SCARLETT'S POV.
The sound of the knife hitting the floor echoed throughout the room, and next came the loud gasp from the old housekeeper.I fell lifeless back onto the bed and then the horror of what I'd just been about to do dawned on me.I had just been on the verge of stabbing myself because of this man. What the hell had come over me?I felt disappointed in myself as I thought about how everything I'd worked for in life would have all gone to waste if I hadn't stopped myself. Not only that, Dad and Mum would have been disappointed in me too if they found out that I'd given up just like that.I mean, there was still my dream of finishing college and then going to law school. Then there was my small cake business that had recently started blowing up, and there was Kevin. I couldn't take my life until I was certain that he was actually dead. And for some reason I just had faith in him still being life.All in all, what I'm saying is it was very unlike me. Suicide? Hell no.I was a survivor. I'd been told that since I was a kid by my parents and people around me. I couldn't let them all down by taking my life.Luca's loud chuckle suddenly shook me out of my thoughts and I glared at him with hatred burning in my eyes."Why did you stop?" He rose a mocking eyebrow. "Lemme guess, you have big dreams that you don't want to give up on? You wanted to end your life because of your boyfriend right, silly girl?""You're a freak," I spat at him, feeling my body shake with the hatred I felt towards him. "You won't get away with this, I promise you.""Oh, no Princess," he tsked. "I have already gotten away with it, you just don't wanna accept that." He turned towards the housekeeper and motioned for her to grab me and she did.The woman was way older than me and definitely weaker, but in that moment I had zero energy left in me to fight back, so I just stayed silent as she tied my wrists back to the headboard. Thankfully it wasn't too tight this time."Make sure she eats something before her parents arrive," Luca said to her, placing his hands in his pocket and getting ready to leave. When he reached the door, he turned back and added, "and before I forget, make sure to get her into the dress. I want her down as fast as possible.""The dress?" I questioned, confused. "What dress is he talking about?" I directed the question to the housekeeper when Luca left us.The woman smiled at me like she hadn't just witnessed her boss act like a narcissistic asshole. Like his behaviour was perfectly fine. "It's your wedding dress, dear. I'm guessing he wants to speed up the process.""What?" I yelled. "Why would I need a wedding dress? That is not how marriage works, how can I marry him so quickly?""I don't know my dear, that's how the big boss is," she looked kind of sorry as she said this. "He's a hard-headed man and when you piss him off, there's no limit to the things he can do."Her words sent shivers down my spine and I realised that I must've indeed pissed Luca Nicholas off for him to be acting this way.I felt pathetic. I couldn't bring myself to commit suicide and I also couldn't bear to imagine the kind of life that I was about to start living. A voice inside still kept telling me that this was not the end, and I was going to find a way out of this eventually, but as I thought back to Luca's harsh personality and actions, the voice kept getting smaller and smaller until it finally varnished and left me hopeless.A few minutes later when I'd finally begrudgingly decided to eat the fruits, a bulky man came into the room and locked the door behind him. I was confused with why he was just standing there until I thought about all my attempts to escape and I understood why he was here.Luca had sent him here to make sure I didn't try anything funny again. The truth was, I didn't even need anybody to watch over me at that moment, I literally had no more power in me to fight. He'd finally rendered me weak and hopeless and with the way things were looking, I didn't see myself ever getting back strong on my feet again."I'll go get the dress," the housekeeper said before getting up and making her way out of the room, leaving me in awkward silence with the bulky man.Two minutes later she arrived with a plain white dress in her arms and dumped it on the bed, beside me."You need to get dressed quickly, dear."I eyed the material, thinking about all the reasons why the situation was just wrong. I wanted to object and act stubborn but then I couldn't muster up the strength so I just let it be."I'm not changing while he's here though," I pointed towards the bulky man who had the most serious expression on his face, and the woman gestured for him to leave.And so, ten minutes later I was dressed in the white dress with a white bow that the housekeeper whose name I'd found out to be Grace, had practically forced on my head. According to her it made me look less grumpy than I was.I stared back at my reflection in the mirror and I felt nauseated. I looked like a train wreck. Who would've thought that I'd ever look like this on my wedding day?My eyes were puffy from all the tears I'd shed and there was an ugly bruise on my forehead that I'd gotten when Luca's men had tripped me earlier. On the overall, I looked nothing like a bride."Fix up your expression and you'd be perfect," Grace whispered to my ear and hooked her arms around mine. Then she called out to the bulky man to come in and he wasted no time in coming over and grabbing me harshly."What is your problem, man? At least be gentle," I frowned, feeling the sting his palms left on my already sore wrists. Thankfully he softened his hold and pulled me out of the room, taking me down the extravagant looking stairs until we got to the living room.I gasped when I saw my parents both seated on individual chairs, looking uncomfortable and scared as bulky men in black stood beside them."Mum, Dad are you alright?" I called, wanting to go over and hug them but the man stopped me from moving.Dad let out a weak smile as he looked at me, seeming utterly embarassed and disappointed in himself. "Scarlett, I'm so so sorry my dear. I'm so sorry that they had to do this to you while we did nothing about it."My heart crunched as I took in the tears in Mom's eyes as she stared at me. "No, Dad. You people did your best. You don't have to feel bad about anything, okay? We're a family and I understand that this wasn't your intention for me. The real culprit is that bastard..."The room went dead silent and I immediately knew that Luca had entered the room. I turned around, to see his annoying face and to my surprise he'd really cleaned up nicely.He was dressed in an expensive looking charcoal coloured suit and his wavy hair was styled to perfection, making him look like one of those models I used to like seeing in magazines. But despite how good looking he was it didn't change the fact that he was a literal piece of shit and an overall evil human being.As usual he had this dark and cold expression on his face as he stared at me, and I reciprocated the energy with even more fire."Normally I'd want to take you on because of what you said, but right now," he paused, taking a look at his expensive looking wristwatch. "We have more important things to do.""The lawyer says he would be here soon, so get yourself prepared everyone," he said like he was announcing something that everyone had been waiting for. He even had the nerve to clap his hands like he was excited."You're a psycho, Luca," I said through gritted teeth. "Honestly, what you need isn't a wife right now but a therapist. You're twisted and completely sick in the head," I made my voice so serious, hoping to convey how much I meant my words but Luca didn't even mind.He was smirking instead. "Come on now, you shouldn't be saying that just a few minutes to becoming my wife, little girl. And you know I'm only being nice to you guys because I have a..." His phone started ringing in his pocket and he held his hand up as if telling everyone to shut up.""Oh yes, he'll let you in," he said into the phone before hitting the end button and stuffing the phone back into his pocket."So, the lawyer is here," he jammed his hands together with a sick smirk on his face. "Now the fun can start. Bring him in boys," he snapped his fingers and to say I was shocked with who I saw next was an understatement.SCARLETT'S POV.The moment Luca's lips touched mine, I melted into a puddle. My knees had gone weak and I feared they were going to buckle soon if I wasn't careful. Damn. The man knew how to kiss. He made sure that he ravaged my mouth with intensity, showing me with the kiss just how much he really wanted me. From my face, his hands travelled to my spine and then all the way back up to my hair and then he pulled. Shit, the force of the action caused a sting, but it was sweet. The pain was delicious. I loved it. He continued to kiss my mouth like his life depended on it until he decided that he'd had enough of it and wanted to taste my neck. Once his mouth touched there, I straight up melted into him, to the point he had to hold me up. "Woah," he laughed, amsued. "I haven't even touched you. You don't even know all the things I have planned for you.""Stop being cocky and kiss me," I demanded, pulling him back to my mouth and he let out a satisfactory growl."You're so damn sexy,
SCARLETT'S POV. THREE HOURS LATER. The party had started to get heated. People were popping in from every corner now. And the place started to get a bit crowded and tight. Many had decided to go out to the garden but it still felt like we were at a concert or something. It had been a bad choice Matt had made to organise the party at the house. The set-up was beautiful no doubt but it was becoming too suffocating. Or maybe it was just my body's reaction to Luca sitting beside me on our table.The rest of the guest looked like they didn't mind at all. Maybe it was just me actually. "So, how has therapy been?" Luca's voice sounded so close to my ear and I practically jumped in my seat, embarassing myself further. "It's been really good," I smiled tightly. "Uhh... The therapist has been really good and understanding. I-I feel like a totally different person now."I could remember giving him the same response some time ago when he'd asked. Shit. Why was I acting that way?And where t
SCARLETT'S POV. Abby arrived not long after and after we were both done getting ready and checking each other out, we said goodbye to mum and headed for the venue in an Uber. Matt's two storey house was flooded with people when we got in, it was crazy that the guy knew that much people. "Shit, this is way more than I expected," Abby said, looking around the garden that was filled with several cooperate looking people. "Yeah thank god that you convinced me to wear this dress," I said, looking at the dresses of the other women aroun. It was like we'd come for some sort of fashion show or something. "Exactly why you should always trust my opinions," she smiled, smoothing down the skirt of her royal blue dress. She looked amazing actually in that dress and her hair slicked back. We both looked amazing actually. "Come on let's go inside," I pulled her hand and we both walked with our heads held high into the house where soft music was playing from the speakers. "Sheesh, nice design,
SCARLETT'S POV.FIVE MONTHS LATER. This was the fifth time I'd checked my appearance out in the mirror and I was still nervous. God, why did the thought of him still make me so nervous? I finally made up my mind that I looked really good in the dress. It was a red dress that Abby had picked out for me two weeks after I'd been discharged from the hospital. It had been crazy expensive and I'd wanted to abandon it because I couldn't pay, but then Abby had offered to pay, saying that it was a gift to me, celebrating my release from the hospital and the fact that I could finally walk on my own two feet. I'd been discharged from the hospital way earlier than the doctor had expected. The doctor had told us that my case was very special and unusual, and he'd never seen anything quite like it before. He'd made sure that I'd spent another two weeks extra in the hospital just to make sure that there were no further complications. And finally after a whole month and a half of being in the hosp
LUCA'S POV.After Belle left I stayed for a while outside, watching the sky as it got darker and darker. I kept thinking about Isabella and dad, and everything that had happened, but this time I found that the more I thought about it, the more I started to see Belle's point clearly. That was the problem, I was holding onto the pain and bitterness for too long, I didn't even know how to stop doing it. I'd thought I was ready let it all go for Scarlett, but today had made me realise that there was still a part of me that wanted to be mad at her, at somebody for everything. It wasn't fair at all to Scarlett. She didn't deserve to get hate for something that she knew nothing about. After a little more time reflecting, I slapped my palms and decided that I had to go talk to her. About everything. Just let it all out. And see where we can go from there. I made my way back to the room where I saw Marilyn and Scarlett hugging from the glass doors. Abby just stood watching them with tears i
LUCA'S POV. On getting outside, I bumped into a nurse that was carrying a tray and we both let out string of curses. "Shit I'm sorry," I said, getting down to help her pick up her tray. "I'm so sorry."She picked up the last piece of equipment and looked up at me. "It's fine. Why are you in such a hurry anyways? Is the hospital on fire?"I turned down my lips. "No of course not.""Then why did you almost knock me all the way to hell?" She asked, smirking. "And why do you look like a wounded puppy?""I'm just in a really shitty mood, I don't even know how to feel," I said, wondering after I'd said it, why. Why did I just tell her that? The nurse balanced her tray and gave me a look of sympathy. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" I thought about it for a long while and decided, "no, not everything at least."The nurse smiled. She had such kind eyes and an equally kind smile, funny enough, she kind of reminded me of Isabella so much. They had so much similarities in their facial