Page 83 of Veil of Vengeance

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2 monthslater

Soft cries echo in the large cathedral. Nonna’s dead. She had a heart attack, and it was Nicholas and Sofia who had ‘found’ her. They say they found her, but I know that she probably saw them together and her heart couldn’t take it.

My sisters and Marcello are sitting on the pew behind us. Nicholas is sitting right next to me between my dad and I, and Mom is next to Dad, but I can make out her soft wails. The priest stands at the front of the Church, droning on about the afterlife and how Nonna lived a good, honest, and a happy life as a believing woman.

I almost laugh at how much of a lie and joke it all is. Nonna wasn’t honest or happy, and she certainly wasn’t good. Once the service is done, we all make our way to the graveyard for Nonna’s casket to be buried.

“What happened? And don’t bullshit me like you’re bullshitting everyone right now.” Nicholas stares ahead, not sparing me a glance, the ever-resting bitch face in place. “Nicho-”

“Sofia and I were speaking about what you had seen when your abuela walked in, all blazing eyes, and threatened us.” His cool baritone voice cuts me off. I narrow my eyes and my teeth grind together; I don’t believe one fucking word out of his mouth.

“She saw you two doing something, didn’t she?” I’m not asking him, just stating a fact. He slowly turns his head, his green eyes drilling a hole in my forehead as he tries to understand why I’m speaking to him.

This is our third conversation since we met, and from what I can tell, this marriage is going to go up in flames as soon as the ink is dry on the paper. He’s been avoiding me, not that I mind it, and no one is pushing for us to talk, so we’re fine to keep to ourselves. Until the wedding. I clench my purse and look straight ahead.

Nicholas and I don’t speak after that and go on about the funeral proceedings as if we’re not meant to marry in a couple of months. The wedding was postponed due to Nonna’s sudden death.

Six months, and I’ll be married to a man I barely know, can barely stand the sight of, and feel absolutely nothing for, but what do I matter in the big plan of my Dad's big criminal enterprise. ?

The next day, Gloria, Nicholas’s stepMom, is at our house with her husband, but Nicholas isn’t here. Gloria sits with me and Mom while Mom sends Violette and Monica out.

Violette leaves without any pushback since she has a date with her fiancé, but she doesn’t want to call it a date. Instead, it’s a “meetup”—whatever the fuck that means. Monica, on the other hand, seems to want to be involved in the wedding planning, not affected by the funeral we had yesterday.

“Yes, we’ll have a wedding dress shopping day maybe next month.”

Mom’s hand squeezes mine as she agrees with whatever the hell her and Gloria are talking about.

We’re sitting in the guest living room. The gray armchair is so uncomfortable that I shift around every couple of minutes, earning me looks from Gloria and Mom. I ignore them and stare off in the distance, wondering what everyone in the Camorra is doing.

I hate myself for it, because all I can think of is Emiliano. All I dream of is him. He consumes my every thought. I need to snap out of it.

I'm getting married in four months, and it’s not to him. ??

CHAPTER 21

VALENTINA

1 month later

“Valentina, mia cara. Are you okay? Are you feeling okay? You’ve been zoning out a lot since…” Mom doesn’t finish what she wants to say; she doesn’t have to. I understand what she means. We’re headed to the wedding dress stores in the city.

“Yes, Mom, I’m fine. I just don’t…I don’t really have anything to say.” I shrug my shoulders, hoping she’ll buy it. Her eyes briefly close as she sighs before she opens them again and nods.

“You’ll tell me if something’s bothering you, right?” she asks. I would never do that to my Mom. She already has enough on her plate.

“Yes, Mom, of course.” The car comes to a halt, and the doors fling open, our bodyguards scouring the surrounding area. Perrin’s bridal shop has a cute look to it, and I’m sure that Gloria doesn’t like it by her sour expression when she steps out of the car behind ours. The glass doors have an arch of different flowers, mostly orange and yellow, but some reds peek through. The guards push the gold hardware on the glass doors and hold them open for us.

Stepping inside, the vibrant orange carpet muffles the sound of our heels. The walls are a mix of orange, yellow, and pink, like a water marble with gold accents, making it look vibrant and inviting. Gloria looks around with disdain before stepping forward. Two attendants stand to the side with bright smiles on their faces.

One of them has a beautiful Afro and the other has a pretty scarf on her head.

“Hi, I’m Valentina, and we’re here for our first wedding dress shopping appointment,” I say. Recognition crosses the face of the girl with the scarf.

“Yes, we have you booked in for the day. I’m Inara, and I’ll be your assistant, and this is Dorothy, my trainee. She’ll be assisting you as well.” She gestures to the woman next to her, and I give them both a smile, trying to be as friendly as possible. “Would you like to follow Dorothy to your waiting area.” She waves to my mom and Gloria, who both follow Dorothy to an open space with a gray carpet and gray chairs. Inara looks back for me to follow her.

“Is there a style you have in mind?” she asks as we stop, and I look around.

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