Chapter 4: Three Days Until “I Do”
1442 Words
Alessia’s POV
No one moves.
The room is so quiet I can hear my own heartbeat.
Dante De Luca walks farther into the dining room.
He doesn’t look at the servants.
He doesn’t acknowledge the guards.
He doesn’t say a word to Matteo.
It’s as if no one else exists.
His eyes stop on me.
I don’t look away.
If he’s waiting for me to lower my head…
He’s going to be waiting a long time.
He stops in front of me.
Up close, he’s even more intimidating.
Not because of his height.
Not because of the expensive black suit he wears.
It’s the way he carries himself.
Calm.
Confident.
Like nothing in the world can shake him.
He looks at me for a few seconds without saying anything.
I hate that he’s studying me like I’m someone he’s about to buy.
“So,” he finally says.
“You’re Alessia Moretti.”
His voice is lower than I expected.
Quiet.
But it fills the room.
I cross my arms.
“And you’re Dante De Luca.”
“I am.”
I wait for him to threaten me.
To remind me why I’m here.
Instead, he asks,
“Why didn’t you eat?”
The question catches me off guard.
I frown.
“Is that supposed to matter?”
“It does.”
I let out a short laugh.
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“You haven’t.”
His answer comes so quickly that I blink.
“I wasn’t expecting obedience.”
For a second, neither of us speaks.
He keeps looking at me.
Like he’s trying to figure me out.
I do the same.
This is the man my father was terrified of.
The man everyone in this house obeys without question.
The man who turned my life upside down.
He doesn’t look like a monster.
But somehow…
That makes him even harder to understand.
The silence between us drags on.
I should be scared.
Maybe I am.
But I’m too angry to show it.
Dante pulls out the chair at the head of the table and sits down like nothing unusual has happened.
He looks at the untouched plate in front of me.
“Sit.”
I don’t move.
“I’d rather stand.”
His expression doesn’t change.
“Sit.”
I fold my arms.
“Make me.”
The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.
A maid standing nearby sucks in a quiet breath.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Matteo glance at me.
No one says a word.
They’re all waiting to see what Dante will do.
I wait too.
He could shout.
He could threaten me.
Instead, he reaches for a glass of water and takes a slow sip.
Then he sets it back down.
“You’ve got more courage than most people.”
“I call it common sense.”
“Oh?”
I nod.
“If someone kidnaps me and forces me into their house, I’m not going to pretend they’re a good person.”
The room goes quiet again.
I don’t regret saying it.
Not even a little.
Dante leans back in his chair.
“So that’s what you think this is.”
“What else would you call it?”
He doesn’t answer straight away.
“I’d call it necessary.”
I let out a laugh.
“That’s funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be.”
I shake my head.
“You really expect me to believe any of this is normal?”
“No.”
His voice stays calm.
“I don’t.”
For some reason, that answer catches me off guard.
He doesn’t try to justify himself.
He doesn’t pretend I’m here by choice.
He just… accepts it.
I hate that.
Because it makes it harder to hate him the way I want to.
He looks at the untouched food again.
“Eat.”
I push the plate a little farther away.
“I’m not hungry.”
His eyes meet mine.
“You will be.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
A tiny smile almost reaches his lips.
Almost.
Then it’s gone.
“You’re stubborn.”
I lift my chin.
“So I’ve been told.”
For the first time that night, I get the feeling this isn’t a conversation either of us is trying to win.
We’re just trying to see who gives in first.
And something tells me…
Neither of us plans to.
Dante stood.
“So that’s it?” I asked. “You drag me here, force me into this house, and expect me to act like everything is normal?”
He buttoned his suit jacket.
“I expect you to adapt.”
I laughed.
“That’s never going to happen.”
He looked at me for a moment before speaking.
“You’ll have your own room.”
“I don’t want it.”
“You’ll have access to every part of the estate.”
“I don’t care.”
“If you need anything, ask the staff.”
“I don’t need anything from you.”
His face didn’t change.
“They’ve been instructed to make sure you’re comfortable.”
I shook my head.
“You really don’t get it, do you?”
He waited.
“I don’t care about the room. I don’t care about the food or the clothes or this ridiculous mansion.”
I took a step toward him.
“I want to go home.”
For the first time, he answered without a pause.
“No.”
Just one word.
I stared at him.
“So I’m a prisoner.”
“If that’s how you choose to see it.”
“How else am I supposed to see it?”
“You’ll be safe here.”
I let out a bitter laugh.
“Safe?”
I looked around the room.
“There are guards outside my door.”
“There will always be security.”
“So you’re admitting I can’t leave.”
His eyes stayed on mine.
“You cannot leave the estate.”
The words hit harder than I expected.
I swallowed.
“And if I try?”
“You’ll be stopped.”
Silence stretched between us.
I looked at him, searching for even the smallest sign that he might change his mind.
There was nothing.
“So let me get this straight,” I said quietly.
“I can go anywhere…”
I gestured around the house.
“…except outside.”
“Correct.”
“I’ll have everything I need.”
“Yes.”
I gave a small nod.
“Except freedom.”
For the first time since he’d walked into the room, he didn’t answer straight away.
Then he said,
“Except that.”
No apology.
No explanation.
Just the truth.
And somehow…
That was worse.
Neither of us says another word.
The silence hangs between us.
Then there’s a knock at the door.
A maid steps inside and bows her head.
“Sir.”
Dante turns to her.
“What is it?”
“The wedding planner has arrived.”
I frown.
The what?
Dante doesn’t look surprised.
“I’ll be there shortly.”
The maid nods and quietly leaves the room.
I stare at him.
“Wedding planner?”
He looks at me.
“The preparations have already begun.”
A strange feeling settles in my stomach.
“What preparations?”
“Our wedding.”
I laugh.
A short, disbelieving laugh.
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
The smile disappears from my face.
“When?”
“In three days.”
Everything inside me goes still.
“Three days?”
“Yes.”
“That’s impossible.”
“It isn’t.”
I shake my head.
“You can’t plan a wedding in three days.”
“I can.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“I know enough.”
My chest tightens.
“No.”
The word comes out almost as a whisper.
“No… this isn’t happening.”
Dante buttons his suit jacket.
“You should get some rest.”
He walks toward the door.
Panic rises in my chest.
“You can’t do this!”
He doesn’t stop.
“Dante!”
For the first time, I say his name.
He pauses.
Just for a second.
But he doesn’t turn around.
Then he walks out.
The door closes behind him.
I stand there, staring at it.
In three days…
I would be married to a man who had stolen my freedom.
And if I didn’t find a way out before then…
I wasn’t sure I’d ever leave the De Luca estate again.
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