Becoming Mrs DeLuca novel Chapter 9

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His voice was so cold it made me jump The disapproval in his tone left no room for questions, and my chest tightened before I could even think of a reply

I didn’t get the chance anyway. My parents were already walking toward us, both of them wearing bright, proud smiles for the crowd.

“They didn’t match the flowers in my bouquet,” I said quickly, my excuse tumbling out before I lost my nerve.

It was the truth. I fought with Mom for weeks about having different colorful flowers in my bouquet instead of the boring white ones she wanted, and flowers in my hair. She said they weren’t elegant enough, that they made me look like a child playing dress up. Dad had finally stepped in, like he always did, and told her to let me have them. At the time, it had felt like a win. But standing here now, under Adrian’s hard stare, it didn’t feel like one at all.

“Flowers make you look tacky,” he said flatly. “I expect you to put on whatever I send you next time.”

My mouth went dry. I didn’t argue. He wasn’t asking me to agree… he was telling me. For him, the matter was already closed. He turned away and shook Dad’s hand with the same firm, unshakable authority he’d used on me, as if I’d already faded from the conversation.

Before I could even catch my breath, Mom wrapped me in her arms. Her perfume was strong, almost suffocating, and her whisper was so loud in my car, I was convinced the entire room could hear her.

“Smile, Valentina. You need to look happy.”

I pulled back a little, frowning, but her expression didn’t change. She was still beaming at Adrian, at Dad, and at anyone who might be looking. Only her voice betrayed her.

“Don’t you see how lucky you are?” she hissed, lightly digging her nails into my arm. “I never thought we’d manage to marry you to someone like him. An Underboss, Valentina. Do you realize what this means? All the others were already taken. It was pure luck that Adrian fell into our laps. This is the best match you could’ve hoped for.”

Her words landed in my ears, turning my stomach. Lucky. That’s what she called it. To me, it felt more like a cage closing.

Luck? Was that really what Mom called it? Was it pure luck that Serena De Luca had died, leaving behind two small children who barely understood what they’d lost? Was it luck that I’d been handed over to the man who might have played a part in her death?

If this was luck, I wanted none of it.

Mom’s expression tightened, and this time, her whisper was stern and unforgiving. “For God’s sake, try harder to look happy. Don’t ruin this for us.”

I forced a small smile onto my face, because it was easier than fighting her here, in front of everyone. Adrian stood tall at my side, a man who radiated control with every breath. My mother’s grip reminded me to keep playing the part. And so I did, even if every part of me wanted to do the opposite,

18:24 Thu, Nov 6

Chapter 9

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Her words stung, the way they always did. She didn’t even notice how cruel she was, how easily she dismissed what this all meant for me. To her, my marriage wasn’t about me at all. It was about status, appearances, and about what doors Adrian De Luca’s name might open for our family.

Thankfully, Dad stepped in before I had to say anything. He pulled me into his arms, and I let myself sink against him, just for a second. We’d always been very close, but lately, resentment had crept into the space between us. Resentment that he hadn’t stopped this marriage. Resentment that he’d handed me over to Adrian so easily.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured.

The words should have comforted me. Instead, I found myself whispering back, “I don’t think Adrian agrees.”

Dad drew back just enough to search my face. The guilt I saw there only twisted the knife deeper in my chest. He looked worried, too, as if he wanted to fix this, but it was far too late.

“I’m sure he appreciates your beauty,” Dad said softly, but it sounded more like a hopeful thing than the truth.

I kissed his cheek because I couldn’t think of anything else to do, and he reluctantly stepped aside, making room for the people I dreaded meeting the most.

Adrian’s parents.

I’d never spoken to them before. I’d only seen them at a distance during social functions where I’d been too young to matter or contribute anything. Mr. De Luca moved slowly, leaning on a cane. He looked different from the last time I saw him, it felt like his commanding size had diminished. Still, he had Adrian’s eyes- those same stormy gray eyes that could cut straight through you, though his were dulled now, clouded with

age.

Adrian’s mother, on the other hand, looked every bit as strong as her son. She was the picture of elegance and poise, with her dark hair twisted into a flawless chignon, she radiated the kind of confidence I knew I’d never match. Behind her stood Adrian’s sister. She was very striking, graceful, and carried herself like a woman who’d been trained all their lives to embody perfection.

That was what I was supposed to become.

Adrian didn’t want me. He didn’t want Valentina, the girl who still smiled at flowers and danced in the rain and preferred simple dresses. No, he wanted me to be molded into someone who would fit seamlessly into his life. A polished ornament. A suitable wife. An accessory.

I could barely swallow a bite during dinner. My throat was so tight it felt like every piece of food got stuck halfway down. Adrian didn’t say a single word to me. He only spoke to his father and to Rico in low and hushed voices, no doubt talking about business. I just sat there beside him, silent and decorative, like some kind of accessory he’d brought along.

Maybe that was for the best. Every time he had spoken to me before, it had been to give me an order or to shut me down. His silence felt less terrifying than his commands. And considering that I was supposed to share a bed with him tonight, I wasn’t sure my nerves could handle more intimidation. If I didn’t faint from sheer exhaustion, I might just pass out from dread.

18:24 Thu, Nov 6

Chapter 9

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My eyes betrayed me, sliding toward him when I thought he wouldn’t notice. He really was striking in a dark, dangerous sort of way. He had high cheekbones and a hard jawline shadowed with dark stubble. I’d never seen him in anything less formal than a three–piece suit, but it didn’t matter. His build was obvious. It was the kind of strength you didn’t have to flaunt to prove.

“You know,” a soft voice murmured from my other side, “my brother played football in high school.”

I blinked in suprise. Gemma. His sister. I hadn’t expected her to talk to me. We were technically family now, but strangers all the same. She was at least seven years older than me, confident in a way I couldn’t imagine being

Heat rushed to my cheeks. Had she caught me staring at her brother? The idea made my skin burn. I tried to picture Adrian as a teenager in high school, tossing a football around and laughing with friends. The image wouldn’t come. He seemed like the kind of man who’d skipped straight from childhood to adulthood without stopping in between.

“You started school this summer, right?” Gemma asked gently.

I gave a small nod, trying to smile. “Yes, my second semester. I thought I’d get to finish college, but…” My voice trailed off.

“But you had to marry my brother,” she finished for me.

A bitter laugh almost slipped out of me, but I held it back. “I would have had to marry someone either way. But being the wife of an Underboss means college is… completely out of the question.” My words were quiet, meant only for her ears. If my mother had heard me, she would’ve had a fit. She hated when I said things like that, when I showed even the smallest hint of discontent. But I was tired of pretending tonight.

Gemma’s eyes softened with something like sympathy. “That’s true. But you’ll be busy raising his children, so at least you won’t have time to be bored.”

Her words hit me like a stone dropping into my stomach. Adrian’s children were my responsibility now. Just the thought of it made my heart race. I wasn’t prepared, not even close. I’d read books, searched online for articles, and tried to cram information into my head these past few months. But nothing about reading told you how to be a mother. Most days I still felt like a girl, not a wife, and definitely not someone ready to raise two children who weren’t even mine.

Gemma’s hand brushed mine. It was a small, reassuring touch. “You’ll be fine,” she said softly. “You know, I don’t live that far away from Adrian. If you ever need help, I’ll come. You don’t have to figure it all out alone.”

Her kindness almost undid me. The lump in my throat swelled, and for a moment I wanted to believe her. But then Adrian’s low voice cut in, and that was enough to slice the hope in two.

“You already have two children of your own,” he said, his frown deepening as his eyes landed on his sister’s rounded belly. “And another on the way. You’ll have your hands full. Valentina can handle everything.”

The finality in his tone left no room for argument.

I stiffened, staring down at my plate. He said it like he knew me, like he was confident I could shoulder a burden I wasn’t even sure I had the strength to lift. But maybe that was the point. Adrian didn’t need me to know how to be a good mother. He’d simply order it, and that would make it true, or at least, it would make it required.

18:24 Thu, Nov 6

Chapter 9

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Gemma sighed. Her lips parted as if she wanted to protest, but she stopped herself. She didn’t talk back to him, and the silence that followed made my stomach even tighter. If his own sister wouldn’t push back, what chance did I have?

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