Owned by the enemy

passed li

ed instructions, and stiff, formal s

t see hi

t o

mpse of Da

ven a

ke the decision had already been made

t a man could rearrange my entire future and not

-

ered around me

tuck the veil into place. But she didn't look me in the eyes, not

bric of her sleeve as I stood in front of the mirror in

ips ti

You think I didn't cry and scream when he married me of

my cheek ge

ce was, Giulia. And it wasn't b

omach

id again, choking on the t

oken smile. "Then surviv

-

to say goodby

my h

rsion of myself

nding at the top of the aisle in a cathe

tuxedos, pretending to smile. The air was thick with tension, too

o mine like this was any normal wedding. As if

music

felt lik

y chest like it wanted to e

n... the

an

n a black tailored suit

unrea

ll c

as just busi

that moment than I'

-he was devastatingly,

d elegance. Power

ked toward him, like he

-

ws were

. Just politics wra

ook at me wh

look at

-his slid over my f

pronounced us h

like

ki

elebr

y si

-

tion was j

ded by faces I barely recognized a

n't spe

't spea

a final signature on an invisibl

omething, anything. A crack. A glimpse of emotio

t eat. Di

nly w

rose, adjusted his cufflinks, and o

t like a

-

to his estate

staring out the window, the wei

t glance

't to

tween us was lo

was indifference or som

he doors were opened by guards dressed in bl

ed inside wi

. Cold. Lavish. A fortr

didn't feel

t like

-

me to our r

bed too big for two strangers. A fireplace flickering low.

he entrance, clutchi

s and moved to the armchair nea

," he said, voice neutral. "For tonight, this is you

nked a

ing t

nearly ma

ed to a man

house that

that meant not

ected me to

n't re

't wait

bathroom, shutting

unsure what to do. I could still fee

ewind time. Slipped into the soft silk robe left on the

already in bed, curled near

t him

to the op

shifted as h

d spoken b

between us f

-

in the s

th nothi

l his presen

t. Wa

gnor

-

ldn't help

rees to marry a woma

doesn't even look at he

of man wait

was he w