Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Ysabel started gnawing on her lip again. What if she ended up disappointing Massimo, too?
"You do not seem confident about your chances," the Marchetti matriarch observed.
"I'm just worried he has this image of me from that night that's unrealistic."
"Let us say it is so—-does that mean you will turn this chance down to be married to him? Because you do have that choice, signorina. I will allow you to back out of this wedding without any consequences. You have my word on this. If you choose to say no, it shall be so. But if you choose to say yes, I must also warn you that it will not be easy winning Massimo back. It will be difficult and painful even, but not impossible."
Ysabel could barely hear her thoughts over the thunderous pounding of her heart. To marry Massimo was her dream, but it would also mean hurting Ynez. Her sister might have hurt her first, but was that reason enough to hurt Ynez as well?
"What is it to be, Ysabel? Do you wish to marry my grandson or not?"
Five
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?
Massimo found himself brooding while waiting for his grandmother to return his fidanzata to his side. While he could now admit to himself that his feelings for Ynez were not what he thought them to be, he had not been attracted to any other woman in all the past years either. No one had tempted him even the slightest bit to stray...until now.
Porca miseria.
He could only imagine Ynez's distress once she found out that he had kissed her sister within minutes of being in her company. He could point out that she had done something worse, of course, but he would not do so.
Her mistake did not negate his dishonor.
He had kissed Ysabel because he desired her.
Even with everything he knew of her—-he had wanted Ysabel.
Still wanted her even, and it was this he did not understand at all.
Hai perso la testa, Massimo? Have you lost your mind?
He struggled to make sense of his attraction towards the one woman that he should have detested above all else. Maybe...maybe this had to do with the fact that he hadn't had sex for so long.
Ynez's many interviews with the press might have suggested the contrary, but the truth was, he had not touched her for over a year now, and it was yet another thing that had secretly fucked him up.
There was a time when Ynez had been the girl of his dreams, both literally and figuratively, and it was why Massimo could not understand how easily he was able to rebuff Ynez's advances, every time she invited him to bed.
The more he thought about his relationship with Ynez, the more he began to realize that it was only his stubbornness and pride that had kept him from breaking things off. He had wanted it to work because he was not used to failing, not realizing that he was only making things worse by ignoring all the red flags about their relationship.
He and Ynez should have been over years ago. But because of his refusal to acknowledge this, he had now ended up hurting Ynez even more, not only with his arranged marriage to her sister but more so were she to find out about his attraction to Ysabel.
Giancarlo was about to walk straight to the front door when he saw one of his younger brothers lounging by the bar. "Massimo?" Giancarlo was slightly puzzled at the other man's presence in the family estate. "Why are you not at the hospital?"
Massimo frowned. "Is anyone in the family sick?"
"Did you not get my text? Security informed me that Nonna, along with Cattleya and your fidanzata, are at the hospital right now."
Massimo's blood turned cold. It was only a few weeks ago that they all had their medicals, and his grandmother's results showed her to be as healthy as a horse. The same could be said for Cattleya, whose medical records were submitted to the Marchetti family for annual review. And so that only left...
Shit.
Giancarlo was not surprised to hear Massimo abruptly saying he would head over to the hospital as well.
"You can ride with me. My car is already outside waiting."
His brother was visibly tense, and Giancarlo was privately surprised by this. Massimo had rarely mentioned Ysabel Ossini to them, and in the few instances he had, it was usually with a note of disinterest or even subtle disapproval.
This time, however...
Ysabel had made an impact on Massimo, and Giancarlo was all for it. The whole family had never liked Ynez, but they had all been prepared to welcome her if she was truly the woman Massimo desired to spend the rest of his life with.
It was fortunate that La Strega had ultimately decided to interfere, but as for choosing Ynez's sister to replace her...