Forced To Be The Mafia King's Bride

Chapter 8: The wedding gift

[Sloane's POV]

The priest's words echoed in my head.

No. No, no, no

This isn't happening. Oh God! This cannot be happening.

Antonio stepped closer. I could feel the heat radiating off his body. His gaze was intense as though he was staring right through me. My eyes squeezed shut tightly.

I could smell him now. He was close. So close.

I braced myself for the feeling of his lips on mine. For the violation of it. For everything I'd been dreading since this nightmare began.

Seconds passed, I could feel his breath against my cheeks.

But nothing happened

Why isn't he doing anything?

I slowly opened my eyes. Antonio was standing a few inches from me. I could see every detail of his face. He was…just staring…at me.

His lips curved into something that was definitely not a smile.

He stepped back. The priest cleared his throat awkwardly, and quickly stammered through the closing remark. “I now present to you. Mr. and Mrs. Delvecchio. The applause that followed was polite but restrained.

**********

The reception was held at one of Antonio's properties. It was so large it could house an army. Men in suits stood in small groups discussing things in low voices. It felt less like a wedding and more like a business meeting.

Antonio stood near the center of the room discussing speaking with several men. I recognized none of them.

But judging by the way they greeted him, they were important.

One by one they shook his hand, offered congratulations. Spoke about contracts, shipments, territories, and investments.

Perhaps they are business partners.

I was standing near the window when someone approached me.

“Mrs. Delvecchio,” he said, taking my hands before I could pull it away. His grip was warm, his thumb brushing across my knuckles in a way that made my skin crawl. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. Matteo Ricci.”

“Sloane Ash…” the word almost slipped, I had forgotten I was no longer an Ashford. “Sloane Delvecchio.” I forced a smile.

“May I call you Sloane?” His eyes swept over me with undisguised appreciation. “I have to say, Antonio is a very lucky man. I'd heard rumors about the Ashford heiress, but the rumors don't do you justice.”

I pulled my hand back, but he didn't seem to take the hint. He stepped closer, invading my personal space.

“Tell me,” he murmured, his voice dropping to something more intimate, “how did a man like Antonio convince a woman like you to say yes? Because I have to admit, I'm curious. If I'd known there was someone like you waiting in that estate, I might have made my own offer.”

My stomach churned. “Mr. Ricci, I don't think…”

“Matteo. Please call me Matteo. We're practically family now.” His smile widened. “And I do love getting to know new family members. Especially ones as lovely as you.”

My skin crawled.

Wait

Was he… is he actually flirting with me? At my own wedding? In front of Antonio's men?

I opened my mouth to tell him where to put his advances, but before I could speak, a hand slid down my waist. The touch was warm and firm, and it somehow conveyed a threat and a promise all at once.

Antonio.

His thumb traced a slow circle against the fabric of my gown, and despite everything, despite how much I hated him, a shiver ran down my spine.

“Matteo,” Antonio's voice came from behind me. “I see you've met my wife.”

Matteo's smile faltered a little. “Antonio.” He laughed nervously. “Congratulations. I was just getting to know Sloane. She's absolutely enchanting.”

“I know.” Antonio's grip on my waist tightened. “That's why she's mine.”

The words were delivered with such quiet finality that even Matteo seemed to feel the weight of them. He held up his hands in mock surrender.

“Of course, of course. No offense intended. I was simply paying a compliment.”

‘Consider it received.” Antonio's voice didn't change, but something in his eyes made Matteo take a step back. “Now, if you'll excuse us, I need to speak with my wife. Privately.”

Matteo's gaze flickered between us, something calculating in his expression. Then he nodded stiffly and melted back into the crowd.

Antonio didn't release his grip on my waist.

I turned to face him, my heart

hammering. "I need to speak with you. Privately.” I needed to ask him about the letter.

"Later."

"Now…"

"Now is not the time." His voice was firm, brooking no argument. "Whatever it is, it can wait."

"It can't…"

His eyes met mine, and something in his expression made the words die in my throat.

"I said later.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could, he turned away and reached for a glass on the table. He tapped it once, twice, the clear ping cutting through the murmur of conversation like a blade.

The room fell silent.

Antonio raised his glass, his voice carrying easily through the hall. "I want to thank you all for joining us on this special occasion. My beautiful wife and I appreciate your presence." He paused, his eyes sweeping the room before landing on me. "However, I'm afraid my wife is a bit tired. The excitement of the day has taken its toll.”

I wanted to scoff.

Tired? I'm exhausted. I'm drained. I'm running on nothing but pure adrenaline and sheer willpower because you turned my life into a nightmare.

Instead, I smiled and nodded like the dutiful wife.

Antonio set his glass down and extended his hand to me. "Shall we, Mrs. Delvecchio?”

took his hand, my fingers cold against his. He led me through the sea of watchful eyes, past men who whispered and women who stared, out the grand doors and into the cool night air.

The moment we were outside, a sleek back car was waiting.

***********

The car was silent as we drove through the dark streets. I sat as far from Antonio as possible, pressed against the door, watching the city lights blur past the window.

“Where are you taking me to?” I finally managed to say. My voice was sharp and demanding.

“Actually, I have a gift for you. A wedding gift.” His voice was calm.

“I see, what could that possibly be?” I was curious about what he's up to.

“Are you going to kill me?” The words came out before I could stop them.

Antonio's head turned towards me. “Excuse me?”

"Is that the gift? You're going to take me somewhere isolated and kill me? Dispose of the body? Make it look like I ran away?”

He stared at me for a long moment then smirked. “If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it when I took you from the rain.”

“Then what's the gift?”

He didn't answer, just gave me a smirk that sent a chill down my spine.

“You'll see.”

*******

The car stopped, I sat up straighter and I felt my heart stutter. The gates came into view.

Ashford Estate.

“Why are we here?” My voice cracked as memories came flooding back.

Antonio was watching me, his expression unreadable. “I know I took you in the middle of the night, without getting the chance to take anything important to you.”

I stared at him.

His jaw tightened. "I brought you here to get your things. Whatever you need. Whatever you want to take."

The words hung in the air between us.

I waited for the punchline.

It never came.

“So you…”

My throat tightened.

“You brought me here to get my things?”

Antonio simply nodded.

Something painful lodged itself in my chest.

I hated that it affected me.

Because for the first time since meeting him, I didn't know what to think.

Maybe he wasn't completely heartless.

Maybe somewhere beneath all that cruelty…

There was still a small piece of humanity left.

The thought frightened me more than it should have.

“Go.” He said. “Before I change my mind.”

I scrambled out of the car.

A few minutes later I came out holding a box of the few things I needed. Antonio was leaning against the car, arms crossed. I approached him quietly as he continued staring. For the first time since I met him, I was tempted to thank him. I hated that.

“Antonio…” the words sounded good in my head but saying it out loud felt strange.

He checked his watch, then a slow smirk touched his mouth. “Perfect timing.”

My stomach tightened.

“What?”

He looked past me. Toward the estate gates. “The real gift.” The smirk widened.

“Should be arriving…” He glanced at his watch again.

“...now.”

“What do you mean…?” I didn't finish the sentence.

Then…

BOOM.

The blast ripped through the night with enough force to shake the ground beneath my feet, knocking me to the ground. The box slipped from my hands.

My ears were ringing. My vision was blurry. The heat was so intense it felt like my skin was peeling away.

I turned, slowly, painfully. Fire erupted from the mansion like a living thing, glass shattering. The Ashford estate was consumed by fire.

Then I heard something

Music.

Coming from inside Antonio's car. An opera. Something elegant and haunting and utterly wrong for this moment.

Slowly, I turned back.

Antonio was watching me, leaning against the car with his hands in his pockets, completely untouched by the chaos around him.

He was smirking.

"That," he said softly, "was the gift."