I nod. He’s a family friend. Or … was. “He kept me hidden for three years.”
The look on her face darkens. “Luca told Mom and Dad you ran after he tried to force you to get on a plane to marry him.”
I pull her in for another hug, and she hiccups against my clothes. “I’m sorry for putting you through all this,” I say, and I wipe the tears off her face. “It’s my fault you’re in this hellish deal to begin with. I’m going to fix this. I promise.”
She looks up at me. “But Luca is dangerous,” she spills, still clutching my shoulders like she’s hanging on tight. “All he ever talked about was finding you. He’ll try to destroy you.”
I know what he’s going to do to me.
What he’s desired to do to my body for so long.
All the wicked little games he wants to play finally become a reality.
But what other choice do I have?
I close my eyes as our foreheads collide. “You’re my sister. The only one I have in this twisted world. I can’t let him ruin that too.”
She sniffs and sucks in a breath. “You’re sure about this?”
I nod. “I want you to live your life. Be happy. Don’t lose yourself in the family business. Take care of yourself. Okay?”
She nods a few times. “I promise.”
A sudden knock on the door pulls us out of the calm.
“Hurry up!” It’s one of the De Vos guards. “Or we’ll come in there and help you ourselves.”
“Fuck.” Jasmine quickly turns around and points at her back. “Unzip me. Quick.”
I do what she asks, and she peels off the mermaid dress while I take off my shoes.
“Two minutes!” someone outside the door barks.
We swiftly exchange my beige skirt and black top for her mermaid dress. It fits me snugly, though my breasts almost spill out of the tiny cup when she helps me zip up. After putting on her pumps, I lift my head and notice myself in the mirror for the very first time since I stepped into this room.
The woman standing in front of me in the pretty princess dress with all the sparkles in the world, whose face is beaming with determination, is me. But her eyes are filled with tears.
I blink them away as Jasmine steps behind me to apply the final lacy heart-belt around my belly, sealing me in.
“There …” she murmurs, and we both look in the mirror. “You look gorgeous.”
I swallow down the bitter pill that today will be my wedding day.
Of all the ways I imagined my own wedding, this wasn’t what I expected.
“This dress looks so much better on you than it does on me,” Jasmine adds.
Only because I was the one who was meant to marry a De Vos.
The one who was supposed to carry on the legacy and rule the empire.
Together with the only boy who deserved it all.
Liam.
But all of it turned to dust the moment he died, and from the ashes, a monster was born.
Luca.
The guard bursts into the room.
“Enough. Let’s go,” he barks, whisking me away from Jasmine.
He shoves me toward the big hall where people are still waiting in their seats for the wedding they were promised. Tears well up in my eyes, but I swallow them back down, forcing myself to stay strong.
With my head held high, I step toward the big hall and into the light coming from the mosaic windows in the top corners of the church. The music starts as I approach the benches, where people anxiously await my long, tedious walk to the altar. The dark look in Luca’s eyes twists my heart into knots.
Still, I bravely step forward, past my parents, who sit idly by as their lost daughter finally returns to take the crown. But this is not a crown of power that I’m about to accept. It’s a crown of obedience … a crown he will use to ruin me in every way he can possibly imagine.
With every step of the way, that wickedly twisted grin grows on his face.
It’s as if he wants me to know, without using any words, that he’ll enjoy making my life a living hell.
I walk up the steps. My face is a blank slate—cold, stonehearted, and empty of any kind of emotion. I refuse to give Luca any as I stand beside him and wait for the ceremony to begin.
When he grabs my hand, a hot flash flutters through my body, but I ignore it and stay put even though I want nothing more than to jerk my hand away from his.
My eyes can’t help but take in his fancy, fitted black suit and those shiny shoes that complement the outfit. For a moment, I almost forget he isn’t a gentleman but a criminal intent on stealing the only thing I ever valued.