Chapter 5 #2
I shake my head. “What must it be like to have all the power in the world and still feel like you need to control others? How sad and pathetic is that. I hate you, Gabriel. But I also pity you. In my short time at your home, I can tell you’re lonely.
You hate yourself. Why else would you cover up all the mirrors? ”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
“Yet, we’ll be married. Isn’t it time I learn?”
He smirks. “You’re brave, Aurora. I like that. You’re not afraid to stand up to me. I’ll admit, it’s refreshing. But you’re not going to talk your way out of this. We will be married.”
“Fine,” I spit out. “But don’t kill my father. Provide him with food so he’ll live. As long as I know he’s all right, I’ll do anything you say.”
“Anything?”
I know I’m going to regret this but to save my father, I’ll do anything. “Yes. Anything.”
He lowers his gun and puts it away. I let out a sigh of relief. “Deal. I won’t kill your father and I’ll be kind enough to provide him with food. But you will never see him again. You will be my bride.”
“I’ll never see him again?” I ask with a hitch in my throat. Tears threaten to spill out.
“You will never fully be mine if he’s still in your life. So yes, you’ll never see him again.”
“I will never fully be yours either way. You have to know that.”
Gabriel doesn’t respond to my comment. “Let’s go. We have a wedding to attend.”
“A wedding. Today?”
“I want us married and I want it to happen sooner rather than later. My men might try to hurt you again. It’s the only way. Now, let’s go.”
“Let me say goodbye to my father. You never let me say goodbye last time.”
For just a moment, I see a flicker of emotion in Gabriel’s face, but it’s gone before I can make sense of it. “Fine. Say goodbye and then meet me outside.” He storms out of the room.
“Aurora, you can’t do this,” Dad sobs, clinging to me. I hug him tightly with everything inside of me.
“You have to eat, Dad. Gabriel promised to provide you with food. You have to eat for me. Please. You can’t die yet. You just can’t. Promise me.”
“What is life worth living if you’re bound to that beast forever?”
I press my forehead to his. “Promise me. Please, Dad. Just promise me.”
His eyes search mine and after a long beat, he nods. “I promise. I’ll eat. So I can get my strength up and come save you. I will save you one day, Aurora. That I promise to you.”
I want to believe his promise but Gabriel is too strong. There’s no way I’m ever getting out of this. I have to accept my fate.
“I love you,” I whisper as my tears finally slip from my eyes.
“I love you.”
It takes everything inside of me to let my dad go and walk outside to Gabriel. I’m still crying when I stand next to him.
Gabriel gives me a long, hard look that turns soft for just a moment before closing off again. “You said your goodbye?” he asks in a gruff voice.
I wipe at my tears. “I said goodbye.”
“Good. Let’s return home. You need to choose a wedding dress and then we’ll go to the church. You are mine, Aurora. Never forget it.”
I may be Gabriel’s but I don’t think I’ll ever truly belong to him. I can’t belong to someone who wants to control me like this.
I choose a wedding dress and Maria helps me into it. The dress in question is the third, lacy one. It’s too pretty for me to ignore. If I’m signing my life away to Gabriel, I might as well choose a dress I would never have gotten the chance to wear before meeting him.
“You look beautiful,” Maria says. “But child, what are you getting yourself into? You’re going to be married to him now? This is not right.”
“I can’t escape him, Maria. This is not my fault. I am doing what I must to save my father.”
“I feel terrible for you, child.”
“Your pity doesn’t help me,” I snap. “Nothing can help me. I can only help myself.”
Maria pulls away from me like I slapped her. “All right then. It’s time to go to the church now.”
The butler, Charles, drives me to the church, all alone. Gabriel must be meeting me there.
My entire life has changed within the span of a few days. I’m not even sure how I’m hanging on.
Charles drives us through lush countryside until we reach the city center. We come upon a large, ornate gothic church that stretches so hide into the sky, I can’t even see the top of it from the car. This is where I’ll be married to Gabriel.
He’s a madman. Marrying me just to keep other men from touching me. None of it makes sense. I’m still his prisoner and yet, now I’ll be his wife. Does this change anything? Will I have more freedom? I doubt it.
Charles helps me out of the car and walks me to the church.
Once I’m inside and the large doors open to the chapel, I am confronted with the sight of Gabriel at the end of the aisle.
A few guests sit in the pews – the people from the party.
George is there too. This is Gabriel’s reminder to him to never touch me again.
Music swells, signaling I should enter. I look at Charles and he motions me forward. I am doing this walk on my own, I realize. Without my father. Another thing Gabriel is taking away from me.
I keep my head held high though. The last thing I want is for Gabriel to see my fear. My father would want me brave so I will be brave.
I reach the end of the aisle and Gabriel takes my hands, already putting his claim onto me. The priest beside him begins the ceremony.
“Do you, Gabriel Romano, take this woman, Aurora Rossi, to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
“I do.” Gabriel says it without any hesitation.
I can feel the priest look at me but I keep my eyes glued to Gabriel’s face. Let him see me – all of me – and feel guilt for doing this.
“And do you, Aurora Rossi, take this man, Gabriel Romano, to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
There’s no getting out of this. I have accepted my fate in order to save my father.
“I do,” I say in a clear, strong voice. Gabriel will never be able to take my strength away from me.
That is one thing I am keeping for myself.