A Bond by Marriage

chapter 18

Gia’s POV-

Getting dressed in my old room didn’t remind me of the day of my wedding. It was completely different this time. There were no ladies prodding my face or telling me to cheer up again and again. I wasn’t dressed in a dress chosen by someone else. I had a red gown with decent cleavage and sleeves, something that made me comfortable. Most importantly, I wasn’t nervous about meeting Dino later because he was right here with me.

As if Dino could hear my predicament, he stood behind me before the mirror.

“I’ll keep you at my side all the time, Gia.” I felt an emotional burst from his words. My throat clogged up and I blinked away the unshed tears. In the past week, while Dino hadn’t been talking to me, I observed that he only put his words out when he needed to. There was no easygoing personality like Vito or the rebellious ‘always up to something’ like Marco. I understood he was putting in a little effort with his words for my sake but I didn’t understand why. Everything that had happened after our marriage was perplexing because everything had been different from what I had envisioned. I liked knowing what was about to hit me but I was clueless when it came to these men.

Dino’s fingers pressed under my eyes, wiping off my treacherous tears. In the back of my head, I knew I could be confirming his theory about my past, but I just wanted to forget all that and lean back on him. So, that’s what I did. I relaxed back and he didn’t hesitate in pulling me back, and holding my hands in his before my stomach. We looked... perfect.

“You look big in the mirror too,” I said, smiling softly.

“You look small in the mirror too,” Dino responded. “And you did call me a monster on our wedding night. Monsters are big, aren’t they?”

“Oh my god! I didn’t say you were a monster.”

“That is what you meant.” I opened my mouth hoping to prove him wrong, but he was right. It wasn’t intentional but I did imply that. “Shall we go, now?” I nodded and we both descended the stairs with Dino’s arms around my waist.

When the people caught our sight, I wasn’t surprised by the relentless attention. Aldo’s ascension was known for a long time now, but Dino marrying me was still the talk around and I had a feeling it’d be talked about forever. We met several couples together and some guests were still arriving. But soon, groups formed where men and women gathered separately.

“You don’t have to go,” Dino said. I knew he meant it but I couldn’t handle standing beside him among the men I didn't recognize. How hard could it be to spend a little time with the ladies anyway? I was sure Marco and Vito would be down soon. So, I offered to join the ladies and with a last reassuring squeeze around my waist, Dino let me go.

Normally, one just had to stand beside a group to become its part, but not in my case. When I was more than ten steps away, their eager eagle eyes latched on my frame. The ladies nearby as well ducked their heads and whispered talks I'd have appreciated not learning about. I considered turning away but I had been holding their gaze for a few seconds now. So, I joined them, hoping one of them would start a conversation, but they didn't. It was just another trick to embarrass me. I remembered my duty though.

“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” One awkward second passed before they all greeted me back and went back to their conversation. I saw Vito and Marco come out a few minutes later but their attention was snatched away just as quickly by the neighbouring men. So, I was stuck with the ladies, smiling and nodding at them.

“I won’t lie, I did hope Dino would choose my lovely daughter, but now I’m glad he didn’t. He clearly doesn’t have the eyes to recognize a diamond and my daughter is far more precious than that,” Mrs Valsecchi said, giving me a once over.

“Oh, she is lovely, but I still feel there might be more to it. I mean…” Another woman said, glancing at me. They all thought our marriage had an ulterior motive but was there anything Dino couldn’t just demand? He didn't have to marry for anything. I would help him earn nothing. “Perhaps she is pregnant with his baby. I wouldn't be surprised if she did something like that,” the woman added, pretending to be stealthy.

“That’s what the majority guesses are…” Mrs Valsecchi added, and the others followed. As big as the room was, I needed air away from these women. I remembered what Dino told me. I could hear his words in my head as if he were speaking to me right at the moment.

You can do whatever you want, Gia. You can make decisions for yourself. If you want, you can confront anyone who defames you. If you want, you can dish out any punishment for anyone who has wronged you.

I could do whatever I wanted, only I couldn’t. As more and more women joined the group and started eyeing me, the more I felt like fleeing away. I tried to shut them out, took deep breaths, and fist my gown to the point I felt numb, but nothing worked. My head was down but I could feel, everybody in the room had their eyes on me. I felt warmth creeping up on me and bursting into my head in an agonizing ache.

"Excuse me, ma'am," one of the maids walked in with a tray of drinks. I stepped aside but, surprising me, she insisted I take a drink. When I refused her politely, she all but shoved it towards me and I caught it before the liquid sloshing inside could drop down. She then forced a tissue into my hand and it was absurd how nobody noticed the exchange. That's how irrelevant I was to these ladies.

I noticed faded ink on the top of the tissue paper and when I turned its corners, someone had scribbled something. Moving my head around nervously, I walked away into a corner and pulled open the paper delicately.

My room needs a little cleaning. It would hurt me deeply if any maid were to catch a peek of our private life there.

I crumpled the paper and pulled it close to my chest before I could even read it completely. My chest heaved but I didn't stop looking around until I found Riccardo. His gaze shifted to the staircase and I saw one of the workers heading upstairs. Riccardo wasn't playing, just like always. Instinctively, clutching the tissue in my palm, I took long strides towards the stairs. Just as I reached the first step, the maid turned left, disappearing from my view and plummeting my heartbeat. I took two steps at a time, risking falling face first or worse, tripping and rolling down all the way to the bottom. But the situation called for it.

"Wait!" The woman turned around and I forced myself to breathe in and compose myself. "Where are you going?"

"I had to change the sheets for Sir Riccardo."

"Don't worry about those. They are fresh."

"I'd still like to change them. Wouldn't risk disappointing him," she said, frowning and baffled. She turned back around towards Riccardo's room merely ten steps away and I had to do something. At this point, I was desperate enough to lunge at her and I might have even done exactly that but Riccardo showed up.

"It's okay, Selina. You can go." It was relieving to see Selina pull her hand away from the knob but with Riccardo here, nothing could be pleasant. I had a feeling about this. This was going to be bad, wasn’t it? I was alone with Riccardo, away from everyone’s eyes. The exact same thing Dino had promised he wouldn’t let happen! Now, he had let me be alone with Riccardo! How could he?

Who was it? Tell me, Gia. Give me the name.

“At last, we finally met.” I didn’t even realise we were already alone. “Even after trying so hard, you couldn’t escape me. But I’m really sad you thought you could.” I took several steps back from him, unknowingly moving closer to his room. I made a quick move to bolt from around but it wasn’t possible with Riccardo guarding the hallway like a bear.

Riccardo clicked his tongue, “You hurt me, Gia. I still prepared a present for you.” He smiled and turned me around. Riccardo urged me inside his room and shame engulfed me. Several photos of mine, some decent, some indecent but all unsettling were sprawled on his bed.

I heard the door click and I knew I was growing vulnerable by each second. So many photos, so many. There was one of my sleeping figures in the library but even that innocent photo gave me chills. I was so young... The tears choked my throat and Riccardo was suddenly too close to me. If he tried anything at all today, I wouldn't take it. I took in a shuddering breath, repeating that affirmation in my head.

I wouldn't take it.

I wouldn't take it.

I had always tried to escape him before with the same thought and failed but I wouldn't take it, not with Dino right downstairs, probably looking for me. "Dino could be looking for me!" I said facing Riccardo. "You can't hold me here. He could be looking for me—" Riccardo cut me off, squeezing my jaw.

"You have been trying to avoid me— I f*****g knew this was a bad idea. This marriage, I shouldn't have let it happen!" I knew how he felt about this bond but I also knew he couldn't have done anything. He wiped my tears, his touch turning soft and light. "I need to be beside Aldo after the ceremony. To support him, celebrate with him. So, I had to show you this before that," he said, guiding me forward towards the bed, closer to the photos that he had left for anyone to walk into.

"Riccardo, I'm married. My husband is—"

"I know who he is," he said, pulling me to himself and pressing me to his chest. "And he is downstairs, unaware that I have his wife, unaware that I have had his wife." A cold unpleasant shiver went through my body. These past few days had convinced me to not be afraid in Dino's presence yet I was trapped with Riccardo when he was downstairs. Riccardo, on the other hand, had taken the risk of doing this without a care of consequences. How could I not be scared of him? He was crazy. Consequences meant nothing to him.

"Please, don't Riccardo,"I could only barely hear my own voice.

"Oh no, sweets. I'm not going to do anything," he turned me. "Why'd you think I'd do anything wrong with you?" He asked, wiping my tears off with a baffled look on his face. "Have I ever done anything wrong with you, Gia?"

I blinked again and again. It took me a moment to realise what he was doing. He wasn't going to hurt me. Why would he? He never had. I didn't have to act fearful because Riccardo had never really hurt me.

That was what he wanted me to act like. He was just making sure I hadn't told anything to Dino or anyone else for that matter.