The Wedding Deal
769 Words
I spent the entire night trying to find a way out.
There wasn't one.
Every door I opened led back to the same place.
My father's debt.
The threats.
Alessandro De Luca.
And a choice that wasn't really a choice.
By sunrise, I had learned the most painful truth.
Sometimes life doesn't ask you what you want.
Sometimes it only asks you what you are willing to lose.
I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection.
I didn't recognize the woman looking back at me.
She looked tired.
Defeated.
But I refused to let myself look afraid.
Fear was exactly what men like Alessandro wanted.
A knock sounded on my bedroom door.
My father stepped inside.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
"I hate that you have to do this," he whispered.
I looked away.
"Then you should have told me the truth."
His face fell.
"I was trying to protect you."
"No."
My voice was sharper than I intended.
"You were trying to protect yourself from seeing me disappointed."
He looked down.
And that hurt more than an argument would have.
"I am sorry, Elena."
I believed him.
That was the worst part.
Because loving someone didn't erase what they had done.
It only made it harder to leave.
---
The De Luca estate looked like something from another world.
Huge iron gates.
A mansion hidden behind endless trees.
Security everywhere.
It wasn't a home.
It was a fortress.
A place built by someone who trusted no one.
The car stopped in front of the entrance.
I didn't move.
The driver opened the door.
"Miss Rossi."
I stepped out.
And immediately saw him.
Alessandro was standing on the stairs.
Waiting.
Of course he was.
The man looked like he had never waited for anything in his life.
Everything came to him.
Including people.
Especially people.
"You came," he said.
I lifted my chin.
"Don't sound surprised."
"I'm not."
"Then why are you smiling?"
His expression changed slightly.
"I didn't realize I was."
That annoyed me more than if he had laughed.
"Your arrogance is exhausting."
"And yet you are still here."
I hated that he was right.
I walked past him.
Inside, the mansion was even more intimidating.
Everything was perfect.
Too perfect.
Cold marble floors.
Expensive paintings.
No personal photographs.
No signs that anyone actually lived there.
"Does anyone in this house know how to smile?"
Alessandro looked at me.
"Not many people are brave enough to try."
I stopped walking.
"Is that supposed to scare me?"
"No."
His voice lowered.
"It's supposed to warn you."
I turned toward him.
"About what?"
He looked at me for a long moment.
"About the fact that my world is not kind."
"And you are?"
A pause.
"No."
The honesty surprised me.
"I am not."
For some reason, that answer stayed with me.
---
The wedding was arranged within days.
No flowers.
No guests.
No celebration.
Just signatures on paper.
A contract.
A deal.
A transaction.
I wore a simple white dress.
Not because it was my dream.
Because everyone expected a bride to wear white.
Even when she was walking into a prison.
The ceremony was quiet.
Too quiet.
When the officiant asked if I accepted Alessandro De Luca as my husband, my hand tightened around the bouquet.
Every instinct screamed at me to run.
But then I remembered my father.
My family.
The people who needed me.
"I do."
The words felt like a goodbye to my old life.
Then it was Alessandro's turn.
He looked at me.
Not the dress.
Not the ring.
Me.
"I do."
His voice was calm.
Certain.
As if he had already known this moment would happen.
When he placed the ring on my finger, his hand briefly touched mine.
A simple touch.
Nothing more.
But I hated that I noticed.
I hated the warmth of his skin.
I hated the way my heart reacted before my mind could stop it.
Because Alessandro De Luca was dangerous.
And dangerous things were never supposed to feel safe.
After the ceremony, he leaned closer.
"Welcome to my world, wife."
I looked into his eyes.
"Don't call me that."
A faint smile appeared.
"You are my wife."
"Only on paper."
His expression changed.
For a second, the mask disappeared.
And I saw something I wasn't prepared for.
Pain.
Then it was gone.
"Be careful, Elena."
"Why?"
His eyes moved to the ring on my finger.
"Because sometimes paper becomes reality."
And I suddenly wondered if I had made the biggest mistake of my life.
Or the only decision that could save it.
- Writer
