“I don’t like you.”
“And I don’t like you.”
“So why did you agree to marry me then? I don’t get it. You saw me afraid and thought I’d make a good wife?”
“I saw a woman who was vulnerable. One who’s walls dropped down. I saw the real you for a moment. Not this façade you show to the world.”
I place my hands on my hips, trying to feel tough but knowing I’m failing at it. “Who says the way I’m acting is a façade? This is the real me.”
“If this were the real you, you’d be happier. You wouldn’t be sneaking off to clubs to get drunk, now would you?”
“I happen to find it fun.”
“Maybe. But I’m good at reading people. It’s why I’ve been successful at my job. And you, Kira, are not happy.”
Ok… so maybe I would go out to drink to get away from my stifling father but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t happy. I was happy… of course I was. I’m sure of it. Enzo isn’t going to convince me otherwise.
“You don’t know me,” I whisper, hating how scared I sound.
Enzo grazes the back of his hand down my cheek. I try not to flinch. “I see a girl who’s trouble but also one who needs help. You’re a challenge. I didn’t want one at first but now I can see how fun it will be. Turning you into my perfect wife will be more interesting than anything I’ve experienced in a while.”
“You can’t turn me into anything.”
“We’ll see about that. And I’m going to choose your dress. I want you looking beautiful on our wedding day. Not… whatever this is.”
“I like my dress. I’m wearing it.”
Enzo strolls over to the sales woman and points at a dress on a mannequin. The dress in question is sleek and elegant and slim. It’s not a princess dress at all and I hate it.
“You’ll try that one on,” he says, coming over to me. “I expect to see you in it on our wedding day.” With a nod at Irina and Natasha, he saunters out of the store.
The sales woman hands me the new dress but I shake my head.
“I’m going to wear this one,” I say, running my hands down the princess dress I have on. This is the dress for me and nothing Enzo could say or do is going to change that.
I thought I was done with Enzo but he shows up when I’m testing out cakes.
“I can do this on my own,” I grumble when he saunters into the bakery like he owns the place. And honestly, he probably owns a lot of different properties. Rich jerk. I might be rich too but that’s beside the point.
“It’s a cake we’ll both be eating. I thought I should join in.”
I hate how good he looks in his black shirt and slacks. It makes me want to slap him again. “For someone who doesn’t like me, you sure do like spending time with me.”
Enzo gives me a knowing look. “I’m just here to try on cake. I don’t trust you to choose one that’s good. For all I know, you’ll try to poison me on the wedding day and I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that from happening.”
“I wouldn’t poison you.”
“No?”
“No. I would stab you in the heart instead. I’m not afraid of blood.”
He smirks as he sits down beside me. The baker brings out the first couple of cakes to test. “Let me know if you need anything,” she says.
I give her a tight smile while Enzo gives her an effortless one.
“Were good,” he says before biting into the vanilla cake. “It’s good but a little too bland. I think we need something more exciting, don’t you?”
I shoot him a glare as I try a bite of the same cake. “I think it’s good. A little boring isn’t a bad thing.”
