"I'm 24, actually..." I corrected her, feeling embarrassed.“Well, that makes it so much better. Twenty-four and thirty-four—no power imbalance there at all, right?” Clara said sarcastically. “Can you understand where I’m coming from? Lucius has been through it all. One time he got involved in a famous celebrity cult; another time, he got hooked on some underground street-fighting thing. Are you really ready to marry a man like that?”Now I fully understood. The irresponsibility and wild nature of Lucius’s life were overwhelming. Being with him was a huge gamble, but I couldn’t ignore what being with him entailed. Lucius didn’t just drive me crazy physically—he had also helped me a lot financially. And this was a business arrangement. It was about money, appearances, and revenge.I was tired of being stepped on, and if being with him gave me power, I would take it. No matter the cost.“All I hear you talking about is his past, Clara. I haven’t heard a single bad thing about him in
"Is the mask finally dropping?""It’s not a mask—it’s my life. Marrying you is a risk that needs to be reassessed. I wasn’t aware of the danger involved before, but now I am. What do you say to that?""How much do you want?" Lucius responded bitterly."$100,000 a year, tax-free," I tossed out a number that was double what I earned annually. It was a lot of money for me, but for him, probably not so much.I couldn’t tell if it was disappointment or childish rage in his eyes, but either way, Lucius ripped the contract in half and threw it behind him."You’ll get your money. Now, come down for dinner," he muttered, his tone bitter as he walked ahead.A nasty taste lingered in my throat. I felt guilty, scared, but also relieved. Money—this was all about money, appearances, and sex. I needed to keep that in mind if I wanted to survive the world I’d thrown myself into.-With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I followed his order and headed downstairs. I traced Lucius’s steps until
Breaking out of an uncomfortable hug with so many eyes on you was no easy task. Thankfully, I felt a firm hand pulling me away from my future father-in-law. Lucius gripped my arm, drawing me back, while pushing Liam’s shoulder to create distance.“Control yourself. Don’t ever put your hands on her again,” Lucius warned his father darkly.“I was just saying hello,” Liam defended himself, turning to me. “Wasn’t I just saying hello, Marianne?”“Y-yes, you were…” I stammered, completely thrown off.“I like you,” he slurred, leaning in closer to me.The stench of alcohol on his breath was overwhelming, and I wasn’t the only one cringing at his behavior. A quick glance at Lucia and Clara confirmed they were just as embarrassed as I was.But when I looked at Lucius, I was surprised by what I saw. There was no sign of discomfort or shame on his face—just a cold, long-standing resentment that seemed to have been brewing for decades. It wasn’t something that shocked him anymore; it was som
"I’m going to turn in early tonight," Liam announced.As he left, I noticed he had barely touched his food, but no one made an effort to stop him. Lucius, distant and cold throughout the dinner, finished his meal without a word."Wasn’t that a bit harsh?" I whispered to him.Lucius shot me a look so sharp and irritated that it made me uneasy. He swallowed his last bite, tossed his napkin onto his plate, and stood up abruptly."Leonardo, we need to talk. Now," he commanded, storming off.The rest of us at the table exchanged confused glances. Leonardo, calm as ever and seemingly used to his cousin’s outbursts, rose from his seat without fuss."I’ll be back in a few minutes. Please, enjoy dessert, Marianne. It’s always a hit with our guests—our pastry chef is otherworldly," he said kindly before following Lucius.I offered him a smile as he left, though my attention was drawn more to the scene unfolding between the two cousins. Despite the alluring sight of the decadent dessert—a
My throat burned and my heart raced uncontrollably, all thanks to the scare Lucius just gave me.“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!” I snapped, completely frazzled.He looked at me, perplexed, and dropped my hand.“If you die, it’ll be your own fault. All I did was grab your hand. Why aren’t you at dinner?” he asked, suspicious.“Because… because I needed to go to the bathroom. I got lost on the way back,” I explained, trying to mask my nervousness at being caught snooping.“How could you get lost? There’s no way to get lost here.”I’d like to know that myself, but I just shrugged, pretending not to understand. He let the matter drop, and we returned to the dining room, where Leonardo was already seated, ready to finish dessert.Even the conversation between the cousins didn’t seem to encourage Lucius to engage with the rest of us at the table. If anything, it felt like he was even more distant now. Leonardo too seemed quieter than before.-I buttoned up my pajamas a
"Do you think they’ll work things out before we leave?" I asked Lucia as I shook a rattle in front of Levi, who was mesmerized by the colors."They always do. This weekend has actually been pretty calm for our standards, especially with Lucius’s fiancée in the house. It’s a big deal," she joked."Were you expecting something worse than this? How bad could it have gotten?" I laughed.Lucia hesitated for a moment before giving in and confiding in me with a conspiratorial tone."Well, you could’ve been haunted by a ghost or… some living person."My face must have been a picture because it felt like both those things had already happened to me, but I was in denial. I laughed nervously, pretending her joke didn’t affect me. Lucia seemed happier with my reaction. Looking at her and these adorable, smiling babies, I couldn’t imagine how they lived in such a place."You and Leonardo, with the kids—you’re such a young family. Have you ever thought about moving somewhere… more modern?" I a
I had a lot of experience with wedding planning, thanks to my failed attempt at marrying Andrew. That experience gave me a taste of what it was like, and I used that knowledge to organize my wedding with Lucius.Having an unlimited budget made things easier, but there was still a lot to plan and manage. In just a couple of weeks, I had to choose the reception venue, pick my wedding dress, decide on the decorations, select the music, the menu, and countless other details.To my surprise, the wedding I put together wasn’t grander than Amanda’s. It was smaller, more personal, filled with things I genuinely liked. This time, I didn’t have to worry about winning Serge’s approval or being “too ordinary” for my future in-laws. I focused on myself, a little bit of Jenna, and our vision of what Lucius might like.Of course, Lucius was still playing it cool, claiming he was busy with work. I didn’t really believe him. Analyzing his behavior over the past few days wouldn’t help me now, not whe
I still thought it was too soon for Amanda to be pregnant by my ex under these circumstances, but I bit my tongue. I was supposed to have moved on, living the dream with Lucius.“It could be, but our wedding will be something intimate and private. We won’t have as many guests as you did,” I mentioned, thanking the server who brought me my coffee.“Intimate and private, and yet you invited my parents?” Andrew asked through gritted teeth.Oops. Guilty as charged. I had indeed invited my ex-in-laws just to show them what they were missing and, of course, to get under Amanda’s skin. As Lucius said, I couldn’t let go of this revenge.“Aren’t we family? It would’ve been unacceptable not to invite them,” I boasted with a malicious smile, sipping my coffee.Internally, I was dying of laughter at the hateful look Andrew gave me. I also enjoyed the way my dad nodded approvingly at my decision.“There’s something I still don’t understand, sister… When are we going to shop for your wedding d