The longer Claudia stared at Lorenzo, the more he reminded her of Salvatore. It was in the way they smiled, how they always looked like they knew something you didn't. And perhaps they did. Perhaps they have known from the beginning.
" Anything for my future wife."
The words echoed multiple times around her skull, each time feeling like a sharpened blade sinking into her flesh. Lorenzo's words managed to shatter the rose tinted glasses she wore.
Claudia searched through her memories of the past few days, all the recent conversations she had with Gabriele. She searched for the times he told her who exactly she would be marrying and came out blank. Her father always said she was marrying Salvatore's son, he never used a name. Salvatore had two sons, one of which was standing in front of her. Lorenzo. Her father wanted her to marry Lorenzo Kane.
She gently pulled out of her father's hold. Her expression was calm and passive, the polar opposite of what she felt on the inside. She wouldn't scream or argue, not with an outsider present. No, she was going to save up all her rage for her father because he was the one who truly deserved it. He was the one who put her in this situation. He had known how she felt about Dominic and he still intentionally tricked her into believing she would be marrying him. Why? To keep her compliant? Surely he knew Claudia wouldn't have agreed to an arrangement with Lorenzo.
She tried to keep the accusations out of her eyes when she gazed up at her father but failed. Gabriele was still speaking but whatever he was saying barely registered. Lorenzo's words from earlier still clinked around her skull like coins in a tin can. She couldn't focus on anything else. It didn't matter, her father didn't seem to be speaking to her anyway. His eyes were on Lorenzo. The introduction was the only time he directed his words at her. If he really wanted her to be a part of their conversation then he wouldn't have deceived her, he wouldn't try to force her into this sham of a marriage.
A part of her wanted to just turn around and walk away. There was nothing for her here. Neither of them were keen on asking for her opinion. Claudia turned to move but Lorenzo stopped her from taking another step. The sound of his voice was a like live-wire on her already frayed nerves.
" I'm sure everything must have come as a shock. From the look of things, it seems like your father didn't bother explaining anything to you beforehand." The last part was a jab directed at Gabriele, who instantly bristled at the reprimand. As Lorenzo spoke, Claudia wondered if he knew the true extent of her father's deceit. Was he aware she harbored feelings for his little brother, that before now she had imagined Dominic in his place. Surely not. He wouldn't willingly betray his own brother in such a way. But then again, she knew nothing about how his family was truly like with one another.
Dominic made sure to keep her away from that part of him.
" Let's spend the day together. Let me get to know you." Lorenzo said. He placed his hand over hers. The gentleness of the action didn't prevent her from stiffening. If he felt her flinch at his touch, he didn't comment on it. His words still hung heavy in the air between them.
Her father's gaze was fixed on them, glaring at her as though she had been the one to interrupt whatever he had been droning on about. Her father, the direction this interaction was headed, the way he had treated her, the look he was now giving her— Claudia wanted to refuse out of sheer spite. The words were already at the tip of her tongue.
Lorenzo tightened his grip on her hand but not enough to cause pain. He knew what she planned to do and was warning her against it.
Claudia swallowed her retort and nodded instead. Lorenzo smiled. It was the smile of a man that had just gotten his way.
Gabriele watched without a word as Lorenzo led Claudia out of the house. His silence made the situation Claudia was in marginally better.
The signs of her father's anger were evident. He hated that Lorenzo had taken control of the situation and steered it away in a different direction. Her father hated moments when he wasn't in absolute control, hated when everyone around him didn't immediately bend over backwards to accommodate his need for power.
Growing up, Claudia learned to be in tune with her father's facial tics and shifts in emotions. She knew how to decipher what he was feeling long before she understood what her own emotions were, that way she knew when she had to run and hide, or else he would take his anger out on her. It was the only way she knew how to protect herself from him.
Looking at Lorenzo now, it was impossible to piece out his thoughts. His expressions were completely foreign to her. She couldn't read him as well as her father.
He helped her into the passenger seat of his car, the action grating against her already rising temper. She once again held her tongue. Why was she bothering to be considerate to people who only saw her as a commodity to be passed around.
The car ride lasted a little over thirty minutes. Words were hardly exchanged which only made it more awkward and miserable.
Was this going to be her life with him in the future? Quiet and miserable? She kept her face tilted towards the window the entire ride to avoid staring at him.
Lorenzo drove her to an upscale restaurant on the other side of town. The car came to a halt and Lorenzo once again helped her out of the car. She stiffened when he placed his hand on the small of her back while he led her inside. His touch was warm against her cold skin.
She hated being touched by strangers and Lorenzo was a stranger regardless of what their families wanted. Anyone with eyes could see how straight her spine was, her rigid posture, how it looked like she was trying to create as much space between his palm and her back without fully moving away from him and would know instantly that his touch made her uncomfortable.
There was no way Lorenzo hadn't felt her stiffen the moment he touched her back yet his hand remained on her. It felt like his way of pushing and prodding her, testing how far he could push her boundaries until she finally snapped.
The dining room had floor-to-ceiling windows, offering stunning views of the city skyline. The atmosphere was refined yet relaxed, making it an ideal spot for a lunch date. The décor was modern chic, with sleek lines, rich wood accents, and vibrant artwork adorning the walls.
The tables were set with crisp linens, fine glassware, and elegant silverware. The atmosphere is sophisticated and intimate, with soft music playing in the background. The staff that milled about were all impeccably dressed in tailored attire. A woman that Claudia assumed to be the hostess spotted them and immediately headed in their direction. The woman looked to be in her late thirties. Her blond hair was pushed back and held in a tight bun.
No form of introductions were made after she greeted them with a smile. She gestured for them to follow behind her as she led them away from the main dining area, away from the other patrons and further into a more secluded area. There was only one set table. Claudia felt her stomach drop.
" I reserved the best table in the restaurant. Just like you asked." The hostess stared straight at Lorenzo as she spoke which only further confirmed Claudia's growing suspicion.
Offering to bring her here wasn't random nor was it an act of goodwill, it wasn't his way of offering an olive branch. His actions had been strategic and premeditated. He knew she was kept oblivious about the engagement the whole time. He knew his presence would knock her off-kilter and he still came regardless, flaunting gentle smiles and kind gestures at her. Why? So her anger would only be directed at her father and Salvatore. So he can continue going around pretending like they were in the exact same situation. Because the truth was they weren't the same.
There was no world where someone like Lorenzo could be forced to marry someone he never wanted. Unlike her, Lorenzo would always have a choice.
The thought sat like a lead brick in her chest.
As soon as the hostess retreated, Claudia reached behind her back and pushed Lorenzo's hand away.
Lorenzo smiled like she amused him. He didn't bother pulling out a chair for her. He still watched her with that unnerving stare of his as he lowered himself down on his seat.
" I can practically see the wheels in your mind churning. What are you thinking about?" There was a certain way Lorenzo spoke, the way his voice stressed his vowels and wrapped around the consonants that made him sound like Dominic when he pronounced certain words.
Claudia blinked at him. She was yet to take out her chair, reeling at the fact that she would have to sit next to him. Reeling at the fact that her family expected her to marry him.
Claudia was still standing when the hostess returned with two menus in her hands. She paused when she saw Claudia standing in the same spot she left them.
" Excuse me, ma'am? Is the table not to your liking? " The hostess asked and Claudia shook her head.
Claudia squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds, and began counting to ten beneath her breath. She exhaled when she got to ten and let out a sigh. Then without a word, she pulled out her chair and sat.