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She must be hating this, and I really must be a fucking prick because I'm loving winding her up.
Monroe tries on the first dress. It's a frilly thing with so many ruffles I can barely make out her body underneath the layers of fabric.
"No," I bark the moment she comes out in the fabric.
"What do you mean, no?" Monroe whines, turning to the side. "I love it. I look like a princess."
"Next," I mutter, checking my phone. "Try something more revealing."
She rolls her eyes and walks back into the changing room.
"You two are so cute," the assistant gushes, and I give her a doubtful look.
"How about this one?"
Monroe reappears, this time in a tight satin gown with a train. It clings to her body, exposing everything I love about it.
"Better," I mutter even though I love the dress. But I'm not going to tell her how stunning she looks in front of these two nosy women. I'm saving that for when we're alone in bed, and Monroe's riding my dick to an orgasm.
I nod at the saleslady, saying, "We'll take it."
"Well, that was fast!" She looks delighted as I pay in cash for the dress. She doesn't even bat an eye at the stack of dollar bills I hand over to her. "We'll need to make some alterations of course, so it fits your bride perfectly."
"That's fine. Just make sure it's fast." I scribble an address on a piece of paper. "When it's done, send it here."
"Of course, sir."
I march Monroe out of the store, feeling her eyes on me. She wants to ask something, I can tell. And finally, she lets herself spit it out.
"What was the address you wrote down?"
I was worried about this question and even more worried about telling her the answer. But she doesn't really have a choice. I'm going to decide for her.
"It's Alessandro's house," I tell her firmly, without any room for further questions. "That's where we're getting married."
Monroe stops in her tracks, her brows knitting together. "I don't want to get married there. I don't like the guy."
"The feeling is mutual, sugar," I say. "But you don't have a choice, and neither do I. We need to convince him we're in love or he won't stop trying to get his hands on you. And we don't want that, do we?"
"No," she says softly. "But I still don't like it."
"I know." I squeeze her hand. "But it's going to be okay, I promise. Now come on."
I open the car door for her, and she gets in. I follow on the driver's side and start the car while she pensively stares ahead, refusing to talk. I let her stew in her anger. There's not much I can do to make her feel better, so I think it's best if I just let Monroe work through it herself.
"What about the money?" Monroe suddenly asks, making me look at her out of the corner of my eye as we drive.
"What about it?"
"Are you... are you going to honor the deal you made with me?"
"Monroe," I say. "You don't need to worry about money anymore."
I can tell there's another question on the tip of her tongue, but before she can express her concerns, I speak up again.
"Your grandmother is taken care of."
"W-What?" Her eyes are panicked as they meet mine again. "How... how did you know?"
"I did a background check on you, obviously." I stop the car in the parking lot of a mall so we can speak without worrying about the road. "I had to. I needed to know you weren't a liar."
"Please." She looks panicked now, a look of pure fear taking over her pretty face. "Please, don't hurt my grandmother. She's everything I have. Please, Alaric. Promise me she won't get hurt. Not because of me."
"Don't worry." I take her chin in my hands and gently tip it back so she's forced to look at me. "I won't let anyone hurt her. There's no reason anyone should find her, either. I'm paying for her care from an off-shore account. She's safe."
Monroe nods, but her bottom lip is trembling as she looks up at me. "I just... I can't bear the thought of Gram getting hurt because of me. I'd never be able to forgive myself."
"I understand." While I don't have a relationship with family, I do get her. She wants to keep the innocent party in all this safe, and since I'm her future husband, it's now my job to take care of her loved ones. "Like I said, nobody will find out, and she'll be safe. Don't worry. I promise you, nothing bad will happen."
She nods, and from the trusting look in her eyes, I can tell she believes me, which makes me grin.
"How often do you usually see your grandmother?" I ask next.
