Wedding night
1076 Words
Alessandro POV
He stood in front of the small chapel, his mind spiraling with a million thoughts all at once. His father had told him, not even an hour ago that he was getting married. He’d just casually walked into his office—interrupting a million dollar business deal to inform him of this unfortunate event.
Getting married should always be a joyous event, tying the knot with the partner of your dreams, the person you’ve envisioned spending the rest of your life with—starting a family of your own… but in Alessandro’s case, it was like he was living his own personal nightmare.
His chest tightened as his eyes landed on his longtime girlfriend—Gina—at the very back of the chapel. She was not slowly walking towards him with her father by her side—but crying in the very last seat, because he was marrying someone else.
A random girl he might have seen once.
His marriage was a business deal sealed long before he was even born, and now, because of his father’s poor choices, he felt like the villain in his own story—standing at the altar while the woman he truly cared for watched him commit to someone else. But there was nothing he could do—not yet. He swore to himself he’d find a way out, for both of them.
He’d promised Gina that he would fix this. He’d tried talking her out of coming today, but she wanted to be there—to remind him of what he was fighting for.
The string duo that was hired for the occasion started playing, and everyone in the room stood.
“Oh, there she is!” His father whispered next to him. Alessandro noticed the bride’s father’s furious face first, before his eyes landed on her. Sophia De Luca, his nineteen year old bride. Barely even a woman.
The look of defiance on Sophia’s face struck him harder than he expected. She wasn’t meek or defeated, and that surprised him. If anything, her sharp grey eyes seemed to dare the entire room to say something. It irritated him. The last thing he needed was another person in his life who wouldn’t yield—he got enough of that from his father—but he couldn’t help the small flicker of grudging respect that stirred in his chest.
Whispers echoed through the chapel as Sophia neared. Everyone present could see that this wasn’t a pleasant union, but no one seemed to care enough to stop it. The look on her father’s face was one of sadness and anger, resentment and sorrow—it was a far cry from his own father’s smug face.
His father had no qualms whatsoever about marrying him off to some stranger. He only ever thought of himself and how he could enrich the family business. When Alessandro had asked his father what the deal was about, he told him they would get a forty percent stake in the De Luca family business.
That was how much his happiness was worth apparently. Forty percent.
His bride and her father—the words tasted foreign on his tongue—stopped in front of the alter. Matteo De Luca was clearly struggling with this whole ordeal. Alessandro noticed the way he clenched his jaw as he kissed his daughter goodbye. The way he glared at Domenico who stood behind him with a smirk on his face.
It would have been a heartbreaking sight, if Alessandro hadn’t been so caught up in his own feelings.
Sophia turned towards him, barely even looking into his eyes, but he didn’t care. He wanted this even less than she did. He’d been happy with the life he’d been living up till now. This was a disruption he didn’t need.
The priest cleared his throat, before beginning.
“Dearly beloved—” the priest began, voice trembling under the heavy tension in the room. Alessandro’s stomach tightened. He was still hoping that this was all somehow a nightmare he was seconds from waking up from.
“Skip the formalities and let’s get this over with,” Sophia scoffed, cutting off the priest, her voice sharp as a blade. Alessandro’s eyes met hers for a split second—steel meeting steel—and what he saw there mirrored his own feelings—the same cold fury that burned in his chest.
A murmur rippled through the crowd and he could hear Sophia’s mother stifling a sob. The priest let out a nervous chuckle, skipping to the vows part of the ceremony.
"Do you, Sophia De Luca, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Sophia didn’t look at him, instead, she glared at his father. Alessandro nearly scoffed. She had no idea who she was challenging.
"I do," she said, voice sharp. His chest tightened.
His turn.
"Do you, Alessandro Ricci, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" His stomach twisted as his eyes flickered to Gina. She was still crying. He could almost hear her whispering Don’t do this. Fight this.
But then—a sharp elbow to his ribs. His father’s reminder. "Say it."
Alessandro gritted his teeth.
"I do."
He swore his father would pay for this. If he had to endure this marriage, he would make sure it served his purpose—not Domenico’s.
The moment the priest announced them husband and wife, Domenico leaned in.
His voice was low, smooth—a serpent whispering in his ear. "You better make sure she feels welcome tonight, son." He clapped a hand on Alessandro’s shoulder. "The families will expect the marriage to be… properly sealed."
Alessandro stiffened. A rush of disgust burned in his chest.
"And if I don’t?" he asked, voice tight.
His father smirked. "Then they’ll think you’re weak. And we both know that’s not an option."
Alessandro clenched his fists, biting back the urge to punch his father in the face.
He turned away and reached for a drink. His first of many that night.
The reception was one Alessandro could hardly remember. A blur of faces that congratulated the couple, as he threw back drink after drink.
He barely noticed when Gina left. Or when his father pulled him aside to talk business. Or when Matteo De Luca clinked his glass, giving a cold, forced toast to the happy couple.
All he remembered was the alcohol.
And then—nothing.
- Writer
