Page 145 of Vicious Intentions
Ugh.
My mind is at war with my emotions, and for the life of me, I can’t get them to align.
Matteo is the first to step out of the car. I draw in a steady breath as he makes his way around to my side and opens the door, that same smile in place as he extends his hand.
Once he helps me out of the car, he hooks my arm through his, steering me toward the private elevator that leads to the penthouse. The doors slide open with a quiet chime, and Matteo guides me inside without a word. The moment I step in, the doors close behind us with a soft click that sounds far too final. Mirrors line every wall, trapping us in endless reflections, leaving nowhere to look that doesn’t lead back to him.
There’s no hiding in here.
No escape from the way he stands beside me, too close for comfort.
I try not to stare, but it’s impossible not to. After the long day we’ve had, not a single strand of his black hair is out of place. His suit remains immaculate, as if the hours haven’t touched him at all. And in his eyes, lingers that same unsettling glint from when he altered his vows at the altar.
From this day on, I promise to be the husband you deserve.
Whether you want me or not, I’m yours now.
The memory of his words has me looking away, only to catch my own reflection staring back at me from every angle. I’m nothing like him. My hair has come loose after I ditched the veil, my dress already creased, any trace of the carefully perfected image I once strived for long gone. As for my eyes, they are drained with exhaustion. Tired of fighting a battle I was never meant to win.
Standing beside him, reflected a hundred times over, the difference between us feels impossible to ignore. It’s staggering.
“I don’t think I told you,” he says, his gaze fixed on our reflection, “but my city has never seen a more beautiful bride.”
Again, Matteo sounds sincere, but I take the compliment with a grain of salt. Especially when every mirrored angle in this elevator proves otherwise. Besides, what if he’s only telling me this just so I’ll lower my guard? I can’t afford to let that happen. I need walls. High and unbreakable, stretching as far as the eye can see. Otherwise, I’m as good as done for.
All too soon, the elevator doors slide open, revealing two guards waiting outside.
“Boss,” they greet Matteo.
“Good evening, Mrs. Donato,” they add, turning to me.
Mrs. Donato.The name makes my skin crawl.
Matteo gives them a curt nod before opening the door for me, and I don’t miss how the smile he wore for me is nowhere in sight with them.
Come to think of it, whenever I stole a glance at him during the reception, his expression was always tight, his lips drawn into a hard line. Only when his attention was solely on me did his smile slip through. I don’t know what to do with that information, much less know how I’m supposed to feel about it.
“Come,” he says, releasing my arm only to thread his fingers through mine.
My heart starts racing as we walk down the hall and then up the stairs to the third floor. It picks up even more when, instead of leading me to my room, he stops in front of the door right across from it. Without a word, he opens it and gestures for me to step inside.
“What’s this?” I ask, staring at the large suite.
“This is our room,” he says, like it should be obvious.
“But… I have a room,” I stammer.
Matteo chuckles as if my remark amused him. “And now you have a new one. A bedroom we’ll share. As husband and wife.”
“What?!” Panic claws its way up my throat.
His smile fades instantly when he sees the horror on my face. Still, it doesn’t stop him from leading me inside.
“Your things have already been moved,” he says matter-of-factly, tilting his head toward one side of the room, where I assume all the clothes he bought me have been neatly put away. “I’ll give you a minute to shower and change. I have a few things to take care of in my office anyway. That should give you some privacy.” When I don’t say anything, he lets out an audible sigh. “It’s just a room, wife. Not a death sentence.”
I don’t move as he leans down and presses a kiss on the top of my head. It’s only when the door closes behind him that my knees give out.
I can’t believe this. He actually expects me to share a room with him. A bed.
