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“And I said, I am. NOT. HUNGRY,” I shouted, my anger taking control. Why can’t he leave me alone? I watched as his own control snapped and his eyes darkened with fury. He leaned forward, grabbing my upper arm with force and yanking me up from the sofa. “Get off me!”
He ignored my thrashing and screaming as he threw me over his shoulder and marched out of the cinema room, through the extravagant lobby towards the dining room. He threw me down aggressively into a chair where a meal had been placed on expensive crystal plates and laid out like a bloody fine dining experience. I glared up at him and folded my arms across my chest in defiance as he pulled out his chair next to me and sat down. Without saying a word, he picked up his knife and fork and started to eat.
After a few minutes of not touching my food, he looked up with a menacing glare. “Eat.”
“You may be forcing me to be here, but you cannot force me to eat!” I smirked.
“I am not forcing you to be here. You agreed to be with me. You chose this. Deep down there is a part of you that has always wanted this and the sooner you get onboard the better it will be for everyone.”
I burst out laughing which caused him to grind his teeth. “You are delusional! What choice did I have? It was either my children’s happiness or mine! You knew full well I would do anything for my children, and you used that against me. I will never want this! I will never want you!” I screamed and, in a flash, he leapt from his seat and grabbed me around the throat, pulling me up to my feet. His dark eyes glared down at me as he tightened his grip, restricting my airways enough to hold me in place but not enough that I was gasping for air.
“You wanted me once before. You will want me again. You cannot deny that I was the best sex of your life,” he growled. His face was inches from mine, his lips brushing against mine seductively.
I narrowed my eyes as I prepared myself for the aftermath of my words. “No. Vinny was.”
To my surprise, he laughed. Loudly and sadistically.
“Liar!” He smashed his lips against mine, forcing his strong tongue into my mouth and pulling me into his body. My fingers stretched down to the table as I gripped a knife and held it against his throat, breaking the kiss. Panting heavily, we stared at each other as I pushed the blade against his skin.
“Do it. Go on Cecilia. Slit my throat and be rid of me if that is what you really want,” he released my neck and stood there, holding my gaze as my hand started to shake. A slow, triumphant smile slowly tugged at the corners of his mouth when he knew I couldn’t do it.
“You see. Somewhere inside you, you still have feelings for me. And once I make you my wife tomorrow, I will expect you to give into those feelings.” He took the knife from my trembling hand and placed it back down on the table, before returning to his seat. Anger and frustration reached their peak as he arrogantly took a bite of chicken from his fork, smirking at me.
Seeing red, I grabbed my own crystal plate piled with food and threw it against the wall, food and glass smashing everywhere.
“I HATE YOU!” I screamed hysterically before storming from the room.
“And I love you,” he shouted with an infuriating cackle, his booming voice following me down the hall like the plague that I would never be rid of.
Hidden in plain sight
Olivia
“So, when do we tell her?” Cami whispered as I poured out four glasses of champagne in the private living room of the Buccini mansion. I glanced over my shoulder at Elle and Cecilia. Cecilia was dressed in her elegant ivory wedding suit and Elle was curling her hair. There was a vacant look in her eyes as she stared at her reflection in the mirror in front. Elle was doing a great job at talking her ear off about anything and everything under the sun but Cecilia hadn’t uttered a word all morning.
“Soon. Gio told me to wait until he messages me but just look at her Cami. She is miserable. This feels like we are torturing her for no good reason. The sooner we tell her this wedding isn’t happening the better.”
Cami nodded in agreement as we both picked up the flutes and made our way over to them.
“You look gorgeous Cecilia,” Cami said as she handed her the champagne flute which Cecilia took without saying a word. She knocked back the champagne in one go and the three of us shared a concerned look. I couldn’t keep up the façade. It wasn’t right.
“Cecilia. We have something to tell you,” I said carefully as Elle’s head snapped up at mine. Her eyes giving me a ‘what the fuck are you doing?’ look. I shrugged and pointed to Cecilia and Elle sighed deeply as she looked back at her mamma.
Squatting down in front of her mother, Elle took the empty champagne glass from her hands before holding her beautifully manicured hands in hers. “Mamma?”
Cecilia looked down at Elle for the first time and gave her a small smile. “Oh Elenora. You look lovely my dear.”
Elle smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes as the magnitude of what she was about to say to her mum, caused her voice to catch and she cleared her throat. Elle had taken the news of who had killed her papi badly but she knew she had to be strong for her mother right now. “Mamma, the wedding is off.”
Cecilia shook her head slowly and held her hand up to Elle’s face. “How many times must I say it my love. I have to do this for you. Let me do this for my children.”
“No mamma. You don’t have to. You won’t have to. Salvatore will not be at the altar to marry you.”
Cecilia’s perfectly groomed eyebrows furrowed as she looked from Elle up to me. I moved around so I perched on the coffee table next to Elle for support. “What do you mean? Why not?”
“Mamma, Sal…Sal killed…” Elle’s voice broke as she choked on her words and tears sprang to her eyes. Cecilia’s concerned eyes darted from her daughter to me in question.
“Cecilia. This is going to be very difficult to hear but we want you to know we are all here to support you and we love you. Giovanni is dealing with it and it’s over. You will never have to see Sal again.”
