The Billionaire's Rebellious Bride

LEY

ght. It always was. It had hundreds of little lig

power. But all it did was make my head hurt and re

polished so much I could see my face in them.

rol. He thought life should be clean like t

he mood too serious. My plate had food on it steak, pota

nt to eat.

lm and cold like always,

married in

water knocking my breath off. I froze. My fork slippe

, thinking mayb

d my voice lo

milar to mine, always harsh and hard, looked stra

Blackwood. The contract

Blackwood. The name was like a shadow people

aire no one

rtless. A man who smiled only when someone lost to hi

shaking my head. "N

lasses rattled, the plates shook. My mother jumpe

s is not up for debate. Yo

m. "You can't just sell me! I'm

es nar

lliances. Do you think our name, our money, our status came from love? No. They came from power, a

d for me, her fingers brushing mine gently. "Hai

fight for me. But she never did. She lived like a ghost besid

ut I blinked hard, ref

?" I said, my throat ti

irked like the word was a joke. "Love is

thing snap

gging into my palms. "Then I'

you will meet Santino. Dinner has be

air scraped the marble

sound echoed. "Then you a

breathe. My chest burned, my legs weak. But I forc

I never wa

slamming the hea

*********

t the ceiling. The chandelier here was smalle

life. My father had chosen my future l

him once from afar at a charity ball. He stood surrounded by men i

ple whispered about him like h

s supposed to

pillow. I wanted to run away, but where would

long, but morn

She carried a black silk dress and laid it on

smooth, expensive. Something a d

ers heavy. "Because yo

ecision. Alw

dress, let her pull my hair back and paint my lips red. When I looked

ust some stra

d kill someone with just a look. I had laughed then. But now, as th

powerful, like a king about to seal a treaty. My mot

th caught. The gates were tall, black iron with sharp p

all windows glowing with golden light. It didn

butler, dressed in black, led us down a hallway

the marble floor, each

en I s

o Blac

his face. He was taller than I imagined, his shou

ing. But it was his eyes that froze me. Cold. Stormy.

n me instantly. The

, I forgot h

d at me, like he was measuring me, like I was something he

voice low and deep,

y stomach twist. Like I was

my chin. "And you're the man who

ce turn red. My mother gasped. His eyes pinned me, unbli

miss me. Instead, the corner of his mouth

murmured. Then he turned to my

m went silent. My pu

that, my fut