Chapter 2 - The Corridor of PowerThe private side-exit of St. Jude’s led directly into a cobblestone courtyard where two black Vescari SUVs idled with their engines purring. The cold winter air hit my face like a splash of ice water, stinging my cheeks and reminding me that I was no longer trapped inside the heated, suffocating illusion of my wedding day.
Roman held the car door open for me, his dark eyes searching my face for any sign of hesitation. "Are your legs shaking?" he asked quietly as I slid into the leather interior, careful not to let the voluminous tulle of the wedding dress catch on the door frame.
"They stopped shaking the second I said no," I replied, my voice remarkably steady as I looked up at him. "Though my father is probably calculating how many ports he has to trade to have you killed by midnight."
Roman chuckled, sliding into the seat beside me as the vehicle surged forward, peeling away from the cathedral before Cassian’s security detail could even mobilize their vehicles. "Your father is a practical man, Elena. He hates losing, but he hates losing money more. A messy public scandal destroys the stock value of the Lisandra coastal holdings faster than a corporate buyout."
I reached into the hidden pocket sewn into the layers of my dress and pulled out the crisp, folded legal agreement Roman had handed me in the bridal suite just thirty minutes earlier. Smoothing it out against my knee, I read the signatures again: Alaric Lisandra and Vittorio Valtieri. Six months old. A binding contract that used my life as collateral to merge shipping lanes and coastal real estate under a single umbrella.
"You knew about this months ago," I said, turning to look at Roman. "How? My father kept this locked in his private study safe."
"Information is my primary commodity, Elena," Roman said, resting his arm casually along the back of the seat, maintaining a respectful distance that gave me complete control of my space. "When you control the shipping ports of the Pacific Northwest, you learn very quickly who is trying to fence off your coastline. I found out about the arranged marriage back in October. I also found out that you were looking for a way out long before you met me."
"And your solution was to have me ruin my own wedding by publicly choosing you?" I challenged, raising an eyebrow. "You realize what this makes you in the eyes of the Valtieri family? Public enemy number one."
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"They were already trying to choke my shipping lines out of the market," Roman replied, a dangerous, confident smile touching the corners of his mouth. "At least now I have a much better view."
The SUV turned sharply, entering the private underground garage of Roman’s downtown high-rise residence—a heavily fortified fortress completely divorced from the old-money traditions of my family. As the car came to a halt, I realized the real war hadn't ended at the cathedral. It was only just beginning.
