I had tried to unpack some of the stuff before the opening but as I looked around I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to get everything done.

I was throwing the dress I wore on the bed, cursing as I pulled on the jeans and cami I had worn earlier to the photoshoot with Dante.

I didn’t know where any of my luggage was so I grabbed one of my large purses, stuffing some undergarments in them, a pair of jean shorts and six bikinis. I pulled a couple dresses off the hangers they had been placed in earlier and shoved two pairs of heels inside. I grabbed my crossbody that I knew had all my ID’s, cards and sunglasses and grabbed a phone charger.

Texting my friends I was on the way, I called the company my father used to pilot his plane. Asking if we could head to Puerto Rico within the hour.

Thankfully there was someone on duty and we could leave tonight.

A few clicks on my phone and we had a company booked to clean the house and July 4th vacation plans.

I was going to escape this situation and not think about anything for a few days except my friends, which was just what I needed.

My phone vibrated as I sat in the Lyft, looking down as I saw I had been tagged in a post. Opening the photo app, I froze as I saw the picture from earlier.

Dante’s arm around me as we held the oversized scissors, cutting the ribbon. ‘All my dreams come true’. My eyes were on him as he cut the ribbon as he smiled so wide like this was everything to him.

What a fool I was. Looking at a man who was just looking ahead to the dreams he had.

I scoffed, shutting my phone for a second before smirking. I still needed to post my picture of us together because this relationship needed to be legit.

If Dante wanted to go with the over the top message branding I’d be subtle.

Emotionless.

Let him overthink everything I do and drive himself crazy with worry. I wan’t going to do it anymore.

Dante was about to understand that I wasn’t going to be his dream but his worst nightmare.

15DANTE

Seventeen text messages. Four ignored calls. Six calls straight to voicemail.

Ilaria was very upset with me.

I had watched her sitting with her friends, too close to where Gabriella had pinned me in the shadows.

The only thing that had been keeping her from sinking her claws into me was my hand on her hip, keeping our distance respectable. And I had to be nice to her because she was my mothers goddaughter and therefore untouchable when I wanted to snap at her and tell her to go straight to hell.

We had been broken up for a while. I never wanted it to be as serious as it got, which made me sound terrible. It had been my mothers idea to test it out and see if we got along.

We hadn’t. Much to Gabriella’s dismay.

But she had done her damage, sunk her claws in enough that Ilaria had gotten her feelings hurt seeing us together.

She had left instead of making a scene.

So well behaved.

But as I watched her friends file out after her I felt my stomach go into knots thinking they would already hate me before we ever were introduced.

To make matters, worse my driver had shown up, pulling me aside to let me know Ilaria had sobbed hysterically on the ride home and telling me he had been worried that she was going to get hurt with the way she had run into the building.

Having her not answer my calls was making me so furious. Furious because I was worried about her.

Looking at the clock it was almost midnight and I’d have to go downstairs to make a small speech soon.

One more call.

“Boss.” Nero was outside of the apartment building, he was in charge of making sure that Ilaria was safe and that no one tried to get to her. But I wanted my men to be respectful of the space between my bride to be and them.

Not that business had been especially dangerous but after tonight having her linked to me could mean people trying to get to her to hurt me in some way. I wanted to make sure the most important part of my life was protected.

“Can you go upstairs and just make sure Ilaria doesn’t need anything?” I asked him only to be met with silence that made me instantly have a throbbing headache knowing whatever was about to come out of Nero’s mouth was going to make me furious.

“Boss, she took a car around 9:30 PM. I thought you knew.”

Red.

All I could see was red as fury flooded my brain and I hang up on Nero. My fingers gripped the desk as I thought about flipping it over, smashing my first through the wall.

Gone.

She had just gone. But where?

Justin.

Ice filled my veins as I thought about the bum that was in his apartment probably still pissing his pants over me.

Would she have gone to him because I had hurt her?

My mind was spinning as I pulled up her social media, frowning when I saw she had posted a picture of us without tagging me right after she had left at 9:45.

It was of us walking, matching shoes with our backs to the camera as we walked down the street together hand and hand.

‘7-22-23’

I blinked as I saw it.

It was part of what was going to happen but there was no excitement, nothing about it that showed she was excited or wanted to marry me. It was as if she was posting the picture and just felt resigned to marrying me.

I hated that.

“Dante.” My eyes lifted as I saw Enzo standing in the door, looking at me confused, “You’re supposed to be downstairs now.”

He wasn’t used to having to remind me what I had to do but Ilaria had me so thrown off that I couldn’t even perform my duties.