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I could tell just by looking at her that she was just as powerful as her father, if not more. She held everyone’s attention, including my own as I figured out that I’d have to come up with new ways for my plan to succeed. If I thought making her fall in love with me would be easy, I couldn’t have been more wrong. But then again, I did love myself a challenge.

Most of the men in this room looked at me with envy, and if given the chance, they’d have ended me and taken her forthemselves. Now I understood why men said she would bring them to their knees with her presence alone.

The second they reached me, Victor smiled but Anastacia looked as though she was planning my death in a thousand different ways. I doubt she’d manage it, though it was funny to see the thought cross the blue of her eyes.

This plan might have actually ended up being somewhat fun.

“Hello, wife.” I smiled.

“Get fucked, you psychotic asshole.” She scoffed as Red sucked in a sharp breath from behind me.

My smile fell, as I never tolerated being spoken to in that way, especially not by someone likeher.“I can tell we’re going to be very happy together.”

I gripped her wrist, tighter than she expected, but she never faltered as I pulled her in front of me. Victor was about to speak when Florence forced him into the chair beside her. She knew Anastacia was mine now, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

“I’d rather die a thousand deaths than be with someone like you,” Anastacia snarled, ripping her arm away.

I leaned into her as I noticed her body tense ever so slightly. Not much, but just enough to know I had the upper hand. “It looks like your Daddy didn’t give you a choice, though, did he?” I whispered, so only she could hear. “He practically sold you to me for an alliance.”

“Fuck you,” she sneered.

“You’re mine. You belong to me now, Anastacia.”

2

The second the car stopped,my father turned to face me, taking my hands in his as if he was about to ruin my whole life.

“Anastacia,” he started, his eyes unable to meet mine. “I’m sorry I had to do it this way, you would never have agreed otherwise.” He sighed.

“Sorry? Agreed to what?” I asked, already dreading the answer.

“I made a deal with Lorenzo Ricci.” He let out a ragged breath. “We can rebuild our alliance, but he wanted one thing.”

“Don’t say it. Don’t you dare say it!” I snapped, but I knew exactly what the man I called my father had done.

“He wanted to marry you…” His eyes met mine, and it was as though he was drained of any emotion. “Today you’ll marry Lorenzo, and our alliance will be as strong as it once was.”

“I can’t believe you.” I shoved the door open to make my getaway.

I made it a few feet before Miles stopped me, and then it dawned on me.

My brother knew, too. He lied to me, too.

“Let go of me, Miles!” My hands collided with his chest in an almighty thwack as he winced at the hit. “I’m not getting married!”

“Anastacia, you need to do this,” Miles demanded, gripping the tops of my arms tighter.

“For who?!”

“For Pa!” Miles shouted as I felt my parents’ eyes on us.

“Why should I?! Did he care about me when he made that stupid deal?!” I was livid. I couldn’t fathom what was going on or why my own father did this to me. “I’m not marrying him, Miles!”

“Ana—”

“You knew and you didn’t tell me. How could you do that to me?” I whispered, the pain stung at how my family hid it from me. At their betrayal.

“Because we knew if we told you that you wouldn’t go along with it.” He sighed, clearly torn between his loyalty to our father and to me.