My mother had a lot of complications during the delivery. She passed away soon after I was born, and I never had the chance to meet her. I like to think that had she never died, my life would be completely different. But maybe she lived under my father's thumb as well…and maybe nothing would have changed.
I saw Giovanni as a savior, but didn't truly know the reason why I felt that way. I was stuck in denial. Denial of my father's treatment towards me and denial of how desolate my life truly was.
Take away the fancy clothes and charity events, and you're left with a girl who had the weight on her shoulders to perform and to be perfect. And very much like a bird with its wings clipped, so that it can't fly away, I too was put in a cage and locked away.
I used to think all of that was normal, but maybe it's because it's the only way I truly ever knew how to live. I never had any friends….unless you consider a nanny or tutor a friend.
I was never allowed outside to explore on my own, constantly surrounded by bodyguards and security. I never even kissed a boy or held hands before my father suddenly thrust Giovanni into my life. And once again, the choice of who I could marry was taken away as well.
I think in time I could have grown to love Giovanni. He would have taken care of me, and I think he was fond of me as well. But now I'm not feeling too sure about that either.
This isolation has put everything in my life into a different perspective, and I feel myself slowly crumbling away. I've never felt so dejected before in my entire life. At least I was happy in my naïve little bubble before I came here. But now I'm starting to wonder if I even want to return home if I can escape from this place. Could I possibly start over, make a life for myself, a life that I want and make choices that I choose? Is that even possible? If my father thinks I'm dead…maybe it is.
Tonight, I shall suffer with Lucien, but tomorrow I will be a free woman. And if he really does give me the million dollars, I won't even have to return to New York right away.
Maybe I'll go somewhere and start a new life, a place where I can choose who I want to marry. A place where I can be whoever and whatever I want.
Then I won't have to worry or face the consequences of what happened to me. I won't have to face my father or Giovanni until I so choose.
And I won't have to see the look of disgust on their faces when I tell them what I did in exchange for my freedom.
Tears fill my green eyes, but I quickly blink them away. "No time for crying now," I tell my reflection in the mirror. "You're on a mission."
I'm going to seduce Lucien tonight.
CHAPTER 18
LUCIEN
I CAN SENSE a change in her the moment I enter the room. Earlier, I'd watched her on the camera feed picking out a sexy outfit to wear, perfecting her hair and makeup in the bathroom and then concealing the lingerie under a silk robe before I came to her bedroom for dinner.
As we eat, I have to fight to keep a smirk off of my face. My little captive is ready to play, and I couldn't be happier. After waiting a week for her to come around, I'd almost grown bored of our situation.
I'm hoping once she finally agrees to give me what I want, I can send her on her way and never think of her again.
She's definitely become more than just an obsession to me.
She's become an unwanted distraction.
Even though it's been nice to suppress most of my dark thoughts when I'm around her, I haven't been myself. And that's scaring the shit out of me. I mean, I watched her sleep the other night for fuck's sake. That's not me. That's not who or what I am. And Adeline makes me forget who I am.
Not that that's a bad thing sometimes. But Ineedcontrol. Ineedorder.
And she makes me feel reckless and helpless all at the same time. If only she knew how much power she actually holds over me…
Adeline picks at her dinner, barely eating more than a few bites. I know she's nervous and anxious, but the bastard in me refuses to give in and make things easy on her. So, I take my time eating, even though I can't even taste a damn thing. My mind is on overdrive thinking about all the things I want to do to her tonight.
She's made me wait so long, and I intend to draw this out for as long as possible. Besides, she might be the last one before I bring the Valenti empire to the ground. I may as well enjoy my last taste of the forbidden fruit while I still can.
Adeline picks up her wine glass, her hand trembling at first until she forces it steady. I act like I don't notice, but I notice everything about her. Every. Single. Thing.
She doesn't sip the wine. She practically gulps it down. And while that would normally make me nauseous, it only adds more fuel to the fire stoking inside of me.
I want to make her fear me. I want to make her tremble under me when I shove my cock into her soft, tight cunt for the first time.
I don't ever remember wanting anything more than her. And I'm practically salivating over the thought of taking her and making her mine.
Wrapping my fingers around my own wine glass, I take a few sips to calm the beast trying to take forefront in my mind. I need to bide my time. Let her come to me. And then, once she lets her guard down, I'll strike like a predator lying in wait.
