BOOK ONE
Ashley Wilson
There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it. Marrying a stranger wasn't the best decision I...
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Kai is avoiding me— I know it.
"I understand if you don't want to be here," the soft plea coming from the woman sat across from me. God, why am I such a bitch? I have reasons why, for starters, I'm not here for the fun of it. I got here because God fucked up my fate, and tempted with it because of a past life— I'm certain of it.
"Ashley," I glance up to watch Lizzie staring at me with wide, and hopeful eyes. "What's Kai done this time?" She asked with a small smile, she's trying, I get that. I also get that she's my sisters friend, not mine. I'm not here to replace Em, neither am I here to befriend Lizzie Bliss. The wife to the capo of The New York Famille. Kai wants me to play the loving wife to the media, and to his circle— Lizzie already knows the truth, no doubt through her husband, or even Kai himself told her the truth to this marriage.
"He won't speak to me," I admitted, my arms crossed against my chest. To the world, the media would never guess there's tension between Lizzie and I. The two of us, sisters in law, sat in a small, but lovely cafe, catching up and doing what women do best— gossip. "And why's that?" Lizzie asked, the truth? Kai won't speak to me because we kissed, he's worried that kiss meant something to him as it did to me. I'm not naive, I know this'll never work out between me and Kai— but that kiss had to mean something. I felt it, and I know he did too.
"I don't know," I lie but Lizzie only tilts her head, she recognises it— I imagine if you're surrounded by liars and psychopaths your whole life, you'll be able to spot a small, white lie. "Could you take a guess," her words are sweet, but her tone is anything but. Lizzie Bliss knows she's respected in this world, and as a result, that makes her dangerous. If I crossed her, Kian Bliss wouldn't hesitate to kill me, despite if I am married to his brother or not.
"Kai is the type of man who refuses to show emotion," I state the obvious with confidence, Lizzie nodded along with my statement because we both know it's true. "Kian was the same not too long along," Lizzie confesses, her grip tightening around the coffee cup, "I see it runs in the family." Many years ago, after my older sister, Em got diagnosed with depression, my parents assumed I would be next. I was showing all the traits to it, they just didn't know being alone in that house was driving me crazy.
A house with four bedrooms, and yet only one was slept in. A family of five and yet it was only me living in that house. I wasn't depressed— I was lonely, and was desperately craving attention. Even if it was from the mailman, that was something. I attended school online for a while, my parents believed that was the cause of my, 'depression.' They were clearly wrong. That's one reason why I desperately wanted to head home, to Faye, to Parker— I know she'll miss me, maybe even Parker if he gave it much thought. But I have no doubt the two have each other.
"You have to be patient with Kai, and yourself," I can't help but glare at Lizzie over my mug, how much more patient does he expect me to be? It's been a month, a month of living together— a month of being married. I know we aren't perfect, but is it so bad that I want us to be? Maybe that's the naive side talking, the one I should have buried a long time ago. But that side of me brings hope, and I can't help but want that.
