Chapter 23
“I’m leaving,” I muttered, my voice coming out sharper than I intended. I needed to get out of this room before I lost what little sanity I had left.
“Before you go, we need to talk.” Alessandro’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion. It wasn’t a request. “I want to talk about two important topics with you,”
I stopped mid–step, already regretting turning back to face him. His expression was unreadable, his dark eyes assessing me like I was just another problem he had to deal with.
“What now?” I asked, crossing my arms.
“Firstly, there’s a family dinner tonight. You’re coming with me.”
I stared at him. “No, I’m not.”
Alessandro’s gaze sharpened, as if my refusal was nothing more than an inconvenience. “You don’t have a choice.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “I always have a choice. And I’m choosing not to go.”
His jaw tightened. “I don’t care about your preferences, Nikolai. My family expects you there, and I will not tolerate any insubordination.”
I scoffed. “Right, because that’s what I am to you, isn’t it? Just some obligation you get to control.”
Alessandro stepped forward, his presence suffocating. “You are an obligation. And you will act accordingly. You will sit beside me, keep your mouth shut, and not embarrass me. Do you understand?”
I clenched my fists. “And if I don’t?”
He didn’t blink. “Then I’ll make sure you regret it.”
A chill ran through me, not because I thought he would hurt me–no, Alessandro preferred more sophisticated methods of cruelty. He had a way of making people’s lives unbearable without ever raising his voice or his hand.
My silence must have been answer enough because he continued. “You will dress appropriately. You will treat my family with respect. And you will not cause a scene. If you try anything, Nikolai, I will not be lenient.”
I glared at him, anger curling in my gut. “You act like I want to be there. Like I’d do anything to risk suffering through an evening with your family.”
Alessandro’s expression didn’t change. “Good. Then this should be easy for you.”
I hated how composed he always was. How nothing rattled him. How he could control every situation, including me, with nothing more than a few words.
“Why do they even care?” I muttered. “They don’t actually want me there.”
Alessandro stared at me for a while, trying to control himself to not explode right on the spot.
They are all “Is there anything else you want to tell me to lighten my mood?” I questioned matter–of–factly.
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Chapter 23
He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he turned away from me, walking towards his massive closet as if I wasn’t even worth his attention anymore. Without hesitation, he shrugged off his towel, his back muscles flexing as he grabbed a crisp, tailored shirt from a hanger.
I froze. Not because I hadn’t seen him shirtless before–but because he didn’t care. He moved with complete nonchalance; as if I were nothing more than a shadow in his room.
Alessandro buttoned his shirt with slow, practiced movements, the fabric hugging his body in all the right ways. He didn’t bother looking at me, didn’t acknowledge the fact that I was still standing there, glaring at him.
“Secondly I want you to see you with your ring on“,
“I will, anything else“, I retorted immediately.
“Yeah…“, He started but I sent him a questioning stare, hoping that he won’t give me some kind of lecture again and finally leave me alone.
“Actually, there is one last thing,” He reached for his watch, securing it around his wrist before finally turning back to face
me
Oh please, no!
*Try to have at least a little bit of fun and to not look unnerved or angry all night long.” He explained, waiting patiently
for my reaction, that never came.
It was hilarious how he told me exactly how to behave and how I should feel today like I was some kind of doll. How was I supposed to have fun on a marriage with someone I didn’t even want, surrounded by people I didn’t know and didn’t want to meet either, because they would probably be just like him or even worse?
I let out a bitter laugh. “You are hilarious, Alessandro. How exactly am I supposed to enjoy a dinner with people who probably hate me as much as you do?”
He adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves, unconcerned. “That’s not my problem. Just do what you’re told.”
I glared at him, but he didn’t care. He had already moved on, slipping into his suit jacket, adjusting the fit like he wasn’t dragging me into a situation I wanted no part of.
Ignoring him, I turned on my heels and walked out of his room. My appetite for the food was already gone.
The moment I entered my own room, I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, exhaling sharply. My fingers curled into fists, nails digging into my palms. Calm down. Getting worked up wouldn’t change anything.
But the idea of sitting through an entire evening with his family, people who would surely look at me with either judgment or outright disdain made my skin crawl.
I walked over to the dresser, yanking open the drawer where I had tossed the wedding ring days ago. The small, silver ring sat at the bottom, taunting me. A symbol of everything I didn’t want.
With a resigned sigh, I picked it up and slid it onto my finger. The metal was cold, unfamiliar. Foreign. “Shit“, Cursing I returned it back. I wasn’t going to obey him.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.
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Chapter 23
“What?” I snapped, not in the mood for company. “Sir, your suit has been prepared,‘ a voice called from the other side. One of the household staff, no doubt following Alessandro’s instructions.
Of course. Because even that had to be controlled.
“Fine, I muttered, walking over and pulling the door open. A neatly pressed suit hung from a garment bag on a rack, tailored to perfection. Black. Simple. Just formal enough to fit into Alessandro’s pristine world.
I grabbed it without a word and shut the door again.
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