25. Some Space
CHAPTER 25
SOME SPACE
J ia
“What are you still doing here? It’s almost ten.” Ari marches into the boutique, buried beneath a tower of fabric. A rainbow of materials spills across the drafting table as she throws me a narrowed glare. “You’re getting married the day after tomorrow. You shouldn’t still be here hunched over a desk. You should be celebrating with your family and friends, or at the very least, relaxing.”
“Ha, that’s funny. What family? What friends, Ari? One doesn’t invite people you actually care about to a fake wedding with a mobster. It’s all a political arrangement, a big show. The heads of the most notorious crime syndicates will be in attendance, and we’ll be lucky if it doesn’t end in a bloodbath.”
Ari’s nose scrunches, her lips screwing into a pout. I’ve never been so blunt with her before. She’s heard bits and pieces, but I try to keep my friend out of it as much as possible. “ I’m sorry…” She inches closer and tugs me into her side. “I’m really sorry that your wedding day isn’t going to be the dream one all little girls hope for.” She pauses and nibbles on her bottom lip, clearly hesitant to say what she wants to say next. “But I don’t think Marco is that bad. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, the way he talks to you, and that’s not a man who only thinks of you as a business arrangement.”
I huff out a breath and sink into my desk chair. I’d told Ari all about that slutty realtor, and my friend is so na?ve, she believed Marco’s explanation. Women are always throwing themselves at men like him . And maybe, she’s right, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. That is what I’m the most upset about. He fucking hurt me. After Bà , I vowed never to be hurt by a man again.
“Marco hasn’t been back to the penthouse since our fight last night,” I murmur.
“He’s probably just blowing off some steam.”
“Or getting a blow job from that all too willing realtor.”
Ari shakes her head, a rueful grin on her lips. “No way. That little homewrecker has nothing on you, Jia.”
I don’t need Raquel; I don’t want other women. Your lips are the ones I dream of every night, spitfire . Marco’s sincere expression flashes across my mind along with the echo of his words. He couldn’t be serious. We could be good together, Jia, really good. You just have to give it a chance . It’s laughable, right? He can’t possibly be serious about having a real marriage. How can I trust the eternal playboy to change his ways? And why can’t I get his words and that desperate look in his eyes out of my mind? They’d been playing on repeat since yesterday, plaguing my sleep and haunting the waking hours.
Sure, I’d been at the shop all day, but I hadn’t been able to accomplish a single thing. After pacing the quiet penthouse all morning, I’d ventured downtown for a distraction with one of Marco’s minions on my heel. I thought for sure he would return while I was gone, but according to grandpa, he still hasn’t. So where is my fiancé?
I stare at my phone carelessly flung on the desk, desperate for a message to come through. I even texted the idiot with some lame question about the wedding, and he still hasn’t responded.
“Come on, Jia, I’ll walk you out.” Ari curls an arm through mine and hauls me out of the chair. “That big, scary, sexy guy is out front waiting.”
I snort on a laugh as I picture Nicky standing guard by the front door. Poor guy has been there all day. And judging by the text messages he’s been receiving on the hour, my fiancé is keeping tabs on my whereabouts. So why can’t—I pull free of Ari’s hold and dart to the front door.
“Where’s Marco?” I snap at the burly guard.
“Sorry, Miss Jia, I have no idea.”
I sear him with my most intimidating glare. “Next time he texts you, ask him.”
“Um… I don’t think I should?—”
Rising to my tiptoes, I do my best to loom over the guy, which is pretty much impossible at my measly five foot four compared to his towering six foot five. “Listen here, Nicky, if you’re going to be my personal bodyguard, we’re going to be spending a hell of a lot of time together. I can make that time miserable or tolerable. Which do you prefer?”
The big guy swallows hard.
“You think Marco is scary? You haven’t seen anything.” I flick my gaze to my clutch and the sleek gun stashed inside that Marco acquired for me.
“Miss Jia…”
“Don’t think I wouldn’t do it, Nicky. Don’t forget who my father was.”
He blanches, his deep caramel skin morphing into a sickly pallor. Lucky for me, Bà was known to be a loose cannon, and everyone knows the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. “I’ll let the boss know you’re looking for him,” he mutters.
“Fine,” I grit out as Arianna saunters up, clearly amused at the exchange.
“So, we ready to go?”
Nicky nods and holds the door open. “After you, ladies.”
I storm around the penthouse in my fluffy robe and slippers like a tornado ready to strike, slamming cabinets, whipping doors open and stomping across the pristine marble. It’s been two days, and I have yet to hear from my fiancé. Despite my threats, Nicky hasn’t caved on disclosing his location. Worse, our wedding is tomorrow.
Marco has ignored my text messages, my phone calls, even my rather desperate voicemails. What if I really was in trouble? I glare across the foyer at Nicky who avoids my attention, pivoting toward the door.
He’s the reason Marco has made no attempt at contact, because his little spy has had eyes on me the whole time. So of course my fiancé isn’t worried about my safety. The two of them must be laughing their heads off at my enraged state.
The familiar shuffle of approaching footsteps forces my wild pulse to calm. Yéye has already made his concerns for my state of mind apparent, and I hate worrying him.
“Everything all right, bǎobèi ?” He scans the whirlwind of open cabinets, the barstools in disarray, and the line of dirty coffee mugs along the sink.
“Yes, of course, grandfather.”
“Are you searching for something, perhaps?”
My sanity? God, how can this man affect me so much?
“It’s only that I haven’t spoken to Marco today, and I thought with our quickly approaching nuptials, he would have returned to the penthouse by now. ”
“I see…” A knowing smile curves his lips.
“Have you spoken to him?” I blurt.
He slowly dips his head.
“Seriously? And you never thought to mention it?” I slam my jaw closed before I say something I’ll regret. In the past few days, I’ve practically annihilated the line of respect toward my grandfather. My poor mother must be rolling over in her grave.
Yéye squeezes my shoulder, his typical show of affection, and offers a reassuring smile. “Your future husband is only attempting to give you some space.”
“Is that what he said?”
“Yes.”
I hiss out a frustrated breath and plop down onto a bar stool. Leaning on the marble island, I focus on slowing my manic heartbeats and take a few sips of the lukewarm, leftover coffee. When I’ve finally gotten control of my temper, I turn to Yéye who’s pouring a fresh cup for himself. “Did my fiancé happen to mention if he’d be returning home before the wedding?”
“He will not, bǎobèi , at my urging.”
I nearly spit out a mouthful of the cold coffee. “ Why ?”
“It’s not good luck to see the bride before the wedding day.”
A completely unladylike snort erupts. “ Yéye , this isn’t a real marriage.”
“Because you haven’t opened your mind or heart to the possibility yet.” He folds onto the barstool beside me and takes my hand. “I did not take this decision lightly, Jia, much like my father before me. When they chose your grandmother as my wife, it was after considerable thought. Look how well that turned out. It may seem to you that this wedding to Marco is simply a strategic one, but trust me when I say I would not have agreed to any of it if I did not truly believe Mr. Rossi to be a good man. More than that, a good man for you . He will treat you as you deserve, bǎobèi , you must only give him the opportunity.”
Clearly, my perfect fiancé failed to mention to my grandfather that I caught him with his tongue down the realtor’s throat.
“I cannot trust him, Yéye. ”
“Maybe not right now, but in time, I am certain he will prove himself to you.”
Another snort threatens to break free, but I manage to suppress it this time.
“Now come, we must go to the Waldorf. Your bridal suite has been prepared, and you are to spend the night there. Your future husband has arranged for the wedding glamour team to meet you there in the morning.”
I gulp. How did this all happen so quickly? I was supposed to find a way out of this and now, I’d wasted the past two days pining over my missing fiancé instead of planning my escape.