another man standing beside him, hands in his pockets as they waited for me to come closer. He was clean-shaven, with his dark hair neatly slicked back. He was the same height and build as my brother, but neither of them was as big and tall as the man I left behind under the gazebo.
When I finally stood in front of my brother, he made an impatient sound in the back of his throat. My stomach tightened in panic, but I refused to let it show on my face.
“Yes, Damon?” I said as pleasingly as I could.
His lips tightened before his irritated expression shifted to something else. Fake kindness. A handsome smile that was filled with lies, but only I could tell.
“Someone has been eager to meet you.” He motioned toward the man beside him. “Say hello and introduce yourself.”
“Oh, hello.” I smiled with utmost gracefulness and obedience. “I’m Serafina, daughter of Santino Morelli.”
If my brother was introducing us, then he must be someone important. And if he was someone important, then I had to impress him.
He looked me up and down, his gaze lingering longer on my chest before it finally moved to my face. He grinned in a sly, cunning way. There was something in his eyes, in the way he looked at me. Like I was a thing, a commodity he wanted to carefully inspect before purchasing.
“It’s such a pleasure to finally meet my bride.”
I blinked, the fake smile still plastered on my face.
His bride?
Oh God, no.