( Venetia's Pov )

"Daddy, Eva can make up for this deal. why me?" I say annoyed by my so-called father's behaviour. He didn't understand all I want is freedom. But that is the only thing forbidden in the world I am born into. My bad luck.

But you know things are pretty in new york, although this is a city of dreams, I live with a family that rejoices over the bloody wars that practically kill people, kill dreams. I have never had any particular dream but I do wish to live a life of my choice.

Eva is my step-elder-sister, nobody in the world knows this except for the family members of course. well, you know my dad was so whipped for my mamma that he welcomed her into his life with the baby of another man.

He didn't mind about the baby as long as mamma agreed to love and be loyal to him. I guess our father is a good man after all he never forced her for anything.

and that is exactly what my mamma did, loved him with all her heart. He treats Eva like his own, with no difference between her and me. I trust him for the decisions he takes for us and I love my sister too.

I know Eva likes jerks like him, like my future husband. And I agree that only she can tame the shit outta men like him. She's fierce and spicy, me? I am just fierce with a wild heart.

" Venetia you have got to be serious, I am in debt of that shit head and he wants you, no one else but you he made that clear early on. You know the norms of our culture, there is not much we can do about them," My daddy says in a calm tone with a cigarette in his hand, sitting on his office table and taking a look at what seems like the contract that will seal my freedom away probably forever.

" you gotta be kidding me daddy, I-I," I pause to take a deep breath to steady my thoughts," how much time do I have before you'll have to sign the contract ?" I hesitantly ask.

" 2 months it is, let's hope for some miracle to happen before that," Daddy puffs the cigarette and then exhales it.

I let the words sink deep into my skin, I would be free from my family but be controlled by another man now.

That's the thing about life everything comes with a price. Who am I kidding, my freedom was never mine to keep, but you could say I would rather dream than lose hope. So, that's what I am going to do, just dream cause that's all I can afford.

*****

Momma enters home with a ton of shopping bags as she settles down on the big silk sofa in the main hall.

I see more bodyguards carrying bigger bags of what seems like CHANEL, PRADA and whatnot. One of them passes me a shy smile, Toronto is my favourite, just 25 years old, close to my age. So, we get along well. He is also assigned to be my bodyguard.

Toronto and I have a little history you could say, as a free-spirited person I am. I almost kissed him one day in my drunk state.

By almost I mean I passed out as soon I inched closer to him, him being a gentleman didn't take advantage of me.

I sometimes wish he should have because oh boy he is utterly smart and handsome, totally my type of guy. I pass a quick wink towards him, only to get a shy red Toronto walking out of the main door. Cute.

College days, I miss them sometimes. The feeling of freedom around that time was oddly satisfying.

I giggle keeping the book I was reading down on the table in front of me and moving closer to mamma's side hugging her sideways, she smells like peaches and strawberries I wonder if she wears this fragrance because of dadda, and she feels like home to me.

" Oh, Darling Ven! What are you reading today?" she questions me with curiosity. " another Rom-Com mamma," I pass her a mischievous smile, to which she rolls her eyes.

She tells me how she used to be in love with all the Rom-Com books and Movies in her time, that it was no good but sent her into her fantasy world. That's the thing I adopted from my mother, I see. Books are kinda my refuge. Like I think shopping is my mamma's comfort.

Momma is a fashion enthusiast, a typical mother would know how to make it work at home but she is different, she breathes fashion like nothing else exist.

She would always tell me how fashion tells us a lot about ourselves. The world holds judgments for who we are on the exterior side and fashion helps stabilise that.

But I never paid heed to such shit, although I did like to dress up like a doll by my mother. I still believed in the power that our heart holds and its beauty, there is nothing bigger than that in humans.

Mamma starts showing me things she bought for my ceremony, she seems happy. At the ceremony, where my future husband's family And my family will have a formal lunch.

My future husband Luca Colombo, is a perfectionist. He sees the same in me, he will want the same from me. But I wouldn't be able to keep up with that.

The world has the notion of viewing me as perfection, or I must say they just expect too much outta me. But what they don't see is my flaws that I Venetia Bernardi am utterly imperfect.

Maybe I was just thinking too much, at least he is not some weird creep-horny old man.

He was a well-educated and handsome man I reminded myself to be grateful about it but he is also a control freak and I would be lying if that didn't scare the shit outta me. I sigh and tell mamma that I will be resting in my room.

This whole marriage thing is such a turn-off, ughh I don't understand why didn't he choose Eva. In my eyes, she was the sexiest woman I have ever seen. Alluring, yes, beautiful, yes, hot, yes, bold, yes, sensual, fuck yes, she was everything a man could ever need. Then why? this stupid donkey Luca ruined everything.

Now I would have to act like a pretty perfect doll for him and his stupid parties all my life. what can be worse than that?

I lay down on my bed, closing my eyes, trying to quiet down my thoughts.

listening to the emptiness that my heart is drowning in and waiting for what comes next. I let the darkness take over me.