Page 23 of Her Cruel One-Sided Love

Two

"Could this be a typo?"

Massimo had imagined Ysabel saying a lot of things in response to his grandmother's official announcement of their engagement, but none of it wasthat.

Ysabel tried not to wince at the way Massimo's lip curled in response to her words. "What I mean is...could they have gotten your names switched with Ezio—-"

"No, signorina."

Ysabel almost jumped back at the icy bite in Massimo's voice. Why did he sound so mad? Did he have some kind of brother complex for Ezio—-or was it just her that he found particularly lacking as a prospective bride for his family?

"Every word you have read is perfectly accurate.Iam the one my grandmother has chosen to be your groom, not Ezio."

Ysabel could only stare at Massimo as she tried to wrap her head around what he was saying. If every word was accurate, then...

No. Impossible. It can't be.

Massimo couldn't understand why it had pissed him off to hear Ysabel think of himself as a possible bride for his younger brother.What was wrong with him, dammit?And when he heard her laugh nervously yet again, he even had the strangest compulsion to punish her with a kiss.

What. The. Hell.

Ysabel waited for Massimo to say he was joking. But all he did was look at her like he was wanting to drag her to his lap to give her a spanking.

Which she would love...to object to,Ysabel mentally hurried to add, just to keep her conscience clear.

Ysabel tried her best to gather her thoughts even as the thought of Massimo spanking her ass refused to leave her. "I think there's some kind of misunderstanding. Because you can't actually be saying thatI'myour bride—-"

"You are."

Another laugh escaped her, and Massimo's lips tightened at the urge to cover her lips with a punishing kiss.

"But Ynez—-"

"Your sister was the first one outside myfamigliato know of my arranged marriage. She understands that this is my duty as a Marchetti."

Ysabel was starting to remember what had happened earlier.This was why,she realized,so many more people than usual had been staring at her like she was a freak.It was because they had already readLa Strega'sannouncement about her engagement to Massimo, and it seemed she was the only one who hadn't known about it.

Massimo used to trust his instincts as a rule, but his ex-girlfriend's unexpected act of infidelity had changed this. Ynez had warned him long ago about her sister's ability to manipulate and deceive people, and it was this memory that had him grimly observing Ynez's reaction to his words.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ysabel asked uneasily.

"Your reaction to my breakup with your sister was rather...lacking." Was she secretly taking pleasure at the fact that Massimo had dumped her sister because of her?

Ysabel struggled to find the safest way to respond to this without lying. "Our relationship isn't...like others."

"Why not?"

"It's just how it is..." Ysabel knew she should be used to this by now, but her heart still ached every time she was forced to confront the reality of her relationship with Ynez.

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