Becoming Mrs DeLuca novel Chapter 6

VALENTINA

I was shaking with pure rage by the time I got back to my room. Was I really expected to spend the rest of my life with a man that was so cold and so domineering? Looking down at my clothes and ordering me to change what I was used to wearing? What gave him the right to think he could do that? We weren’t even married yet.

“I’ve been looking all over for you!” Mom exclaimed when I walked in, immediately pushing me toward my walk in closet. “You’re supposed to meet Adrian right now, we need to get ready.”

“Mom…”

She looked me up and down, like she was just noticing me for the first time. “Great heavens! What in God’s name are you wearing?”

Her dramatics didn’t surprise me. I already knew what she was going to say by the way she scrunched her

nose.

She tugged at my clothes until I started undressing, still filled with

Mom frowned at me. “What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing,” I answered almost immediately.

rage.

She turned to a rack of dresses that must have been brought in before I arrived. “I can’t believe a single classy dress. One would think that you weren’t my daughter!”

you don’t own

I’d always managed to get out of going to official events with my parents. I hated all the fake smiles and air kisses and backstabbing attitude of the people who attended those kinds of events. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the dresses I own, mom.”

“I went through your closet before finally giving up and picking things out of mine. How do you not have anything solid colored?”

“I’ve always worn my kind of dresses. I don’t know why it’s a problem all of a sudden.” Had she never paid attention to my clothes?

I had my father to thank for the freedom to wear what I liked. While he was conservative, I could count on one hand the number of times he had said no to me. His word was final in our house. Mom had no choice but to bow to his command.

“Oh my goodness, Valentina!” Mom yelled out in frustration. I had just tried out another one of the dresses in the rack, and it didn’t fit me.

My mother was a beautiful woman with a nice physique, but I think she was forgetting that I was still a growing woman and I couldn’t quite fit into her clothes yet.

“Can’t I just wear something from my own closet? It’s a meeting with a suitor, I’m not meeting the president.”

“Husband, Valentina!” She scolded. “Husband!”

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I rolled my eyes. She ignored me and ransacked through my closet, until she settled on a deep burgundy dress and handed it to me. “This makes your eyes pop. Let’s hope Adrian doesn’t focus too much on the ridiculous style.”

I didn’t say a word as I put on the dress. All I could think of was Adrian’s comment about my clothes and my

hair.

“Put some makeup on, Valentina. We need to make you look older.”

I blew out a frustrated breath, but mom was already halfway out of my room. “And please, for Christ’s sake, put on heels!”

Taking a deep breath, I furiously blinked to stop the tears from falling. I’d lived a sheltered life all my life. I’d been luckier than most girls. And I preferred to pretend that I didn’t see the realities of the mafia world, but I knew exactly what happened behind closed doors.

Our world was a very cruel one. My father had been very good to me, but I’d seen how other families acted. I’d seen firsthand how my cousins were abused by their own fathers, and how my uncles treated their wives.

To protect me, dad had chosen my last fiancé— he was a quiet and shy boy that was only two years older than me. I would have had a say and held my grounds in that kind of a marriage, but then he left. And now, I was stuck with Adrian De Luca. I knew that having a voice in a marriage with Adrian would be almost impossible. And as much as I tried to stay positive, my fear was gradually becoming overpowering.

Grabbing a pair of white heels, I headed for my vanity. My eyes were glassy with tears when I checked my reflection in the mirror. I put on more makeup than usual, but still much less than Mom and Adrian probably expected.

When I made myself downstairs for the official introductions, I’d managed to make the tears go away and calm myself down. My eyes still felt warm and prickly from almost crying, but I put on a bright smile as I descended the stairs toward Dad, Adrian and his friend Damien.

Dad took my hand at the bottom of the stairs, squeezing reassuringly as he led me toward my future husband. Adrian’s features were arranged in a perfect display of polite composure while his eyes lingered on me. His eyes were a striking shade of gray that made them look like a fierce storm, and gave the impression that they could overpower you just as easily as a hurricane.

A look of disgust and disapproval flashed across his face when he took in my dress.

“Adrian, meet my daughter, Valentina.” My father’s words carried a subtle edge of warning, but it slid off Adrian’s unyielding composure.

“It’s good to finally meet you, Valentina.” His lips shifted into the faintest semblance of a smile as he took my hand and kissed it. I trembled.

His gray eyes flashed up to mine, and I stood up straighter. “The pleasure is all mine, Si— Adrian.”

Dad’s worried eyes moved back and forth between the two of us. Maybe he was finally realizing that he was throwing me into the lion’s den. He tried to intimidate my future husband with a dark look, but it wasn’t that simple. Ranks were one of the most respected things in the Mafia. And Dad didn’t measure up when it came to most of the men in our circles, especially Adrian.

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Adrian straightened, ignoring Dad, and motioned toward his companion. “That’s my right hand man, Damien.”

I held out my hand in greeting, but Damien didn’t take it and only politely inclined his head. Dropping, my arm, I shifted closer to Dad, who scanned my face. He looked defeated, and I felt sick satisfaction over his obvious conflict.

“I’ll send a new wardrobe over for Adrian. Please tell your wife to take your daughter’s measurements for my stylist,” Adrian said. “I need a woman at my side, not a little girl,”

It was getting too much for dad. “I think maybe this has all been a mistake and I should cancel our agreement.”

Adrian moved in front of Dad, staring down at him with a look that made me sick to my stomach. “We shook hands on the engagement, Paul. This arrangement has been approved by Rico too. Everything is agreed upon. Given that we decided against a separate engagement party, that makes Valentina my fiancée, and I’m telling you now that nobody, least of all you, will prevent this marriage”

I was sure that Adrian De Luca didn’t want me, but it was obvious that he certainly wouldn’t allow anyone to take me away from him.

I held my breath and waited. This was Dad’s home, and he ruled over this city. He only bowed down to Rico, certainly not to another Underboss.

At least, that was how it should have been, especially when Adrian was the guest in our city.

Yet Dad just cleared his throat and lowered his eyes. “I have no intention of canceling our arrangement. I was only making a point.”

What point?” Adrian’s eyes carried the same question he had just asked, like he was daring Dad to answer it.

Mom chose that moment to barge in, completely oblivious to what was going on. “Dinner is ready!”

Her smile fell when she saw us.

Adrian was holding out his arm for me to take. I glanced at Dad, but he avoided my eyes. The message was clear: from this day on, Adrian was in charge when it came to me.

I put my palm on my fiancé’s strong forearm. If Dad couldn’t protect me anymore, that meant I’d have to protect myself.

Adrian led me into the dining room, following behind Mom, who couldn’t shut up about possible color schemes and outfits for our wedding. Adrian definitely didn’t care about any of that stuff. As a man, he wouldn’t even have to pretend that it mattered to him- unlike me, the happy future bride.

When we arrived at the dining table, he pulled out the chair for me.

“Thank you.” I sank down, smoothing out my dress.

Adrian took the seat across from me. His eyes settled on my bangs before they moved on to my beaded earrings. He was probably deciding what new haircut he’d order me to get and what kind of jewelry he would

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buy for me.

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He wanted to turn me into the perfect mafia wife. If he could, he would mold me like clay. Maybe he thought my age made me a spineless puppet that would bow down to her master at the slightest tug at her strings.

I met his gaze head on. I’d learned the subtle art of getting my way with a smile and kindness. It was the only way a woman could get what she wanted in our world.

The question was if it would work with Adrian.

Dad always gave in whenever I batted my lashes, but I had a feeling Adrian wouldn’t be easily swayed by my

charm

A week after our first meeting, two large trunks filled with dresses, skirts, and blouses arrived on our doorstep. Mom could hardly contain her excitement as she unpacked clothes by Prada, Chanel, Ted Baker, and many other of her favorite designers. The dresses were pretty and elegant. I hated them. They weren’t me at all.

I understood Adrian’s need to portray a certain image to the public, and at official events I definitely wouldn’t have worn my baggy trousers and flowery dresses, I just wished he’d asked me to buy a few elegant clothes and not bought them for me as if he didn’t value my opinion, which was, of course, the case.

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