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I took another deep breath, still struggling to breathe normally as I repositioned my jeans and yanked on my boot. It barely fit with the thick thing shoved around my ankle. I’d need to rethink the clothing I wore over the next few days.
God. Was I buying into this? I refused to marry someone I didn’t know. It was barbaric at best. But I had to. I couldn’t keep from it. If I did… No. No. No! Was the wretched story even possible? I tried to remember every detail of that horrific day, but there was no way to think clearly. None.
“Excellent. Maybe this won’t be as difficult as either one of us anticipated. Come. It’s time to meet your fiancé.”
I glared at my father yet made a promise to myself that I’d take control of the situation, acting compliant so I’d keep the small set of privileges. Then I folded my arms and trailed behind him, doing everything I could to calm my breathing.
When I was on the first floor, my father stepped aside, pointing toward the hallway leading to the living room. The meeting would be a civilized affair. How perfect. I held my head high as I headed into the space, stopping once I was inside. I refused to show any emotions, but I did wonder how much my intended fiancé knew about my past.
Dante Bianchi was tall with dark hair. He was standing staring out the picture window with his back to me and for a few seconds, I was hopeful that karma had been kind to me. Bianchi. Where had I heard the name? Wait. Francesco. Wasn’t that the name he’d asked me about?
Thoughts of the best night of my life rushed into my mind, something I’d tried very hard not to allow. It was crazy to think that after spending only hours embroiled in passion that I could miss someone I didn’t really know.
But it was the truth.
I’d tried to forget about Francesco, especially since the end of our beautiful night had reminded me I lived an alternative life than one built on fairytales. Now I could never forget. Never. I still couldn’t think straight. It was entirely possible my father was lying. He did that so well, but I had to find out. How? There had to be a way.
If only I could track down Francesco. This was all so crazy. The man wouldn’t want to see me again and he certainly wouldn’t accept being saddled with the bullshit of my life. I had to do this alone.
However, to me the fantasy had been real, everything we’d shared incredible. But I’d suffered more than I’d originally thought, something that would haunt me for the rest of my life. Still, I refused to regret the decision I’d made. Even now.
What annoyed me was that I’d managed to fool myself into thinking my father wouldn’t attempt to find another purchaser. I’d never believed myself that naïve, but I certainly had placed blinders on.
As soon as my mystery fiancé turned around, I realized I wasn’t destined to find the man of my dreams again. While Dante wasn’t bad looking in comparison to the joker my father had wanted me to marry years before, I had a sense of just how brutal he was given his misshapen nose.
He gave me a hard onceover, obviously amused at what I was wearing. Then he looked away in disgust.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Christiana. I can tell you live up to the expectation of being… difficult.”
The man’s accent was heavily Italian, which matched his olive skin and dark eyes as they penetrated mine. My father pushed me forward, immediately heading to the desk on the other side of the room.
“Since you don’t know a thing about me, I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself.” As soon as I issued the statement, my father jerked me closer to Dante, hissing in my ear.
“Don’t make a fool out of me.”
There were so many nasty things I wanted to say to my father, but I knew I’d only regret them one way or another.
“Come, Christiana. Dante. We’ll finish signing the contract then have a toast to the upcoming nuptials.”
The glee in my father’s voice was far too repulsive, but I was almost eager to glance at the contract so I knew how much I was worth. I took long strides toward my father, snatching the document from his hand.
I read very quickly, turning the pages until I found what I was looking for. Five million. That certainly wasn’t a small sum of money. The disgust only grew. I lifted my head, gazing from my father to the man I was supposed to marry.
Dante walked closer, pulling a pen from his pocket. “I assure you, princess, that there isn’t a hidden agenda. You will become my wife and bear my children. I will do everything in my power to make your life tolerable, even pleasant. I have a wonderful home with many niceties and they’ll all be yours. We’ll be partners in every aspect.”
Did the bastard really think I was that stupid? Sighing, I snatched the pen from his hand. “You both do realize that this won’t stand up in court. Don’t you?”
My father’s reaction was swift, similar to something I’d experienced three years before almost to the date. Only this time, he smashed his fist against my jaw instead of his open hand. The pain was blinding, knocking me to the floor. I was stunned, the taste of blood swimming in my mouth. Shock tore through me more than anything else.
The man was desperate.
“I am sorry for her bad behavior. She is normally more obedient than this.”
Dante laughed. “I assure you, Don Lorenzo, that she’ll be broken within days. I don’t allow such atrocious behavior inside my home. Get up, Christiana.”
He didn’t offer his hand or act as if he was bothered that my father had slugged me. My legs were shaking as I tried to stand, fighting another round of tears. Then I was thankful anger had taken over. When he offered the pen again, I snatched it with force, offering a sweet smile while I planned his death.
It would happen one day and I’d enjoy it.
