Chapter 008

CHAPTER 8

The worst day if my life was finally here. I blinked rapidly to keep the tears that threatened to fall at bay.

I had always thought marriage to be something sacred. My hopes for my dream wedding which exceeded the clouds had crashed before my eyes.

The dreams of my mother pecking my forehead in the dressing room before I walked to the altar. Her arms linked around mine as she led me to the altar, mocking my father wherever he was. The man with the key to my heart at the end of the altar smiling and even tearing up as I walked towards him. It had all disappeared like smoke in the wind.

Now, I was a stranger at my own wedding. I took Isabella’s hands as she led me out of the to the altar. I walked with my head bowed, staring sideways at the unfamiliar sea of faces seated on the pews as I walked to the altar where Luca stood.

Alonso obviously was repulsed by my very presence to walk the down the aisle like he was supposed to.

They all wore serious faces as they stared at me. It would seem to a stranger that this was just a regular business meeting.

I walked the rest of the journey to the altar myself as Isabella returned to her seat beside her sour husband.

As I stopped by the altar, I caught sight of Luca and as usual, my cheeks burned in embarrassment at how dashing he looked despite my situation. Shaking my head, I rid myself of the thoughts.

The priest cleared his throat before carrying on with the usual questions as there was obviously no vows. “Do you, Marta Stewart, take Luca Castillo to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

I raised a brow slightly. Marta Stewart was the name I had agreed to use for this mission. A sigh of relief escaped my lips. This was just a mission and the sooner I went through it, the better.

A small crease appeared on Luca’s forehead at my brief delay.

“I do,” I affirmed, my tone coming out sharper than I intended, suppressing a smirk. Luca was in for a shock if he thought he alone had something to gain from this wedding. I would be smiling at him in jail soon if I played my cards right.

The priest repeated the question to Luca to which he responded “I do” in a heartbeat.

“You may now kiss the bride,” the priest’s voice floated into my ears, making me freeze in my thoughts. I had forgotten about this part.

I caught sight of a tiny smirk on Luca’s face as he lifted my veil and wrapped his arms around my waist.

My heart raced as mixed feelings coursed through me. His muscular arms around me gave a tiny sense of security. His tantalizing cologne also had me intoxicated for a split second. But he was still criminal.

I found myself slightly leaning back, repulsed but he pressed his hand to my back, pulling me closer. In a very sudden contact, his lips covered mine.

I drew in a sharp breath. I didn’t expect his lips to feel so good on mine. I felt myself drawn into his allure but the kiss unfortunately wasn’t longer than three seconds.

He pulled away sharply and I gathered myself together. It was just a kiss even if it felt like pure bliss. After that, the wedding blurred into the reception where Luca basically talked to men in suits, leaving me seated idly on the loveseat meant for the both of us.

I watched in boredom, taking note of the interactions Luca was having with the guests. No doubt they were shady deals. Everything about his world was shady anyway.

Soon enough, I was escorted to the limousine that was to take us home with no sign of Luca.

“Don has work to do, madam. He says he will meet you a home,” the driver responded to me when I asked him about Luca. He said no more to me as he sped to the place that would be my new home for the rest of my mission.

I exhaled. I didn’t expect any better from him. This marriage was obviously a joke. Besides, it saved me the horror of a ‘wedding night.’

Tiredness weighed down on me as I headed to my room, bunching my wedding around me. Upon entering my room, I slipped out of the wedding dress into a causal nightwear and sunk on my bed.

I let out a breath to relieve the tension in my bones when a note peeking from the side of the table in the room caught my attention. I was certain it wasn’t there before.

Curiously, I grabbed it and heading to the closet to read it. Instantly, I recognized it to be from Trevor. It read: ‘Happy married life, agent. You’re in the perfect position to dig for more clues. Don’t let the agency down. Good luck. Destroy this as soon as you’re done reading this.’

I let out a shaky breath as I held onto the letter for a moment like it would save me from the mess that I was in.

A knock at my door made me straighten up and shred the letter and shove the pieces down the drainage before walking back to the room.

“Come in,” I murmured, desperately hoping it was not Luca.

The door opened to reveal Sophia, she had brought dinner. I let out a sigh of relief. I had been doing a lot of that today.

“Sophia,” I breathed out.

She gave me a small smile. “Is everything okay, madam?” she asked, staring intensely at me.

I shook my head wryly. “It’s nothing. Just thought you were Luca.”

She gave me an understanding look. “I understand that you’re scared, madam. He can be quite terrifying.” Her expression turned grim. “I’ll just advise you not to do anything to make him mad. He does a lot of crazy things when he is mad.”

My brows dipped in confusion. ‘Crazy things?”

She bowed her head, turning to leave. “I should leave. Forget I said anything, madam.”

But curiosity gnawed at my insides. Her reports about Luca could be useful in my mission. “I thought we were friends, Sophia. Please tell me so that he won’t do them to me.”

She looked hesitant for a moment before bowing her head to the ground as well.

“He tortures people in the cell in the basement. Many maids and servant who have ever dared disobey him have been dismembered by him. He’s almost a psychopath. Please watch your steps around him. It would hurt to see your life wasted,” she muttered, her voice shaky. “I should leave,” she spoke up.

“Wait,” I protested, holding her hands. “Really?”

The sound of the door slamming against its hinges as it was flung open made us both jump.

I turned to the door to see Luca, still in his white shirt from the wedding but his jacket was gone. To my horror, red stained dotted his shirt and even his hands. My eyes widened. Was that blood?

Sophia was transfixed to the spot, trembling.

“Get out!” He ordered to her; his voice laced with annoyance. “And shut the door behind you.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. She scrambled out, shutting the door behind her.

I shrunk back under his intense gaze. My heart raced as he slowly stalked towards me. A part of me felt he was about to spill my blood like the ones on his body. Perhaps, he had heard my conversation with Sophia. The other part of me could read the lust in his eyes as he made his way towards me.

I let out a shaky breath as my back hit the wall and he continued advancing towards me like a predator towards a prey...