Brianna’s POV

Two years later…

I woke up before my alarm rang. Yet I remained in bed and refused to open my eyes as though the rays of morning sun would blind me. I remained in bed because I knew what today was.

June the 15th. Exactly two years since Daphne's death. Every day was a constant reminder of my betrayal.

Heaving a sigh and mustering up all the courage in the world, I rolled out of the bed and went about my morning routine.

As I sat by the window to spend time on a book, my gaze fell outside just in time for a limousine to pass through the gate. It wasn't Father and he didn't usually have guests this early. At least not in a while.

Curious, I kept looking as the driver opened the back door. My eyes nearly popped from their socket when the passenger got out. It was Nikolas.

What is he doing here? He hadn't showed up since Daphne's burial, so having him here was a huge surprise. I thought of possible reasons for his visit and could only come up with ‘business’. Even at that, anxiety gnawed at me and I wasn't bold enough to eavesdrop on his conversation with Father.

A knock came shortly after Nikolas left. I opened the door to find one of the maids.

“Good morning, Miss Brianna. Your father would like to see you in his chambers.”

My heart drummed. For him to have summoned me meant something was wrong. Still, I brought myself together and made my way to Father’s chambers.

“Come in,” he said as soon as I knocked.

“Good morning, Father. You sent for me.”

Father sat silently for a while, smoking his cigar before he spoke. “Nikolas Conti left some minutes ago. He seeks your hand.”

I stood like a statue, certain that I had misheard him. “Sorry?” Father hated repeating himself which showed in the way he glared at me. “I'm sorry, Father.”

“I'm sorry, Father,” he said mockingly. “I wasn't wrong to think you'll disgrace me before the Contis. If not for the merger, you have no business becoming a Conti.”

So I had heard right. Did that mean… Pure horror fell on me and my only visible reaction was a silent shake of my head.

“No.” I whispered. “That…that can't happen.”

“Excuse me?” There was a threatening tone to Father’s voice. Rightly so, because nobody dared stand up to him.

My family believed in arranging marriages mainly to build alliances. It'd been the reason Daphne had been engaged to Nikolas. And now, she was gone…I was forced to take her place. I couldn't believe this. I still gripled with the guilt of her passing away, and now this? I couldn't bring myself to betray her again.

I never talked back to Father. However, now I couldn't help but voice my refusal. “I don't mean to disrespect you, but this is Daphne's fiancé we're talking about.”

“Ex fiancé.” He took a draw out of his cigar and once the cloud of smoke faded away, a surprisingly calm face was revealed. “Come on, you should be happy. I expect you to throw a fist in the air.”

I frowned in confusion.

“Don't give me that look. You never did a good job hiding how you feel about Nikolas,” he said.

My mouth fell open before I could stop it. Father smiled mockingly making me want to sink into the ground. What did he mean? Did he read the diary too?

“You've always wanted what is Daphne's. Now, you might as well become the wife she never was.”

Tears formed in my eyes and I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat. “How can you say that?”

But still, somewhere in his accusation laid a truth. I did feel jealous of Daphne but not the way Father put it. I wanted the love Father threw st her, wanted the ease that came with her life. That didn't mean I sought her destruction.

“I’m not going to marry him,” I deadpanned. That was my resolve. I stood, watching Father leave his seat and walk towards me. Next thing I knew, my cheek burned from the impact of the slap he gave me.

Tears blurred my vision.

“There's more from where that came from if you try to disobey me. You will marry Nikolas and that's final.”

He returned to his seat, leaving me feeling every bit broken.

***

A woman's wedding day was meant to be the happiest moment in her life. But not for me.

Staring gloomily out the window, I sat at the backseat of Father's car. The veil over my face concealed my bloodshot eyes. I'd pretty much been a weeping mess since last week Father dropped the bombshell.

The car soon pulled up in front of a courthouse. Nikolas's family wanted a private ceremony, which was why there'd neither be a reception nor church wedding.

The driver opened the door, ushering me out but I remained where I was. Nervousness rattled within me so much that taking a breath felt difficult.

Don't think of disappointing me, Brianna. I'll be watching.

Father's voice echoed in my mind so I had no choice but to step out of the car.

Two witnesses sat in the foyer but there was no sign of Nikolas.

I quietly sat down and pondered on how drastic my life was about to change. Few minutes later, Nikolas arrived and without sparing me a glance, he walked into the magistrate’s office.

Swallowing my shame, I followed him in. The magistrate declared us husband and wife once the marriage licence was signed.

Yet again, Nikolas left without saying a word to me. This time, I didn't follow him. A crucial question weighed on my mind.

“Is anything the matter, Mrs. Conti?” the magistrate asked, cutting into my thoughts.

I opened my mouth to speak, but then thought against it.

Smiling, I shook my head. “No. Thank you.”

Father's car was nowhere to be found when I stepped outside. However, a Rolls Royce stood at a distance. It honked before a uniformed driver walked over to the backseat and held the door open for me.

Clutching my purse, I moved towards the car.

Nikolas completely tuned me out, his eyes anywhere but on me. All through the drive, I thought of how to break the ice. The courage to speak came just as we drove through the massive gate of his home, but it vanished when a maid walked up to my side of the window.

Her sweet smile briefly caught my attention before the driver opened the door.

“Show her to her room,” Nikolas said to the maid as he disappeared into the enormous, colonial-style mansion.

“Good day, ma’am,” she curtseyed. “I'm Alice, your personal maid.”

I managed a smile. “Nice to meet you, Alice. I'm Brianna.”

Alice and I climbed a flight of stairs before getting to the second floor. My room was the third one along the hallway. It was large enough to be a master's bedroom. The furniture and beddings were vintage in appearance, giving off a peaceful vibe. I almost basked in that peace when it occurred to me that this used to be Daphne’s each time she slept over.

A wave of agitation washed over me.

“Could you show me Nikolas’s room, please?” I asked Alice.

She led me to the west wing of the building. His room stood at the end of the hallway. Thanking her, I picked my steps towards it, raised my hand and was about to knock when the door opened abruptly.

His angry eyes were the last thing I saw before being yanked into the room.

Brianna’s POV

I couldn't believe what I stared at. Piercing dark eyes that were capable of ripping me apart at the slightest chance.

“What are you doing here?” Nikolas asked in a rough voice.

An unwanted shudder ran through my body.

“I…I…”

I couldn't bring myself to speak. How could I even bring up our surprise marriage when he looked every bit furious because of it? Again, didn't it seem stupid to apologise for being his wife? It wasn't my fault.

“I was finding my way around and mistakenly… I'm sorry I didn't mean to piss you off.”

He tightened his grip around my arm. “Now listen and listen good. I really don't care where you decide to sneak into, but you see my room? It is off-limits.”

My heart shattered as soon as he said that. I hadn't seen him this way before, bitter and furious. It felt like he took me as an enemy.

He let go of me and I rubbed my arm, the sting wearing away. “I'm sorry,” I muttered. “I know you're mad at this whole situation. I didn't want this either. For some reason our families thought it's best for us to—”

“There's no us. There never will be.” His eyes were cold and distant.

The bite of rejection burned. Tears pricked at the back of my eyes.

“You know, you're a coward for not standing against this. You could have walked away. You should have.”

“I tried.” A teardrop fell.

“Apparently, you didn't try well enough,” he scoffed, a glint of mockery rested in his eyes. “It's clear to me you never liked your sister. She meant the world to me. I can't say the same about you.”

That did it for me. It was the last straw that destroyed me. Stifling my sobs, I yanked the door open and sped towards my room.

Hot tears streamed down my face, soaking up the carpet the moment I reached my room.

***

A throbbing headache woke me several hours later. Weirdly enough, I laid in bed. I couldn't remember leaving the floor because the rest of yesterday had gone in a blur.

Ploughing through my morning routine, I changed into a sundress and headed to the kitchen. My stomach rumbled in annoyance since I’d starved myself.

Just as I was about to get in, someone bumped into me and glassware clattered to the ground, shattering.

“Oh my God. I'm sorry,” I said, horrified at the sight of shattered glass and spilled coffee.

“You little…You've ruined my dress!”

“I'm so sorry.” I looked away from the floor and almost gasped, unable to believe who I saw.

She cocked her brow before putting on a bored expression. “Oh. It's you.”

“Good morning, Mrs. Conti.” I didn't expect to meet Nikolas's mother anytime soon. She'd been away on some vacation. I hadn't really paid attention to Alice yesterday when she'd told me about it. “It's good to see you. I hope your flight was good.”

She regarded me, eyes sweeping me up from head to toe. “I can't say the same.”

I didn't know what she meant by that. But the statement was eerily similar to the one Nikolas had made.

She meant the world to me. I can't say the same about you…

A lump grew in my throat.

“What a way to welcome your mother-in-law. With a coffee bath.”

I caught sight of the ugly stain on her robe. “I'm sorry. I should have been more careful.”

“Indeed. Since you destroyed the coffee I intended to enjoy, you can surely fix another, can't you?” A cold smile tugged at her lips.

I nodded.

Casting me one more unfriendly look, she left. I picked a broom and began clearing the shards of glass.

“Ma’am?” Alice rushed in, trying to take the broom away. “No, you shouldn't. This is my job.”

I chuckled. “It’s fine.”

“Master will be mad if he finds out,” she whispered, eyes wide with fear.

Not wanting to get her into trouble, I let her have the broom.

“Fine. But you won't stop me from making coffee though.”

I went about getting the coffee ready and even rustled up some chicken sandwiches. Nikolas's mom was annoyed at the accident; it only made sense that I appease her.

With her breakfast arranged in a tray, I started towards the living room just in time to hear voices.

That of Nikolas and his mother.

“Let’s not start this, Mother. It's too early.”

“But I'm talking about your happiness, Nikolas. Your future. That girl and her family mean bad luck,” his mother retorted. “I can't believe this is even happening.”

Were they talking about me?

“I blame your grandfather. I honestly don't know what he sees in the Mallorys.”

It was confirmed. They were talking about me. Trying my best to look clueless, I made my way to the dining room. Nikolas's eyes were the first to meet mine before his mother’s.

I silently served breakfast.

“What is this?” she asked, her eyes fixed at the covered dish.

“Chicken sandwich. I thought it'd go well with—”

“I don't remember asking for one.” She uncovered the plate, instantly sighing. “And it's chicken. Nikolas, you didn't tell her I’m vegetarian?”

Nikolas wouldn't spare me a glance. He simply sipped his coffee.

His mother turned to me. “Well, honey, I don't eat chicken, but since you have time in your hands, you can switch this up with something I'm more comfortable with.”

She pushed the tray aside.

Hiding my hurt with a smile, I picked the plate and headed back to the kitche but not without hearing those words from her:

“I don't like her. Daphne was far better.”

Brianna’s POV

“Where on earth did I keep it?” I said to myself, searching around for my bracelet. It just occurred to me that I hadn't seen it for a while now. In fact, since I moved into Nikolas's home.

My hour-long search turned up nothing, filling me with worry. The bracelet meant so much to me. It was a special gift from Mom before she passed away.

I slumped to the bed, exhausted only to sit up almost immediately. Nikolas's room! It was possible the bracelet had fallen off when he'd forcibly pulled me into his room.

Shit. This was a sticky situation as I'd be flouting his orders if I went to his room. Only God knows how he'd react.

Yet, that didn't deter me. I gathered up courage and left my room, making sure nobody watched as I turned to the hallway that led to his room.

I knocked but no response came. Left with no choice, I entered the room. He wasn't here but I could hear the sound of running shower. I needed to act fast.

And so, I got to work, looking around. The bed, the nightstand, the study table and the carpet but there was no sign of the bracelet.

I glanced at the nightstand again, concluding that I just had to look into the drawers. If it turned out nothing was there, I'd accept my sad fate.

I tiptoed to the nightstand, shakily drew the first drawer and voila, there it was.

As I dipped my hand to pick it up, a door squeaked open.

Shit.

Without thinking, I dove under the bed and held my breath. It went still for a while with just the light sound of footsteps being audible. Nothing else happened for a long time, so I moved towards the front end of the bed to know what was going on.

His calves were the first thing that met my eyes. He stayed still, making me wonder what he could be doing.

Curious, I crawled an inch forward for a better look. That was when he took me unawares by discarding his towel.

My eyes snapped shut, only to open again and pick up the well toned, rock-hard back muscles. My gaze travelled further, cascading down the curve of his spine to reach his buttocks. An image appeared in a flash. I saw myself holding onto his shoulder as he thrusted into me and…

Krrring! My phone blared in the pocket of my shorts.

Jerking, I hung it up. My eyes rounded in fear.

It was so silent that a drop of hair strand could be heard. Then, my worst fears materialised as Nikolas drew near to the bed. Every step he took was met with several more of mine towards the far end of the bed.

If only the floor would swallow me up!

Then, all of a sudden, he stopped. He didn't peek under the bed nor pull me out by my legs.

Instead, he spoke. “Yes.” Silence. “Tell Carl to assemble the stakeholders. I'll be there shortly.”

I heaved a sigh and was at the point of tears, given how close I'd gotten to being caught. His phone rang at the same time as mine. What were the odds of that happening? Almost zero.

Nikolas was out of the room minutes later. I didn't hesitate to leave too, completely out of breath from anxiety.

Later that day, Nikolas's grandfather arrived from Italy. I joined everyone else to welcome him. Mr. Giovanni Conti was the patriarch of the family and the brain behind the billion-dollar automobile company. Conti Motors. He'd established the business before getting married and had been based in Italy. His first and only son, Nikolas's father, had set up an offshoot here in the US.

“There is my daughter-in-law.” Nikolas's grandfather spread out his arms, beckoning for a hug.

Somehow, my gaze fell on Nikolas's mother. Her disapproving eyes didn't stop me from taking the hug.

“It's good to see you again, Grandpa.”

Nikolas's grandfather wasn't usually around. He oversaw the family estate at Tuscany. Amongst everyone in the family, he was the only person I felt comfortable around.

He chuckled heartily. “Please forgive me, mia cara. I couldn't attend the ceremony, no matter how much I wanted.”

My smile faltered having been reminded of the wedding I didn't want. “I understand.” I forced myself to say the next set of words. “I know you've given me your blessings.”

“Certainly. And speaking of which.” He looked past me towards Nikolas's mom. “Nikolas isn't here to welcome me?”

She replied, “He left not too long away for the office.” Just by mentioning Nikolas, my mind flashed back to the sensual sight I'd caught in his room. I brushed off the thought.

Nikolas's grandfather scoffed. “Office indeed. He's got a wife now. He should spend more time with her.” Switching his attention to me, he gestured for me to come with him. “Tell me how the wedding went.”

***

Nikolas's grandfather decided to host a dinner party to celebrate our marriage. That, of course, had come with a tight-lipped smile from Nikolas's mother and…pretty much no response from Nikolas. This was my fate now; the sooner I accepted it while staying determined to make my marriage work, the better for me.

So, as part of making my own contribution to the dinner and partly to impress, I offered to prepare the meal.

After a long time cooking, I went off to freshen up and change into an evening dress. The guests began trooping in shortly after. To my absolute surprise, my father was one of them.

He reached up to me and pulled me in for a hug. Since we were in the midst of people, I had to pretend everything was fine. I forced a smile and wrapped my arms around him.

“Good evening, Father,” I managed to say.

He gave a curt nod before moving past me to greet my in-laws. A hint of sadness pulled at my heartstring. I would be lying if I said I wasn't annoyed with him.

Soon, everyone was seated in the dining room. Nikolas's grandfather tapped his wine glass with a fork, drawing attention.

“Tonight, we're celebrating a new union. Between my grandson, Nikolas and his beautiful bride, Brianna. To long life and a fruitful union. Cheers!”

Everyone tipped their wine glasses. Nikolas listlessly tipped mine. We unfortunately had to sit close to each other.

“And did I mention what a talented chef she is? She was gracious enough to bless us with one of her exotic recipes.”

The maids entered with a food cart, making my heart pump with excitement for the first time since I got married. I couldn't wait for everyone to have a taste.

“Hmm. Looks amazing,” one guest commented as his food was dished out.

Right as I began dishing mine, a guest seated next to Nikolas's mother screamed, “Where's the restroom? I need the restroom!”

Some maids rushed to her side, helping her out of her seat to find the restroom. And just like that, everyone was thrown into confusion.

I couldn't believe what I saw. People spat into their napkins, others were gulping water like their life depended on it.

Blindsided by the playout of things, I stared down at my plate. Putting a spoonful of food into my mouth, I immediately spat it out.

Nausea hit the back of my throat, nudging me to throw up. This tasted nothing like what I had prepared.

Someone had tampered with the food.