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Emily leans against the counter, studying me. “Mr. Davacalli called earlier. He said he won’t be home until late tonight.”

I nod, unsurprised. Of course he wouldn’t be home. Why would I expect anything different at this point?

“Did he say why?” I ask, trying to keep my voice neutral.

Emily hesitates. “There was some kind of incident at one of the clubs last night. He’s dealing with the fallout.”

My brow furrows. “Incident? What happened?”

“I’m not entirely sure of the details,” Emily says carefully. “But from what I gathered, there was a shooting. Some people were hurt.”

My stomach drops. A shooting? No wonder he didn’t come home. Still, a small selfish part of me wishes he had at least called to let me know. And none of that negates the fact that he said this isn’t a real marriage.

“I see,” I say quietly, sipping my tea. The ginger does help settle my queasy stomach a bit.

Emily watches me with sympathy. “The dinner didn’t go as planned, did it?”

I shake my head. The tears prick my eyes and I hate myself for being so emotional. “I just don’t understand him. I understand that we are arranged and there is no reason for us to form a connection. We are bonded for life, until death, that is what we vowed. And to make matters worse, he was my first.”

Emily’s eyes widen slightly at my admission. She pulls out the chair next to me and sits down, reaching out to gently squeeze my hand.

“Oh, Maria, I’m so sorry. That must make this situation even more difficult.” Her voice is soft, filled with compassion.

I nod, blinking back tears. “I just… I don’t know what I expected. But I thought maybe after we…” I trail off, unable to say the words. “I thought things might change between us. That he might see me differently.”

Emily exhales. “Matteo is… complicated. He’s been through a lot, and he doesn’t let people in easily. But that doesn’t excuse his behavior.”

I catch how she calls him by his first name but I think nothing of it.

“I know he loved his first wife deeply,” I say quietly. “I’m not trying to replace her. I just want…” I struggle to find the words. “I just want to matter. To be seen as desirable in his eyes.”

It’s stupid, but I can’t help wanting him. When he touches me, it’s electric. Like a storm brewing beneath my skin, waiting to strike. An out-of-this-world kind of feeling.

Emily leans back, tapping her nails against the countertop like she’s thinking. Then, a slow smile spreads across her face.

“Okay,” she says. “Do you trust me?”

I frown. “Yes? Why?”

She grins. “We’re going shopping.”

I barely get a word out before she’s already pulling me to my feet.

“We’ll get you some sexy lingerie, and then I’m teaching you Seduction 101. If you want something, you take it.”

I blink. “And by ‘something,’ you mean Matteo?”

She winks. “Exactly.”

This is a bad idea. A really, really bad idea.

But at this point, what do I have to lose?

I can’t believeI let Emily talk me into this.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror, my breath catching at the sight. The red lingerie clings to my body, leaving little to the imagination. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d do this, but here I am—ready to seduce my own husband into wanting me.

I shake my head. Matteo is the only man who has ever touched me like that, the only one to kiss me with such force that it feels more like a branding. I crave him in a way that defies reason, making me reckless.