Page 39 of Bride By Coronation

"No."

"Okay, I'll let the pilot know," she says.

Within minutes, we're in the air.

I reach for the gold box and unlock it, staring at the ring.

Something old.

A splinter of relief lodges itself in my chest. "Old, new, and blue is taken care of, but what about borrowed?" I mutter, taking a sip of liquor and grimacing as it burns my throat.

The eleven-hour flight doesn't go any faster than the first time. I pace the majority of it, wondering what Fiona could borrow.

The pilot announces, "We're about to land. Please take your seat and secure your seat belt."

I obey, leaning my head back against the seat and closing my eyes.

Think!

We land, and I'm no closer to an answer. My SUV waits on the runway, and I don't waste time getting into it. The dresses and lingerie are loaded into the trunk, and within twenty minutes, my driver pulls up to the curb in front of my building.

I go inside, wait for the elevator that still hasn't been fixed, and worry about what Fiona can borrow.

"What a stupid tradition," I mumble, stepping into the penthouse. I pace the family room until the packages arrive.

Once I'm alone again, I take the dress with the dove, the lingerie, and the ring out. I put them on my oversized bed and stare at them.

I need to know if she likes any of this.

Worried I made the wrong choice, I glance at the items and then go over to my desk. I open the drawer, tear off the top of my letterhead so I don't break any rules, and remove the cap from my fountain pen.

A thousand things race through my head, and I take a few moments to sort through them, then begin writing.

My dearest Fiona...

7

Fiona

The Next Day

My doorbell rings, and I groan. It's been a long few days. I've barely slept, and avoided countless calls and texts from Zara and Sean. I even kicked them out of my house when they came over last night unannounced.

The one saving grace came from my work. As usual, it's been hectic. Between mentoring Blue and moving forward on the upcoming spring line, it was the only time my mind wasn't thinking about what's ahead of me.

Am I really going to marry a stranger?

I can't.

I have to. My niece and nephew will be orphans if I don't.

The few moments I spent holding them last night before I insisted Sean and Zara leave didn't help me find a way to let them sink into the consequences of whatever they got themselves into.

How could my father create something so insane?

The rulebook Valentina insisted I memorize made me realize I didn't know my father. He seemed obsessed with the numbers 7, 13, and 666.He created laws so black and white there's no room for gray between them. And the punishment almost always is death.

How could he create peace if death is involved?

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