Enzo’s POVAs I made my way upstairs, I caught Mr Ashford coming down. “Oh, you’re not staying for another drink?”“No.” I said, “Cassie is alone. I better head back.” A smile broke out on his lips, “Well, keep her happy.” He said, giving a pat on my shoulder “Big day tomorrow.” “Yeah,” I said, as it suddenly occurred to me why we were here. It was for our engagement. It was supposed to be a happy getaway for us from our busy lives, yet here I was, striking business deals and threatening people to stay away from my soon to be wife. Fucking hell. I made my way to my room, expecting that Cassie had already gone to bed. But I was wrong. She was in the bathroom, the door slightly ajar. It was a silent invitation for me. I walked into the candle lit bathroom a minute later, having abandoned all my clothes. Cassie was peacefully resting until I arrived, and when she noticed me, her face broke into a grin. Without needing more of an invitation, I got into the tub, wrapping her legs arou
Enzo's POVThe day of the engagement was thankfully rather uneventful.My little conversation last night with Axon and his father turned out to be fruitful, as they didn’t try anything funny to ruin Cassie’s mood further.Our friends had arrived in the morning as expected, and ever since then, Cassie got busy with tending to them.As evening rolled, the girls ushered Cassie into her room to help her get ready for the event, conveniently kicking me out of our bedroom. I had no choice but to crash with Leo and Hank.“Excited?” Hank asked as he lazily scrolled through his instagram.
Cassie’s POVOnce the rings were exchanged, my grandparents took us around to meet everyone.I tried to remember the names of the first few people I’d met, thinking they were important, but once I realized just how many names I had memorized tonight, I’d given up on the task. I just made some mandatory small talk and exchanged some pleasant smiles with them.I don’t know how long it went on for, until my grandparents had to tend to some other business and that gave us a chance to finally meet our friends.“Thank God you’re here.” Kelly said, sighing, “I thought I wouldn’t catch you tonight.”
“Wow.” I said, chugging a glass of water. “That was something.” “Just another day in my life,” Enzo said, as a matter of fact. He left out a tired sigh, closing his eyes for a few seconds. “You okay?” I said, grabbing his shoulder gently. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He said, “Just a light headache. I’ll be fine.” “Do you think Ratliff is going to listen?” “Sure, he has no choice.” Enzo said, “Moreover, that is our best bet right now. We can’t really-” Enzo cut himself off as we heard a strangled cry from a distance. “Get away from him!” It was Grandma. I stared at Enzo in worry, “What the hell?”Both of us whipped our heads toward the hall, where Grandma was standing in a corner, watching commotion break loose. It was Alfred that held Grandpa’s collar, a murderous glare claiming his face. They seemed to be having an argument, and people gathered around to see the show. Enzo and I headed over immediately. “Alfred, get away from him right now.” Enzo intervened, pushing Alfred off of Gran
“You’re sleeping?!” My mother-in-law, Fiona's, voice boomed. I did not realize when I had managed to fall asleep on the couch. Piles of files and books lay scattered on the floor, most of which belonged to my husband Calvin. "Shit." I said and hurriedly got up on my feet, straightening my hair in the process. It’s been three years since I married Calvin, but I still couldn’t earn my mother-in-law's affections. “Who is going to clean all this mess if you’re going to sleep?” She glared. “Quick, get it all done before Calvin arrives. You know he hates it if things are out of order.” I sighed, "But Fiona, I just cleaned this room room yesterday..." She narrowed her eyes at me, "You didn't. You made the house help clean it and they did a very shitty job. Hence, I want you to clean it now."As I couldn’t dare to oppose her, I meekly complied. Fiona always found pleasure in knowing that I was miserable. She wanted to remind me everyday that I was fit for just doing household chores in
"Yes, mother." Jen said, "Cassie is the worst thing that could happen to our family. I mean, she is utterly useless. She doesn't keep Calvin happy. Even after three years of marriage, Calvin doesn't care about her. He wishes every day that he could marry Becky instead. How I wished it was Cassie that suffered in the accident instead of poor Becky." “I agree.” Fiona sighed, “For the past three years, I've been sick of waiting for an heir. Cassie is useless as it is, but I’d expected that she could at least give me a grandchild. She is honestly good for nothing.” Anger arose within me upon hearing her words. I didn’t know what came over me, perhaps it was the threat I felt in Becky waking up, or the false allegations of my incapability of childbearing, or that I was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally to tolerate them anymore, that I sought to give it back to them for once. Without giving it a second thought, I walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, ready to
Ignoring me, he started to pull up my shirt. What was going on? Why was he trying to take my clothes off?"Calvin!" I said, grabbing his hands to stop him. "What are you doing?""Didn't you tell my mother that we haven’t been intimate lately?" he said, glaring at me. "I’m fixing that."I stepped back, disgusted. "No! That’s not what I meant! Fiona said—""I don’t care what she said, Cassie," he interrupted, moving closer. "I don’t want to look like an incompetent husband."He pulled me toward him again, but I slapped my hand over his mouth. "No, Calvin! This is ridiculous. I’m not doing this.""Why not?" he demanded. "You wanted a child to secure your place in the family, didn’t you?""Please. I don’t want this!" I cried, feeling the tears well up. He loosened his grip, giving me space to breathe. "I don’t want it like this. Not when you’re so angry at me.""You know I hate it when my mother gets involved in our private life. You promised to respect my privacy, but you told her everyt
I gasped when I saw him. He looked stunning in his new tuxedo. I had always thought he was the most handsome man I’d met, but tonight, he looked even better."What the hell are you doing here?" He demanded as he came to stand beside me. "I asked you to go in as soon as you arrived." "I was talking to-" I turned my face to look at Mr De Luca, but to my surprise, he was nowhere to be found. He had left. "Talking to who?" Calvin asked in impatience. "We're already late, let's go." It hurt to see that his eyes didn’t show admiration like I hoped. He seemed indifferent. I had spent hours getting ready for him, but it felt like I didn’t matter at all."How do I look?" I asked. He raised an eyebrow and gave me a dismissive glance. "Appropriate. Shall we go?"I blushed, embarrassed, but I couldn’t let my tears ruin my makeup. I swallowed hard. "Yes."Grabbing my arm roughly, he dragged me inside with him. Right then, Calvin’s phone buzzed. He read the message, frowning. "What’s wrong?" I
“Wow.” I said, chugging a glass of water. “That was something.” “Just another day in my life,” Enzo said, as a matter of fact. He left out a tired sigh, closing his eyes for a few seconds. “You okay?” I said, grabbing his shoulder gently. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He said, “Just a light headache. I’ll be fine.” “Do you think Ratliff is going to listen?” “Sure, he has no choice.” Enzo said, “Moreover, that is our best bet right now. We can’t really-” Enzo cut himself off as we heard a strangled cry from a distance. “Get away from him!” It was Grandma. I stared at Enzo in worry, “What the hell?”Both of us whipped our heads toward the hall, where Grandma was standing in a corner, watching commotion break loose. It was Alfred that held Grandpa’s collar, a murderous glare claiming his face. They seemed to be having an argument, and people gathered around to see the show. Enzo and I headed over immediately. “Alfred, get away from him right now.” Enzo intervened, pushing Alfred off of Gran
Cassie’s POVOnce the rings were exchanged, my grandparents took us around to meet everyone.I tried to remember the names of the first few people I’d met, thinking they were important, but once I realized just how many names I had memorized tonight, I’d given up on the task. I just made some mandatory small talk and exchanged some pleasant smiles with them.I don’t know how long it went on for, until my grandparents had to tend to some other business and that gave us a chance to finally meet our friends.“Thank God you’re here.” Kelly said, sighing, “I thought I wouldn’t catch you tonight.”
Enzo's POVThe day of the engagement was thankfully rather uneventful.My little conversation last night with Axon and his father turned out to be fruitful, as they didn’t try anything funny to ruin Cassie’s mood further.Our friends had arrived in the morning as expected, and ever since then, Cassie got busy with tending to them.As evening rolled, the girls ushered Cassie into her room to help her get ready for the event, conveniently kicking me out of our bedroom. I had no choice but to crash with Leo and Hank.“Excited?” Hank asked as he lazily scrolled through his instagram.
Enzo’s POVAs I made my way upstairs, I caught Mr Ashford coming down. “Oh, you’re not staying for another drink?”“No.” I said, “Cassie is alone. I better head back.” A smile broke out on his lips, “Well, keep her happy.” He said, giving a pat on my shoulder “Big day tomorrow.” “Yeah,” I said, as it suddenly occurred to me why we were here. It was for our engagement. It was supposed to be a happy getaway for us from our busy lives, yet here I was, striking business deals and threatening people to stay away from my soon to be wife. Fucking hell. I made my way to my room, expecting that Cassie had already gone to bed. But I was wrong. She was in the bathroom, the door slightly ajar. It was a silent invitation for me. I walked into the candle lit bathroom a minute later, having abandoned all my clothes. Cassie was peacefully resting until I arrived, and when she noticed me, her face broke into a grin. Without needing more of an invitation, I got into the tub, wrapping her legs arou
Enzo’s POV The entire time at the dinner, Axon tried to avoid my eyes. He has already got an earful from Mrs Ashford earlier, and judging by the look on her face right now, he must have got it real bad. Well, he deserved it and more. More of which will be delivered by me at the end of this shit show. Beside me, Cassie fell into an easy conversation with the others at the table. Few more people have joined us since the breakfast, most of whom were distant relatives of the Ashfords and some close friends. When we came to the end of it, Mr Ashford invited me for a drink with Alfred and Axon, hoping to put out some fires between us. Well, it was the perfect opportunity for me. Somewhere after my second Whiskey, Mr Ashford got a call from his missus, and he excused himself. “Don’t wait for me, gentlemen.” he said, “Though, I’ll be back soon.” As Mr Ashford closed the door behind him, Axon looked toward me. I took the seat right across from him, resting my leg over the other knee. “
I watched Axon in astonishment, barely grasping what he just uttered. Soon, his image became blurry in front of my eyes, my tears betraying me yet again as I tried to hold them back. Axon’s face twisted with confusion and then with worry. He realized that he hit the nail on the head, but he hit it too hard. “A-are you… crying?” I sniffled, wiping my tears away. “Look, Cassandra. I didn’t-” “There you are, dear.” I heard Grandma’s voice, emerging behind Axon. As he turned around, her face revealed to me. “I was looking everywhere for- Cassie! Are you okay?” Enzo was trailing behind her, looking into his phone. But as he heard the alarm in her voice, his eyes shot up to see me. And he did. He saw the tears. “Oh, dear. Why are you crying?” Grandma came to hold me, rubbing my shoulder, but I avoided her eyes. I was just watching Enzo as he came to me, and then his eyes slowly shifted to Axon. His jaw tightened. “What the hell did you do?” “I… I didn’t do anything. I was just talki
He turned around to look at me. “I can’t believe he’s related to you.” He said, “That fucking Bastard.” I rested my hands on my hips. “You sued him in the past?” “He screwed my client over, Cassie.” he said, “I had to teach him a lesson.” I frowned, “Wow, this was just what I needed.” I said, taking a seat on the bed, “Didn’t you think he was bitter about me too? The whole family? They were looking at me like the sole purpose of my visit here is to steal their property.” “Selfish vultures. All of them.” He said, “Axon is a power hungry beast. He cares about nothing more than money. I’m sure he thought he was invincible when the property was all going to be his. But with you in the picture, I wonder how much he’s getting.” “This is so silly.” I said, “Why would Mr Ashford invite them here if he knew about them?” “Well, he doesn’t. Or perhaps, he refuses to accept it.” He said, “You’ve heard it yourself. Mr Ashford treats him like his own family. And I don’t think they return the
“Axon.” Mr Ashford boomed. “Boy, why are we discussing that now? We’re not here for that.” Axon’s jaw was tightened as he continued glaring at me. And then, he looked at Mrs Ashford, his face softening, “I’m sorry, Grandma. I was just… taken aback seeing him there.” “Well, he is soon going to be your family.” Mr Ashford said, “What’s in the past better stay in the past. He might have been your business rival then, but now, he’s the man marrying your cousin. Don’t you forget that.” “I know.” He said, “As long as he doesn’t come after me, I’m fine with having him around.” “Well, it was part of his profession.” I said, “I’m sure things will be different now. Why don’t we just forget what happened and make a fresh start?” “Of course, that must come easy to you, right, dear? Making a fresh start everytime life gets inconvenient.” Alfred chimed in, “Just like your mother. What a dear soul she was.” Although his words were intended to be kind, nobody missed the hidden undertone of it.
We were having breakfast in their backyard this morning, and my eyes were just wandering around as Enzo conversed with my grandparents. The Ashford’s estate back in the states was one thing and here in Sicily was completely another. To say it was magnificent would be an understatement. It was a huge property amidst which lay the house that we were staying at that could easily house 250 guests I think. It was built in a true European style with no compromise on the size and the quality.“Cassie?” I heard Enzo's voice, and when I turned toward him, he was already giving me an amused smile. I guess it was not the first time he was calling me. “I’m sorry, yes?” “Mr Ashford has some good news to share with you.” “Is it?” I said, turning toward him. “Yes, dear.” He said, “Turns out, your mother and mother-in-law are not going to make it to the engagement.” I widened my eyes at that, “What? How did you manage that?” “Well, all thanks to your father, I must say.” He said, “He learned