Chapter 19
Luci
22 Days Until The Wedding
M eeting Geno and the mention of Nonna makes reality crash down. The last few days. The sweet moments with Alessandro. Was it all fake? Panic shoots through my chest and all I want to do is run, to fight, to find a way back to my family and convince them to run away with me.
“Alessandro, can I talk to you? Privately.” The words come out before I can hesitate.
He leans back in his chair, crosses one foot over his knee, and takes a sip of his drink with a guarded stance. “No need for privacy. What do you need?”
“I have to leave. Please! Let go of this and let me go home.” Instead of Alessandro, Geno is the one to answer.
“You’ve seen the contract, Luciana. You know that your great-grandfather couldn’t pay on a bet and he put Stella up for payment. Contracts are immensely important to my family. Unfortunately, since she wasn’t collected, you’re now payment for your family’s debt. Tomorrow’s lunch will be the start of that. In three weeks from tomorrow, you will marry Alessandro. If everything goes smoothly, you’ll have a wonderful life. Or we could lock you up and only bring you out for your wifely duties, but you will marry Alessandro either way.” The cold way Geno speaks to me is vastly different from the way he greeted me mere minutes ago.
I turn to Alessandro, hoping for a kind response from him. One that matches how he’s been toward me for the last few days. Instead he’s cold, the man before our dinner, the man who’s only interested in me as a payment. He refuses to make eye contact with me, even though he knows I’m looking at him as he speaks in my general direction. “You heard Geno. Don’t expect a different answer from me. Nothing has changed.”
“Are you kidding me? I can’t believe you’re still the man who’s kidnapped me. You’ve used me and convinced me to go against my values. I’ve given my body to you! How dare you!” He grabs me in a bruising hold as I fight against him when he finally looks at me.
“You haven’t given me anything that you didn’t give to that ex-boyfriend of yours. The only difference is that I deserved it. I will be your husband and you will deal with it.” Anger floods my system and before I know it, I’ve yanked my arm away, accidentally slapping Alessandro in the process.
The next few seconds might as well be hours before Alessandro speaks, “You fucking bitch. Do you think you can take advantage of my kindness? Geno’s idea of keeping you locked up suddenly sounds tempting. Don’t worry, I’ll come visit you when I need something from you.”
“Wait, what do you—” I shriek when Alessandro grabs me, dragging me away as I stare at Geno’s self-righteous expression. I know where he’s taking me once we pass the direction of his bedroom on the second floor. We get to the third floor and he scans his finger, tossing me on the floor as he hovers over me.
“You will behave tomorrow. How that lunch goes depends on how our marriage will be. I have no issues keeping you locked up unless I need you for an appearance or for my pleasure. This is all your choice.”
He slams the door and I hear the scan of the lock before I break down, understanding the reality of this situation and how I’m seen.
What I am.
A payment.