"Yes, there is no hope for you with these three men," Madame Celina concludes.
"But I need to seduce them," I whimper.
"I meant there is no natural way for you to tempt these men."She sighs with failure and disappears behind the door of the cupboard she just opened.
"Here," she hands me a vial."A potion that will speed things along.You could have the charm of a broomstick, but one drop of this and a man will become obsessed with you.That's going to be three thousand dollars."
"What?"I cry.I never had to think about money before, but according to my bank account, I only have five thousand dollars left, and Bobby Pearson assured me there'll be no more.It's not going to be long now before they seize my apartment, car, horse, everything.
"Two thousand nine hundred and forty dollars for emotional distress."
I begrudgingly hand over my credit card.I'm desperate.This is the only way.
Back in the car, Sam asks the billion-dollar question in a tentative voice.She knows me.
"Bell, who are you going to use it on?"
"All three of them," I say in a soft voice."And then I'll see who sticks."
I just need one of them to marry me, I keep reminding myself.
Chapter Seven
––––––––
Isabella
––––––––
Idon't understandhow they got my father out of Naples so quickly, but here he is, and I can't stop hugging him.He looks as if he's aged a hundred years.And I thought he was going to say, "It's fine.We'll lose everything, but we'll have each other."I was wrong.
My father broke down and begged me to help him, with tears in his eyes, which means I was back to getting one of the Onyx heads to marry me.
According to my father, he was released the day before, as the Onyx heads demanded.But I only saw them today, which means how did they know?
I'm not given much time to ponder the question, not when my whole family is celebrating the return of my father and my imminent marriage to one of the heads of the Onyx Empire, which will put us back in business.They all have absolute confidence in my ability to snag a husband.Madame Celina would wholeheartedly disagree.
