Chapter 21

GISELLE

"Who are you?" I asked when I couldn't take the silence between me and this man I knew nothing about. "You look familiar."

"And you look nothing like the girl I took out on a date," he shot back with a smile.

This close to him, I could see the color of his eyes, a dark brown that was almost black, framed by long lashes, a contrast to Nicholas's silver eyes, and long, thick lashes. He had a pearl earring in his left ear, but aside from that, he was free of any piercings. 

Unlike Nicholas… 

I stopped myself before I made another comparison between them. What was wrong with me? They were both handsome in their way, but Nicholas was in a league of his own, a dark, intriguing beauty that…

I cursed myself. There I went again putting Nicholas on a damn pedestal.

"We went out on a date?"

"Yes. It wasn't really a date. More like I pretended to be your date so you wouldn't be lonely."

"When was this?"

"Prom."

Prom. 

My eyes bulged out of my head. "Oh, my God, your name is spelled N-i-c minus the k." I laughed at the memory. That was how he introduced himself to me when we first met at prom.

After the car accident, rumors of me being responsible for it spread around, and I became the pariah at school. No one wanted to date or hang out with the murderer, so I had no friends or a date to prom.

Nic dropped off his little sister, and when he saw me heading home before the party even began, he offered to be my date. The only reason I attended the party at all was because Cara convinced me to. All eyes had been on us that night, and he had been a great companion.

He smirked at me. "It's been a long time, Principessa."

"Your sister's name is Caterina, right? How is she?"

"A pain in the ass like always, but she couldn't make it tonight."

"Oh. I didn't know you were a part of the mafia," I whispered.

"Why are we whispering 'the mafia'?" Nic mimicked my tone, his eyes dancing with amusement. "We're surrounded by criminals."

I blushed at my stupidity, making Nic laugh.

"Don't be embarrassed, Principessa. You look cute."

I couldn't resist the urge to wave my wedding ring in front of him. "I'm a married woman. You shouldn't flirt with a Capo's wife unless you find this world no longer worth living in."

"Nah, I could take Nicholas on. Besides, he doesn't deserve you. The son of a bitch only married you for revenge."

So, everyone knew why we were married. The strange urge to defend Nicholas washed over me. "Nicholas is a good man. He's just misunderstood. Plus, it's not like everyone here got married for love. There was a business motive underneath every union."

"True. If he doesn't treat you well, then it's his loss for not seeing how priceless you and your heart are. I know you're not built for this world, so if you need to escape, you can come to me for help. No one has to know. I saw the excitement in your eyes when you talked about your life's dreams and freedom. Nicholas can never be that man for you."

These were words I thought I'd be excited to hear - a shot at freedom - but why did I feel dead inside?

I faked a smile. "Thank you, Nic."

"I never told you my full name. It's Nicolo. Nicolo D'Onofrio, and you look stunning tonight, Principessa."

Nicolo D'Onofrio. He was the son of Fabiano D'Onofrio, if I didn't get his father's name wrong.

"Thank you, Nicolo. Can I take a quick bathroom break?"

He stepped away from me with a grin. "Sure. I'll be here for the next dance."

He waved me off as I turned on my heels. I stopped a waiter to ask for the restroom, and I made my way there. I didn't need to use the bathroom, but I needed a break from the chaos in that hall.

When I regained my composure, I walked out of the restroom, and just as I closed the door, I heard a sob inside. I paused, waiting to know if I'd been hearing things, but I heard the sob again.

Someone was crying in the stall. I had no idea what prompted me to go back in there and knock on the door, but I did, and when the door opened, my little sister walked out, the tears dried off her face like she hadn't been crying.

"Cara! I didn't know you were here. I thought you had school." I pulled her into my arms, tears welling up in my eyes. I missed her so much, and I was allowed zero contact with her while away. "God, I've missed you. Mother said you were drowning in schoolwork, so I wasn't able to see you when I came back."

"Giselle." She burst into fresh tears, tightening her grip around my torso. "I've missed you so much."

"What's wrong?" This wasn't about missing me. This was so much more than that. "You can talk to me, Cara. What happened?"

"Lucia wants me to get married to Eduardo."

The world around me stopped for a second. Mother wanted her to get married to Eduardo. I pulled away from her.

"That isn't possible. You have it all wrong, Cara. She promised me. She promised me she'd take care of you if I married Nicholas. That's the only reason I got married to Nicholas."

"Lucia lied. I haven't been attending school. She has kept me at home since school resumed weeks ago. They're preparing me for Eduardo."

My heart shattered into a million pieces. Mother and Father were marrying off an eighteen-year-old old to a man who was old enough to be her father.

"I'm so sorry, Cara." Tears slid down my cheeks involuntarily. "I swear I didn't know. I would have done something sooner. I thought mother would keep her promise." Jokes on me for believing her.

"It's too late now."

"What do you mean?"

Cara put her hand forward. A diamond ring adorned her finger. A fucking engagement ring!

"We're engaged." Fury replaced the tears. The ring wasn't the only thing that fanned this fury in me. Nope. The bruises around both of her wrists were also a part. "Who did this to you?" I asked, yanking the ring off.

"Eduardo had some men kidnap me out of my bedroom a week ago."

"They kidnapped you out of your bedroom?"

That was it for me. I stormed out of the bathroom with Cara hot on my heels. They crossed the fucking line. 

A bedroom was supposed to be a sacred place, a place where someone felt safe. It was just like a little cocoon or nest for humans.

"Giselle, calm down. I'm okay."

I stopped in my tracks, glaring at her through my tear-filled eyes. "Don't tell me to calm down, Cara. I swore I'd protect you until my dying breath, and I meant it. I'm putting a stop to this nonsense. You will not get married to Eduardo. Now shut up and let me handle this."

I continued walking, and Cara silently followed me until we burst into the main hall. I scanned the room for any sign of Eduardo, and I saw him at the other end of the room, having a conversation with my father.

My anger renewed with vigor. They were probably negotiating the marriage deal. I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the nasty looks thrown my way until I was standing behind Eduardo, the old, bald, round son-of-a-bitch who wanted to get married to Cara.

He turned around, and I did something that shocked the entire ballroom. The music stopped, the audience gasped, and Eduardo looked shocked.

I slapped him.