Page 8 of Darkest Love
“But you’ll be cheating on me.”
“It’s not cheating when there’s no love between us. This is a marriage for political gain. Not love.” His eyes search all over my face before they widen slightly. “Did you actually think there would be love here? Is that what you wished for in a marriage?”
“It’s what everyone wishes for in a marriage.”
“Not me.”
“Then you’re the exception. Because I want love. I don’t want a husband who cheats on me. If we’re to marry, then you have to be loyal to me.”
“You’re not in a position to be making demands. You’ve already agreed to marry me. That’s enough.” He pushes a piece of my hair behind my ear. “You are truly beautiful. I am glad for that. We will have a lot of fun together. Just focus on that, Anastasia.”
I hate how my body responds to him saying my name. It’s like a caress.
“I will make our marriage enjoyable for you. I will show you pleasure in the bedroom. I will not beat you. Isn’t that enough?”
But it’s obvious that Adrien will never love me and if he never loves me, then how can I ever love him?
“If you get to see other women,” I say, “then do I get to date other men?”
“No.”
“No? That’s not fair.”
“I don’t want a slut for a wife.”
I huff. I cannot believe this man. “And I don’t want a slut for a husband. If you cheat on me after we’re married, then I will make your life hell. There will be no fun.”
He steps back and shrugs, acting cool as a fucking cucumber. “Then I will just spend more time with other women. I wanted to marry you, Anastasia, to keep Nico and Mikhail and Liam in line. I wanted what they have: wives who tie them all together. Now I will be a part of that. So you can be proud knowing you’re a part of building a dynasty that will last a lifetime.”
“You’re an asshole,” I hiss. When I dreamed of a handsome husband, he looked a lot like Adrien. But I never dreamed of one with his personality.
“That doesn’t really matter to me what you think. We’ll be married in a month. You will be my pretty wife. We can have fun if you just let it happen.”
“Not when you’re going to see other women.”
“Then that’s your choice to make. Once we’re married, we’ll move to France. Start our lives together there.”
“Wait. What? France? You never said I had to leave New York. Leave my family behind.”
“I’m French. I thought it was obvious.”
What is obvious to me is that I have been tricked into agreeing to a marriage with a man without all the information I needed to make a smart decision.
My mom was right: a marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I thought I would find freedom with a husband but that hope is slowly slipping through my fingertips.
Adrien flashes me one more smile before he walks out of the kitchen, leaving me alone to think about the mistake I just made.
Chapter Three
Anastasia
Going wedding dress shopping was something that I always thought I would look forward to doing when I got engaged.
But now? I’m dreading it.
I don’t tell my mom or sisters what Adrien told me. It will just upset them all and cause even more problems. I agreed to the wedding and it’s happening. I have to believe that I can make things work with Adrien. That I can find some sort of worthwhile adventure with him.
Just the thought of Adrien being with other woman curdles my stomach. In my fantasy of being a married woman, I never imagined my husband would be so open about cheating on me.
