Three
"I'M NOT GOING TO DENY anything." Ysabel fought against the urge to look away even as Massimo's dark gaze locked onto her like the crosshairs of a gun. "Ynez and I were both different persons back then. We were too young..."
Every word Ysabel uttered was the truth, but she was also leaving it to Massimo to interpret it as he willed. All she knew was that it was best for her to heed his advice, and that was not to make the mistake of lying to him in any way.
"What happened before...it was just a year after our father's death."
Massimo's mood turned brooding as he considered Ysabel's words. Her honesty was unexpected but not unwelcome, and since he had lost his own father early on, he could certainly understand why the passing of Luisito Ossini could've made his eldest daughter act out.
Grief made one do crazy things, and his own grandmother was proof of this.
Losing my husband and son made me mad. I was out of my mind with grief, and I didn't care how many people I had to kill. I didn't care if I had to lose my soul. I know now that I was wrong, but back then all I cared about was avenging their deaths.
Ysabel couldn't help but jerk when Massimo suddenly took a step towards her. The room instantly felt a thousand times smaller, and she found herself backing away as he moved closer and closer and closer...until there was nowhere for her to go, with Ysabel's back hitting the cold, hard marbled wall behind her.
Massimo stared down broodingly at Ynez's older sister—-and knew this could be the last time he would think of her in such a way again.
"Both our famiglie have come into an agreement for the two of us to marry, and I have been raised to honor my duty without question. You have the right to refuse your duty, of course, but I think you already know without being told that your decision will come with consequences."
Ysabel could only nod since those consequences were well-known to anyone who knew of La Strega's hold over the entire city. That they could simply be asked to leave and never to return to Boston would already be a blessing. Worst-case scenario, however...wasn't even worth contemplating at all.
"As for our marriage..."
Ysabel could feel her head reeling anew. Massimo's marriage had been everyone's favorite topic today, but at that time everyone had also imagined Ynez to be his bride. It almost seemed unreal that she had become her sister's replacement in the blink of an eye!
"If you wish for it to work, then you must swear that you will always speak the truth to me. That is the only way for you to earn my trust."
Ysabel knew the safest and smartest way to respond to such a demand was to simply say 'yes', but...
"I'll only agree to that if you offer to do the same."
"You are saying I have to earn your trust as well?" Massimo asked sharply. "You dare to question my integrity?"
"Not your integrity, no." Ysabel fought against the urge to back down despite the sight of his anger. "But your fidelity? Yes, I do question it—-"
"I have already broken things off with your sister—-"
"Then wouldn't it cost you nothing to give me your word?"
"Ynez never challenged me like this—-" As soon as the words were out, Massimo knew right away he had said the wrong thing.
Fuck.
He knew he had to apologize for this, but found it impossible to do so. There were so many things that Ynez had told him about her sister, and those things made it difficult for Massimo to completely trust his future wife.
My parents always loved her more. She never spoke or did a single thing to me that I could complain about. She was that good at manipulating other people, and I'm scared that one day, she'd end up stealing you away from me.
Ysabel knew she should just let those words go. This was all new to both of them, after all. But—-
"Can I just say something?"
"No."
The swiftness in which Massimo had replied to this made her want to smile and strangle him at the same time—-which was a good thing in a way, since this also meant her fear of him was also gradually fading.
"Another reason why our marriage might not work is if you keep comparing me to Ynez."
"Are you forbidding me to talk about your sister?"
"How would you feel if I compared you to my ex?"
"You do not have an ex," he pointed out coolly.
How did he know that, too, dammit?
"But I understand your point—-"
Ynez had always made it seem Massimo was unreasonable when they had their fights, and so this unexpected admission caused Ysabel's head to jerk up in surprise.
"And I apologize for being insensitive." His brows pushed together in a frown when he saw her squirm at his words. "What is it?"
"N-Nothing."
Massimo's lips tightened in impatience. "Must I warn you once more about the consequences of lying to me?"
"It's just..." Ysabel could feel her cheeks turning redder as his words forced her to blurt out the truth. "I remembered Ynez stating in an interview that you had the most fantastic way of apologizing."
"Is that so?" Massimo should have expected this, but it was still difficult to keep himself from feeling disillusioned.
"But please don't think I'm implying anything."
And yet you are, Massimo thought coldly. "Have no worries, signorina. Before the end of this day, new credit cards will be issued in your name—-" He saw her eyes widen in surprise, and Massimo's lip curled. "Were you hoping for something else?" Surely she did not expect full access to his bank accounts as well? Did she think he was that big of an idiot?
"No, of course not—-"
"Don't lie," Massimo snapped.
"I'm not lying! I truly wasn't expecting you to talk about credit cards, okay?"
He stared at her, perplexed and frustrated by the way his instincts were absolutely certain that she was telling him the truth—-but not the whole of it. If she truly did not expect him to apologize with personal greed in mind, then how else did she think he would...
Ah.
Ysabel's cheeks burned even hotter when Massimo's dark gaze suddenly glinted with infernal heat.
There was a time, just that one time, that Massimo had looked at her this very way.
But ever since he and her sister started dating, Ysabel had never allowed herself to think of it again.
Or at least not until... now.
A smirk slowly curved over his lips, and this, too, reminded her of that night. The sight of it was even more infuriating this time, and before Ysabel realized what she was doing—-
Fuck you!
Massimo was more stunned than offended when Ysabel suddenly flipped him the bird. For one second there...for one painful second, her response was an agonizing reminder of the Ynez that he had first met and imagined himself in love with.
But since that side of Ynez had never materialized again after that night, and he had since been ordered to marry another woman—-
I'm sorry, Ynez.
It was truly time for him to bury the other woman in his past, and from this moment forward—-
Ysabel was starting to panic the longer Massimo stared at her. I can't believe I flipped him off again. Five years ago, he hadn't had the chance to retaliate since he was too busy having sex with another woman. But now?
The moment he straightened, Ysabel immediately screamed as she tried to escape.
"Help!"
But this only had Massimo chuckling, and the sound - albeit even more infuriating than his smirk - also had a noticeably sizzling effect on her flesh.
Oh no.
She wasn't able to get away at all, with Massimo succeeding in imprisoning her against the wall, and his powerfully virile form pressing against her body.
"W-What do you think you're doing?" Ysabel intended to sound tough as she asked this, but her voice came out shamelessly breathless instead. Sei sensa speranze, Ysa! You're hopeless!
Dark eyes glinted down on her, and Ysabel's heart began to pound.
"There's nothing for you to be worried about, signorina. All I wish to do is...apologize."
Yeah right, Ysabel wished she could snarl out. But since that would only be a waste of time, Ysabel tried taking Massimo by surprise instead as she made a sudden move to shove him away. 'Tried' being the operative word, since Massimo's reflexes were far too swift, and the plan completely backfired as she found herself pinned against the wall, her wrists bound over her head.
Questo non va bene! This is not good!
"Let me—- mmph!" Ysabel couldn't say anything else, her brain completely shutting down as Massimo's warm mouth covered hers.
Is this for real?
His tongue stroked past her lips, and fire blazed through her blood.
Real, she realized dazedly. Massimo was truly kissing her, and in the manner that she had forbidden herself to ever dream of.
Aaaah.
Her entire body buckled when Massimo suddenly started sucking on her tongue, and Ysabel was mortified to feel her breasts growing heavy with need. Things were happening too, too fast, but she just couldn't find the strength to push him away, with the way his tongue was wreaking havoc on her senses. And when she felt his other hand slowly trailing up from her stomach, his fingers brushing against the underside of her swollen flesh—-
Knock, knock, knock.
"I know you're in there, Massimo."
Ysabel could only stare in bemusement when Massimo suddenly sprang away from her, and she wondered dizzily if her face also displayed the same telltale flush that was now darkening Massimo's high-boned cheeks.
"I will give you ten seconds to ensure both of you are decent—-"
Ysabel had a hard time focusing on what the person on the other side of the door was saying, and her fingers shook as she touched her own lips. How was it possible that her first kiss was from Massimo? How?
"And then you will kindly open this door—-"
Ysabel finally had the presence of mind to realize the woman outside the door was still speaking, and the voice sounded weirdly familiar.
"Present your fidanzata to your grandmother—-"
Comprehension dawned, and Ysabel let out a gasp. La Strega?!
"And after which us two women will have somewhere to go."