Page 11 of Always Meant To Be

The only jewelry she's wearing is the choker I got her, and her engagement ring.

"She's fucking perfect," I mumble.

And she is, right down to the innocence that radiates off her.

"I honestly thought she was going to say no at the I do's. I mean, fuck, her mother wore black, for Christ’s sake," Leonardo mutters from next to me at the bar.

He's right. Elena was quiet for a few minutes, struggling to get the words out, until I squeezed her hands. I was looking at Liliya when the priest asked her if she'd take me as her husband.

I am pretty sure her mother's face was red for the rest of the ceremony, thinking it was disrespectful, when in reality, her daughter was struggling to sign her life away.

"She said it; that's the main thing," I reply as I swig my beer.

Leonardo hums in agreement and comments, "Probably would have said it quicker if you weren't staring at her sister for most of the ceremony."

I nod. "I know, but the bitch has a price on her head, and Renata was in the crowd. She dies, the contract is void."

"Surely not now that you're married?" he questions.

I huff. "Anastasia ensured to write it in the contract, and unless Elena gets pregnant soon, I'll be bound to watch over her sister, which means I have to keep myself cold with my wife in public until then to keep her safe. It only takes the wrong fucking hitman to use Elena to hurt me, to get to Liliya, without Renata knowing. Miguel already stated Renata has no idea how ruthless hitmen are."

Leonardo grumbles next to me in frustration, and I nod. My father didn't think I'd need to re-read the fucking contract before signing. It's safe to say he's regretting that now.

I'm fucking bound to watch Liliya until Elena is with child, which hopefully will be soon, but then I have the fucking struggle of making her fall for me, so she doesn't divorce me after the baby is born.

I feel like I can't fucking win right now.

Sighing, I look around the room until my eyes land on Elena. My bride stands alone in the far back, staring at her hand with the same look Maya had before the ceremony.

"She looks ready to bolt,fratello…" Leonardo rasps, and I nod, already picking that shit up. Handing him my beer, I move toward to her. I can see her eyes darting toward the door, and I smirk.

A part of me hopes she'll try to bolt just so I can chase her, while the other, the saner part, knows how bad it'll look on both mine and her father's organizations, if she walks toward those doors.

It'll make us look weak.

Just as she is about to take a step, I stand in front of her, making her gasp in shock. Her eyes make contact with my own for the first time and, fuck me, she has swirls of blue in her violet eyes.

They are fucking mesmerizing.

She sucks in a breath and mutters, "Romeo."

"Elena, you weren't about to leave now, were you?" I ask coldly, causing her to flinch, and I instantly feel like an ass, but I can't have anyone know what she means to me, not right now.

Until Renata has given up on her revenge, I need people to believe this is just an arranged marriage that we're both forced into, not that I orchestrated it.

Renata is aware Liliya is under my protection; Miguel thought she'd back off, but unfortunately, it didn't stop her; she tried to stab her with a steak knife an hour ago, and despite speaking with my wife earlier, who praised her for her fucking efforts, the hitmen she’s been hiring have no boundaries. I can't have them go after Elena all because Liliya is under my protection, because then I would have to kill Renata, which would mean war with the cartel.

Miguel may not love his wife, or so he says, but he has to honor her, and he did fuck someone else, twice.

I give Elena a pointed look, and then say, "It's time to leave, Elena. Say your goodbyes."

Her eyes glaze over with fear, disbelief, and fucking defeat, before she blinks it away, hardness taking over. I know she's scared. All of her belongings have been brought to my home inthe suburbs. She has to officially move in with me, something she’s clearly been trying to forget.

Straightening her shoulders, she states, "I have no one to say goodbye to. I'll wait for you near the door." Then she does as she stated, and I flinch. She has barely said two words to her father since our engagement, and I know Mikhail is hurt over it.

Sighing, I walk over to where our parents are, along with a sulking Liliya.

All eyes come my way as I state, "We’re taking off. Father, I'll call you in the morning to discuss business." Papa nods as Mikhail looks behind me, only to sigh, noticing his daughter near the door. I say, "She’ll come round."

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