Page 53 of Broken Princess

"What do you think?" I ask him again, once Natalie goes back to talking with the shop owner.

"I think I wish I wasn't so unflinchingly gay," he says.

I huff in protest, but my cheeks are growing warm. "Anthony."

He smirks. "Really, though, Stefan is the luckiest guy in NYC. I think he knows it, too."

"You know, you could at least pretend to be as upset about this as I am," I say, folding my arms.

"I'm plenty upset on your behalf," he says, holding up his hands. "But you know I've never been Lorenzo's biggest fan, and if he's stupid enough to actually believe your father's lies, he doesn't deserve you."

"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any better," I mutter.

"It's not supposed to," he says with a shrug. "But it's the truth."

"You really think Stefan is any better?" I ask. "He's been willing to go through with all of this. The lying, the deception, this sham of a marriage…" I glance in the mirror to make sure Natalie isn’t within earshot.

"I think a man in love will do a lot of things he wouldn't otherwise agree with," Anthony says thoughtfully.

"He barely even knows me."

"Neither does Lorenzo," he counters. "Besides, his sketchy past aside, Stefan is kind of a catch. He's got all the benefits Lorenzo has without the drawbacks. He's hot, he's filthy rich, he's set to inherit one of the most powerful criminal empires in the world, and he comes with the added bonus of not being the sharpest tool in the shed."

"I wouldn't say that, but how exactly is that a bonus?" I ask, planting a hand on my hip.

"Well, for one thing, it makes him easier to control," he reasons. "He's already thinking with his dick, and the puppy-eyed look he's always giving you when you're not looking means he's pretty much guaranteed to be putty in your hands."

As guilty as I feel for admitting it, even to myself, I know he’s right. I don’t understand why, but Stefan is clearly infatuated with me, and that’s something I plan on using for my own purposes.

Even if it is for the noble cause of keeping peace between all three of our families, I still feel bad for manipulating someone else's feelings for me. I know well enough how much that stings, and just because I don’t have a choice doesn’t mean it’s an excuse.

I sigh, shaking my head. I don’t want to think about any of this right now. But with the wedding a mere week away, it isn’t like I have a whole lot of other options.

I've put off this day for as long as I can, and considering I need a dress that will actually fit, I have a convincing excuse, but I can’t put it off forever.

I’ve started to wonder if there’s even a point. It isn’t like Lorenzo and I can be together. Maybe if I have Stefan on my side, I can use that as leverage if my father does try to start a war with the Rossis. I have to hope he'd at least wait until after the wedding for any major double crossing, but the fact that the Rossis—Lorenzo included—are going to be in attendance has me on edge.

On the one hand, I would be worried if they weren't invited, but on the other, it’s the perfect opportunity if Dad wants to betray them. He'd be surrounded by allies with all the major players in one place.

"Here," the shop owner says, coming back with a small white box that contains a headpiece with a veil cascading down the front and back. It’s covered in jewels I assume are real diamonds, given the fact that this place is so ritzy the gowns don’t even have price tags. "This is the base model, but yours will have more diamonds, obviously."

"Okay," I mumble as she places the piece atop my head, fluffing my waves out around my shoulders and adjusting the veil.

I look at my reflection, a strange hollow feeling in my stomach. Well, there’s no doubt about it. I look like a bride.

"This is the one," Natalie says with a wistful sigh. "I wish they made them like that when I was your age."

"I'm inclined to agree," says Anthony. "It doesn't get any better than that."

I smooth the front of my dress down and stare back at myself, even though the woman in the mirror is someone I don’t recognize.

A week from now, I'll be married.

And there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

CHAPTER 25

LORENZO

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