VERONICA'S POV :
The dress felt heavier than it looked.
Layers of ivory silk clung to my skin as if even the fabric knew I was being led somewhere I couldn't escape. The room buzzed softly with movement—maids adjusting my veil, my mother's quiet instructions, the distant sound of guests arriving below—but inside me, everything was silent.
Too silent.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
I barely recognized her.
The woman looking back at me was beautiful in the way Romanos were expected to be—perfect hair, flawless makeup, calm expression. A bride ready to walk down the aisle.
But behind her eyes was a girl holding her breath.
"Veronica," my mother said gently, stepping beside me. Her hand rested on my arm, warm and familiar. "You're going to be alright."
I nodded, because that was easier than asking questions she couldn't answer.
"Is he…" I hesitated, my voice barely above a whisper. "Is he very different?"
Her hand tightened.
"He is a Deluca," she said carefully. "But you are strong."
Strong.
I wondered when strength had come to mean endurance.
The doors opened. Music began to play somewhere far away. This was it. There was no more time to be afraid.
When I stepped into the aisle, every head turned.
I felt their eyes—curious, calculating, envious. This wasn't just a wedding. It was a display of power. A reminder that the Romanos and the Delucas still stood united, untouchable.
I walked slowly, each step measured, graceful.
And then I saw him.
Alexander Jace Deluca stood at the altar like he owned the world beneath his feet. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed in black that seemed less like formalwear and more like a warning. His face was carved from sharp angles and cold control, dark eyes fixed straight ahead.
He didn't look nervous.
He didn't look happy.
He looked dangerous.
When his gaze finally lifted and met mine, my breath caught.
There was no warmth there. No curiosity. Just assessment. As if he were studying a situation, not a person.
I felt very small.
I reached the altar and stood beside him. Close enough to feel the heat of his body. Close enough to sense the tension rolling off him like a storm.
He didn't look at me again.
The ceremony blurred together—words about unity, loyalty, honor. Promises that sounded beautiful but felt hollow. When it was time to say our vows, my hands trembled slightly as I placed them in his.
His grip was firm. Steady.
Unyielding.
"I do," I said when prompted, my voice clear despite the fear lodged in my chest.
Alexander didn't hesitate.
"I do."
Two words. No emotion.
The kiss was brief. Polite. His lips were warm, but distant, as if even that small act was something he endured rather than wanted.
Applause filled the room.
Just like that, I belonged to him.
__________
The car ride to the Deluca estate was quiet.
Too quiet.
I sat with my hands folded in my lap, staring out the tinted window as the city passed by. Alexander sat beside me, his presence overwhelming even in silence. He hadn't spoken a word since we left the church.
I finally gathered the courage to break the silence.
"You don't have to pretend," I said softly.
His head turned slightly. "Pretend what?"
"That you're pleased," I replied. "I know this wasn't your choice."
His jaw tightened.
"Choices are irrelevant," he said coldly. "What matters is obedience."
The words stung more than I expected.
We arrived at the estate just as the sun dipped below the horizon. The gates opened slowly, revealing a massive structure of stone and steel. It didn't feel like a home.
It felt like a fortress.
Inside, servants lined the halls. Heads bowed. Eyes averted. Fear lived here openly.
"This is your room," Alexander said, opening a door at the end of a long corridor.
My room.
Large. Elegant. Cold.
"And yours?" I asked.
He paused. "Across the hall."
Something twisted in my chest.
"We're married," I said quietly.
His eyes darkened. "That doesn't mean you own me."
I flinched before I could stop myself.
His expression shifted—just slightly. Annoyance. Something else.
"I won't touch you unless you want it," he said after a moment. "This marriage is an alliance, not a fairy tale."
I swallowed. "Thank you."
He looked at me as if the word surprised him.
"Get some rest," he said. "Tomorrow, you learn how this world works."
Then he walked away.
I stood alone in the room, heart pounding, realizing something terrifying and undeniable.
I hadn't married a monster.
I had married a man who didn't know how to be human.
And somehow… I had a feeling that terrified him more than it did me.
___________________________
Hi babiez 👋🐣
Hope you'll are enjoying my first ever chapter in this story....
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I know I've got some grammatical errors there and so much more reasons and I would really and gladly listen to all of your advice/s so that I could improve my writing...(◍•ᴗ•◍)
This is the second book I'm making and hoping to finish it with you guyz ʘ‿ʘ,
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