𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄 | ✎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖

I nibble on my lower lip nervously. The more she talks about this meeting, the more suspicious I'm getting about whether it's an actual meeting or not.

Sofia then holds up another dress that is even more stunning than the one before it. "How about this one?" she asks. The dress she showed me has a tight lace corset and is white with a ruffled skirt. It looks like it belongs in a princess's dreams.

"That looks... beautiful. Wow." My lips parted as I admired the dress. "Could do without the corset, though," I mutter under my breath.

"Nonsense, Princess! The corset is mandatory!" Sofia insists as she leads me to the changing area with the dress in hand. "Hold still. I must tie this as tight as possible."

I groan. Not this again. Standing in place as much as I possibly can, I try to breathe normally while I'm still able to.

Sofia starts tying the corset strings, pulling them so hard that I let out a small squeal as my lungs begin to feel restricted. When I turn around to look in the mirror, I can see that it hugs my curves.

"Perfect!" Sofia fixes the white dress, which oddly looks like something that would be worn to a wedding.

₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊ ˚✧ ﾟ.

After two hours of getting ready, I finally came out of my room, only to see Alex. Damn it. I've been avoiding him since yesterday, after my little emotional breakdown. That was the most embarrassing thing I could have done—in front of my bodyguard, too.

I quickly avoid looking at him and speed down the hallways. I don't even know where I'm going, truth be told, but honestly, I'd give anything to be away from Alex right now. I can't even look at him.

"Princess, wait," he calls out, chasing after me. "Where are you going?" he asks sharply, grabbing my arm and stopping me in my tracks. "What are you doing?"

The fuck is his problem? I slowly turn around to face him with a scowl. "First of all, watch the way you speak to me."

"Princess," Alex says firmly, "I do not deal with rudeness from my ward, and I won't hesitate to drag your ass back to your chambers if I need to."

I blink confusedly. Who the hell does he think he's speaking to? "Whatever," I mumble, walking past the bodyguard and shoulder-bumping him purposefully. "Take me to the meeting with my father."

"Very well." He walks alongside me, his expression now cold. We turn the corner and eventually arrive at my father's study. "Here we are," he utters while opening the door.

I walk in the room, and what I see next makes my jaw drop. Not my father, but Prince Marco. How could Sofia lie to me like this?

"What the hell are you doing here?" I snap at him. This has to be a misunderstanding, right?

"Elena, mi amore, what a pleasure to see you here," Marco says with a smirk, "but you seem a bit tense. Can I offer you a massage?" Before I can object, he moves toward me and places a hand on my back.

After a moment, he takes another step closer, his mouth right next to my ear now. "I know you don't like me, but we're going to be spending a lot of time together as man and wife, so you might as well learn to have some fun."

He is really begging to be kicked in the balls.

"Don't touch me," I retort, pushing him off of me. I turn around to look for Alex, but he's already gone. He's supposed to be watching me. Is he really that mad?