Page 12 of Blackmailed Marriage

This wasn’t good.

She couldn’t linger in the bathroom for too long. Squaring her shoulders, trying to feel a confidence she truly didn’t feel, she stepped back into her room, and Dante had moved. He was no longer sitting on the chair, but opening her drawers.

When she left her family home and moved in with Dante, she hadn’t taken anything with her. Her parents had been clear—she didn’t own anything from her childhood. They purchased everything, and other than the wedding dress, she didn’t have any of her clothes. According to her brother, her parents hadtossed her stuff out. She didn’t even have a bedroom to go back to.

Not that she was surprised. Even if they did live in a house that didn’t need all the rooms. Her room had been removed. Isabella’s hadn’t. Her sister always had the choice to go back home, sleep in her old bed. That invitation had never been extended to her.

The moment she was married, they had stopped taking responsibility for her. She now became Dante’s problem.

“You don’t have a lot,” Dante said.

She had a small amount of savings, or at least she did, until her parents took that back as well. She was only able to afford a few items of clothing, which she rotated and kept in pristine condition. When Dante needed her presence for a party, he always supplied her a dress, which meant she never needed to worry about shopping.

Asking for things didn’t seem right to her.

He had a library and a movie theater in his home as well as a pool. There was nothing for her to want.

“I’m sorry you had to listen to that conversation.” She grasped her hands together, hoping they would stop shaking, but that didn’t seem to be working.

“You don’t have to apologize. I could have stopped if I wanted to.”

“Why were you listening?” Aria asked.

“I wanted to. I’ve not been made aware of you having phone calls.” Dante turned toward her.

“I don’t. Isabella and I rarely talk. I mean, last night was the first time we had even thought about calling each other. We usually see each other at parties or social events.” Now she was waffling.

“You know it doesn’t have to be that way,” Dante said.

“Calling my sister?”

“Sex. It’s not horrible.”

Aria pressed her lips together and glanced down at the floor. She had no idea what to say. She didn’t want to run the risk of insulting him, which she felt like she’d already done.

Dante hadn’t hurt her, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t.

“I am sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“I’m not insulted. That first night was always going to be shit for you. Virgins are necessary but as far as I’m concerned, overrated.”

She couldn’t help but flinch at the insult. It was fair, she said the sex was awful and overrated.

He took a step toward her, then another.

She saw his feet first.

“Look at me, Aria,” he said.

She wanted to tell him no, to grow that backbone she thought she had. Aria had no idea where it had gone.

Lifting her head, she looked up to see Dante, very close. The last time he’d been this close in front of her, it had been their wedding day, or last night.

She wasn’t used to him being within touching distance. Even when they had sex, they didn’t look at each other like this. They didn’t even speak to one another. Aria followed instructions, and Dante did his duty. The only sounds to be heard were often that of a few grunts, otherwise it was silent.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” she said, feeling that fear begin to grow within her, threatening to take over and exploit her.

“You haven’t upset me, but it doesn’t have to be that way.”

---