inhaled a deep breath and reminded myself I had no choice. If I made him doubt we were anything but a happily married couple, it might cause a domino effect that would land me straight into a grave or a jail cell. Breathe, Olivia. You have to endure. Remember why you're doing this.
“Why are you so nervous around me, cara?” he asked the moment I joined him in bed. “Are you hiding something?”
“No. I'm just not used to sharing a bed with anyone.” I forced a small smile. “That's all.”
“I'm not anyone,” he pointed out. “I'm your husband.”
“I know,” I whispered.
“There is something you're not telling me,” he concluded. “Whenever I look at you, I see fear in your eyes. Why are you afraid?”
I swallowed and turned serious. “I'm not afraid.”
“No, not afraid...but possibly terrified”—he pointed to his cast—“of a man who is as helpless as a little baby.”
He stared with expectation, and I shook my head. “What do you want me to say?”
“The truth,” he stressed. “I want to know why the hell you are so upset in my presence.”
“Alessandro, please...let's just go to sleep, hmm?” I pleaded, because I didn't know how much more of this I could take without getting a break.
“Not until you tell me what is going on,” he insisted, waving a hand through the air.
“There is nothing going on.” I tried to sound as convincing as possible. “ I have just been under a lot of stress since your accident. You're seeing things that are not there.”
His eyes narrowed in silent appraisal. “That's my point, cara. I’m seeing things that are not there, but definitely should be, and I don't know what to think.”
The blood drained from my face as I stared at him, taken aback and unable to speak. If he asked one more question, I'd fall apart at the seams.
His gaze held mine for several torturous moments until a shadow of a smile twisted his lips and he backed off. “Perhaps, I’m being slightly insensitive. This situation is obviously taking a strain on both of us, and we need some time to adjust. I can imagine you need some rest after a day like this, so I will let you go to sleep. There is plenty of time to talk later.” He leaned closer to give me a kiss, and I gasped, but forced myself to remain calm as his lips brushed against mine. A deep sense of realization was building inside his eyes, but whatever thoughts were running through his mind, he kept them to himself and expelled a soft breath of surrender. “Bouona notte, Olivia.”
“Good night, Alessandro,” I whispered, a temporary sense of relief washing over me.
He flicked off the light on the nightstand, and we remained lying in silence; so close to each other, and yet so far away we might as well be worlds apart. Perplexed by Alessandro's strange behavior, I closed my eyes and dreamed of the only other night we had slept together in the same bed. The night when he had robbed me of my innocence.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The Past (5 years prior)
The day I’d married Alessandro Damiani was one of the saddest days of my life. During the entire time, I fought not to burst into tears at my own wedding ceremony. It was my eighteenth birthday, but I didn't feel like celebrating, and knew all the birthdays ahead would always be tainted with this memory. Since the threat he had uttered after throwing my mother's music box into the fire, I had been nothing but compliant and obedient. His word was my command, and I did anything he wanted, going through the motions without a care or thought for myself. The only thing that consumed my mind was protecting May from the consequences of this dangerous man's wrath. Accepting his hand in marriage had been the most difficult decision I ever made, but I couldn’t risk provoking his anger and thirst for punishment.
We were married in the backyard of Alessandro's mansion, which was so lavishly decorated, that I suspected he had spent millions to arrange such an event in this short period of time. For a man who didn't hesitate to rob a life, he seemed very religious, and insisted we be married by a priest and not just a government official. I had no choice in the matter, and it meant very little to me. In all honesty, I believed marrying this man meant my life was over.