"Your clothes. They bother me. 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐟𝐟."
~
Marriage was not for love -it was for business. It was a strategic move that one had to make wisely. For the Lombardis and the Morettis, this marriage was the most calculated, showstopping...
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Her feet strike the ground as the blood pumps through her veins. She's off in a run around the estate grounds, no one but her in the early morning outdoors.
She catches the sunrise as she runs through the thick forest, finding the valley behind it. Sun rays catch on her glistening, tan skin as she sees the figure ahead. She slows her pace, breathing hard as she glances behind her, Moretti Estate is a good four miles away.
She licks over her dry lips, taking deep breaths as she slows to a stop, a few feet away from the man in front of her.
"You're covered in bruises," Dex says, hands in his pockets as he looks over her body. She puts her hands on her hips, sweat rolling down her collarbone.
"Not all of them are bruises," she states, high on adrenaline and not caring about what he thinks.
Dex grimaces like the remark is a blow to the face. She's right though; the marks on her neck look a little too red among the purple marks on her waist and thighs. He hates the remainder of her nights with her husband.
"How long have you been gone?" he asks, looking at her electric blue eyes and nowhere else.
"Thirty-three minutes," she answers, checking her watch.
"I'll keep it quick, then. Is he in love with you, yet?"
She inhales slowly, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"If he is, I haven't heard a word about it," she grows tired of the conversation even though it's just begun.
"What do you think?" Dex pushes and she is silent for a moment.
"What do you need?" she avoids the question, her voice hardening.
"Higher-ups say progress is too slow. They need you to start digging deeper, get more information about his work," Dex takes a step closer.
"Understood," she says flatly, turning around and already starting to walk away. His hand curls around her arm and she's turning around, jaw clenching.
"He's using you. Don't get attached," he tells her and it seems like it's for the hundredth time.
"I know. Is that all?" she tries not to grit out but it can't be helped. Dex's lips are set in a line as he holds back his words, keeping his hand around her arm as he hesitates.
"Yes. You can go now," he swallows, stepping back.
She doesn't waste time, setting off in a jog as she makes the four-mile journey back to the estate.
☠︎
She approaches the first round of soldiers stationed on the outer part of the grounds. They give her a nod as she jogs past and so do the other rounds as she gets closer and closer to the side entrance.
