20 The Strange Fiancé
1239 Words
“You’re awake?” I asked as I saw Marco putting the bloodstained blanket in the bathroom.
“Are the people outside gone?” I was still worried about them.
“They’ve already left,” he replied, though he still looked pretty pale. I made some room for him. “Do you want to rest some more?”
He refused, but after just two steps, he had to lean on the wall. I got off the bed, grabbed him, and pushed him back down onto it.
“You went out to deal with them, didn’t you?” I noticed his wound looked like it had torn a bit, and I couldn’t help but feel a little angry. Did he not understand how dangerous that was?
Marco’s POV
Even when she’s angry, she’s cute.
When I kissed her, I thought she’d push me away, but she was so scared she was trembling—yet she didn’t move away. I was scared of overwhelming her, so I kept it light, but surprisingly, she fell asleep.
Thinking of how she held back her tears while using the forceps, I felt sorry for her. She’d never been exposed to such a bloody scene, and I dragged her into the dark side of the mafia world.
Girl, don’t be scared. Just get some sleep.
I kissed her forehead gently.
The people outside must’ve gotten the signal from their boss and decided not to disturb her.
But I couldn’t just sit and wait. Those people were a threat. David sent me a message saying he was bringing reinforcements.
After dealing with them, I came back to the room. She was still asleep.
The blanket had bloodstains. Knowing how much she loved cleanliness, I replaced it quietly, and she seemed to sleep more peacefully afterward. That man was definitely going to call her, but it wasn’t time for her to know about everything yet, so I stayed with her.
She woke up pretty soon after. She looked tired, yet she still asked about my safety and my wound as soon as she knew we were secure.
Once she knew we were safe, she relaxed a lot. One surprising change was that she didn’t shy away from my presence anymore.
When she got close, my own heartbeat went wild, and I couldn’t bring myself to look her in the eyes calmly.
Instead, I let my gaze wander around the room. A pink item on the chair caught my eye.
It was made of pink lace. Her bra. I closed my eyes, imagining what she’d look like wearing it, while she checked my wound.
When her cool fingers undid my shirt buttons, I couldn’t help but let my imagination run wild. I could still feel her touch lingering on my hands—her neck, her waist, and the fullness of her breasts under that pink lace.
“I’m a bit thirsty,” I said.
She turned to get me some water.
She had no idea what was going through my mind. But I knew one thing for sure—there was no way I’d let her become that man’s bride.
Harper’s POV
Marco was drinking water when my phone started ringing.
Both Marco and I looked at the screen—Angelo.
I was a bit surprised by the timing of his call, but Marco held out a hand, stopping me from picking up.
“Put it on speaker.”
I understood what he meant, but I didn’t know what Angelo had to do with all this.
Marco didn’t explain, so I didn’t ask.
“Harper, are you resting?” Angelo’s voice sounded a bit anxious.
“Yeah.” I wasn’t sure how to respond, facing this situation for the first time.
We exchanged some awkward small talk, and I couldn’t help but yawn.
“Alright, I won’t disturb you. By the way, have you seen Marco today?”
Marco grabbed my hand and shook his head.
I bit my lip, feeling a bit nervous. “No, I haven’t seen him since the engagement party. You should have his contact info, right? I can’t reach him.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end, and it seemed like Angelo walked away for a second. “Alright, you rest well.”
After I hung up, I looked at Marco lying on the bed, unable to hold back the question that had been bothering me.
“Aren’t the Conti and Moretti families supposed to be working together? Is your injury today related to Angelo?”
I asked the question even though I felt I already knew the answer. I just didn’t understand why.
He closed his eyes, clearly not planning on answering.
I repeated my question, and he finally looked at me, annoyed. “This is something that happens often between mafia gangs. It involves complicated interests; Angelo isn’t that closely connected. I just don’t want anyone to know what’s happening on my side.”
I wasn’t sure whether to believe him, but it was clear I wasn’t going to get more out of him.
His gaze lingered on my vanity, where a separate wardrobe was, holding the wedding dress that had just been delivered this afternoon.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing,” he replied, pulling his gaze away. “Just pretend none of this happened.”
“Alright.”
I didn’t know what had really happened tonight. After I changed his bandages, I lay down on the other side of the bed and fell asleep.
When I woke up again, it was daylight.
Mom and Dad were chatting in the living room; they seemed unaware of anything that had happened last night or Marco’s injury. I didn’t mention it to them either.
Time passed quickly, and the incident from that night gradually faded. The wedding date was just around the corner.
Before the wedding, though, school had started again.
Sophia was also at our school. Because of everything with Lily, I barely had any friends there.
Thankfully, Sophia was there. She often came to chat with me, and we grew closer.
Lily had tried to talk to me a few times, but not seeking revenge was already the best I could do.
Sophia, after hearing about us, asked if I wanted her to find someone to teach them a lesson. I declined and told her about Angelo already dealing with Matthew for me.
She laughed, saying her brother wasn’t usually that kind of noble guy.
Oddly, I didn’t feel much about her words. I was indifferent about the whole marriage thing now.
But I wouldn’t tell anyone how I really felt.
Mom took me to see my wedding dress. It was stunning—the layered skirt looked like the snow of early winter, yet had a soft, delicate feel. It wasn’t until the final fitting three days before the wedding that it really hit me—I was actually getting married.
Everything was ready, and my mom was obsessively confirming the wedding plans. Angelo was still as busy as ever, but at Conti’s mother’s insistence, we did see each other a few times.
Each time, he brought me expensive gifts, but I always noticed a faint smell of blood on him.
Since Marco had been hurt, I’d become extremely sensitive to that smell.
It made me dizzy and nauseous. Even the sparkling jewels he gave me made me feel sick—they seemed tainted with blood.
- Writer
