Scheming Heart (Available on Amazon Kindle)

Chapter 44

CLAUDIA

The news about the famous actress, Violet's pregnancy was still the favorite topic of the tabloids for the following weeks after Alfonso's public denial that he was the father. Some rags kept on digging about their relationship and spinning unbelievable tales that they thought would sell to the public.

While Alfonso and I still want to push our wedding to the date we chose. So even if he was still the hot topic of the tabloids we secretly planned our wedding. We're going to have a private wedding on the island owned by Luca, the Duke of Caprielle, on the Amalfi Coast. It was very different from what we first planned as a grand wedding here in Rome but due to the scandal in the papers, we decided to keep it simple and very much private with only a few people in attendance. I want to have the ceremony as soon as possible before my belly becomes too obvious.

I also felt like a famous movie star with all the secrecy of my wedding even my dress fitting was held in the walls of the Orsini manor. I still couldn't believe the power the Orsinis wielded just one phone call from designer houses and they were more than willing to send their latest collection of wedding dresses for me to fit.

As per tradition, my groom-to-be was exiled to the room forbidden to see me in my wedding dress until the day of the wedding. It would bring bad luck to our marriage if he saw me wearing a wedding dress before the actual ceremony.

They transformed one of the drawing rooms of this manor into a mini department store with an array of wedding dresses from different designer brands. My only job was to pick the wedding dress that I liked but I was not all alone in this massive room with endless choices of gowns. With me were my mother, my future mother-in-law, Gianna, and my best friend, Anna. They would help me decide the best gown for me.

I now realized that it was more tiring than I anticipated, changing wedding dress one after the other was exhausting not to mention that I had to parade myself in front of these ladies for their inspection.

From satins, lace, chiffon, organza, crepe, and dupioni I was dressed in each type of fabric and each style of wedding dress. I fell in love with the white long-sleeved lace wedding with a full skirt. The dress looks classic and timeless and when I slid into the gown it felt like it was made especially for me. It hugged my curves perfectly and even the women with me agreed to my assessment.

"Oh..." my mother's eyes were misted with tears, as she drew her hands together near her chest. "...my baby is so beautiful."

"Yes," Anna agreed, her eyes were also gleaming with tears. "You look like a princess, Claudia. That dress is perfect for you."

Gianna gave me two thumbs up with a grin on her face. I was so glad that they were on the same both as me regarding this wedding dress. I tried to ask the woman who works at the designer's house how much the wedding dress I know that it's beautiful but I am also aware that this thing might be pricey since it came from one of the famous brands that make wedding dresses. But the woman told me that they were under specific instruction that they didn't need to disclose the price of whatever design I chose and the groom's family would take care of it.

I made a face upon hearing that, I don't think I like the idea that the Orsinis would be paying for my wedding dress.

"Don't worry, dear." My future mother-in-law stepped in with a bright smile on her face. "Just choose the one you like among these pretty dresses and we'll take care of the bill." She presented me with a big velvet box. "I would love you to have this. It's a family heirloom every Orsini bride should inherit them."