Page 6 of Arranged Bratva Virgin

I spin on my heels and walk towards the door, glancing over my shoulder only once to smile at my brothers and let them know I'm okay. Even though I’m not.

Walking out of the front door, I can feel my hands begin to shake as reality sets in.

I climb quickly into my car. Have I made a huge mistake? What did I just agree to?

I swallow hard to try and push away the lump in my throat, but the tears are already splashing down my cheeks.

I just need to get home.

All I need is a little time to come to terms with it. Everything will be okay.

It’s just like moving house. I will be living with him—nothing else. He will probably hardly even speak to me.

Everything is going to be okay.

I press my foot against the accelerator and drive quickly away from Paval’s home.

Taking long, slow breaths to calm myself, I manage to push the panic aside.

I don’t know if I am just going numb or if I am in denial, but by the time I get home, I feel alright. It’s all fake, anyway, the whole marriage to this arrogant man.

It really doesn’t matter.

Chapter 3 - Stefano

I run my hand over the collar of my black suit and straighten the rose pinned into my pocket. The sun is getting ready to set, and outside there are hundreds of guests waiting to witness my marriage to the most beautiful girl in the world.

I grin at my reflection in the mirror.

I can’t believe this is actually happening. Really, I am surprised her brothers let everything go forward—even after Darya agreed to it, I thought they would emphatically disagree and not let it happen.

From the second I saw her, I have wanted her. It was at her brother’s family lunch. She was stepping out of the pool after swimming with her nieces and nephews, and right then and there I told myself I would have her. No Matter what it took, she would be mine.

Except, despite my best efforts, she never seemed to soften to my charm. She always kept me at a distance, remaining cold and difficult to read.

I started obsessing over her. Who she was with, where she was going, wondering if there was another man who I didn’t know about.

I would lay awake at night thinking about her constantly. It was starting to drive me crazy—it still does, actually.

I knew it was getting bad when I started following her. I had to know everything about her. I wanted to know what she was doing, what she enjoyed, her hobbies, her favorite foods, her friends. To my relief, I have never seen her entertaining any other man. She treats them all the same way she treats me—very stand-offish.

I would watch her from my car when she sat at a coffee shop reading. The beautiful, delicate smile that would settle over her lips when she started enjoying whatever was on the page of her book. It would set my heart on fire to see her face light up like that. Sometimes a mischievous smile. Sometimes something more romantic and dream-like.

When she went out at night to go dancing with friends, I didn’t take my eyes off her for a second. It wasn’t only because of how good she looks in those short glittering dresses, it was also to keep her safe. The thought of something happening to her while I wasn’t there to keep her from harm drove me crazy. I have never struggled like this over a girl before. I have never had someone pull me in so fiercely as she has.

I feel intoxicated and addicted to her and I haven’t even felt her skin.

She consumed my mind from morning till night every day, and I just knew that they only way I was going to be able to get any relief from this constant distraction that she had become in my life was to make her mine.

And now it is actually happening.

I am about to marry Darya Dubrov.

With one last glance in the mirror, I run my fingers through my hair, then turn to leave the room. I have a wedding to get to. My wedding.

***

Standing at the altar, my stomach is flip flopping with excitement, but outwardly I appear calm and in control. I can’t have anyone here knowing how much this actually means to me.

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