Fated to the Enemy.

| 8 | Conflicted.

After the meeting, I stand with my family, beside Cat and my mother, while my father discusses matters with my uncles, Marino and Sal, all of us having a word outside the Domenicali hotel before we decide to leave.

"I'm so proud of you, my darling. You conducted yourself very well. You showed the Verossies that you come from a family of class and nobility..." my mother says to me with a smile and holds my face in her hands.

"Thank you, Mamma..." I answer.

"Those Verossies are snakes... just because they've accepted our alliance, doesn't mean we should be so welcoming towards them. Remember that..." Her tone changes, becoming much more serious as she looks down at me.

"I will..." I let out before I turn my attention to Verossies who are standing much farther away from us, also prepare to leave. My eyes land on Angelo as he speaks to his parents and at least he can't tell that I'm looking right at him.

My mother then nods once at me before she turns and walks away to join my father, just as Cat steps in front of me.

"How are you feeling?" Cat asks curiously.

"I didn't expect it to go like that... they were accepting... and Angelo..." I trail off, thinking about my future husband and finding myself blushing again...

"Angelo..." I start to daydream. Crazy to think a day ago I was crying my eyes out over an arranged marriage and here I am not being able to stop thinking about the man I don't even know...

"You didn't expect him to be that hot, did you?" Cat teases, a smile appearing on her lips as she looks at me.

"Cat..." I mumble before looking around quickly, my eyes landing on my family and watching them continue to converse with each other, not paying Cat and I any attention. Thank God they didn't hear that.

"You want my parents to hear you...?" I whisper-yell at Cat just as I step closer to her. Instead of taking me seriously she begins to laugh and shake her head at me.

"It's true... didn't you see the way he was looking at you?" Cat asks with a teasing grin and my blush deepens and I really don't want to admit to how handsome I think Angelo is...

"He was just being polite, Cat," I say, trying to dismiss the topic but I know Cat better than to let go of this..

Cat leans in, lowering her voice. "No, Isabella. There was something there. I saw it. It's like there's a story in his eyes, and you've got the leading role." She says crytpically and I roll my eyes, not wanting to indulge in her romantic fantasies of Angelo and I.

"Stop it. This is not some fairy tale. It's a political alliance, a marriage for the sake of our families."I answer and that's when I turn back to look in Angelo's direction, and this time, find him staring back. Not just that, but he is also now walking towards me…

"And what if it turns into more?" Cat insists, her gaze following mine as we both watch Angelo stride in our direction.

"Cat, he's coming this way..." I say nervously, tapping her shoulder as I feel a flutter of anxiety in my chest.

"Don't worry, you look hot," Cat tries to brush it off calmly, but I turn to her with a frown, expecting her to take this more seriously, but it’s Cat after all.

"Cat..." I complain, my voice trailing off as Angelo draws closer. I watch him as he powerfully strides towards us, each step layered with confidence and class. His eyes are locked on me and I feel myself shrink in my own skin…

"Excuse me, ladies..." Angelo says once he reaches us, his voice smooth and composed as he stands right opposite me, his height effortlessly towering over me.

"Angelo..." I answer him softly, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice as I stare up at him. His grey eyes scan me for a second before his expression suddenly softens.

"Isabella..." He responds to me and the way name rolls of his tongue is enough to send shivers running through my body.

"I wanted to ask if I could have a word with you in private..." Angelo asks me and I’m at a lost for words at first but soon turn to Cat who seams a bit too eager to leave me alone with Angelo. I then quickly glance back at my parents to find both of them looking my at me seriously, especially my father, and that’s when I turn back to face Angelo, feeling a bit uncertain now that we’ve got so many eyes on us… understandably so.

"Uhm... I don't think that's such a good idea..." I respond warily, glancing over to my parents to find them looking at us seriously, especially my father… in fact, he doesn’t seem pleased about me remaining alone with Angelo. When I turn back to Angelo I find him looking at me with curiosity, until his gaze shifts to my parents behind me and he lets out a soft exhale just as he looks back at me.

"You are to be my bride, remember… surely we spend a minute or two alone." He continues, his words sending a shiver down my spine as his eyes search my own. I stare at him with my mouth slightly open and my eyes raised, a deep blush appearing on my cheeks as I shyly look away from him and turn to Cat, who I had honestly forgotten was still standing next to me.

"Okay..." I finally agree. I silently signal to Cat that it’s okay to leave us be and she nods once at me, giving me a cheeky smile before she walks away to decided to join Alessio, my uncles and my parents.

"This is weird, right? All of this?" I say nervously as I stand alone with him, feeling a knot forming in my stomach.

"You could call it that, yes..." he answers smoothly, his eyes scanning the surroundings before he decides to take a step closer to me and I become flustered by how close he is standing to me, but after a while… it feels natural to me…

"I wanted to make sure you're alright… I understand this must be a lot for you…” Angelo adds as he continues to gaze at me. Not once have I ever had someone look at me that way Angelo looks at me. He doesn’t just stare… he gazes, he admires…

"Before today... you were our enemy, you have, to understand..." I tell him, my voice barely above a whisper as I try to make him see my perspective of things. Before today, his family and I had been fighting each other for years. We’ve both done damage to each other and for the first time, our marriage might be a way to put an end to our timeless feud…

"I do..." Angelo responds, his expression serious yet somehow comforting as he nods back at me.

“You’re scared Isabella…” He says out of the blue and once he does, I feel my heart sink to my chest as I stare back at him. Despite the attraction I feel towards him, it doesn’t change the fact that before today, he was my enemy… and I know nothing about him. Who knows the part he played in the suffering inflicted upon us by the Verossi family. Could this just be a ploy for me to get my guard down, is Angelo genuinely curious about the way I’m feeling…

“You are to become mg husband, but that doesn’t mean I will accept you so easily. Before today, you were my family’s worst enemy...” I say a bit more confidently and to show him that I’m not just a shy girl. I am the daughter of Don and Donna Romano and he needs to understand that I’m not someone to be messed with.

"I understand Isabella, and I can assure you... I will not harm you," he tells me and I became much more reserved, my expression softens without my control as his words bring a sense of relief.

"I'm going to respect the wishes of our parents. I will honor our alliance and treat you with nothing but respect…” he continues but I want to know if he actually means what he says and isn’t just speaking off behalf of his parents wishes.

“So then you’re okay with this arranged marriage…?” I question, trying to gauge his true feelings.

“Well, not entirely. Being forced to marry a stranger doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. Let alone an enemy. But… it doesn’t hurt that my fiancée is stunningly beautiful…” Angelo admits, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“Oh… I…” The sudden comment causes me to stammer as I feel a blush form on my cheeks once again.

“Thank you…” Is all I manage to say without fumbling over my words, looking back up at him and watching his smile widen briefly before he glances back to what I assume is my family.

“Thank you for speaking with me. I’ll see you tomorrow, Isabella…” Angelo says to me, stepping closer and gently taking my hand smoothly, brining it forward to his lips and planting a soft kiss on my knuckles.

As Angelo steps away, I feel a rush of conflicting emotions wash over me. My heart races, and I'm left speechless, unable to articulate the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in my mind. The blush on my cheeks fails to retreat, betraying the intensity of my feelings.

I watch him slowly leave, his figure gradually fading into the distance as he rejoins his family, they all stare at me and from here I can’t really tell what’s written on their faces. All I can tell is that Angelo’s mother doesn’t seem to like me at all… I watch they all begin to climb in their vehicles, and soon their convoy of cars begins to leave the parking lot of the Domenicali hotel

Though he’s left already, I find myself still rooted to the spot, lost in a daze as I take in the conversation we just had. It takes me a moment to snap out of it, to tear my gaze away from the empty space where he once stood and finally turn around. I'm met with the gaze of my family, and I finally muster the courage to walk towards them... but as I do, all my mind can think of is Angelo… and seeing him again…