Carmine’s face falls and I turn away from him, stepping inside the room in my black and purple suit.
Rosalie is already standing at the front of the room in a blue and silver pantsuit with her hair pulled back elegantly but simply. She looks just as thrilled about this as I do, with her fake smile pulling on her lips when she sees me.
“Alessio,” she says and takes my hand as I step over to her.
“Darling,” I say as I raise her hand to my mouth and kiss the top of it.
My eyes shift over to Damian, who is standing nearby. His eyes don’t meet mine, instead they stay on the back of Rosalie’s head. He seems to be all about his job the last couple days.
The door creaks in a strange manner as Eivor and Patricia come in and even I find myself flinching ever so slightly.
Everyone is on edge.
Perhaps that was the plan of whoever planted the explosive.
I take a deep breath.
“Is everyone ready?” the judge asks.
I nod my head, Rosalie does too, and after a glance around the room, everyone who needs to be there, is.
We’ve opted to do as simple of a wedding as possible, since the large wedding for an audience will be enough as is.
“Very well,” the judge says simply. “Then I shall start.”
The wedding rings are handed to us by Patricia, who looks teary eyed despite how cold and professional this all is. Nikolas and Beau stand nearby, looking equally as disinterested in the whole thing. Eivor has tried to keep them out of the drama that’s been going on as much as possible, and it’s obvious that they don’t know just how serious everything is with the threat.
“Do either of you know of any reason you may not be legally married?” he asks.
“No,” I say confidently. Legally, that’s true. My own opinion is another matter.
“No,” Rosalie follows. Her voice is a little bit shaky.
“Very good.”
“Do you, Alessio Dresvanni, take Rosalie Fiorelli to be your lawfully wedding wife?” the judge asks me.
I take a slow breath and look into Rosalie’s eyes.
This is it.
We’re going to be married. The only way out will be a long and probably difficult divorce with her uncle and my brother fighting us all along the way.
Why are we getting married? For our families, or because of our families?
If I had to choose someone to marry, I can say it wouldn’t be Rosalie. We’re too distinctly different people who wouldn’t even hang out together if we had the choice. Right? So, to marry her seems wrong.
Here we are.
To protect my own family, am I really willing to sell my soul to the Fiorellis? The very family that threatened us mere weeks ago? Eivor—a man who wants to take over as much power as he possibly can. Do I really believe he will be a good addition to our family? Or will he only be another gun in the arsenal of our pain and suffering.
Maybe it doesn’t matter.
Maybe all that matters is right now; it’s what Carmine feels is best for us. He deserves a chance to lead us just like our father, and just like I will if he dies. Even with his faults and mistakes.
He is not the only one with them.
Loyalty to my family is all I have right now, so I’ll do what needs to be done.
