Page 14 of The Forbidden Husband

The sight of my wife.

The brown hair that had hung limply down her back during our first meeting was arranged in an elegant updo that resembled a crown of braids and curled strands across her head. She wore a veil, though not in the traditional sense. Instead of hanging over her face, it cascaded down her dress and tumbled into the frills that trailed behind her.

I couldn’t peel my eyes away.

I never thought of her as my type. I had always been partial to fiery redheads and big tits. Aria only checked one of those boxes, but…

As far as wives went, she would do nicely.

When she reached the altar, I extended a hand. Alonzo cleared his throat, and I noticed his heavy presence at his daughter’s side for the first time. I tensed as I looked at the man who held my gaze with a sinister smirk. An ache formed in my chest, and it took everything in my power not to rub the tension away.

Aria took the two steps easily and stopped before me.

Alonzo didn’t even bother shaking my hand as he turned his back and stormed away.

I could pull my gun right now and end his reign. I could shoot him in the back of the head for everything he did to my mother and father. For the pain his reign caused my entire family.

I could do it.

But the cost wasn’t worth it.

Instead, I glanced down at where my bride stood.

She looked so damnsmall.

Notjustphysically, though she did stand about six inches beneath my towering frame. She looked helpless. Her shoulders hunched forward as if there was nothing that she could do to get out of this situation. She looked trapped in a world much more extensive than her.

Beyond that, her furrowed brows and wide eyes had her lookingterrified.

It took every ounce of willpower to keep from calling off this entire damn wedding when she lifted her gaze and finally met my eyes. She tried so hard to hide the fear and the pain. I could see the attempt at neutrality with the tense smile she offered, but it did nothing to hide what I could see in those sad eyes.

I clenched my jaw as the priest began going through his spiel about unifying our souls and all the shit that my uncle had put in his script. I didn’t bother listening as I fought my instincts and stayed in place.

This wasn’t right, but it was what had to be done.

No matter how much I wanted to call it off, we were both stuck in this, and there was nothing we could do—not now that we were here. Plus, she agreed to this the same way as I had. She didn’t need my protection when she could make her own decisions.

Hell, there was no reason I needed to protect her.

It didn’t matter how hot she was or how big her tits looked in her wedding dress. It didn’t change that she had come from a monster. She was my enemy.

Aria meant nothing to me.

I just had to keep reminding myself of that.

“I do,” Aria whispered.

I shook myself from my thoughts as I listened to the priest address me directly this time.

“Do you, Enzo Rissi, take Aria Bianchi as your lawful wife? Do you accept her through your richest and your poorest moments? Will you help her through sickness and health and cherish her on the hardest days and the easiest ones? As long as you both shall live?”

I nodded. “I do.”

“Here are your rings…”

He went on through another long excerpt about the significance of the steel of the bands and the love we would share. The life. The happiness.

He either didn’t know the arrangement or the priest was a damn good actor.

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