Page 11 of Veiled Vows

“I’m sorry, sir. I... I didn’t notice,” Marco stammers.

“Find her,” I order. “Search everywhere.”

“Yes, sir. Right away,” Marco responds, and the line goes dead.

I start pacing again. All I’m thinking about is where she could be and who she could be with. The idea of her out there, alone, or worse, with someone else, makes me want to kill. Is this what love feels like? If it is, I fucking hate it.

Cold sweat droplets drip down my back as I remember my past."You know I do this because I love you,"she would say, her voice making my skin crawl.

I remember being ten, maybe eleven, my small frame being crushed under her weight. My mother, spreading kisses all over my face, my chest, my thighs... Her breath smelled of alcohol, her touch was cold, and she would whisper, "This is love, Salvatore."

I push the memory away, my stomach turning. No. This is different. It has to be.

I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s 1 AM. Serena isn’t supposed to be out this late. She even has work early tomorrow. Marco calls me, his voice shaking. “Sir, I just saw her leave one of the clubs downtown. She’s heading back to the mansion now.”

A club? My Serena, at a club until this late? The thought of her in that environment, with bodies rubbing against her, surrounded by men... it makes my blood boil. I forcefully punch through a table close by, causing the wood to splinter.

I take a cigarette and ignite it, the smoke swirling around me while I pour myself another glass of whiskey. I wait for her in the dark. She’ll have to face me.

The door opens, and I hear her giggling. The sound, so carefree, nearly drives me over the edge. She steps into the dim light, her eyes widening slightly when she sees me.

“Enjoy your night out?” I ask as I take a gulp of the whiskey.

She shrugs, unbothered. “Yes, actually.”

I stand, my body tense. “A club, Serena? Until one in the morning?”

Her indifference only fuels my anger. “Yes, a club. What’s the big deal?”

I notice she isn’t surprised that I found out where she had been. There is a resigned acceptance in her eyes, as if she knows I will always track her every step. She understands that I will always know where to find her.

“The big deal? You’re my wife. You shouldn’t be out like that,” I bark, stepping closer.

She laughs, the sound mocking. “Your arranged wife.”

I grab her arm, pulling her close. “I’ve always cared. But you, out there with God knows who, doing God knows what—”

“Let go of me, Salvatore,” she says coldly, yanking her arm free. “You don’t own me.”

My eyes zero in on her bare finger. “Where the fuck is your wedding ring?” I bark out, my voice rising.

Her right eye twitches. “I left it behind. I didn’t want any reminders of you tonight.”

“You took off your ring?” I repeat. “You didn’t want to remember me?”

“I wanted a night without you, Salvatore,” she snaps back. “Is that so hard to understand?”

“You can’t just take off your ring and pretend you’re not married,” I growl, my grip tightening on her arm. “You think you can just walk away? Go out to clubs, have men look at you, touch you? I’ll kill anyone who even breathes next to you, Serena.”

I grind out through clenched teeth, “Did anyone touch you?” She digs her nails into her palms. “I didn’t break our vows, Salvatore. Unlike you.” The accusation stings, and I retort, “I haven’t even looked at another woman since I’ve been with you.”

I yank her closer, crushing my lips against hers. She tries to push me away, her hands shoving at my chest, but I kiss her harder, forcing her to feel my desperation, my need. After a moment, she stops resisting, her body submitting to me. I break the kiss, breathing hard, my forehead resting against hers.

It is like electricity coursing through my body, reigniting something deep within me that I had desperately missed. Her taste, her softness—it is intoxicating.

“You’re wrong,” I rasp. “I do own you. Every inch of you belongs to me. And if I ever see you without that fucking ring on your finger again, I will set the world on fire.”

She’s dazed for a moment, her eyes unfocused. But then she breaks out of it, shoving me away. “What do you want from me, Salvatore?”

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