82

GIO
Beside me, Millie’s stance turned rigid. I glanced at her, absorbing the tension that gripped her. In her comparatively modest attire, Millie eclipsed Alyssa’s ostentatious display effortlessly. Millie held the presence of a queen, while Alyssa was a mere pretender.
“Gio,” Alyssa’s voice dripped with honeyed sweetness as she leaned slightly forward, as if contemplating a hug. My stern expression halted her, and she retreated slightly. “Millie,” she acknowledged curtly, her lips pursed.
Alyssa’s brother intervened, his grip on her arm decisive as he began to guide her away. Perhaps he sensed the intensity of my desire to distance myself from his sister, regardless of her gender.
Millie’s tension eased once Alyssa was at a remove, but before we could exchange words, the swarm of initial guests engulfed us. Alyssa’s attempts to capture my attention persisted throughout the evening, yet I deflected her with practiced indifference. Her brother diligently monitored her interactions, ensuring she didn’t approach again.
Frustration etched itself across Alyssa’s face at my apparent disinterest. As a final gambit, she approached Sebastian, who had been engrossed in conversation with another politician’s daughter. Alyssa deployed her most seductive gaze, leaning in provocatively. Sebastian’s lips curled into a knowing smirk, but his eyes found mine above Alyssa’s head.
Arching an eyebrow at him, I silently encouraged his pursuit.
Sebastian whispered something into her ear, his arm encircling her waist possessively, his hand daringly resting on her rear. As they retreated, Alyssa cast me a glare seething with resentment. Did she truly believe I cared? If she believed entangling herself with my brother would win her my favor, she sorely misjudged the situation.
“Please, tell me it’s not what it seems,” Millie’s voice was a soft murmur, laden with distress, her eyes betraying a sense of nausea.
I instinctively tightened my hold around her waist, regretting my insensitivity. “Sebastian is about to have an eventful evening,” I responded, the words slipping out before I could filter them.
A flush crept up Millie’s cheeks, her body stiffening in my embrace. My attempt to remedy the situation was interrupted by the owner of a safeguarded restaurant chain, engaging me in conversation. The rest of the evening saw Millie’s features locked in an unyielding facade, carved from stone. I mentally berated myself for my thoughtlessness, for not being attuned to her feelings.
Nearly an hour later, Sebastian returned, his hair disheveled and an insufferably smug grin adorning his face. He swaggered toward us, my silent warning disregarded by his arrogance.
“Now I understand why she held your attention for so long. That woman certainly lacks inhibitions,” Sebastian’s comment carried an undertone of innuendo, one that I wished Millie hadn’t heard.
Her body went rigid, her complexion paling. Sebastian’s gaze shifted between her and me, eyebrows arching in question. I shot him a withering glare.
“I beg your pardon. I need to freshen up,” Millie’s tone turned formal, a mask to cover her turmoil. She retreated, her head held high, striding away with a calculated poise. My protective instincts urged me to follow, but Alyssa’s father intervened at that very moment. I couldn’t risk a public altercation. Millie walked away, her departure a testament to her inner strength. Inwardly, I seethed at Sebastian’s recklessness.
MILLIE
Struggling to catch my breath, I navigated my way towards the restroom, a gnawing tension clenching at my chest. Fortunately, no one attempted to halt my progress. The thought of someone obstructing me was almost unbearable-I doubted I could have maintained my composure if they had. Finally stepping within the sanctuary of the bathroom, I exhaled in a trembling rush. The ordeal outside had been stifling; in here, I found a momentary reprieve.
I busied myself at the sink, cleansing my hands as a substitute for the urge to cleanse my face, fearful that my makeup would be irreparably smudged. Gazing upwards, I encountered my own reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t a manifestation of vanity, but rather a recognition of the truth others had often voiced-I possessed an undeniable beauty. Compliments and admiration had trailed me all my life, and yet, the mere mention of Alyssa’s unique capabilities stirred a newfound doubt. It occurred to me that beauty might fall short in the battle for Gio’s affections.
“He loves you,” a voice echoed in my thoughts.
With eyes tightly shut, I enacted a slow count to ten, drawing strength from the ritual. Alyssa was a figure of the past, a relic of a bygone era.
As I ventured back into the hallway, my stance stiffened involuntarily upon spotting Alyssa stationed there, a strained smile adorning her features. I resisted the urge to avert my gaze, mustering the courage to meet her eyes head-on. She approached, a cloud of cloying perfume enveloping me. Despite her towering heels, I squared my shoulders, determined not to be overshadowed.
“I had hoped for another chance to converse with you,” her words flowed, infused with a saccharine tone. “During your wedding, time was a rare commodity.”
“He will possess you relentlessly,” her earlier warning echoed anew, stoking my internal turmoil. Though Alyssa was scarcely my senior, perhaps a mere twenty years, she possessed a reservoir of experiences beyond my grasp.
“Perhaps you believe that Gio finds contentment in what you provide,” she began, her voice lowered to a near whisper. “Yet, I’ve known him intimately for two years, and he’s never been one to settle. Amidst all those passing seasons, I was the sole woman he returned to. The reason lies in my ability to cater to his desires.”
Two years? Even if he’d been in the company of others during that span, the question lingered: Why had he retained her presence?
Alyssa’s grin widened, a facetious expression that never reached her eyes. “I’ve indulged his every whimsical fantasy, Millie. Your demeanor suggests you’re not inclined to explore his more unconventional desires.”
Her words hit like a blow, rousing my determination. A stride brought me closer, our proximity taut with tension. I met her gaze, unyielding. I had been nurtured amidst the world of the mafia, reared among predators, even thrusting a blade into a Bratva adversary. Alyssa’s intimidation tactics would not find purchase here.
“You will keep your distance,” I asserted, my voice a controlled undertone. “The only reason he dallied with you was to avoid your face. You have, and always will be, replaceable-a mere one among a multitude. In his eyes, you are nothing. Cheaper than a common harlot, that much is certain.” Unleashing the bitterness I loathed within myself, I laid bare my disdain. I couldn’t endure any more of her provocation.
She lifted her hand, poised to strike, but a looming shadow suddenly engulfed us both. Gio’s powerful grip encircled her wrist, preventing the intended blow. He propelled her back against the wall, his grasp unyielding. Her features contorted, a semblance of a smile shattering her facade.
Suppressing the urge to lower my gaze, I met his gaze imploringly. “She’s not worth it,” I murmured, pleading for restraint.
His lips curved into a smile, cruel and unlike any I had seen on him before. He released Alyssa’s wrist, allowing a frisson of uncertainty to flicker across her countenance as she cowered under his glare-a gaze seething with fury.
“Gio, please,” she entreated, fingers clutching at his arm. I tensed-her desperation unnerved me. “I would do anything for you. I love you.”
He flung her away in revulsion, repulsed by her touch. “Don’t contaminate me, whore. You’ve just taken my brother’s seed. Do you truly believe I desire your tainted hands on me?”
Swiveling toward me, some of the anger abated from his gaze, yet Alyssa’s torrent of words had not yet ceased. Her visage twisted into a mask of hatred, her eyes boring into me with venomous intent.
“I wish that man in Gio’s club had defiled you as I paid him to. Perhaps drugged, you finally managed to accommodate all of Gio’s desires. It might have been the sole instance he relished being inside you.”
I captured the tense ambiance of the scene in a more detailed and descriptive manner, allowing the emotions, interactions, and underlying dynamics between the characters to be illuminated.