7. Caterina
SEVEN
Caterina
T he low hum of the limo’s engine is the only sound inside the confines of the car. The air is thick and oppressing as we head to a gala being hosted by the mayor. Dominic sits across from me, one ankle resting over his knee as he scrolls through his phone. Occasionally, his dark eyes flick over to me, unreadable in the dim lighting.
It’s been over a week since our wedding and we’re still enemies living in the same house. I don’t expect it to change, given how selfish and callous he can be. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that he meant his vows. It’s just the sort of vindictive man he is.
He disappears before I wake, and comes home long after I’ve gone to bed. We sleep in different rooms, living our own lives with nothing but familial duty binding us. I should be looking at our situation as a blessing. But the wondering of what he’s going to do next and how far he’ll go to ruin me has left a permanent tension weaving its way through my body. I don’t know what Serefina ever saw in him.
I brush an imaginary piece of lint from my fitted, crystal-covered black gown. Tonight, we have to play our parts and make everyone believe that we’re happily married. It’s what I would have been doing with Salvatore had Dominic not fucked everything up. I sigh heavily, my irritation tightening the muscles in my chest.
“Are you going to keep staring at me or do you have something you’d like to say?” I grind out when Dominic’s eyes flit over to me again.
His mouth pulls into a wide, triumphant grin, like I’ve fallen into his trap. “I’m just wondering how long you’ll be able to keep the front up this evening. It can’t be fun always having to play pretend.”
I scoff, shaking my head. “The front of pretending to actually be able to stand you? If there wasn’t so much riding on it, I wouldn’t even try, but unlike you, I’ve always done what’s best for my family.”
He leans in, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. “Is that what you call it? Trading one brother for another?”
“I never would have chosen you, but needs must and all that.”
His eyes narrow, but before he can snap back, the limo slows, pulling up to the lavish hotel. Outside, cameras flash, capturing the arrival of the city’s most powerful people.
Dominic adjusts his cufflinks, his expression hardening when he glances at me. “We’re newlyweds, Caterina. Try not to scowl all night.”
I paste on my best smile, slipping seamlessly into the role I was born to play. “You don’t have to worry about me, husband ,” I sneer. “You, on the other hand, have some work to do if you want to convince everyone you love me.”