Page 63 of Claimed By the Enforcer

The hopelessness of my situation pressed on my chest, and I fought back a sob as he released my throat.

“Don’t cry. You’ll look all red and splotchy for our guests,” he said coldly.

I barely made it through our dinner without breaking and was relieved when I finally made it back to the compound. As was tradition, Stefano would not be staying under the same roof as me the night before our wedding, so I was given a small reprieve until the next afternoon when I would somehow have to find the strength to walk down the aisle toward him.

I went straight up to my room and locked the door to undress. I was barely able to slip a nightgown over my head before the dam broke and sobs wrecked my whole body. I slid down onto the cool hardwood floor, pulled my knees to my chest and cried.

A little while later, I was still crying on the floor when there was a knock on my door.

“I’m changing.” I tried to sound as normal as possible.

“Mira? It’s Mia. Can we talk?” Her voice was gentle with a hint of concern, and I couldn’t turn her away.

I pulled myself up from the floor, wiped the tears away as quickly as I could before unlocking the door, and letting her inside.

Mia stood in the dimly lit hallway, her eyes widening as she looked into my tear-stained face. “Mira,” she gasped and pulled me into a tight hug. “I knew something was wrong. You weren’t acting right all evening.”

She stepped farther inside the room, quickly shutting the door behind her, and guiding me to sit on the edge of the bed. She held my hands in hers and searched my face for some explanation.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“It’s nothing, Mia. I’m sure it’s just hormones.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Mira. I know you better than that and I’ve had those hormones too. This isn’t just the pregnancy to blame. What is going on?”

I shook my head. I couldn’t tell her the truth. I couldn’t tell her about her family’s lawyer being killed or who was responsible. It would ruin everything that she and Teo had fought so hard to build.

“Mira,” her voice turned firm, drawing my attention. “You need to tell me what the hell is going on, right now.”

“I don’t want to marry Stefano,” I blurted out, unable to hold in the truth any longer.

Mia looked at me in complete shock. “You don’t?”

“No.”

“Then why—because of the baby? He’s the father of your baby so you feel like you have to marry him?”

It wasn’t all a lie, so I just nodded. “That’s a big part of it.”

“I understand, but you can’t marry him just for the baby. Your child will be able to tell as he or she grows up and it will make for a miserable life for you.”

“I cared about him...when he proposed, I said yes because I truly did want to marry him.”

“Now that it’s almost time it’s normal to have cold feet, but you need to make sure that that is all this is. If you really don’t feel like Stefano is the one...if there is someone else who you’d rather marry,” she cast a suspicious look, but I did my best not to react even as Luca’s image flashed in my mind.

In truth, I wanted Mia to find out everything and talk me out of marrying Stefano, to help me find another way. But if she found out the truth it would destroy her while saving me. What kind of friend would that make me?

I needed to backtrack the conversation and minimize the damage because I couldn’t do that to Teo or Mia and if I didn’t marry Stefano, it would be our whole family suffering. I took a deep breath and wiped away my tears.

“You are completely right, Mia.”

“I am?”

“Yes. This is just a case of cold feet, probably made worse by the hormones. Things with Stefano have just happened rather quickly, but he is the father of my child and tomorrow, we will be a family.” I forced a smile, hoping she wouldn’t see through my act.

Mia smiled and squeezed my hand softly. “Why don’t I have Bianca bring you a cup of tea before bed to help you sleep?”

“Oh no. I don’t think tea is necessary. I just needed to talk this out and now that I have, I’m ready to fall asleep.”

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