-cold, lifeless, and expensive. Just li

t tighter. Her father didn't look at her. He just nudg

muttered under his brea

suits. The man she was marrying didn't look at her until the last s

expression carved from stone. He nodded

ke that, Ariella Hart became Mrs Romano.Wife to a man who didn't want her. Property to a family she feared.Dante Romano didn't even spare

NEXT

it once. The leather interior smelt like money and masculinity-like him. Dante sat beside her, legs crossed, unreadable as ever in his crisp dark suit.

he replied, not looking at him.He smirked, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You've got a sharp t

s, alive and carefree. Ariella hesitated. Stepping out of this car felt like stepping out of another world.A world where she belonged to a man no one could ever know about.Dante turned

es, Books, Protection." Hi

want you

y name. You might as

or for her without another word, a signal that the conversation-and argument-was over. She stepped out onto the pavement, the weight of his eyes burning into her back as she blended into the crowd of students.From th

hat Ariel

l is she doing

gar dadd

y spread her

. Mostly. The attention, the rumors, the jealousy... they'd started when her fat

e sneered behind her

lla t

an

sed, an evil grin on her face. Same blonde curls. Same fake

old? Or j

iends s

only they knew the truth-that she wasn't dating some rich man...

lse, but I know you. You're still the desperate charity case who begged my dad to love

a toss of her hair,

n casting a shadow longer than her figure. She wa

she d

ted her chin, an

o one knew

ed the last name Romano, a

traight, chin slightly raised,

e heard

like perfume-sticky, cloy

she's mar

usly? T

he car, the bag... so

sold herself to

been quiet. Cre

steady, but her fingers curled tightly around the strap of her bag. She

ntion cam

ren't wrong. S

didn't kn

oud enough for Ariella to hear her snide remarks,

for their grades. Others

ughter.

a didn'

knew the name

ld, powerful man sh

if th

they'd keep