Vanessa’s breath hitched when she felt her father’s nails digging into her skin. He held her tightly, almost as if he wanted to squeeze every last breath out of her.
“Noelle told me that you tried to seduce Tristan earlier today.”
“Are you asking or confirming?” she questioned, an edge to her tone.
His grip on her tightened.
“Watch your tone, girl. A single call from me and all the oxygen masks attached to your grandmother will be cut off. I’m sure you don’t want to celebrate your wedding anniversary on the same day she dies.”
Vanessa kept quiet.
“Good. I thought as much. I’ll deal with you later about that. But for now, make sure you don’t do anything stupid to sabotage the wedding. Do you hear me?”
Vanessa gave a stiff nod in response.
She could feel the dress tighten around her body as she continued walking.
This was supposed to be her wedding day, the day she got married to Tristan, but she was here, about to marry his brother, someone she had never wanted her path to cross with.
Vanessa locked eyes with Matteo, and instantly, a shiver ran down her spine.
He looked exactly like he did in those pictures on the internet. Cold, unapproachable, and evil. He looked like the kind of man who could snap your neck if you dared lay a finger on him.
Forcing her saliva down her throat, Vanessa straightened her spine as she continued walking until she finally arrived at the altar.
Suddenly, she felt a glare piercing through her back.
It turned out to be Noelle.
Her face was twisted with rage and jealousy at how beautiful Vanessa looked.
‘Whoever did her makeup is certainly up to something,’ she thought.
“She looks very beautiful,” Sophia gushed.
“She does,” Mrs. Devereaux admitted.
Noelle’s hands immediately balled into fists.
All she wanted to do was go over there and smack Vanessa across the face all over again for daring to look better than her on her own wedding day. But she held herself back.
The wedding was important to her father, so she would try to control herself.
Mr. Voss looked at Vanessa with sad eyes, the kind that would make people think he didn’t want to send his daughters away to be married.
Vanessa couldn’t help but scoff inwardly.
“Please, take care of her,” Mr. Voss said to Matteo.
Then those green eyes landed on Vanessa.
The same ones she had seen at the ice cream shop. The same ones that had stared at her as if he was ready to tear her limb from limb for touching his daughter.
She thought he would say something, anything at all.
But he didn’t.
For a moment, she felt disappointed.
‘He’s not even going to compliment my beauty?’ she wondered, scoffing inwardly.
Matteo tore his gaze away from Vanessa and looked toward the priest, giving him a curt nod to proceed.
The wedding officially began.
Vanessa’s heart hammered against her chest as Matteo slid the ring onto her finger. Her hands trembled as she helped him put his ring on.
She didn’t want to do this.
But then she thought about her grandmother.
The woman’s weak, old frame appeared in her mind.
Vanessa took a deep breath, reminding herself that she wasn’t doing this for nothing. There was a reason behind everything she was doing.
And if her father succeeded in killing Matteo, she would finally be free.
She made a mental note to run as far away as possible to a place he would never find her.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”
Matteo turned toward where Bianca was sitting, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Vanessa, however, remained stiff, waiting for him to make the next move.
In one smooth motion, he pulled her against him, one hand resting on her waist while the other held the back of her head, steadying her.
He leaned down and captured her lips in what she thought would be a forced kiss, but he was surprisingly gentle, as though he were holding a porcelain doll.
The kiss lasted only five seconds before he pulled away.
His green eyes immediately pinned her down with a glare, his eyebrows furrowing.
Matteo took two steps back.
Suddenly, his chest tightened. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Breathing became difficult. Everything around him turned blurry, but he could still see Vanessa and the smug grin on her lips.
“Fuck!” he cursed before everything went black.
A few hours later…
Vanessa walked into Matteo’s mansion with Sophia and Bianca.
The little girl had recognized her immediately when she saw Vanessa walking down the aisle as the same woman who had saved her from the suspicious man a few days ago.
Now, she was her mother.
Bianca beamed with joy as she held Vanessa’s hand without letting go.
“Mummy, do you think Daddy is going to be fine?” Bianca asked.
Vanessa glanced at Sophia for a moment before answering.
“Of course he will, baby. Daddy is a fighter, after all. He’s going to recover and be back before you know it.”
Sophia held a soft smile as she watched the two of them.
“I’m sure Matteo has already given the butler a few rules for when you get here. I’ll be heading back now, and I hope he doesn’t kill you when he comes back.”
Vanessa’s stomach curled with fear.
“What?” she asked, but Sophia had already left.
Now, it was just her and Bianca in Matteo’s mansion.
Her father hadn’t contacted her yet, which was a good thing because the last thing she wanted to do was start plotting how to kill her husband, even though she had just attempted to do exactly that.
She had only eaten a few strawberries and worn strawberry-flavored lip gloss.
‘If his allergies are seriously bad, then this is a big problem,’ she thought.
“Mummy,” Bianca tugged on Vanessa’s arm, gaining her attention. “Do you want to see my room?”
“Not now, Miss Bianca. Your mother has to settle in first.”
Vanessa turned toward the voice.
Her eyes landed on a man who looked like he had been an ex-military soldier. His stern face certainly made it seem that way.
“I’m Gideon,” the butler introduced himself.