𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 | 𝟏

I keep my eyes averted to the ground as Dane gets closer, his expensive dress shoes ringing out like a gunshot in a void room. His thumb runs under my left eye, my wet mascara smearing along the rough pad of his finger.

"Look at me."

My eyes flutter open as I blink up at him, my jaw clenched with anger, withholding the urge to slap his hand away. "What are you doing here?" I grit out.

His darkened eyes look down at the wedding gown, grimacing as if it's a punishment aimed at him. "Tying up loose ends." His other hand grips my waist, the scratchy corset scraping against my hip.

My breath hitches in my throat, and I see a teasing smirk creeping onto his lips. "Oh, don't tell me this still affects you, uccellino?" He tsks, removing his hand from my waist and grabbing my ponytail.

He smoothes his hand along the tendrils, before gripping just a little harder, tugging my face closer to his. "Don't tell me that you're here, giving into my touch while your 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 is standing at the alter." He whispers against my ear lowly.

............

𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐱, 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧.

𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫.

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐱 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦.

𝐍𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐦