Chapter 24 Arya’s Breaking Point
I wouldn't do it.
The thought of giving myself to Giovanni made my skin crawl and my stomach churn in equal measure.
I would literally, genuinely rather die than have him inside me, claiming me like I was just another thing he owned.
I ran to my room, my heart pounding, and my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The moment I was inside, I slammed the door and locked it, then dragged the heavy wooden dresser across the floor until it blocked the entrance completely.
My hands were shaking.
I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to breathe, but my mind was a chaotic mess.
I couldn't call anyone so even if I could get to a phone, I couldn't say anything because he had ears everywhere and the consequences would be…
Christabel.
The thought sent me spiraling into a fresh wave of panic. I buried my face in my hands, hating the dilemma I’d found myself in.
A knock on the door made my head snap up.
"Miss Arya?" Claire's voice was cheerful.
I didn't answer. I sat frozen on the bed, listening to Claire knock again, more insistently this time.
"Miss Arya? Are you there?"
I kept my lips sealed.
Claire tried the handle, and when it didn't give, her voice took on an edge of concern. "Miss Arya? The door won't open. Miss Arya?"
I heard footsteps in the hallway, and Claire talking to someone else in urgent, hushed tones.
Then Enzo appeared.
"Arya," he called through the door, his voice calm but with an undercurrent of concern. "Open up. What's going on?"
"I'm not doing it," I shouted back. "I'm not going through with the wedding. You can't make me."
There was a pause. "Arya, he's going to be furious."
"I don't care!" I was yelling. "I don't care if he's furious. The contract is enough to bind us together, why the fuck does he need a ceremony?”
"Arya-"
"No," I cut him off. "No. I'm not doing this, Enzo. Tell him I refuse."
Another pause, longer this time. Then. "You're making a mistake."
"Then it's mine to make." I whispered somberly.
Silence fell in the hallway. I could hear my own breathing, and the sound of my heart hammering against my ribs.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the door shuddered. The dresser scraped back an inch.
My eyes widened, and I crawled further into the bed. There was no way… he would actually break the door down.
But door shuddered harder again, the wood groaning under the force.
Then the dresser flew backward and the door burst open so violently that it slammed against the wall. The lock shattered, splinters of wood scattered across the floor.
I jumped to my feet, adrenaline flooding through my system. Giovanni stood in the doorway looking absolutely murderous.
"Don't come near me," My voice was shaking but defiant. I crawled behind the bed, using it as a barrier. "I won't agree to a breached contract. You can't force me to-"
"Watch me," he said, stepping into the room.
"No." I shook my head, backing further away. "The contract doesn't we have to do a wedding. You can’t-“
"You're absolutely right," he cut me off, and there was something terrifying in his voice. "I can't force you. But I also don't need your consent for a wedding. It's already planned and it’s happening."
"I won't be there." I snapped.
"You will." He took another step toward me. "Because if you don't, your sister will pay the price."
My jaw went slack and I tightened my fingers into fists. "You're a terrible monster. A cruel, sadistic-"
He moved faster than I could track.
One moment I was standing there, and the next he'd crossed the room and lifted me onto his shoulder like I weighed nothing.
My hands immediately started beating against his back, my feet kicking.
"Let go!” I screamed. “Let go of me! Put me down!"
I screamed anything I could think of, but he just kept walking, his grip on my thighs iron-clad.
He carried me down the hallway while I continued to scream and struggle. He walked past startled maids who averted their eyes, and down the stairs, through corridors I barely recognized.
Then we were outside, and the sun was blinding after being indoors but before I could process what was happening, he released me.
I fell through empty air for what felt like forever, and then I hit water.
It was cold, hitting my skin like a slap and my first instinct was to gasp.
Wrong decision however as water filled my mouth, the taste of iron and something else prickling my throat.
My lungs seized, panic screaming through every nerve in my body. I didn't know how to swim. I’d never learned. The water was over her head and I was sinking and my lungs were burning and I couldn't…
I couldn't fucking breathe.
This was it. This was how I died. In Giovanni De Santis's pool, drowning, and somehow that seemed fitting.
Somehow it seemed better than going through with any of this.
But something grabbed me.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me up. I broke the surface gasping, water pouring from my mouth and nose, my lungs screaming for air that wouldn't come.
Giovanni held me against him, one hand on my back, and he kissed me.
It was harsh and demanding and his mouth tasted like fury and control, like he was punishing me.
He jerked back, his dark eyes burning into mine.
"Don't defy me," he said. "Consider this a last warning, Vitale."
Then he released me, letting me sink down to my feet in the shallow end of the pool, water up to my waist.
I stumbled, my legs refusing to work properly, but he didn't catch me.
He just turned and walked away, his silhouette stark against the bright afternoon sun, leaving me there gasping and more terrified than I’d ever been in my entire life.
I stood alone in the water, my teeth chattering, and I realized with cold certainty that in three days, I was going to marry the man who'd just thrown me in the pool to make a point.
And then I was going to have to let him do whatever he wanted to me.
The thought made something inside me break.