Forbidden Temptation

VANESSA

“I am not going to do what you did to my mom,” I stated, pointing my finger to my dad’s face as everyone’s head turned in my direction. “I’m not your pawn that you throw in any direction, and I won't obey your commands like a puppet you want me to be,” I snapped at my father as he sat silently and listened to my outburst.

“Vanessa, please. I’ll talk to dad,” Asher came behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder and tried to usher me down.

I let go of the spoon, letting it fall on my plate with a clicking sound. “What? What would you say exactly? Would you be able to open your mouth in front of him and ask him not to marry me to that hog's younger son for his own good, huh?” I pulled myself up from the chair, turned around and searched his eyes, waiting for him to say something, but as usual, nothing came out of his mouth. He has always been like that, shushing me down and doing whatever dad said because he could never go against him. Obedient son!

“I’m doing it for your own good, Vanessa Blackford. Enough with the senseless bickering, and be careful not to push me into actions we'll both regret,” Dad’s voice pitched louder as he warned me with those venomous words.

“I lived my whole life earning this fortune for you all. I always try to benefit from any chance I get so that my children can live the life they deserve,” I scoffed at his effort at emotionally trapping me to accept the ridiculous offer. He was doing it all for his own good. He was doing it to land a great deal with the latter, which will eventually benefit him by increasing the profit rate of Blackford traders. My beloved dad was signing me off, basically selling me off in order to file the contract with Rossi Investments.

God, he can not help himself.

Moving a hand down my face in frustration, I strolled outside of the dining hall, slamming the door behind me. I just wanted peace. I wanted to figure it all out. What happened in the last few minutes and what my dad said was totally insane. It didn't make sense at all. I wanted to move out of this house—this big ass mansion and wanted to live in a cosy apartment instead where there would be just me and my baby plants. What I didn't expect was my father to announce my sudden marriage—contract marriage, to be specific.

I closed the door of my room and paced around, my hand sliding at the back of my nape in anxiousness. What if I leave the house tonight? I have enough money in my bank account to move to somewhere safe yet far away from here. But I knew even the thought of it was ridiculous. My dad will dig the ground seven layers deep just to get me out of it.

A knock on my door pulled me out of my never-accomplishing plans. I turned my attention towards the door and stopped at my tracks as the knob turned around and Asher walked inside.

“Dad told me to get you ready. They are about to arrive in a few.”

He didn’t tell you, my brother; he ordered you.

“Don’t tell me. I—I can't, Asher. I don't want to live our mom’s life. I can’t let that happen to myself,” I said in utter disappointment as the feeling of helplessness washed over me. I wanted him to help me out, but I knew he couldn’t. No-one could go against dad’s will, if they wanted to live peacefully.

Asher stepped forward, covering the distance between us and took my hands in his.

“I tried to convince him, V. But, you know, no one can stop him from what he has already planned.” His eyes glistened with pity, while mine pleaded with hopelessness.

“I told him that we can arrange any other deal, but he said that they wanted this. It interests both of them.”

God! I tried to gather myself and exhaled an unsteady breath, slightly pushing my boundaries to say the words I had the only choice left for.

“I have a condition. Now that I am going to be thrown in this game, I want to play my own bet as well. Inform him that I’m not going to marry him until I prepare myself to do so. I can live at their place to sign off the deal that is much more dear to him rather than his own daughter." I let the words fall out of me, adding, “But, as a bachelor, not as a wife.”

There was no going back from this reality now that I have known it. I freed my hands from his and walked towards my closet, grabbing the first dress I got my hands on, indicating to him to leave the room. He did, though. He was as helpless as I was.

I threw a last glance at the closed door and walked towards my bathroom to get ready for the already ruined day.

《 ◇ ◇ ◇ 》

The dining table was totally packed when I entered the hall. My heels clicked on the marbled floor as I walked in the direction of the table, catching everyone’s attention. I was wearing a silver-coloured dress that fell short at my mid-thighs bunching around them. Its fitting made my curves slightly pronounced, my hair falling on my shoulders.

Besides, three members of my own family; Dad, Asher and his wife, Grace. There were three more people, simply men, sitting in their respective seats.

"Rossi, meet my daughter, Vanessa. Vanessa, it’s Albert Rossi." Dad chimed in a cheerful tone looking at me addressing the almost grey haired man sitting at his right.

“Vanessa. Nice to meet you.” Not really. I said, offering a tight small to the old man.

"Nice to meet you too, Vanessa. You have grown into a fine lady. Meet Leo and Adrian." He said with a smile, which wrinkled his eyes slightly and pointed towards the other two men. One having chestnut hair, Leo, offered his hand forward for a handshake. He looked like he was in his late twenties. The other, brown-haired, Adrian—as Albert pointed—seemed like he was in his early thirties.

I took Leo's hand in mine as he reached out and shook it slightly, resting my hand back towards me. On the other hand, Adrian sat straight, not even moving an inch. Rude.

I walked towards the left side of Asher and placed my hand on the back of the seat and pulled it with a dragging noise. Slipping down on it, I fixed myself while dad and his friend went back on the topic they were gossiping about.

Everyone started talking with each other besides lunch. Asher with his wife-Grace, Dad and Albert, Leo eating his food as if he didn't even care about anything which was going on.

Whereas, Adrian. He was silently watching me. His brown, hunter-shaped eyes bore into mine as if he could see me straight through them. His gaze was not moving away from me as if the world had stopped and he had nowhere to look.

I straightened, moved my gaze down, feeling uncomfortable by his eyes, and took the fork in my hand. Creepy idiot!

《 ◇ ◇ ◇ 》

The tedious conversation going on the table between the boring men had me yawning to death. I finally excused myself from the table and walked upstairs. I wanted to have a good quiet space to submit more emails for a senior position at multiple architecture firms. I was already working with Rowan, but he suggested that I should apply at the league's contributing firms to get more recognition for my talent. I couldn’t let this fucking marriage disturb my social life.

I crossed the hallway towards my room when the rusty smell of cigarettes caught my nose, making me turn my head in the direction of the smell as it led me to the library’s closed door.

Dad and Asher were downstairs then who—Adrian, he was not at the table as he excused himself, walking out of the hall when his phone rang earlier. I walked towards the library, placing my hand on the doorknob, and turned it around as the door opened with a swift turn. I looked up when my eyes met his silhouette standing beside the desk chair, his back turned towards me.

Registering the sound, Adrian turned around with the cigarette between his fingers as his eyes collided with mine, moving down to my bare legs for a long second—as if he was analysing me—and coming back up, fixing at my eyes again. I walked inside, closing the door behind me. Never in the hell would I ever want the awful smell to reach my room.

He threw the butt of the cigarette in the bin lying beside the desk and stepped towards me, putting his hands in the front pocket of his pants.

"So, you're Vanessa. Vanessa Blackford," He said more like announced and stopped inches away in front of me.

"Guess, It's gonna be so entertaining,” He added.

ADRIAN

I stalked towards her while taking in her full appearance. Her shiny silver dress with brown long curls falling in front of her was pronouncing her eye colour to the intensity that I felt myself twitch for a second. She looked straight into my eyes with those green sparkling pupils. Her petite curves didn't go unnoticed by me in that tight attire.

God, she looked tempting. I told myself I was going to have her when I saw her picture and videos the last time in a convocation coat. She exhibited power and confidence from her actions, ironically with that pretty face of hers.

Her hands curled themselves when I stopped a few inches away from her.

"What do you mean by entertaining?" She asked, curling her arms around her chest.

"I meant by you becoming Leo's fiancee. It'd be fun, right? When he'd not want you, but you'd still be lurking, huh?" I said, emphasising the bitterness in my voice.

I asked my father to get her for me, but guess what? That shitty father of hers signed her for Leo, thinking that he was the heir of Rossi Investments. Not that Leo is dying to get married, anyway. He already despises my father's company and wants to stay as far away from it as he can.

Her brows furrowed, confusion spilling through her expressions as I took a step towards her, her step faltering behind. I took another step, not missing her moving back further in sync until her back was pressed on the hard bookshelf.

"It means you're going to stay at my mansion. Seeing me every day and every night knowing damn well that you're living under someone else’s name," I said, putting one of my hands beside her head while the other brushed a few of her strands behind her ear, inhaling her scent. She smelled like vanilla and lavender. Drunkenly perfect.

"Who do you think you're? I don't even know you. And, not in the hell am I ever going to be pleased seeing you or anything? So, keep those vain hopes away from yourself because they're never going to turn the reality around," she spat. Wild!

Brave to spitfire, huh! I liked that attitude of hers. After all, she was Edward’s daughter. Soon she'd know how to use it better in front of people who actually deserved it.

I chuckled, placing my thumb on her chin, my fingers meeting the side of her neck, and our mouths inches apart from each other. I looked straight into her eyes and asserted, "You'll know. You'll know very soon who I am and what I want. Until then, I'm going to let you get settled at the mansion."

I wasn't going to play the game so soon. I've waited for it for a long time. I was going to have her all to myself first.

"Welcome to Rossi's family, Ms. Vanessa. A great journey is waiting for you ahead." I smiled mockingly, pulling myself away from her, and turned around, leaving her standing confused and frowning as I walked outside the room. Not towards the dining hall but straight to the driveway.

《 ◇ ◇ ◇ 》

My room was pitch dark when I stepped inside. Leo and father could do whatever they wanted. I took my bike and rode back to the mansion because I didn't want to stay there anymore, knowing damn well about Edward's selfish priorities and his animated aura.

I threw my coat off of myself, unbuttoning my shirt and pants as cool air hit my bare skin and walked towards the bathroom. Standing in the shower, I tried to wear it off and cooled myself down.

Vanessa, those emerald green eyes of hers flooded my vision once again, making me lose control of myself as I landed my fist on the wall. I punched again, my teeth grinding together. This time I shoved my fist harder than the previous one, but the pain I felt inside my chest was still not overcome by the one I felt shooting up my arm. That bastard father of hers, I couldn’t stand him even for five seconds, but I sat with him today, in the same room, breathing the same damned air. He was still fine as fuck, thriving the same way he always wanted and always planned to. He was still doing fine after whatever he did to my mother.

I exhaled an unsteady breath out of my mouth and briefly closed my eyes out of frustration, shaking my busted hand in the air as I looked at the drops of fresh blood on the scratches and cuts formed at my knuckles. Cleaning myself and showering completely, I tugged a towel around my waist and walked back inside my room towards the walk-in closet and took a t-shirt pulling it over my head. It clung to my wet torso as I pulled the pants up my legs, zipped it up, and pushed the phone inside my pocket.

Walking downstairs, I called Matthew, our senior security and inlet manager.

“If Leo or Dad comes back and asks for me, just say that I went to Vincenzo's," I informed, letting him know to make sure that I didn't want anyone disturbing me for the night.

Seeing him nod, I slid my foot into my shoes and stepped outside into the foyer. Striding towards my bike, I pulled the helmet over my head and turned on the ignition, driving outside the gates.

I needed to escape. Even though it won't be permanent yet, it'll cool down my nerves for a while.

《 ◇ ◇ ◇ 》

Around 2 am in the morning, I finally came back to the mansion after having a long party Isabella threw for her husband's birthday. The goal was simple: I wanted to distract myself for the night and the party paid off. The hall was dark and quiet when I got inside. Padding up the stairs, I walked towards my bedroom when my steps faltered in the track.

Faint voices spilled out from the room where Leo always stayed when he arrived from London. I walked forward, rolling the keys in my fingers as the voices pitched closer. It seemed more like someone was arguing.

Leo didn't bring any girls in the house, he had this habit of his. I tucked my head on the wood of the door, listening closely as his voice caught my hearing and some gi—Vanessa?

Too early for moving in but alright, this was going to be interesting.