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She didn’t respond.
And then her husband retreated to the waiting car.
Elena stood there watching as the car pulled away and the taillights eventually faded into the night. Had today really happened? And then she glanced down. The light along her parents’ cobblestone walk reflected off her brand-new diamond ring.
Wondering if Luca had forgotten about his ring, too, she pulled out her phone. She dashed off a quick text. Seconds later, he texted her back.
Thanks for the reminder.
“Elena, is that you?” Her mother’s voice came from the doorway.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Well, what are you doing lurking around in the dark? Come inside.”
Elena slipped the rings from her finger and slid them in her purse. It felt wrong to be hiding them, but how could she explain this to her mother when she couldn’t even explain all the conflicting emotions she was experiencing?
Not that her mother gave her much time to think about the wedding as her mother launched into a series of questions. “Did you talk to the reporters today?”
“How did you know about them?”
“Everyone on the palace grounds knows. What they don’t know is what they wanted with you. Lucky for you, the people who live around here aren’t up on reading the tabloids. But my friends read them, and I’ve been fielding calls all day. I don’t know what to tell them.”
“Tell them the stories are all lies.”
“Even the one about you being pregnant—”
“What?”
“Yes, they have photos of you visiting the doctor’s office, and some unnamed source let it slip that you’re carrying that man’s baby.”
She wanted to tell her mother the whole truth, but she’d promised Luca to keep this secret for a few more days. And her mother was known for her lack of discretion, which was why her father never talked about his work at home.
“That...that is another fabrication.”
Her mother eyed her. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure that I’m not carrying Steven’s baby. It’s not even a possibility. Now, I’m tired and I have a busy day tomorrow, so I think I’ll turn in—”
“Are you going to Annabelle’s party?”
Elena nodded.
“With Luca again?”
“We don’t have any plans, but I’m sure we’ll run into each other, since I’m a guest and he’s the brother of the hostess.”
“Have a good time.”
“I will. Good night.” She made her way to the steps, anxious to get to her room and be alone with her thoughts.
But sleep didn’t come easily. She kept replaying the events of the day. She wondered if they had made the right choice to marry. She’d always believed that people should marry for love, and now she’d done the exact opposite.
Because there was definitely no love in the relationship—not the kind that should exist between husband and wife. And she wasn’t about to put her scarred heart on the line, especially for a man who’d repeatedly rejected love from those around him. She wondered if he even knew how to love someone.
She knew his mother’s death had left a scar on him. It had set him adrift and made him willing to take needless chances with his safety. In fact, she’d worried more than once that his daring stunts of cliff diving and bungee jumping would cost him his life, but he’d made it through that rebellious period with only a couple of broken bones and a bruised ego.
He’d worked so hard to distance himself from his family. She knew what he’d been doing—protecting himself. Because the family that he knew had crumbled.
