Chapter 9 Unexpected reunion

Candela's P.O.V

And so, he stayed away...

"Why are we back here?" Carina grumbled, her brows knitted into a deep scowl. Still, her feet didn't move,she wasn't walking away. That, at least, was a good sign.

"Because this place is nice aside from that shit-faced man who..." I snapped, pausing to shoot a petty wink at the bouncer who had tossed us out last time. Tonight, he handed us a pass without protest. Sweet, sweet spite.

Before I could finish, Allegra cut me off with her signature dramatics.

"Uh-uh. You can call your husband egoistic and rude, sure," she said with a hand on her hip and the other dramatically fluttering. "But shit-face? No way. That man is like a hot piece of vanilla ice cream." She licked her lips and tapped her chest for emphasis. "I'm positive he looks just as sinful down there."

Carina gasped sharply. I shot Allegra an irritated glare, but the image was already lodged in my head,unwelcome and intrusive. I hated how my body responded before my mind could protest.

I turned back with a scoff, fending off the spark of desire crawling up my spine.

"First of all, that's an oxymoron. You can't say 'hot' and 'ice cream' in the same sentence. And second, feel free to check for yourself. I want absolutely nothing to do with what he's packing down there."

Carina, determined to be the adult in the room, retrieved our VIP badge and pinned it discreetly to the inside of my dress strap.

"Where's our table?" I asked as the bass from the music pulsed under our heels.

She pointed toward the far end of the VIP section, away from the central crowd and thankfully not the spot we sat at last time. Relief loosened my shoulders. At least there was little chance of bumping into him again.

Not that I expected to. He hadn't been home in over a week or if he had, he'd been ghostlike about it. Either way, I hadn't laid eyes on Salvatore since our...exchange. Not that I was complaining. He actually listened to my request. Shocking. But appreciated.

The first few days after the wedding had passed in a haze of quiet solitude. I used the time to process the fact that I was now a married woman and to a devilishly handsome man, no less, with a motive as deadly as the man. But after that brief peace, the silence turned maddening.

I was bored out of my mind.

So, I messaged the girls. Carina initially objected, going all "Mafia-wife rule" on me, talking about reputations and expectations. But Allegra and I were persistent, and here we were back at the same club as the last time with the same loud music.

The club was alive tonight more than the last time we were here and the smell of spiced rum and citrus clung to the air.

"What?" they both blurted suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

They exchanged a confused glance before turning their full attention back to me. Allegra's blonde curls bounced as she flicked one from her forehead. Carina's eyes grew comically wide, like she had just witnessed a crime.

"What's wrong?" I asked, turning instinctively over my shoulder to see if something or someone had crept up on me.

"Do you mean you haven't seen it?" Carina asked, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, her fingers tugging at the hem of her dress.

"Seen what?" I was genuinely lost.

"His um... his..." Carina fumbled, cheeks slightly flushed.

"Move." Allegra gently pushed Carina aside, stepping directly in front of me with a hand on my shoulder like she was about to break grave news.

"She means are you telling us you haven't had sex with your husband yet?"

Oh. That.

I glanced at Carina, who promptly looked away, her attention suddenly glued to the flashing lights at the bar. I looked back at Allegra, fighting the bubbling laugh that rose in my chest.

"Of course not. It's not a big deal," I said coolly, waving the bartender over with a flick of my wrist.

"How did you resist the temptation? And more importantly, why?" Allegra asked, wide-eyed with disbelief. Her tone implied I had just won an Olympic gold medal in self-control.

Carina still looked distracted, scanning the club like she expected a masked assassin to leap out from behind the DJ booth. I made a mental note to ask her what was going on later.

"We all know this is a loveless marriage. And honestly, he's not that attractive," I added quickly, knowing full well that was a lie. My pulse betrayed me every time I look at his face and it's disturbing because I haven't seen it a lot "After what he pulled with Sofia, I can't even look at him without picturing a red flag."

I wrinkled my nose at the memory, and Allegra looked like she wanted to protest.

"The loveless marriage part is the only truth you spat out," Carina chipped in, her voice lower but steady. "We both know Sofia is anything but a victim in this story."

I pressed my lips together.

That part was complicated. Sofia was wild underneath her doll-like demeanor and polite smiles was a girl who burned everything she touched. Maybe she played coy around Brian, but I wasn't fooled. Still, could Salvatore really be innocent in it all?

I didn't know.

And worst of all, I wasn't sure I even wanted to find out. He's the bad guy and him and his family will always be to me.

The bartender returned with three glasses of cocktails, carefully balanced on a tray. With a slight bow, he began serving us one by one. As he reached for mine, his hand slipped, and the glass tipped cold liquid splashed all over my chest.

I gasped, momentarily frozen. The sticky drink seeped through the thin fabric of my top, dribbling into my bra.

"Oh my god," I muttered, forcing a tight smile.

"The fuck!" Allegra exclaimed amidst the bartender's multiple apologies.

"It's fine," I said, setting my phone down and rising up. "Excuse me,"

I pushed back my chair and quickly walked off, glancing around for the restroom. It took a moment, but I found it only to be met by a frustrating line of people waiting outside.

I shifted uncomfortably, the damp fabric clinging to my skin. The wet patch was already starting to show, and with how thin my top was, it would be impossible to hide it for long.

I turned around, determined to find an alternative. Just as I stepped back into the hallway, I spotted the bartender who had spilled the drink on me. I caught up to him and touched his arm lightly.

"Hey...uh, is there another restroom somewhere? Please?"

He blinked in surprise, his eyes dropping to the stain on my chest before flicking away quickly. Guilt creeping in."Yes, there's one upstairs. Just past the lounge, on the right."

"Thanks," I said, already moving in that direction, desperate to clean myself up before anyone else noticed.

I climbed the stairs, mounting on the hallway untying the wide robe used to hold my dress in place and splaying in on the wet chest. While I walked, I was glancing around, searching for the toilet tag.

"Why the fuck is it so far?" I muttered to myself.

Then suddenly, I looked back, I still wish I didn't. As I locked eyes with Damien.

Fuck.

Just immediately he waved at me to stop. My mind was conflicted,as I thought if it would be wise to do so.

"Candela," he yelled. The music thumping from the speaker downstairs doing nothing to drown his obnoxiously loud voice.

I halted, adjusting my dress and covering the wet place with the robe hastily. I wished I had put more effort in my look.

"For a second, I thought you were going to ignore me," he said, smiling rather widely, a hint of mockery clear in his words,as he got to where I was standing.

"Hi Damien," I greeted, flashing a tight lipped smile.

He moved to hug me but I stepped away. Pointing at my wet dress.

"Oh still salty huh,"

"Why will I be?" I said, squaring my shoulder and tipping my head high to show my confidence.

"Well, good thing you are not then because Leon is close by. Wait here I will get him" he said, walking away quickly before I could tell him off.

Oh no.

I knew Leon was around, my ex and his friend never goes anywhere without each other. I couldn't afford to see him again. Especially not after the incident that led to our break up. My body trembled as I leaned on the wall along the hallway. My legs felt heavy to make a quick escape as the memory of the past enveloped me.

My cries, his yells, my pleas, his persiste...

"Che piacevole sorpresa, bîrichiná!"

("What a pleasant surprise, cute little rascal)

My breath caught as I tilted my head up, eyes landing on the tall figure towering over me. I haven't heard that voice often...but I could recognize it from a mile away.

Salvatore.