bChapter /b106

    KADE

    b55 /bbvouchers /b

    “What the fuck do you mean the wedding has been pushed up?” I asked Ss, my palms nted on his desk, my jaw

    clenched.

    He just stared at me. “It means what it means, Kade.”

    My nails dug into the wood of his desk. “I thought it wouldn’t be until a month from now, but a week? A fucking week?”

    “We thought it wasn’t necessary to drag it out seeing as both of you already know each other well.”

    “And who’s this ‘we?“”

    “Mr. Iannelli and I of course.”

    “So two of you just concluded on your own? Without asking the people who are getting married? Do our opinions mean shit to you?”

    He didn’t even look a bit apologetic. “Don’t be dramatic, Kade. The decision’s already been made.”

    “Dramatic,” I scoffed, pushing myself off the desk. “Bedonna. Give me her number.”

    He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t go around causing trouble.”

    “Spare me the bullshit talk and give me the damn number.”

    I left after he gave me the number, storming to my car, a headache throbbing in my temple.

    A week? Seriously? I thought I still had time. I didn’t know what I would do with the time if it were given to me, but still. Even though this was an arranged marriage, it was still a marriage. And marriage wasn’t a joke.

    I dialed the number when I got to my car, my head resting on the steering wheel.

    She picked up the call after a while. “Hello?”

    “It’s Kade.”

    “Oh! Marito! What a delight. I didn’t think you would call.”

    I pressed my fingers into my temple, closing my eyes. “Do you have time to meet right now?”

    “I’ll always have time for you.”

    I pressed my fingers harder to my temple as if I dug in hard enough, I could rip out this piercing headache. “Then give me a location.”

    “There’s a cafe near the hotel we’re staying at. I’ll text you the addressb.” /b

    I ended the call, already driving out of the house.

    Twenty minutester, I walked into the cafe. It was small, with barely any people here. Exactly what I needed.

    I immediately spotted Bedonna. She stood up and waved at me with a wide smile. I paused for a second when I saw her,

    b4:59 /bbpm /bPPPD

    E55 vouchers

    staring at her before I walked to her. She was wearing a simple sundress, her hair tied up. She looked… ordinary, and yet bshe /bstood out.

    “You’re bhere /bquicker than I expected,” she said as I slid into the seat opposite her, still smiling.

    “There wasn’t traffic,” I answered, taking off my jacket.

    “I thought you looked good in suits,” she purred, resting her chin on her hand, “but seeing you in normal clothes is even more arousing.”

    “I’m sure everything arouses you,” I responded, waving the waiter over.

    b“/bAww, he already knows me so well.”

    I ordered coffee and Bedonna just ordered cake. After the cake was gone, I rested back on the chair, my eyes fixed on hers.

    “Bedonna.”

    She bit her lips. “Yes, Kade?”

    Oh. I forgot she liked it when I called her name. I still didn’t know why, and I really didn’t want to know.

    “The wedding’s date got pushed up.” I tapped my finger on the table, not looking away from those ck eyes. “I’m sure you already know this.”

    “I do,” she answered softly. I felt her foot on my leg, just a ghost of a touch, but I felt it regardless.

    I still kept my face nk. “And you’re okay with this? The date moved up without them so much as asking us? You’re okay with the wedding being so soon?”

    This time, the touch just wasn’t a ghost. She rubbed her foot on my shin, an innocent smile on her face. “Yes to everything you asked.”

    “Cut-”

    My words were cut off when the waiter returned with our orders, cing them in front of us.

    I leaned forward and she did the same until our faces were so close that we were sharing oxygen.

    “Cut that crap,” I snarled.

    Her foot moved away from my shin and went higher, rubbing against my thigh. “What crap?b” /b

    I wasn’t hard, but if she moved higher, I knew I would be. I didn’t want to touch this woman again. Last night was a mistake that I didn’t want to repeat.

    We were going to be husband and wife soon, but only by word and paper,

    “I’m saying something important here, and you’re busy trying to seduce me. Cut that bullshit, Missnnelli, and fucking

    listen to bme/bb./bb” /b

    bHer /bexpression dimmed and she finally stopped, dropping her leg and leaning back on the seat, crossing her arms. “I don’t see what’s so important about what you’re saying, Kade. The wedding was moved up. Big fucking deal. It’s not that we weren’t going to get married anyway, so why drag it out?”

    I picked up my coffeeb, /btaking a sip and looking at her from the rim of the cup. After I was done, I said nothing and bjust /b

    b4:59 /bbpm /b

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    stared at her. I didn’t know what to make of this woman. She was simple, yet soplex. No, fuck that. She wasn’t simple at ball/bb. /bShe bwas /bhiding behind a mask, and that’s why I couldn’t see through her.

    Did she really want this marriage? All because of sex? Did she even know what marriage wasb? /b

    “You’re odd.” I said, still looking at her.

    She just shrugged, her arms still crossed. “Aren’t we all?”

    “You’re odd and yet… you’re an open book.”

    Her jaw clenched, the first sign of a real emotion I’ve seen on this woman’s face. She finally looked human, and the fa?ade she bwas /bputting on had fallen off. It was refreshing to bsee/b.

    “You finally look human,” I muttered.

    Her expression bwas /bnow hard. “So what did I look like before? A robot?“.

    “A maskb–/bwearer.”

    She said nothing, but her jaw was clenched so hard she might break a tooth.

    I went on anyway. “I could almost see through you, and from the little I’m seeing, I’m seeing a lot of pent–up rage. You’re like an overinted balloon that’s surrounded by pins. One wrong move and you’ll burst.”

    “We have something inmon, then,” she said, her voice hard.

    I picked up my jacket. “No. We have nothing inmon.” I stood up, dropping a bill to pay for what we ordered. I walked over to her and her eyes followed me, and when I got close to her, I leaned down, whispering into her ear. “Friendly advice, Bedonna. Don’t be too eager about our wedding night. You’ll be greatly disappointed.”

    b3/3 /b

    AD