Bride Of The Bullet

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

“He has a gigantic third leg, I bet.” Mira munched on her croissant loudly and nudged me with her elbow. I frustratingly pushed her aside and crisscrossed my legs on the couch.

Ever since she heard the news of my engagement with Zohan Salvatore, she hasn’t stopped talking about him. More like, she has not stopped talking about his “physical abilities.” She believes all I should be caring about right now is how a man featured in every magazine who has girls lying in millions for him may have even a teeny bit of attraction for me.

“He is a mannerless bastard who has his head up in clouds nine.” I rolled my eyes.

She reflected my movement and set her plate aside. “I don’t know how you see yourself but you have always been the hottest girl in town. With those cheeks–.” She pinched my cheeks to a bright red as I scowled. “You could get any man you want.”

I rubbed my face. “What kind of man would like a girl for her cheeks?”

She laughed. “Every man would adore a girl like you. Except for Adrian of course.”

Mira was quite aware of everything that had ever happened in my life. From the fact that my parents were killed by Adrian, to the point where my only goal in life is to f**k him up so bad he can never get back up.

Mira shared my rage.

“I still remember the event where he was literally sizing me up with his eyes. My nerves can’t calm down for God’s sake.” I facepalmed.

She nudged me with her elbows again. “That just means he wants you, dumbass. Use this wedding to escape your father.”

I huffed in my face. “And how do you know he is any better than my father?”

She chomped on her croissant. “Well, I can’t guarantee that he is better than your father but what’s the worst this marriage can bring? Even if you do get married, it's not even like you can expose Adrian’s crimes to the world on the wedding aisle.”

She stopped eating. I looked up from my hands straight at her. We looked at each other and considered every possibility of that sentence in a few milliseconds. The world stopped for a few minutes as fresh ideas and hopes blew in my mind. “f**k, that’s brilliant.”

I said as we both screamed in absolute joy. The decibel of our voice broke the sound barrier so terribly that Alice came running up the stairs to see us both jumping and hugging each other while crying.

This is going to be one hell of an adventure.

—------

“Would you want it to be tighter, miss?” Alice grunted as she pulled the strings to my gown so tight that I almost couldn’t breathe. My waist probably has lines now.

I smiled as my lips nearly turned blue. “Is it that necessary for me to underestimate the importance of breathing and just go back to the Victorian era?”

She fixed the knot and straightened my posture. “No matter the era, a woman must scar her body to find her place in society.”

I visibly cringed at her choice of words but tried not to show it. Alice had always tried to make sure I learn every one of her etiquettes and morals that would help me find a husband in the near future because she knew I had no plans of doing anything splendid with my career.

But sometimes I just wish I had picked a random career to free myself from this torment of always looking like a perfect daughter for Adrian Blackbell. His reputation entirely relies upon his fatherhood and the kindness of adopting me.

I have been waiting and waiting to crush that image with every inch of my being.

“I am pretty sure Mr. Salvatore would fall right at your feet after seeing you.” She fixed my hair as the makeup artist turned away after the final touch.

Alice exaggerated with her words, I am sure, but when I looked at myself in the mirror, I was nearly stumped. I looked like a completely different person. Like someone who actually belonged in glossy magazines. My wavy hair had gained so much volume, yet it fell to my shoulders in that perfect, fluffy length that looked effortlessly styled.

The makeup accentuated every feature I spent years ignoring. My lashes curled into a dark fan, my cheekbones finally visible beneath the soft contour, and my lips tinted with a color that made them look like Apple skin. My skin glowed so differently, almost unreal

For the first time in so long, I didn’t feel out of place in my own reflection. I looked good.

“Are we ready to meet your fiancé?”

I came back to reality like a whoosh of air. Alice looked at me as I nodded.

—--

I whispered to myself a thousand times that I was okay and whatever Mira said was going to turn out to be true. I’d been collecting information on Adrian’s corruption by scraping leaked financial records alongside old court files and shady business reports on my computer.

Then, sneaking outside to eavesdrop on staff and overhear private deals that sabotaged billions. Piece by piece, I learned about illegal land grabs, bribed officials, and a trail of silenced victims hidden beneath his spotless reputation.

With a man this corrupt, I’m sure Zohan Salvatore is not unaware of his sins. He is definitely not a favorite.

I ought to use Zohan to bring down Adrian Blackbell from all his glory.

I smoothed my gown and calmed my nerves. Today was the day I’d be meeting Zohan in a private garden of his estate. More like, this felt haunted. The place was filled with Black Roses, sometimes dipped in blood.

The garden looked like the epitome of haunted luxury. In the middle of all the dark flowers was a marble gazebo. I was sitting inside the marble table and seating area with a cup of bitter tea. I winced at every sip.

I looked up, and the barks snaked their way inside the marbles. A shiver ran down my spine. .

“Don’t worry too much about who’s watching,” A beautiful, silky voice. “It’s only me for now.”

I jerked upright as my heart slammed against my ribs. Before I could process anything, my elbow hit a vase and it crashed to the floor. The shards were scattered on the ground. I looked back and my heels slipped on the marble, and my waist hit the table as I hissed.

Strong hands caught me before the glass did.

I opened my eyes and suddenly he was right there. His chest was right against mine. His eyes were too close and so intense that if I weren’t dizzy, I would surely mistake his pupils for a cloud of insatiable desire.

His lips brushed my ear. “Careful, Koshechka. I might enjoy saving you.”

And before fear could fully form, his lips crashed mine so hard that it stole the breath from my lungs.