Page 311 of The Devil's Fire

“I need a gown for Lorenzo’s and Cara’s wedding.” I said, assuming she already knew about it.

“We need three new dresses for her.” Eleonora added, sipping her champagne.

“Three dresses for a wedding?” I asked.

“Just one dress for the wedding, honey. I want you to come with me to an event tomorrow, and for the third dress, Damiano asked me to get for the ceremony.”

“Damiano didn’t mention anything about a ceremony to me.” I remarked.

“Seems like time will tell. Now, up you go.” She chuckled and urged me towards Corinna.

Once Corinna took my measurements, she went to retrieve dresses for me to try. While we waited, I chatted with Eleonora and got to know her a bit more. She was such a warm soul, always had a soft expression, and a smile on her face.

“Are you okay, amore?” She held my hand in hers, looking worried.

“I am. I was just thinking about how you remind me of my mother.” I couldn’t help but smile sadly.

My throat would still tighten every time I thought of her, and the ache of missing her was overwhelming. Eleonora, sensing my emotions, mirrored my expression and pulled me into a comforting embrace, for which I was grateful.

“Alright, dear. Let’s have you try some gowns.”

I turned to Corinna, and my smile slowly faded when I saw she had returned with five large racks of dresses.

ninety-eight

Althaia

The entire experience of me trying on dresses gave me a strong sense of déjà vu. It sent me right down memory lane when I went dress shopping with Damiano. And now, his mother kept sending my ass back with a new dress for the same reasons Damiano once gave.

“It’s unsightly.”

“Dio mio! We are not trying to give Nonna a heart attack. That is too revealing!”

“Simply hideous.”

Eleonora was a harsh critic, and I feared we wouldn’t find anything to meet her approval. Then I accidentally commented that it didn’t matter what kind of dress I wore, as long as I was there for Cara.

“Oh no, honey! You have a reputation to uphold. As the soon-to-be wife of Don Damiano Bellavia, it’s your responsibility to reflect not only his status but also his wealth and power, all while showcasing your own beauty. The way you present yourself becomes a statement.” She explained, causing my brows to rise in surprise.

“I had no idea.” I replied, looking at my engagement ring. That must be why he chose such an enormous diamond. I looked at myself in the mirror, wondering how I was going to do that.

“Don’t worry, amore. You will learn with time.” Eleonora smiled and sent me back in.

“I really hope you like this one because it’s gorgeous!” I pulled the curtain to the side for her to see.

I stepped to the circular stage and did a small spin for her to see the entire dress. I was praying she would approve of this dress because we had been here for hours, and this one was the best of them all.

The dress, a sparkling arctic blue, featured an off-shoulder V-neckline. It snugly embraced my waist and then gracefully flowed looser around my hips, complemented by an elegant slit.

This was unlike anything I had worn before, and the color beautifully complimented my tanned skin. The more I looked at it, the more I fell in love with it, but dreaded Eleonora’s answer.

“This is definitely the one!” She said happily, and I let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, we had already chosen the dress I would wear for tomorrow’s event. It was a rich, royal blue gown with a sweetheart neckline, and it came with a pair of matching long gloves that reached my elbows. They kept the third dress a secret for some reason.

“Oh, that’s a gorgeous one!”

I turned to look in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. She took off her sunglasses, stepping closer to admire my dress.

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