Chapter 0027

“What’s wrong?” he asks, sitting on the edge next to her. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she murmurs, looking around. The room is tastefully decorated in shades of brown and green

that match Daniel’s eyes, but there’s very little personal decoration – not much that seems like Daniel

himself has chosen it.

“What do you guys do all day, here?” She asks, suddenly wondering about Daniel’s life as an only child

in a mafia family.

He shrugs. “I mostly stay in here,” he says, nodding to his computer and the several bookcases full of

texts against the far wall. “I keep busy.”

“Don’t you get bored?” She wonders, sitting up.

“Of course,” he says, laughing a little. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“Do you ever get to leave?” She asks, studying her handsome fiancé.

“Of course,” he replies, laughing. “Don’t forget, you met me outside of this house, so, that’s evidence of

that.” He hesitates, realizing the direction of her questions. “But we can’t leave now. Not for a while. Not

until things are more…settled.”

Fay sighs, disappointed, and falls back against his pillows.

“It’s not always going to be like this,” he murmurs, sorry that she feels so discontented. “Once

everything dies down, once we’re married, we’ll have like…complete freedom. We can go back to the

bookshops…maybe to Paris…” he gives her a shy smile, knowing she’d love it there.

She gives him a little half-smile in response, but he knows she’s not content with what he’s offering.

“Come on, Fay,” he says, scooting closer to her and taking her hand. “Some people would kill for what

we have. We actually like each other’s company and we have all the money in the world at our

disposal. Soon you’ll be one of the richest, most powerful women in this city, Fay,” he says temptingly.

Fay glares at him a little. “Sure, I can have whatever I want, except, you know, the freedom to leave

this house. A marriage to someone who loves me.”

Daniel tilts his head, truly wanting to make it better. “I love you, Fay. In my own way.”

She sighs, knowing he means well.

“I just don’t care about all of this, Daniel,” she says. “I don’t care about this wealth and power that

everyone thinks is so important. Plus, you’re forgetting the fact that all of this wealth and power come

with the heavy pricetag of violence.”

Daniel screws his mouth to the side, admitting, silently, that she’s right.

“Don’t you want to choose your own lover?” She asks, leaning forward eagerly. “Instead of being

assigned one?”

He hesitates, squeezing her hand. “I kind of did pick you, Fay. And you picked me. Even before I knew

we were ‘assigned.’”

She sighs, taking her hand gently from his. “Yeah, but that was before I had all the information,” she

murmurs. Back when she thought he was Prince Charming, not the heir to a mafia cartel.

“I’m going to be a good husband to you,” Daniel murmurs, really meaning it. He always knew he’d get

married to a woman, and even if he knew it wouldn’t be a sexual relationship – or even one in which he

was faithful – he had always hoped it would be to someone like Fay. His best friend.

Fay flicks her eyes to him, full of doubt. “But what kind of wife would you want me to be?” she asks

softly. “Would I even be able to pursue my career, which means so much to me?”

Daniel hesitates. He knows, frankly, that the answer is no – his wife would be expected to stay home,

manage his social affairs, raise their kids. But he also knows that saying that aloud right now isn’t going

to make this any easier.

Intuiting his response, Fay sighs again. “This isn’t what either of us really want, Daniel,” she says,

speaking the truth for both of them. “But somehow, you’ve just…given in to it. I feel sorry for you.”

Her words are like a knife to his heart. Fay Thompson, this poor, delicate, timid girl, feels sorry for him?

God he must be so pathetic. He hangs his head.

“I’m sorry, Fay,” he says softly. “I’ll do my best to make you happy.”

Fay moves until she’s sitting next to him, putting her head on his shoulder. “And so will I. When I go,

Daniel, I’m not going to leave you behind.”

He looks at her, then, realizing that she still plans to escape. He doesn’t burst her bubble.

But deep down, he knows it’s impossible.