Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45133 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45133 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
She went to open her mouth, but all of a sudden, her stomach betrayed her and made the most awful noise, groaning with hunger. She placed a hand over her middle and tried to hide the noise. His gaze went to her hand.
“If you’ll excuse me,” she said.
He didn’t move.
“I don’t want a marriage—”
“You’re hungry.”
“I’m not!” She snapped out the words, and this time, she tried to cover her mouth. All her life, she’d been trained in how she should behave around men like Klaus. Her father would surely put the belt to her if he heard her tone.
“I can fucking hear it. When was the last time you ate?”
“It doesn’t matter.” It was on the tip of her tongue to lie, but as she tried to, she couldn’t seem to bring the words in his direction. He didn’t deserve to be lied to.
“When!”
She looked at him and waited, hoping he’d get bored.
He grabbed her wrist and started to walk her toward the door. Panic filled her.
“No, please, no. Don’t say anything.” She tried to dig her heels into the carpet. “Yesterday!”
This made him stop, but he didn’t let her go.
Gritting her teeth, she tried not to squirm beneath his intense stare, but that was next to impossible. He kept on looking at her, and she didn’t know if he liked what he saw, not that she should care.
This wasn’t going well.
“I don’t want a marriage like our parents. I’ll … I’ll be good to you, I promise. I won’t embarrass you, but please, let me go.”
“I’m taking you to the kitchen to get some food.”
She shook her head. “No, please. I’m not allowed. I think you should go back to your father, so you can be part of the negotiations.”
He didn’t move.
“Please,” she said.
Begging was something she hated doing, but in her life, she’d been put in situations that actually required it of her. If that wasn’t humiliating enough, her soon-to-be husband was already pushing boundaries.
Her heart raced. If he caused trouble, her father would make her suffer.
“He starves you,” Klaus said.
Lifting her head up, even with tears in her eyes, she looked at this giant of a man. She’d heard so many rumors about him. Most of them were bad, but there was no mistaking the attraction a lot of women felt for him. Many women in their world would envy her, and she knew it wasn’t going to be long before she became the target for hatred. She wasn’t the most-liked woman as at eighteen, she’d been the first woman without an already arranged marriage. She was used to their spiteful words. Now it was going to be worse.
“Wouldn’t you if you had a fat little daughter with my reputation? Please, don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”
She didn’t get to add more as her mother was suddenly at the door, being her usual cheery self. She was an expert in turning a blind eye.
Klaus didn’t say a word, and for that, she was thankful.
Chapter Two
They walked back through the long hallways to the room where everyone had gathered to make the preparations. It looked like an art exhibit, priceless works adorning the walls, and he had no doubt Lastra was trying to show off his wealth. Nothing material impressed Klaus. He’d been brought up with everything money could buy.
What he wanted was more time alone with Isabella. To get a feel for who she was. It was bad enough being forced into an arranged marriage. Worse when you’d only known the other person for less than an hour.
Next week, Isabella would belong to him. Her father would no longer have a hold on her. His rights would become null and void once those marriage documents came into effect.
Klaus never planned on taking a wife. The necessity had been thrust upon him, and he’d agreed as a duty to his family. He could have refused, but he always played his role. His hands were stained red from all the killing he did in the Accardi name.
“She’ll still wear white,” said Eva Lastra. Isabella’s mother had books of patterns laid out on a large table.
“Darling, we don’t have time to order anything,” said Lastra. “They want the wedding to happen by the end of the week.”
She looked disappointed, sitting down on a chair without argument.
Klaus made eye contact with Isabella before turning to her mother. His father wasn’t giving them much time, and he knew how women liked to focus on the details. “Whatever Isabella wants, we can make it happen.”
No one argued with him, not even his father. Money and power talked, and he never had a problem getting his way. Impossible wasn’t in his vocabulary.
“Tradition will have to be put aside. It’s not as simple as wearing her mother’s dress,” said Lastra. “When we were married, over thirty years ago, Eva was a size two.”