Chapter 36

Writing this chapter was a challenge for me because I bloody wrote and deleted this chapter thrice because I wasn't satisfied. But now finally I'm satisfied that this chapter is worth writing for.

Also check my other book 'Our lost princess'. I need your love and support for that book :-)

Crystal's pov

- At night -

After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms, except for me and Dante.

Dante went to his study as he wanted to talk to Martin whereas I decided to walk in his garden for some time.

I walked outside the main door and made my way towards the garden.

Heaven.

I muttered softly as I felt cool air kissing me on my face. I was surrounded with flowers. And the moonlight is making the flowers and the view more beautiful.

I smiled and crossed my arms across my chest and start walking.

I'm loving this peace.

I kept on walking around the garden until I got tired. Although I wanted to go to my bed and rest but this night was so beautiful so I decided to sit for sometime instead of leaving so soon.

So I went to the nearby and sat myself and grinned as my legs got little relief from standing and walking. I took a deep breath and looked around myself.

Everything here feels like a dream. A beautiful dream.

My life has became more beautiful and meaningful ever since I have met or I can say, have married Dante.

Before meeting Dante, my life was so boring and plain. I was doing nothing special. I was a simple girl with dreams.

Well, I'm still a simple girl with dreams except for the fact that now I'm a billionaire's wife. In correct words, Billionaire's replaced bride.

Before marrying Dante I never thought that I'll marry a billionaire. Okay okay. Before Dante, I never wanted to marry someone after knowing what my dad did with my mother.

Well I know that not every men are same. Just because my dad was unfaithful to my mom, it's not necessary that everyone will be like him.

There are guys who loves their wives or girlfriends a lot and are faithful towards them but I was scared that what if my husband or boyfriend would have been like Dad.

I don't know what my mom went through but my grandma used to tell me that my mom was broken beyond repair.

Before marrying dad, my mom was a chirpy woman but after living with dad, she changed. From being a woman who wanted to enjoy every moment of life to became a living dead body, she changed.

And no way in hell I wanted to be like her. That's why I was scared of relationships.

But with Dante everything seems different. He makes me feel different.

Sure, today's morning he was rude to me but apart from that he is a great person.

With him, I feel happy and safe. He makes me feel safe with his mere presence only.

I don't know what's going to happen after few months but right now I just want to enjoy my moments with him. I want to make memories with him so that in future if we part our ways I will not have regrets.

A lump formed in my throat just by thinking of separating from Dante. In these few months I have got attached to him and his family way too much that now just by thinking of being seperate from them makes my anxious.

One part of me wants to live with Dante forever and other part of me want to free him from this unwanted marriage. I know he never says that but I'm sure he don't want to continue this marriage. And I can't blame him for this. Which man in his sane mind would be happy after marrying a stranger? No one.

Just thinking about leaving him is painful for me, I don't know how I will react when we will get divorced and he will start dating or marrying someone else. I will feel betrayed and hurt for no reason.

Well, I'm not in love with Dante yet. It just my feelings are getting stronger day by day and I know that he is never going to return those feelings to me and that is making the whole situation more messy for me.

I wish we would have met each other in different situation but alas!

I sighed and looked at the moon which is shining in the light. Beautiful.

"Uh-uhu".

I heard someone's cough or I can say a fake cough and looked at my right side to see that Dante was standing beside me.

When did he came?

"Hey" I said with a small smile to which he smiled back at me and sat beside me.

"You know, you should be in your bed at this time" He said in a strict voice.

"Oh come on, I was tired with all the rest and plus the whether is too beautiful" I said to which he shook his head a little and smiled at me.

"You're the only one who always refuse my requests" He said with a chuckle.

"That because you don't request. You always give orders. And most importantly you always pressurise me to do something which I don't want to that's why I have to fight back for myself" I said back to which he laughed at me.

"But that because I want to protect you" He said winking at me.

I blushed a little and looked away. For almost five minutes we both were silent until Dante received a message.

Once he saw the message his peaceful face turned worried and angry.

"What happened?" I asked raising my eyebrows at him.

He sighed before looking at me and then stared me for few more minutes.

"You were right" He said looking away from me.

"Huh?" I muttered as I didn't understand his words to which he looked at me with.. Guilt?

"Dante what happened?" I asked once again and caught his palm in mine.

"You were right about Ashley. She actually tampered your food" He said and waited for my reaction but I didn't gave him any.

To be honest, I'm not surprised. Ever since I have recalled yesterday's events I was somewhere sure that Ashley is actually behind this so now Dante's confirmation didn't surprised me because I was expecting this.

"You're not surprised?" He asked raising his eyebrows accusingly at me.

"I was expecting this" I said and shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm sorry" Dante whispered to which I shook my head.

"No Dante please, don't blame yourself. It wasn't your fault" I said but he still looked guilty.

"But I fucking ill-treated you when it wasn't completely your fault" He said slowly.

"Dante please whatever you did today was out of care okay and we are already pass that topic. I'm not angry anymore so please stop blaming yourself" I said to which he nodded but still looked upset.

"Dante" I called him in warning tone to which he finally smiled a little at me.

"You're way too mature than your age, you know that?" He asked to which I nodded proudly.

He smiled at me ruffled my hairs to which I smiled at him.

"Do you want to listen to the whole story?" He asked softly to which I nodded.

"Well as you said that Ashley is a huge fan of Maddison and she used to ship me with her is true. On the day of our marriage, when the news of me getting married to you and not Maddison came, Ashley suddenly became way too much active on Twitter" He said.

"She wrote disgusting things about you and gave rape and death threats" He said as his face turned disgusted.

"The day when Maddison was in your college, there are chances that Ashley has heard yours and her conversation because there was a footage where Ashley left the auditorium after five minutes of your departure but there are not more footages. Although she hasn't contacted Maddison or anyone who is close to Maddison. But she was seen tampering your food in cafeteria but what she exactly did with your food is not seen" Dante said slowly.

Sometimes I don't understand how can some fans or I can say obsessed fans cross their limits just because things didn't happened according to their will.

Just because they are fans, it does not give them right to interfere in each and every matter of someone else life.

That's just ridiculous.

"Crystal" Suddenly Dante shook my shoulder to which I looked at him.

"What happened? Where were you lost?" He asked to which I shook my head.

"What are you going to do with her now?" I asked slowly.

"Well, she has done something horrible and she deserves punishment so yeah she is going to get punished for her actions" Dante chirped angrily.

"But if she will go to prison, you'll have reveal my name and her crime. What if she reveals my identity in anger?" I asked looking at him.

"I don't know. We will find a way out of this" He said to which I nodded but was scared a little.

After that we again stayed silent. There was one question which was continuously running in my mind but I didn't know how to ask.

"Crystal?" Dante once again shook my shoulder.

"What happened?" He asked with concern.

"No-nothing" I stammered not knowing what else to say.

"You know, you can share your problems with me, right?" He asked to which I nodded and decided to ask him.

"I have a question" I muttered slowly and looked at him directly in his eyes.

"Go on" He said, encouraging me with a smile.

"I always wanted to ask this question that why Maddison's family is not revealing my identity. It's not like I want them to reveal my identity but still why they are not using this against us? They can easily do that and take their revenge but why aren't they doing that?" I asked with a frown.

"Maddison family is not revealing your identity because they are already losing everything piece by piece and if they dare to reveal your identity, we will finish them in just in the blink and then they won't be able to survive. But this way they are still trying to cope up with everything and their one mistake will cause them heavy price that's why they are silent" Dante finished to which I nodded.

"And what about Maddison?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

"There was a time when she was popular but now she's not that much famous and me marrying you instead of her, worked as a cherry on top. For few days, she got little hype after our marriage but that eventually stopped. She is already losing everything and in-between this if she reveals your identity she might get fame for few days but after that media houses will start comparing you and her with each other and that will work as a last nail in her career's coffin" Dante replied with a disbelief look.

"What is there to compare between us? She is obviously more beautiful. Everyone's going to appreciate her anyways" I said and chuckled.

"Have you ever heard about cosmetic surgeries?" He asked to which I gasped.

"She has done those things?" I asked to which he nodded.

That's the reason she always looks perfect.

"Maddison has done a lot of cosmetic surgeries and you haven't. Her beauty is plastic whereas you're natural beauty. Of course these things will work against her. And there are a lot media peoples who hates her because of her self entitled behavior and would love to demain her" Dante said with a small laugh.

'You're a natural beauty' I blushed remembering the line but another thought came in my mind.

"But what if Ashley reveals that because she don't have any reason of not to" I said and again panic starts kicking me.

"Ashley is the only exception as of now. Even I don't know, what to do with her?" Dante sighed angrily.

"We can't leave her knowing what she did to you" Dante sighed sadly.

"And if we will file complain against her then there are chances that she might reveal my identity, isn't it?" I asked to which he nodded with a frown.

"How about we forgive her for this one time?" I asked to which he narrowed his gaze angrily at me.

"Crystal what the hell are you saying? Did you forgot that because of her you got sick? Why are you trying save her?" Dante yelled angrily at me.

"Dante, calm down. I didn't forgot anything and I'm not defending her. It just things will get messy if she reveals my identity. That's why we can forgive her this time and you can ask your men to monitor her activities daily and check if she does something suspicious. This way I can be save and hidden from the world" I said to which he frowned.

"Also I'm changing my college and you said that my new college is safe so I think that's the best idea" I said to which he sighed.

"And what if she suddenly decides to reveal your identity?" Dante asked raising his eyebrows angrily.

"Then you have proofs against her, no? We can punish her" I said to which he shook his head.

"Dante relax. Just ask your man to monitor her activities daily and we will be fine" I said but he didn't looked convinced.

"Your opinion is valid but I can't leave her for this. Don't worry, Martin is digging her past and he has told me that Ashley had some history with drugs and other scandals which we can use against her. So maybe she can go to prison for some other crime if not this" He said calmly.

"If that's the plan than you have to work carefully" I said to which he hummed and looked away from me.

After sitting for some more time we decided to head back to our rooms. We both got up and start walking when all of a sudden I stumbled with something. But before I could have touched the ground, Dante caught my wrist and pulled me towards himself to which I gasped in surprise.

We both were way too close, our nose almost touching. We both kept looking in each others eyes, lost in our own world.

I was taken a back when I suddenly felt his hand leaving my wrist and went to my waist. We were already close but he pulled me more closer to him. His one hand held my waist protectively whereas his other hand came to my face, caressing my cheek lovingly.

We both were breathing heavily from the proximity. Suddenly Dante closed his eyes and parted his lips and leaned closer towards me and to my surprise even I leaned closer to him after closing my eyes.

And that's it.

Our lips touched together and everything stopped for me.

I was close to him. The man who I have strong feelings for. The man who have became my most beautiful dream. The man who is making me feel things. The man who I trust the most now.

For few seconds, we were doing nothing, just feeling each other touch but soon Dante started kissing me, softly and passionately. He was sweetly devouring my lips.

Magical.

This moment is perfect. I lost my first kiss to the man who is becoming my everything. We were under the moon and stars and surrounded by beautiful flowers and chilled air kissing us.

That's perfect.

After breaking the kiss, Dante touched his forehead with mine and stayed silent.

Bliss.

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