Page 87 of Angelo

Sublime weather.

It was a facade, of course. Gaspare was, arguably, the most miserable-looking groom in all of Palermo. His surly expression offered a glimpse of truth that had been eclipsed by the pomp and circumstance of everything else.

Due to her status as thecapo'swife, Elyse was selected as the matron of honor even though she and Valentina didn’t exactly see eye to eye. She didn't trust Valentina, and Valentina didn't trust her. Yet, try as they might, neither Elyse nor Mariposa had been able to uncover any substantial proof that might suggest Valentina's involvement with the Morettis and Father Boselli. The blonde handed over all of her contacts that she’d used to track down Father Boselli in that motel, and none of the names raised red flags.

Even Carmen was on good behavior now that she’d returned to the lap of luxury.

What Elyse ended up discovering, however, was that Malina hadn't been wrong when she claimed the two Rizzo women to be less aligned than outsiders might believe. It seemed Valentina and Carmen weren't on the same page at all. Valentina had been an absolute bridezilla during the wedding planning process, so much so that Carmen washed her hands of her daughter, forcing Elyse to step in quietly, time and time again, to help soothe Valentina's tantrums.

Mere hours before the ceremony, Carmen threatened to disown her daughter over a tube of lipstick. Both of the Rizzos were dead set on wearing the same shade of red. ARouge Hermèsin79 Rouge Érable. Valentina forbade her mother to use it. Carmen refused to choose another color. She seemed far more interested in outshining Valentina than celebrating her daughter’s big day, which, again, left Elyse no choice but to step in as the peacekeeper.

Emergencies kept arising at every turn. Elyse ran around in a tightly-wound state as she tried to tame crisis after crisis. At one point, the fucking veil went missing. When the bridesmaids finally located the damn thing, Elyse rushed it to Valentina in her dressing room.

She knocked on the door first.

Valentina's voice floated through the door, "Come in."

Bag in hand, Elyse entered the room to deliver the veil. Valentina was sitting on a plush emerald green velvet stool before an ornate cherry oak vanity. She’d just finished getting her hair and makeup done. Her lips were kissed in79 Rouge Érable.Earlier, Elyse gifted Carmen an even more expensive brand of lipstick in exchange for her to switch colors.

She eyed Valentina with a wry expression. “The color is perfect for you.”

Instead of preening like a peacock, Valentina surprised Elyse by shrinking from her praise. The blonde’s voice sounded oddly quiet when she muttered, “Thank you.”

A large cloth had been placed over the mirror, as was the Italian custom, to prevent the bride from seeing her reflection before the ceremony. The blonde looked uncharacteristically nervous. Elyse assumed it was because Valentina couldn't check on her appearance.

She assured her, "You look beautiful."

Valentina sighed. "I know what I look like, Dr. Romero. It will be wasted on him, though."

She couldn’t blame Valentina for feeling upset. Gaspare wasn't Célia, after all, and, to make matters worse, he was a fucking idiot. The entire wedding felt wrong on so many levels. Elyse didn't want to rock the boat right before the ceremony, though, so she chose not to comment on Valentina's grievances and stuck, instead, to the task at hand.

“Good news.” Elyse pulled out the giant cloud of tulle from her bag. "We found your veil."

Valentina let out another sigh. "Wonderful."

Why did the blonde look so depressed? She’d never seen Valentina express any emotion other than spite or smugness. This was the first time Elyse glimpsed the blonde's more vulnerable side. Elyse tried not to let Valentina's strange mood bother her when she asked, "May I help you put it on?"

"Please."

With steady, nimble hands, Elyse used her surgical reflexes to pin down the veil much in the way Malina had helped her get ready on her wedding day. She worked diligently to help Valentina look her best. It seemed to soften the blonde’s usual hostility toward her.

"Thanks," the blonde muttered again.

"My pleasure," Elyse replied as she stepped back to admire her handiwork. "You’re absolutely stunning. I mean it."

"If I did not look the way I look," Valentina drawled coolly, "Gaspare would not have agreed to this insult of a marriage. He wants us dead for killing his family, but his little cock still gets hard for me while his tiny balls retract in fear around Sandro. I cannot believe I am about to wed such a pathetic worm of a man."

Elyse's eyebrows popped up in surprise. In the past three months, Valentina had never voiced a single doubt or displayed any reluctance over her impending nuptials, not even when Elyse tried to provoke it out of her.

Elyse studied the blonde with concern. "Are you having second thoughts? If you're planning to back out, I need to know."

Valentina's gaze narrowed and sharpened. "Relax, Dr. Romero, I intend to see this day through. I understand what is at stake here."

Her nerves calmed slightly. "Good."

Valentina clicked her tongue. "However."

Mierda. "What’s wrong?"

---