Page 2 of Ruined in Vows

Heavy footfalls outside the room draw my attention to the hallway. My gaze lands on dark, evil eyes, before settling on his face. He smirks, the look reminiscent of every single one of my worst nightmares, and the contents of my stomach threaten to come up.

Riccardo Romano.

My future husband.

And the look of pure evil.

Nico and my mamma told me that there is no worse fate than marrying a man like Riccardo, but I disagree.

Because the worst fate of all is losing the other half of your soul, the very fiber of your being, and the love of your life.

My fate was decided long before Dante died, but his death just confirmed it. I shall fulfill my duty, and get the evidenceNico needs, even if that means enduring abuse at the hands of the devil.

Truthfully, none of it matters. Because I died that day with Dante. I am nothing but an empty, hollow shell. Here in body but not in spirit.

So, Riccardo can inflict all the pain he wants, and I will take it.

Because you can’t hurt someone that is already dead.

Chapter 1

Allegra

My heels click on the marble floor as I make my way through the entryway of the Marchetti family mansion in The Hamptons. Nico follows me, a heavy, angry presence at my back. The tension surrounding him is so thick it's suffocating, but I try my best to ignore it. It won’t change anything if we address what happened today, so what is the point?

After our meeting in the city with Riccardo Romano and his papà, I am exhausted. It went about as well as can be expected, but the deal is finalized. In just four months’ time, I shall become Mrs. Allegra Romano. I tense, a shudder rippling through my body at the thought of taking his name.

Today marks the first time I have had any sort of interaction with my future husband and to say it was excruciating would be an understatement. Riccardo is a sexist pig, who views women as beneath him and only good for three things: to fuck, to breed and to be a trophy on his arm when the occasion calls for it. You are to be seen and not heard. Pretty wallpaper and nothing more.

The nausea that had churned in my gut just from listening to him talk had nearly spilled out of my mouth. I had to excusemyself, just so I could take a moment alone in the bathroom. It was at that moment, I questioned myself and what I was doing. Why I couldn’t just allow Nico to get me out of this contract.

But the truth remained. It would mean going to war, and that I couldn’t allow. I would not put my family through that, not after everything we have already been through. So I straightened my shoulders and marched back into that boardroom, like the queen I was raised to be.

Riccardo’s devilish smirk as his gaze raked over my body nearly sent me back to the restroom but I held strong. I would start as I mean to go on. I wouldn’t let him intimidate me or allow myself to cower to a monster like him. It’s what he wanted, and the stubbornness in me would not give it to him.

“Leg, wait.” Nico calls behind me, stopping my ascent up the stairs where I was heading to the solitude of my bedroom. My hiding place.

Inhaling a breath, I turn to face him, forcing a smile I certainly don’t feel. His eyes narrow and I know he sees straight through me. “It's done, Nic. Just let it be. I can do this.” I grate out forcefully.

He shakes his head, blowing out a tired breath. “It took all my self-control not to put a bullet in that fucking asshole’s head today. The guy is worse than I remember, a total piece of shit. If he gets his hands on you, he will destroy you, Allegra. I can’t allow that. Will not allow that,” he enunciates with determination.

Huffing out a laugh, I fold my arms across my chest as I eyeball him. “You don’t have a choice in the matter. Papà sealed my fate,” I remind him.

His icy blue eyes soften slightly, a hint of pity on his face. I hate it. “It doesn’t have to be like this. I can kill the bastard.”

Sighing, I shake my head. “I will not be the reason for war. You have a family to take care of, Nico. Ocean is eight weekspregnant; she does not need the stress of you going up against the Romanos and potentially losing. I would never forgive myself, so if I can prevent it, I will. I’m not going to argue with you about this subject again Nic. It is done. In four months, I will marry Riccardo.”

Nico grits his teeth, glaring at me. He scrubs a palm across his mouth, wiping it away, before inhaling a breath. Stepping forward, he lets the cool indifference he usually keeps in place, fall, showing me a hint of vulnerability.

“You’re my family too.”

Tears prick my eyes, and I swallow as emotion tightens my throat. This time when I smile, it's real. “I know. But I will play my part, brother, and find you the evidence you need to take the monster down once and for all.”

He opens his mouth to speak, only for it to clamp shut when his wife, son and our mamma appear in the entryway. I don’t miss the relief written on both of their faces when they see us.

“Oh, you’re back. How did it go, sweetheart?” Mamma directs the question to me.

The fake smile returns as I focus on my mother. “Fine. I will be a married woman in four months, so I am going to need you to refresh my memory on some of your recipes. I will not have anyone saying that I am not a good Italian wife.” I joke, trying to lighten the mood. We all know, I don’t give a single shit if Riccardo likes my cooking or not.

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