Chapter 2 Chapter 2

~ Elena’s POV

I was dumbfounded when he backed up and placed his hand on my back, greeting the guests. I inhaled a deep breath, knowing there was so much more coming my way, and I wasn’t even ready for it.

In no time, the reception began, and I had to greet the guests with Damian stuck by my side almost all the time. I had changed into a more comfortable dress, but the eyes of the guests never let me rest. There was something in their eyes that told me that this wedding wasn’t what anyone expected at all. My breath hitched when I realized there could be someone in the guest who might know about the switch of the brides. I just hope they don’t come out and confront me.

I excused myself to go to the restroom, an excuse to get away from Damian for at least a second. He gave me a suspicious look before nodding and loosening his grip on me. I sighed in relief and made my way toward the restroom. As I made my way through, gusts were whispering among themselves, and the only words I could make out from their whispers were “traitor,“ “deal,“ and hushed voices asking each other to keep quiet.

I shook my head and headed inside the restroom, sitting peacefully for a moment before walking out and making my way back to Damian, only to be stopped in the middle.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Damian. You look ravishing.“ I didn’t know who this guy was, but the way he was smiling, maybe he knew Damian.

I smiled back and nodded my head. “Thank you.“ As I conversed with him, I could feel Damian’s head piercing through the back of my head.

“So, how did you and Damian meet?“ He asked, and I raised my eyebrows. This was an unexpected question, and before I could answer him, a voice echoed from behind me.

“Snooping a little too much, aren’t you, Salvatore?“ Damian spoke, placing his hand back on my waist, and despite my hatred for him, I was glad he came to the rescue.

“Don’t be so hostile, Moretti. I was just complimenting her looks.” My eyes darted back to Damian, and for a second, his jaw tightened. My heart was thundering inside my chest, and I knew if I spoke, I would only make matters worse, so I stayed silent.

“Thank you. It’s my wife you’re talking about.“ All the conversations almost went the same after talking with the Salvatore guy.

~ After a While

The ride back from the reception was keeping me on edge. Damian sat like he had just sealed a business deal, while my mind kept repeating the whispers I overheard around the guests: "traitor," "deal," "keep it quiet." I already knew he was the heir of a Mafia don, but such rumors about a wedding sounded odd to me.

When the car finally came to a halt outside of Damian's mansion, my stomach twisted. The place itself was as tall and intimidating as Damian was, and I didn't like it one bit. I stood frozen at the entrance of the mansion, my feet refusing to move another inch.

"Walk, wifey." Damian's voice sent a shiver down my spine when he broke the silence. I was forced to obey, and my legs moved before my mind could comprehend anything, and my throat went dry.

The doors opened, and in front of us, the line of staff, neatly arranged and bowing their heads, stood. Damian pressed his hand against the small of my back once again, as his voice echoed all across the place.

"This," he announced, "is the woman of the house. Show her the respect she deserves."

The staff nodded in unison before they went off to their assigned duties. As soon as they disappeared, a weird feeling settled in my gut. I looked at Damian and the mask he was wearing in public was now replaced with the sharp edge I was dreading.

He turned to me, his gaze on me. "Let me show you to our room." My eyes widened at the phrase 'our room.' There was no way I was giving up my virginity to my sister's husband. I nodded nonetheless and followed him up the stairs and into the grand bedroom that I couldn't even have imagined. He walked inside and gestured for me to do so.

As soon as we were inside, he turned to me, his eyes on mine. "There are rules, pup," I almost gagged at the nickname; he was relating me to a dog. "You will not leave the house without me. You will not speak to anyone without my approval. And when you are in public, you will behave like the wife of Damian Moretti, graceful, quiet, untouchable."

My nails dug into my palm while I tried to comprehend his baseless rules. I was not some property that he could just own and do whatever he wanted to with it. I unpinned my earrings with trembling hands and finally spoke up.

"Why?" I blurted out, my voice slightly cracking as I looked into his eyes. "Why marry me if you never wanted this? If I'm nothing but a burden, then why... why did you go through with it?"

His eyes settled on mine, and for a second, I thought I saw of flicker of something human, but it vanished.

"Because it was a necessity for both of us," he said coolly, unbuttoning his cufflinks as if this were a business meeting. "Don't test my patience by asking questions you don't want the answers to."

I felt heat rushing to my face, rage burning inside my chest, even though every single nerve in my body was terrified of him. I still wanted to tell him that he didn't own me, but the truth was... he did.

"You can't just—" I started, but the words stuck in my throat when he began walking towards me, a slow and evil smirk playing on his lips. He unbuttoned his shirt and continued his walk towards me.

My heart skipped a beat. It hit me then. This was not just any other night. This was the first night after the wedding.