THE MAFIA’S MISTAKEN BRIDE

Jasmine’s POV

His jaws clench and I can see how hard he is trying to keep his fury sealed deep inside of him while I am just standing there with my arms around my bosom, holding back the tears in my eyes.

I don’t know what to make of all of this. Every single day of being his wife seems to come with a new drama, a discovery.

Mrs. Moore is also here in Italy and that means only one thing; I was right about seeing Andre this morning.

Andre is indeed in Italy. I wasn’t imagining things. Mrs. Moore knows where her daughter is but she is still pretending to think I am her.

I followed her to that room on purpose and out of curiosity. I was surprised to see her there of all places and to clear my doubts that I wasn’t imagining things again, I followed.

I’ve never been to a club before. I never had the time for such fun. Going to that place with Barbie was not because I wanted it. I went there because Grandma and Barbie insisted and I thought that would help with my ambivalent feelings.

Now that I have seen Mrs. Moore and Xavier also saw me with her, I desperately want to know what he thinks of all of this.

Does he still see this as just a coincidence?

“Why the hell did you…”

“I saw her…” we both speak up at the same time, tears springing back to my eyes.

Silence falls. He stares at me, the anger still evident in his eyes.

“I saw her”, I repeat myself when his expression isn’t changing to that of confusion about what I am talking about. “I saw Andre this morning on our way from the painting store. That was why I got down from the car but she disappeared into thin air.”

His expression does not change and he isn’t saying anything. He just continued to look at me, making me gulp a dreadful lump before it would completely stop me from speaking.

At this point, I don’t care whether he believes me or not because obviously, he doesn’t.

“When I saw Mrs. Moore at the clubhouse, I wanted to be sure I wasn’t seeing things and then I thought she was with Andre. That was why I followed her but…”

A smirk descends on his face, making me trail off.

Then it disappeared again, and as soon as it came, his face hardened.

“You expect me to believe that?” he questions out of the blue, making a low gasp escape me.

I should have expected this.

No. I expected this but I still don’t know why I am this hurt because he doesn’t believe me.

There are evidences all around. Why the hell is he turning a blind eye to everything?

“What?!” I can’t help but exclaim. “You don’t believe me?”

“I remember clearly that you called her mom before…”

“I did but that was to make her think it was Andre!” I find myself shouting. “Obviously, they were meeting there. Can’t you see all of this?”

I can’t believe he wants to use this against me. I followed Mrs. Moore to that room and hid in the dark just to see how she was going to meet with Andre.

I wasn’t prepared for such an encounter but I was ready to do all it took to find evidence to prove to Xavier that I was not her. I was going to use my phone to capture their pictures but Andre never appeared and I decided to show my face to her.

I wanted to know if she would recognize me as Andre or Jasmine but Xavier ruined the moment by appearing from nowhere with a gun.

How the hell did he know I was there?

He snickers and turns his back on me, making my heart sink to the deepest part of my stomach.

I am hurt beyond words.

I am mad.

Devastated.

Filled with nothing but pure rage.

First, it was the gunshot from earlier this morning and having to escape being kidnapped. Then I had to worry over what fate would befall me when I eventually left after this monster had killed Vicenzo which means I would also be killed if Sebastian got to me and now this?

Am I going to be stuck here forever?

I remember Grandma saying that Xavier protects the people he loves. She said he was protecting me but I didn’t even believe that I was as safe one bit.

I just want to go.

Without thinking, I raise my tear-stained face and begin to talk long strides towards him. I wait as soon as I get to him even after seeing the curiosity on his face.

“You know what? I am done here. Done with this bullshit!” I spat at him, with anger simmering in my eyes.

Just before I can walk past him, he blocks my way and responds with the same anger as mine. “You are my wife, you are going nowhere!”

I almost scoff.

It isn’t funny. This is pure wickedness. Every evidence available points to the fact that I am not her. Why does he keep insisting that I am?

He killed Vicenzo when he knew he was the only one who could reveal the truth. I guess that is the major reason why I am more pissed at him.

“I am not your wife, Andre is….”

“I don’t give a fuck. You. Are. Mine”, within a twinkle of an eye, he is right in front of me, our noses inches away from each other as we continue to glare at each other.

I am supposed to be scared because of the possessiveness in his voice. Instead, something tugs at me.

I am his wife. Literally.

But on paper, I am not.

Now he is saying he doesn’t give a fuck. Does it mean he doesn’t mind if I am her or not?

I don’t want the confusion to cloud my mind or my sense of thinking, so I step back determined to go out. I’m not thinking of the consequences right now. I just want to leave. Before I can get to the door, he grabs my hand tightly, hurting my wrist.

“Let go of me”, Surprisingly, I am calm as another lump of dread settles inside of me.

“Where are you going to?” he questions me, not in his usual harsh, authoritative tone, making me look up at him.

My breath seizes as I stare at his handsome face. Xavier is trouble. I need to start away from him. I don’t want to believe this tone that he uses once in a blue moon that makes me overthink things.

I try to yank my hand from his hold but he grips me harder, with determination not to let me go.

Instead of trying to get out of his hold again and then run out like my head is telling me, I find myself breaking down and squatting.

Suddenly, his huge frame holds me back up from sitting on the floor like I intend to. Before I know what is happening, he embraces me while I continue to let out all the pent-up emotions.

I don’t know what to think anymore or what to do. Right now, I feel like watching the rest of the world go on without me. I don’t know if I really want to leave Xavier or if I am safe out there without his protection.

I don’t know what I want. I don’t know why I am hurt. I don’t know if I am mad at him or Andre but one thing is sure, I despise Mrs. Moore.

She is heartless.

She is using me to protect her daughter. She knows about Andre’s whereabouts. She knows I am not her but she keeps pretending and Xavier isn’t seeing beyond that or maybe he is but he is choosing to ignore it.

Like a haven, the wild thumping of my heart begins to slow down as we embrace.

I don’t know what this means but I really need it.

As I continue to cry, thinking he will realize what he is doing soon and push me away, he stands still, strong and firm with his hold on me until my sobs begin to subsidize.

I shouldn’t have hugged him, I say inwardly wanting to get out of the embrace.

As soon as I try to release myself from his hold, he pulls me back into his arms, my heart flipping over and over at the action. I wait for a while, trying so hard to keep calm, then I try to get out of the embrace once more but he holds me back more firmly, leaving me with no choice but to remain there.

A minute is gone. Two minutes is gone and he isn’t letting me go.

Exactly five minutes later, his body relaxes against mine and he holds my two shoulders as he allows me to lean backwards, my eyes locking with his.

A flash of an emotion I can’t place whirls past his countenance and I find myself inching my face closer to his, as his breath fans my entire face.

His gaze is on my lips, making me conscious of the red lipstick I have on and unconsciously, I wipe my tongue over my lips as his gaze shifts back to my face.

My heart is drumming wildly and I don’t even know what is wrong with me.

One minute, we are arguing.

One minute, I am mad at him

Then the next minute, I find him too good-looking to be overlooked.

Who the hell is this devil and what has he done to me?

Before I can think of what to say, he beats me to it.

“We are going to our place tonight, get your things”, he instructs like he always does whenever he throws orders around.

I blink in confusion.

What just happened? Are we going to America?

The moment I stepped foot in here, I felt much more safer but now that he is talking about another place, the thought of fleeing jumps into my mind.

He lets go of me and moves to the door. My mouth drops open as I say a loud “No, I’m staying here.”

“You don’t tell me what to do”, he barks at me as he turns back on his heels to point a warning finger at me. “We were meant to spend just a night with my Grandmother and now we are going back to my place. Get your things now!”

Does this mean he has a house in Italy too? Was it that huge mansion where we took the car from after our helicopter landed in Italy?

I am too confused and trying to think of what else to do when he suddenly grabs my two hands and places them on his shoulder before taking me off my feet in a bridal style.

A loud gasp leaves my mouth when I realize what he is doing and then I let out a scream for help as I struggle to get out of his hold but as usual, he is stronger.

He does not let me go until he is out of the house and he has me safely tucked in the back of the car seat with the seatbelt around me.

This is when I get back to my senses and I curse at him. “F**k you!”