𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 | ✎

𝖙𝖜𝖔

☊ love drought
beyoncé

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"I'M GOING TO UNLOCK your cuffs. Make a single move and you'll be shot."

I rolled my eyes, tired of all these empty threats. In fact, I was tempted to bring the gun to my temple myself - really give them something to get their blood pressures going.

They could hurt me, sure, but clearly I was needed alive and well since none of them had laid a hand on me in the last twelve hours.

The villa we were now parked in front of had a red bricked roof with lime wash coloured walls. A stone pathway lead towards the main entrance.

We had definitely crossed France's border a long time ago. Besides Spain, there was only one other possibility as to where our location could be; Italy.

I was stopped just in front of the door. The sun was glaring down. I was dehydrated, starved and being forced to marry into the Italian Mafia; clearly, I living the soft life.

When the door was finally opened, my shoulders bunched with tension until I noted a small face, rosy cheeks and large, doll-like eyes. The young girl smiled timidly and I felt my lips twitch until a grin pulled at my lips.

She quickly hid behind the door once more and a suited man appeared. With a sharp cut jawline and waves of dark blonde hair, he was strikingly handsome. Holding my gaze, he assessed me before addressing one of the men surrounding me.

They spoke in hushed Italian; I tried to translate but lost track. When they'd finished speaking, I was gripped by the arm and hauled into what seemed like a foyer. This villa wasn't as grand as the one in France, but it was still large.

I didn't have enough time to take it in when a beautiful woman began walking down the staircase. She had dark rivulets of hair flowing past her shoulders and a youthful face paired with the warm eyes of a mother.

"Saluti [ Welcome ] !" she spoke with a volume and enthusiasm I was too tired to deal with. "You must be Arya?"

She barely waited for an answer, leaning in to kiss both cheeks. "My name is Adriana - I'm Alessandro's sister." I didn't bother to fake interest as she walked over to the suited man and looped an arm through his waist.

"This is my husband, Raffaelo," he nodded in respect and I turned my attention to the younger baby with beautiful hazel eyes that hesitantly sought mine. "Gianna, don't be shy." Adriana nudged her forward with a smile but Gianna gaped silently.

Adriana and Raffaelo held each other's eye and an invisible message was passed between them. All of a sudden, Raffaelo picked Gianna into his arms and excused himself, mumbling an excuse of having to change her diapers.

Yeah right, I thought. Most made men couldn't even put the diaper on the right way round. 

"Can I speak with her?" Adriana asked the men who'd been shuffling impatiently behind me. "Privately?" They glanced at each other with uncertainty.

They didn't move at first. After a brief moment, they broke out of formation and left the foyer till it was just the two of us.

Adriana inhaled. "Much better." Her brows furrowed. "I'm sorry. I know you didn't have a choice in the whole of this, but there's little I can do. And trust me, I've said my said piece."

I shrugged. I'd been awaiting something like this since I was young - why else would I have tried to escape?

She tutted under her breath as if having read my thoughts. "They treat us women like trophies. Anyone in their right mind would run too if they were in your position."

I really wasn't in the mood for small talk. Or any talking, for that matter. It had been a long 48 hours.

"Why am I here?" I blurted.

"Have you not been told?" When she saw my confused expression, she shook her head. "Of course they didn't." She turns and begins ascending the staircase. "Your dress was ordered months in advance. It only just arrived here last night."

After a while, I decide to follow her. Then it clicks in my brain what she just said. "What?" I blink, praying this didn't mean what I think it meant. "Which dress?"

Adriana didn't hear the last part as she was at the top. Once I had levelled with her, we entered the first room on our right. It seemed like an extra walk-in wardrobe, but there were only three items hanging from the wracks.

"Here it is." At the sound of Adriana's unzipping, my eyes searched for the dress and widened when they saw it.

What in the caucasity?

It was...

I had no words to describe it. Besides hideous.

The bodice was all lace, with a large bow sewn in the middle and long sleeves that puffed at the end. Attached to it was a large, frilly skirt made of...peacock feathers? I didn't know, and I didn't care. I wasn't letting that monstrosity on my body.

"I'm not wearing that." I say, my tone defiant. There was no way, in heaven or hell.

Adriana surprisingly nodded, shuddering as she stared at the dress. "I thought you wouldn't like it," chewing on her lip, she hesitated before adding, "There's one other option, but I wasn't sure if you'd like it."

I stayed quiet, letting her know I was willing to hear her out. Anything beat this devils corpse beside me.

"For my wedding I had three dresses fitted in case of emergencies. I wore one for the wedding and another for the reception, but the last I never got round to it. So, if you like it that is, you could - only if you wanted to, of cour-"

I quickly cut her off. "Yes. I want to see it." She let out a low breath before walking over to the last hanger.

I waited as she fumbled around, before pulling down the zip of the bag the dress was in.

It was a pure, porcelain white, with an A-line bustier corset top and a tight fitted skirt that morphed into a mermaid-like train. I couldn't lie to myself; it was breathtaking.

Adriana was carefully watching my reaction. I tried not to let my emotion show, taking time before finally admitting, "It's nice."

She clapped her hands and a bright smile caused her eyes to light up. "I knew you'd love it. They gave me your measurements and we're around the same size, too. Plus, anywhere it doesn't fit we can adjust."

"Excuse me?" I couldn't fathom what was going on. How had they been gathering information on me? How long had they been stalking me for? If it was possible, I'm sure the colour would've drained from my face.

"I was given your measurements a few months bac—" she paused and smiled apologetically, "I hope you don't mind."

The problem was I did. They'd been invading my privacy for months and I hadn't been cautious enough to see it.

"Why are you showing me this now if the wedding is in a couple weeks time?" I finally managed the only words processing in my mind.

Adriana's eyes flashed with realisation. "Those bastards." Her eyes filled with a pity I couldn't stand. "Didn't you know? The wedding is this weekend."

AUTHORS NOTE:

how did y'all find this book? i made a tiktok a while back but i deleted it so ik some of you might have found it from there but im curious ab the rest of yall