Bound by Fate (Bound Duology Book#2)

The Pact

Calista had always thought of her parents as intelligent, reasonable people. But tonight had shattered that belief. Marriage, of all things? To Matteo DeLuca? It felt like a bad joke, the kind of cruel irony that would only make sense in some twisted fairy tale.

She stared out at the DeLuca estate's garden, the moon casting silver light across the manicured hedges and neat rows of roses. She'd escaped here after dinner, needing air, needing space to process what she'd just learned. But the garden's beauty did little to calm the storm brewing inside her.

The quiet was interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind her. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

Matteo came to stand beside her, hands stuffed into his pockets, a smirk playing on his lips as if he found the entire situation amusing. "Nice night for a marriage proposal, huh?" he drawled, glancing at her sideways.

Calista bristled, barely sparing him a glance. "I didn't ask for your company," she muttered.

"Didn't think you did." He leaned casually against the stone balustrade, looking out over the garden with an infuriating calmness. "But since we're both in the same sinking boat, maybe we should talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," she shot back, crossing her arms. "This is a nightmare, and I want nothing to do with it."

"Trust me, I'd rather eat glass than marry you," he replied, his smirk deepening.

"Good," she snapped, whipping around to face him fully. "Then why don't you make that clear to your parents? Tell them this is a horrible idea and that you refuse."

Matteo chuckled, a low, dark sound that grated on her nerves. "You don't get it, do you? My parents don't care what I want. This arrangement is their ticket to saving the business. They'd marry me off to a lamppost if they thought it would help."

Calista clenched her jaw, feeling the familiar frustration bubble up inside her. "So what, you're just going to go along with it? Let them decide your life?"

He shrugged, that lazy, infuriating smirk never leaving his face. "Didn't say that. I'm just saying that whining about it isn't going to do anything. We need a plan."

She raised an eyebrow, curiosity winning over her anger for a brief moment. "A plan?"

Matteo's eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. "Yeah, a plan. You know, if we're going to get out of this, we're going to have to make them regret ever thinking this was a good idea."

The words sparked a reluctant interest in her. As much as she hated Matteo, the idea of working together to escape this fate held a certain appeal. But she wasn't about to let him see that. Instead, she crossed her arms, feigning disinterest.

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"Simple," he said, pushing off the balustrade and turning to face her fully. "We make each other as unappealing as possible. Cause enough trouble, show them we're the worst match imaginable, and they'll be begging us to call off the engagement."

Calista mulled it over, biting her lip. The idea was absurd. But she had to admit, Matteo's plan held promise. If they made the whole situation impossible, perhaps their parents would reconsider.

"Fine," she said slowly, though her voice held a note of suspicion. "But I'm not going to play some petty sabotage game just for your entertainment."

He rolled his eyes. "Relax, Reyes. I don't enjoy this any more than you do. But we're stuck in this together, so we may as well make the most of it."

She frowned, considering his words. It felt wrong to even contemplate working with him, of all people. Matteo DeLuca represented everything she disliked about their world—entitlement, recklessness, selfishness. But maybe, just this once, she could set that aside. Because the thought of being trapped in an engagement with him was a far worse fate.

"Alright," she said finally, extending her hand toward him. "We work together. But no games, no tricks. We're in this until they call it off."

He glanced at her hand, smirking as he reached out to shake it. His grip was firm, warm against her own, and she felt an odd thrill of satisfaction as their hands met, a spark that she quickly dismissed as annoyance.

"Deal," he replied, locking eyes with her. "We make them regret this."

The intensity of his gaze unsettled her, and she pulled her hand away, retreating a step. "Good. Then we start tomorrow. Let's give them a show."

Matteo's smirk returned, even wider this time. "Looking forward to it, *fiancée*."

The word made her shudder, and she turned away before he could see the flush rising in her cheeks. She'd never let him see how much he could get under her skin.

As she walked away, her mind spun with the possibilities. If Matteo could be useful for once in his life, then perhaps they could pull this off. She'd give her parents the rebellion they never saw coming.

But as the night air cooled her heated cheeks, a quiet voice whispered in the back of her mind: What if this alliance with Matteo didn't go as planned? What if he turned on her, or worse... what if she found herself entangled with him in ways she never expected?

She shook off the thought. No. Matteo DeLuca was a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less.

Tomorrow, the game would begin. And Calista Reyes had every intention of winning.

Bisou,