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CHAPTER THREEMy breath clouded as it left o’s winter Snow crunched underthe pave, which harbored thestore in the Midwest Umberto trailed closely behind, my constant shadow Another of my father’s soldiers made up the rear, behind my sisters

Revolving brass doors let us into the brightly lit inside of the store and the owner and her two assistants ireeted us “Happy birthday, Ms Scuderi,” she said in her lilting voice

I forced a shteenth birthday was supposed to be a day for celebration Instead it onlyLuca I hadn’t seen hier He’d sent me expensive jewelry for my birthdays, Christagement but that was the extent of our contact in the last thirty months I’d seen photos of him with other women on the internet, but even that would stop today when our engagement would be leaked to the press At least in public he wouldn’t flaunt his whores anymore

I didn’t kidwith the as he had other women to screw, he’d hopefully not think about me in that way

“Only sixif I’m correctly informed?” the shop owner piped She was the only person who looked excited No surprise really, she wouldthat o and the New York mafia was supposed to be a splendid affair Money was irrelevant

I inclined e with another Gianna gave ht of the matter, but she kept her mouth shut At sixteen and a half, Gianna had finally learned to reign in her outbursts, mostly

The shop owner led us into the fitting room Umberto and the other man stayed outside the drawn curtains Lily and Gianna plopped down on the plush white couch while Mother began browsing the wedding gowns on display I stood in the ossamer, brocade and what it stood for, corded up my throat I’d be a married wo roo the harsh reality that was my life What was love but a silly dream?

I could feel the eyes of the shop owner and her assistants on me, and squared my shoulders before I joined my mother Nobody could know that I wasn’t the happy bride-to-be but a pawn in a game of power Eventually, the shop owner approached us and showed us her owns

“What kind of goould your future husband prefer?” she asked pleasantly

“The naked kind,” Gianna said, and hed as if it was all too delightful

“There’s tiht, don’t you think?” She winked