The moment Luca parked the car in front of the building, I already knew I was going to hate this place.
The boutique stood in the middle of one of the most expensive shopping districts in the city, towering glass windows reflecting the afternoon sunlight beautifully. Everything about it screamed wealth and luxury, the kind of place normal people probably only saw in magazines.
A man in a black suit immediately rushed toward the car the second Luca stepped out.
Seriously?...Did these people practice some dramatic entrances professionally?
Luca opened the door for me like a gentleman.
"We're here, Ma'am." I stared at the building suspiciously before stepping out reluctantly.
The moment my sneakers touched the pavement, the employees near the entrance straightened instantly.
Oh my God.
One elegant woman with silver blonde hair hurried toward us with a polished smile stretched across her lips.
"Welcome," she greeted warmly before her eyes landed on me properly. "Mrs. Ruggiero, we've been expecting you."
I nearly choked on my throat.
Mrs who?
I turned slowly toward Luca with narrowed eyes but he suddenly found the building architecture very interesting.
"I'm not a Ruggiero," I muttered under my breath while following the woman inside.
The interior was so breathtaking and…beautiful, white marble floors, crystal chandeliers hanging above us, soft classical music floating through the air and mannequins dressed in wedding gowns that probably cost more than my entire existence.
I suddenly had the urge to escape through the nearest window.
"Mr Ruggiero personally arranged everything," the woman continued proudly as assistants immediately surrounded me like I was some celebrity. "Your fitting room has already been prepared."
Apparently Vincenzo enjoyed controlling situations even when he wasn't physically present. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest while the women guided me deeper into the boutique.
"Please stand here, Miss." One woman gently moved me toward a raised platform surrounded by mirror.
Well.. I meant mirrors because they are so many
I looked like I was being prepared for sacrifice, another assistant approached with a measuring tape wrapped around her neck while two others carried sketchbooks and fabric samples.
I blinked slowly.
"This feels illegal." The older woman laughed softly.
"Relax, cara. We're only taking your measurements."
"That somehow isn't comforting either."
Luca stood near the entrance quietly, arms folded behind him professionally while pretending not to pay attention to the chaos around him.
How lucky he must have be?, The women immediately started fussing around me.
Measuring my shoulders,my waist, boobs, arms. Speaking rapidly in Italian while pinning fabric against my body.
I stood there stiffly while they discussed lace, silk, embroidery, sleeves—
Honestly, I stopped listening after the third mention of Swarovski crystals.
"This one would look stunning on her."
"No, the sweetheart neckline would suit her better."
"Mr Ruggiero requested elegance." Another one of the assistants wrapped another measuring tape around my waist gently. The sudden touch there instantly dragged an unwanted memory back into my mind. Vincenzo's hand resting on my waist at the balcony, his strong arms pulling me closer, holding me tightly like he already owned me.
Heat rushed to my face so quickly that I almost got angry at myself.
No.
Absolutely not….we are not doing now, not today.
"You're blushing, cara," the older woman teased knowingly.
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm really not." The women exchanged amused looks.
"Master Ruggiero has an excellent taste," one of them commented casually while adjusting fabric against my shoulder.
And for some reason…that sentence affected me more than it should have because suddenly it became painfully obvious that Vincenzo chose this place by himself. He probably already had a vision in his head of what he wanted me to look like standing beside him at that altar.
The realization made my chest tighten strangely. Even when he wasn't around…I still felt his presence filled every corner of the room.
"You seem nervous," the older woman observed gently, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
"Nervous?...no I'm not."
"Are you sure?" I forced out a small smile on my lips.
"Or maybe.. I'm just hungry" That made the women laugh softly.
After nearly an hour of endless measurements and fabric discussions, they finally disappeared briefly behind another room, I released the longest sigh of my life immediately.
"This is actually insane," I muttered.
Luca glanced toward me calmly from across the room.
"You're handling it better than most people would."
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
"Was that supposed to comfort me?"
"A little."
"Hm." At least he was honest.
A few minutes later, the assistants returned carrying something carefully covered in white fabric which made my stomach drop instantly.
"Oh no."
"Just the sample fitting," one woman reassured quickly.
That somehow made it worse, before I could protest properly, they were already guiding me behind the changing divider.
Twenty stressful minutes later—
I stepped out slowly and somehow the entire room went quiet.
The unfinished gown flowed softly around my body, white satin and delicate lace falling elegantly against my skin. The top hugged my figure perfectly while the lower part spilled gently toward the floor.
I froze the second I looked into the mirror and for the first time in my entire life…it didn't feel like an arrangement anymore, It felt so real.
My throat tightened unexpectedly as I stared at my reflection, looking at the woman in the mirror and I didn't just see a bride, but the future wife of Vincenzo Ruggiero.
The one the world would know as Mrs. Ruggiero. My words felt suffocating suddenly because in exactly one week…
This lady in the mirror will become tied to the very man she was supposed to destroy…and this will turn to reality.