Deadly Vows**PUBLISHED**

Chapter 2

Elise

5 Years Later

I feel at peace when I play. It is the one thing in my life that I have control over, playing music. I've learned to play several instruments over my lifetime, but there is something about the violin that gives me a feeling of peace like no other. My fingers move expertly over the strings, letting the melody wash over the room while simultaneously washing away the remnants of this hell that I am living in. Five years felt like such a long time, with so many milestones between then and now. But it has flown by in the blink of an eye with my wedding taking place in less than a week.

After five years, I still have yet to meet the man I am soon to marry. I was hoping that over time he would find a much more suitable candidate than me, but the stranger that he is, he is also attentive to my life. Unlike my father who has ignored my existence, Luca sends flowers every birthday, holiday, and recital. I sometimes wonder if he secretly attended, making the decision to never reveal that he was there. It made me uneasy at the time, but I learned to channel that unease into happiness. It was my time to be my own woman and he respected that, even if he never met me for a different reason. But our engagement party is being held this weekend at my family home meaning that my time pretending he doesn't exist has come to an end.

I had hoped Luca's reputation would die down over the years, especially since he was aware of our union. But it only got worse somehow. He is a merciless man who rarely lets anyone live once they have crossed him. It is as my father said years ago, the target will soon move to his back. And by that time they hope he will have a family to carry on the Pasquino legacy. But in the meantime, he seems intent on establishing a reputation not to cross him.

Instead of flipping the page of my sheet music, I allow myself to be carried by the melody. I've memorized this piece, as it is the sheet music for an upcoming audition. My eyes flutter closed and I continue to sway back and forth behind the music stand. A smile forms on my lips as I continue to play, my worries disappearing. I'm in a place no one can ever find and ruin. I am in a sanctuary. I finally finish the melody, pulling my violin away from my chin just as loud clapping erupts off the walls.

I whip in the direction of the applause to see none other than my future husband standing in the doorway. He's dressed in a crisp, dark blue suit that fits his lean frame flatteringly. Handsome is an understatement, and I find myself growing irritated with the paparazzi photos of him that don't do him justice. His dark hair is pushed neatly away from his face, curling at the ends with a few stray hairs tickling his forehead. His face is clean-shaven giving me a stunning view of the sharp accent of his jaw as he smiles at me, revealing a perfect set of teeth. His eyes are so piercing, they look gray in the natural light as he looks down at me, his gaze roaming over me in interest.

His expression makes me want to squirm under the intensity of it. Although he's smiling, something about him seems unnatural.

"So I finally get to meet my bride. You are stunning."

A blush creeps up my neck from his words. Stunning is an exaggeration. At five foot four, I am no model. I'm short, with dark hair that falls to my waist in loose waves and my eyes are dark green with shades of brown in them. But the way this man looks at me, you would believe his words.

"Thank you," I murmur.

He laughs softly as he steps around me, his attention falling to the sheet music. He gently touches the pages, flipping them himself. The way his eyes move over the page, I can't help but wonder if he knows how to read music.

"That was a beautiful melody you were playing." His fingers drift over the title, his brow furrowing as he takes in the title.

"I didn't know you had a recital," he says looking at me.