Page 45 of His Bride

I wish it were as simple as just loving Caelian and rushing back to him. But life isn't that simple, is it? There are greater concerns than simply racing into the arms of the man I long for.

Cristiano doesn't understand; he's too young, too untouched by the cruel grasp of adult problems—and I want it to stay that way for as long as possible.

I inhale deeply, steeling myself, gathering every ounce of strength I have in me to do what needs to be done.

To think, the last time I was in my room, I planned on running away from Aurelio. And now…I have no choice but to run to him, and I need to be stronger now than ever before, because in this twisted game of ours, the stakes have never been higher.

It's no longer just a battle of wills, a fight for my freedom. It's about survival. About saving the one person who still means the world to me, even if he can't see it. My brother.

After freshening up, I find my dad in his study staring at his computer.

“Dad?”

“That ass you married—” He shakes his head and fumbles for his drink, the bottle open next to it.

I step inside and close the door. “You mean the ass you made me marry?”

His eyes shoot to me, and they’re slightly unfocused. “He should be happy I gave you to him. He should help. Hot-headed, irrational, and reckless, that man. And they’re up to something.”

He downs his drink, refills the glass, and finishes that one in record time.

“Dad, no one’s up to anything. They lost their mother.”

“And Alexius?”

“You heard them. He’s on his way back.”

My father grabs the bottle and tops up his glass, but I try to take it from him. “I think you should slow down.”

“Let go,” he snarls. “You are the child. I’m the adult here, and if I want to drink, I’ll fucking drink.”

“Fine.” I let go and hold up my hand in mocking surrender.

“All they had to do was agree to an alliance.”

“They’re the Dark Sovereign, Dad. They aren’t exactly known for their willingness to align themselves with anyone.”

“Not even to the family of Caelian Del Rossa’s wife?”

“It’s not like he married me out of love or loyalty. I was a goddamn favor, that’s all. Hardly enough reason for them to go against generations of self-preservation.”

He pours another drink. “It’s unacceptable behavior. I don’t know why I ever thought they’d help.”

“They did help,” I say, crossing my arms. “And they paid the price for it.”

“It’s not my fault Alexius got shot. That their mother was too weak to handle her precious boy being grazed by a bullet.”

“He almost died, Dad,” I snap. “And Mrs. Del Rossadiddie. And now they have an enemy they didn’t have before you asked them to correct a mistake you made. That’s enough motivation for that family to cast us aside and not lift another finger to help us.”

“Bunch of incompetent idiots,” he sneers. “The lot of them. They’re going to destroy everything their father sweated blood to build. Fucking Del Rossa spawn. All they do is fuck and fornicatetheir way through life with that goddamn whorehouse of theirs. They can’t tell their brains from their cocks.”

“Dad, stop.”

“Those godforsaken Del Rossa boys have ruined me!” He hurls his glass across the room, anger seething beneath his reddened face. It shatters against the stone fireplace, splintering into a thousand shards that glitter like deadly stars on the floor. “Tiny, cock-sucking pricks!”

“Dad, calm down.”

His angered glare cuts to me, fury seething beneath his reddened face. “Do not tell me to calm down.” He grabs my shoulders, squeezing hard, shaking and ignoring my wince of pain.

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