THE BRIDE CHAPTER 5

THE BRIDE
Chapter 5

Soul mates…two halves of the same soul
joining together in life’s journey
-Author Unknown
Marco Orsini’s POV
I am talking to a group of businessmen
trying to enjoy the wedding reception of
the Duke and Duchess of Caprielle here in
Palazzo di Cavelli. My bowtie seemed too
tight around my neck while I took a deep
breath. In truth, weddings aren’t really my
thing. But I can’t just let this wedding to
pass. It was my best friend’s wedding and I
am his d--n best man.
As much as I tried to amuse myself inside
the grand ballroom of the Palazzo di Cavelli I
felt bored. Lucca was busy adoring his wife
in the other side of the ballroom. He
couldn’t take his eyes off his wife even for a
second. I shook my head in resignation. My
best friend had finally admitted to the world
his downfall by giving his Tatiana the
wedding of the century. It was the grandest
Italy must ever see in my opinion.
But was it worth the effort? I asked myself
silently. To surrender yourself to a single
woman? I don’t think so.
That’s why I didn’t bring a date today.
Women get the wrong impression when
you brought them to a wedding they think
that you’re starting on hinting something to
them. That is absurd. And to think that I
need to suffer the same thing when the icy
widow finally found my bride is horrifying. I
have no desire to get married…
“There’s Marietta Ferrara over there. Do you
want me to make your introduction now?”
That single comment made me smile
despite the fact I tried to stop it from
showing.
I turned around to face the woman I’ve
been looking for since I saw the glimpsed
of her at the cathedral earlier. Now I can
finally enjoy this wedding. “Does the earth
tilt upside down?” I asked in sardonic
manner she hated. “Or I have entered a
different universe where you were so kind
to me without realizing it?”
The signature frost she’d always throw in
my direction was back. I couldn’t help but
to grin. This is really getting interesting.
Annoying Francesca Marcolini was my
favorite past time.
She scowled at my direction. “Can’t you
reply without being sarcastic, Signore?”
“You look ravishing.” I commented
completely ignoring her reprimand.
“Stop mentally undressing me!” She
practically hissed eyeing the men I’ve been
talking for quite awhile behind us. Her
amber eyes snapped with fire. “If you
continue to repeat this mental harassment
with me as your subject I will personally kill
you with my bare hands!”
“Mental harassment?” I asked innocently,
though the devil inside me roared with
laughter. “What is that?”
“Devil!” She whispered while glaring at me.
I think she’s imagining that the champagne
fluke she’d been holding in her hands was
my neck from the tight grip. “You always
mentally undress me whenever we are at
public place. And you were doing it right
now at the wedding reception of our dear
friends. Where is your decency?”
“Darling,” I told her. I knew laughter was
not dancing in my eyes as I eyed her from
head-to-toe. “I think ‘decency’ is boring.
Why not try adventurous I think we’ll both
love it.”
“You—”
“Like I said before, do you want me to
undress you the other way round,
Francesca?” I suggested raking my gazed
over her sexy figure.
“When hell freezes over.” She replied
fumingly. “You—”
“Does Marietta Ferrara was really here?” I
asked her, cutting off whatever she was
about to say.
#
I saw her took a deep breath as if trying to
calm her nerves. “Yes. She’s over there. I
think I will form your introduction now.”
She was about to walked where her
prospect of a perfect bride for me was
located when I swiftly grabbed her arm to
stop her from her track. “Wait.” I said. I felt
an electric shock runs through my veins
when my hand made contact on her soft
skin.
What the hell is that?
And it seems that she also felt that current
when she suddenly removed her arm from
my touch. “What?” She asked annoyingly.
Yes. What Orsini? I asked myself silently.
Why did you stop her? When did you feel
nervous meeting a woman? So I blurted out
the first thing that comes to my mind.
“What’s the rush? Only five candidates for
my prospective bride? Does Italy really
lacking with eligible bachelorettes?”
A frowned marks her eyebrows. “No.” She
answered after awhile. “But those five
where the one I thought would be suitable
to be Mrs. Marco Orsini. They don’t have bad
reputation or even a single scandal ever.”
“Still.” I said, catching a glimpsed of Marietta
Ferrara. “Give me more candidates to
choose from. Women near my age I
believed that those women you presented
barely left the university.”
“Women near your age?” She asked herself,
as she chewed her bottom lips. I found it
really e----c. “Single women near your age
where carrier minded ones, happily
married, divorcee or…”
“Or…” I prodded when she hesitated.
“Or widows.”
I hide my smile as I sipped the vintage
champagne in my hand as I look at her
intently. “I don’t mind widows.”
A pretty stained crept through her cheeks.
Amazing, I thought with satisfaction.
Francesca Marcolini was blushing. “Er, I
don’t think widows would make the cut,
Signore.”
“Why not?”
“Your grandfather might not approve if
your bride was previously married.”
“My nonno said I should be the one who
will look for my bride to present to him.” I
told her in annoyance. “He will not be the
one who will pick for my future wife.”
She didn’t answer instead she just
instinctively rubbed her gold wedding band
that annoyed me even more. Dead husband
shouldn’t be worshiped like that.
“Alright,” She said, dragging my gazed from
that blasted wedding ring. “I’ll look for
more candidates as you requested.”
“Good.” I tried to calm my unjustified anger,
as I eyed the progressing wedding
reception. “The duke and duchess is about
to have their first dance as married couple
why not join them. Care to dance, my lady?”
I am prepared to be turn down but she
surprises me when she placed her delicate
hand on my waiting hand. “Why not?” She
said.
Why not, indeed.
Once the first dance was ended the other
couples joined Lucca and his wife in the
center of the grand ballroom and dance at
the sweet melody. The woman in my arms
was as lovely as the blushing bride but the
woman in my arms had sorrow in the
depth of her eyes, as she glanced at the
happily married couple looking at each
other’s eyes only.
No one in this room would doubt that they
were really in love with each other.
We were dancing at the middle of the
dance floor sweetly but Francesca was
silent and avoiding looking at my eyes as
she supposed to be.
#
Are you thinking your own wedding?” I
couldn’t help but to gloat.
I heard her gasped. I know I shouldn’t have
brought that up but I couldn’t help it.
“That’s none of your concern, Signore.”
She was about to pushed me away but I
just tightened my grip on her slender body
like a vise. Oh, no she was not leaving my
arms until I say so.
“I was just making a polite conversation,
my dear.”
“Polite conversation?” She repeated, her
eyes snapped with burning anger for me.
“You are asking personal questions,
Signore.”
“And I am not allowed?” I drew her even
closer to my body for her to feel my
growing arousal.
“Yes!” She answered softly, trying to detach
herself from me. “Not now. Not ever.”
“You know what I think your late husband
wants you to have a life again it’s been
seven years. He wants you to remarry and
have a family of your own.”
“I will never marry again.” She responded
passionately that boiled my blood into top
notch. “Lorenzo will forever be my love. He
is the perfect husband.”
I snorted. “Your husband was no way close
to being a saint, Francesca.”
“I know but he’s ten times worth of you!” I
finally release my gripped from her and let
her walk away from me.
I drew my phone and dialed someone. “I
need you to investigate someone and I
want the report to come as soon as
possible. I want to know everything about
him. I repeat. Everything. His name is…” I
looked at the fumingly angry woman
walking away from me. “…Lorenzo
Marcolini.”
#
Many marriages would be better if
the husband and the wife clearly
understood that they are on the
same side.
-Zig Ziglar
Francesca Marcolini’s POV
After a week of cold silence from
him, I received summon from the
devil himself. He wants me to come
to his office as soon as possible.
What could he possibly want from
me? I asked myself silently.
After the good start we had at the
wedding of Lucca and Tatiana I
deluded myself if we might start
friendship and we don’t need any
more to try to kill each other every
time we had the misfortune to
meet. Because the moment we
started to dance he dug the old
ground that was forbidden talked
for me.
My very own personal life with my
late husband.
Now out of the blue he wants me
to come to his office without an
ounce of apology from him. I
sighed as I saw that I was nearing
his office building. I have not yet
completed the candidates he was
asking for his prospective bride.
This task was more difficult than I
thought it would be when I agreed
to this ridiculous scheme. Especially
when your client was the
exasperating Marco Orsini.
I took a deep breath when the cab
pulled over the magnificent modern
building that stood proudly in front
of me. I think the moment I
stepped out of the taxi Marco Orsini
knew I finally arrived at his fortress.
I walked on the splendor lobby of
the Orsini Industries straight to the
elevator I don’t want people to
speculate why I often come to his
office. They might get the wrong
impression about our association.
Finally, I arrived at his office and his
kind but straight-laced secretary
smiled once she saw me. “Signore
Orsini is waiting for you at his
office all morning.”
“Grazie.” I smiled and went straight
to the office where Marco Orsini
ruled this building like a king.
“I’ve been waiting for you all
morning, Francesca.” He greeted
once I entered his office. I don’t
think I like the devil’s satisfaction in
his dark eyes that instantly put me
on my guard.
“I haven’t had the new lists of your
prospective bride, Signore.” I
informed him coldly.
“Oh, that was not the reason I
asked you to come here, my dear.”
A mischievous smile played on his
lips as he played with his fountain
pen while starring right to my eyes.
He doesn’t have the right to look so
devastatingly handsome in his gray
Armani suit. I thought silently.
Really, Francesca when did you
start to notice that your adversary
was handsome? I chided myself as
I tried to banish that annoying
thought off my head.
“Then what do you want?” I asked
when I realized that he’s waiting
for my reply.
Unaware of the wayward thoughts
he gestured the vacant chair across
his table. “Have a sit. I have a gift
for you.”
I reluctantly took the offered chair
and eyed him cautiously. “What is
it?”
He smiled angelically in my direction
as he opened the drawer of his
table. Too bad the moment he
opened his mouth the spell
instantly broke and you will learn
that he such a devil. “For you.” He
presented a neat folder.
“What is that?” I asked, eyeing the
folder in his hands.
“Take a look.”
I reluctantly took the folder and
opened it. I felt that there’s a giant
hand that crushed my heart. The
content of the folder was all about
my late husband, Lorenzo. From his
childhood life up to his death it was
meticulously written into this
report.

Story continues