Betrothed to the Devil

curse the night Gol

traying the calm expression she wore. Her engagement ring-a delicate, glittering lie-sat heavily on her finger, mock

poised, polite, and

and fragile pride-Gold had learned early how to carry silence like armor. H

she was the

old's hair like she was fixing a doll. "He

nd. Her eyes were

. He didn't smile. Didn't touch. Didn't flatter. But he had money-more than enough to pull the Rossi family

hand, her father said yes

had whispered a week ago, laughing un

dn't di

opened wi

es and the expression of someone who'd long stopped pretending to be kind. Rain clung to his

in the ro

s only foun

o

ied her, like he was trying to decide if

voice like velvet dragged ove

other's hand found hers an

her voice calm, even. But in

t. Like a man who never

y estate the day after. You will have access to every part of my life-except the ones I do

eath c

if she agree

gaze. "What

ted slightly

e was

ation. Her mother's gaze was sharp with warning. And ev

s your

e price of

dded. Onc

ment longer, then handed

it with s

end

amond. N

x, shaped l

hains," she said softly

he replied. "You're wearing it t

r a split second, she thought she saw so

empti

o'd forgotten h

e," he said, and turned aw

hind him with a

t her lungs

s her l

. Not ev

ith the devil ho

ded by people who had sold her for the

t be his pri

uld le

ask

would make her own choice-

oice burned her

cry when N

ms did. No. She stood perfectly still, even when the door closed. Even when the

hanged in the s

ne asked her

rfect," she said, smoothing a nonexistent wrink

nted," Gold

paused, then dropp

asked. "Start grie

ld, Gold. We all

o tight around her neck, the wrinkles hidden under layers of pow

rly, when her mother ha

ed," Gold said,

ter her, his voice gruff with scotc

she t

o

ough

aits-ancestors staring down with dead eyes, all of them symbols of a legacy built on prestige and illusion

d shut behind her like the final

let out a breath she did

lac walls, a vanity she rarely used, shelves lined with

ge dresse

mirror, stared a

till the

of tight curls, framed her face like a crown she never asked to wear. Sh

his v

his p

ong to

errupted he

tu

me

never leave on time," she muttered, collapsing on the bed like she owned the pla

idn't

ching her carefu

not

paused. "Are yo

Nicolas's eyes. The way he looked at her

. "But I'm not scared fo

n wh

ed I'll d

nt. Then, softer, "You're

the kind of thing people say when the

idn't

th old memories-laughter from years ago, the scent of summer at the vineyard,

ed at the

bly in a car, checking his watch, se

d

d bed, betrothed to a man wit

wasn't h

e a martyr in

he could