“You owe me nothing, Chiara. I’m in awe of the way you refuse to let this…situation…bring you down.” She pauses for a moment, considering her words. “If it were me, then I’m not sure I’d have the guts to fight. I…I think I’d give up.” The guard tenses but says nothing.
Anger swirls inside me. Not at her, but at the fucked-up world we were both born into. A patriarchal world that thinks it’s acceptable to force two young women into a life not of their choosing.
“Of course you’d fight back,” I tell her in my firmest, no-nonsense voice. “You’re no pushover. Look at you!” She’s the most stylish woman I’ve ever met. Vivian adores fine clothes, but she never looks as put together as Fina. “You’ve carved out arole in a world where women are marginalized and treated like second-class citizens. That tells me you have a backbone.”
Fina forces out a laugh. “Only because our father needed someone he could trust in charge of marketing and PR, and also because my brother, who makes most of the business decisions these days, is not a raging asshole.”
“Really?” Her laughter is genuine this time.
“Okay, so he’s a raging asshole. At least when it comes to you.” She frowns. “I don’t understand it, honestly. He’s not a fan of arranged marriages, yet he agreed to this? It makes no sense.”
I turn away and scowl. “All I got told was he had to take a wife, and I was on the hook because my bitch of a stepmother decided to pimp me out without my knowledge. The first I knew of the marriage was when she took me for a wedding dress fitting the day before the ceremony.”
Fina gasps. “What? She didn’t tell you before then?”
“No. I knew she was up to something. She wasalwaysup to something. But an arranged marriage? Selling me off for cash? Nope.” The memory of her threats when I refused to try on the damn wedding dress still makes me want to murder the bitch.
“If you don’t cooperate, I’ll send that rat of a dog you love to the kill shelter.”
Of the many awful things my stepmother has done, that’s far and away the worst.
“Vivian blackmailed me to get me down the aisle. All so she could get a hefty dowry from your father. Hard to believe, eh, that shit like this happens in a country like ours.”
“Not really.” Fina’s lips flatten into a line. “Papa has plans to marry me off. He’s looking for a suitable match.”
“Surely Angelo won’t let…” My voice trails off as I recall the odious man from the gala, her so-calleddate.
Angelo didn’t stop his father from forcing Fina to date a man like Travis Marconi. The man’s already proved he has zeromorals. He married me against my will, so why would he step in to stop the same thing from happening to the sister he professes to adore?
I’m still not sure why Fina has invited me to a spa for a few hours. We’re not on our own, of course. Her guard, Matteo, has accompanied us, as well as four other armed men. What surprises me is that Angelo has allowed this visit.
Still, I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth. The place is amazing. There’s a steaming indoor pool with a hot tub set within landscaped rocks and greenery and surrounded by water features. Living walls, glass skylights, and comfortable loungers create a relaxing vibe that does wonders for my equilibrium.
My body feels boneless after a deep tissue massage to loosen up the many knots in my shoulders, and I’m gently buzzing from the complimentary champagne.
“Thank you for this,” I say to Fina as she lies on an adjacent recliner. She cracks an eye open.
“You’re welcome. I needed a break, and I figured you did too.”
She’s not wrong. My head’s a mess. When I came downstairs this morning, there was no sign of Angelo or Luka. The servants ignored me as usual, and even Dominic was missing. Although he had left me a stack of pancakes, which was much appreciated.
We soak up the moist heat for a while, both of us lost in our thoughts. Me stewing over the tryst with Luka followed by Angelo’s tantrum, and her…who knows.
“What you said about your father looking for a husband…can’t you be with…Matt—”
Fina’s eyes snap open in alarm. “Shh! Do not speak of that!”
“Is it a secret?” If so, they’re not doing a great job of hiding their feelings.
“Yes! Angelo thinks Papa already knows, but he’s not said anything, so I’m hoping Angelo is mistaken.” Tears sparkle in her eyes. “I don’t get a choice in who I marry. Papa made that clear a long time ago.”
There’s nothing I can say that will make her situation any better. After all, I am living her nightmare.
“Fuck the patriarchy,” I huff before reaching for my glass and draining the contents.
“Damn right,” she agrees a moment later.
We exchange smiles before a staff member appears to top up our glasses.
