Page 80 of Alpha-Ex Wedding Ruse
He wanted a reaction.
And fuck me, I was giving him one.
“Well, if the press wants a show, I say give them one.” Elena turned back to me, unfazed. “Tell them they can cover my bridal shower, too. I want it all over the news.”
“Sure.” I jotted it down quickly on my tablet, willing my hand not to shake.
“How’s the paintings for the art gallery walkthrough?”
Ah. That.
In line with her theme, Extravaganza, Elena didn’t want florals or balloons. No, she wanted a visual masterpiece for the reception—an immersive art experience featuring the finest works from renowned creatives. If she could beam her wedding across the solar system, she would’ve done it already.
“I’d already reached out to a leading creative director in the Bronx, one who owned the largest gallery in the borough. We’d scheduled a walkthrough for tomorrow, where you could preview and make your final selections.”
“Why tomorrow?” Elena asked, brow arching after I gave her the update. “Let’s do it today. I’ve got my third bridal shower fitting and who knows how long that’s going to take. And Wednesday is booked with Elle’s Luxury Cellar.”
I glanced at my watch—deliberately—hoping she’d catch the implication.
“It’s already past five.”
“And so?” she said, completely missing it.
“And so I have dinner plans.”
Something shifted—no, tightened, in Luca’s gaze. His jaw ticced, his eyes narrowing on me with a precision that made my pulse falter.
“Dinner plans with who?” His voice was clipped, controlled. But I heard the edge in it.
Elena turned to him, blinking. “Who cares who she has dinner plans with?” she said with a laugh. “As long as she doesn’t miss tomorrow’s walkthrough.”
“No,” Luca said, his tone deceptively even. “Let’s do the walkthrough today. It’s better that way—less room for last-minute changes.” He didn’t take his eyes off me. “You said the gallery’s ready, right?”
My throat went dry. “Yes, but—”
“Perfect,” He cut me off. “Then let’s go now.”
I hesitated, pulse thudding. I could say no. I should say no. But Luca’s stare held me in place, daring me to object.
I forced a smile. “I’ll text the gallery owner. Let him know we’re on our way.”
Elena lit up. “Good. That’s what I like to hear. My wedding should be your top priority right now.”
I forced a smile her way, still deliberately avoiding Luca’s gaze.
Elena stood, smoothing her dress. “Shall we—”
Her phone rang, cutting through her sentence. She answered with a huff, pressing the phone to her ear—and whatever the person on the other end said made her eyes bulge like saucers.
“She did what?”
Her voice pitched higher, horrified. For a second, I thought something terrible had happened. Maybe the sick relative she’d gone to visit last week had taken a turn for the worse.
“What do you mean she accidentally ripped my dress? My bridal shower is in a week! There’s not enough time to make a new one!”
All that commotion…over a dress?
The sympathy I’d briefly begun to feel shriveled in my chest. If I could yank it back and stomp it out, I would have.
