Bound by Fate (Bound Duology Book#2)

When the Masks Fall

The next few days passed in a haze of stolen glances and secret smiles. Calista and Matteo had yet to address the kisses directly, but something between them had shifted, as if an invisible line had been crossed and they were both too afraid to acknowledge it.

Their families, meanwhile, were thrilled with the "progress." Her mother even remarked how "close" the two seemed, and though Calista had brushed it off with a laugh, the comment lingered. Her heart twisted with the knowledge that, for once, the closeness wasn't entirely an act.

But despite the tender moments, Matteo and Calista were experts at skirting around their feelings. Every time he reached for her hand, every time their gazes lingered a second too long, she felt herself teetering on the edge of something new and terrifying. And she wasn't quite sure how to make sense of it.

---

One evening, their families had planned a formal dinner party for some of their parents' business partners, and Calista felt a strange mix of nerves and excitement. She dressed in a sleek black gown, the fabric hugging her figure, and as she looked in the mirror, she felt... different. There was something about tonight that felt charged, like something was about to change.

When she stepped into the foyer, Matteo was already waiting, dressed in a sharp black suit that somehow made his usually mocking expression seem softer, more genuine. His eyes widened slightly as he took her in, and for a moment, he seemed lost for words.

"Calista... you look..." His voice trailed off, and he cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "You'll outshine everyone tonight."

She raised an eyebrow, trying to mask her surprise at his compliment. "Don't get used to it."

He smirked, though there was a warmth in his gaze that she couldn't quite place. "I wouldn't dream of it."

They walked into the grand dining hall together, arm in arm. The night wore on with pleasantries and small talk, each of them expertly playing the roles they'd been assigned since birth. Matteo and Calista exchanged glances throughout the evening, their silent understanding building a bridge between them that grew stronger with each passing hour.

---

As the guests drifted off after dinner, Matteo and Calista found themselves alone in the garden. The soft glow of fairy lights illuminated the flowers, casting a romantic glow over everything, and the air was thick with the scent of roses and jasmine. For a moment, they stood in silence, just listening to the faint sounds of laughter and conversation from inside.

Matteo turned to her, his face serious. "Calista, we need to talk about... what's been happening between us."

She swallowed, her heart pounding. She'd known this conversation was coming, but that didn't make it any easier. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

"You know exactly what I mean." His gaze was steady, piercing, as if he were trying to see through every wall she'd put up. "We keep pretending this is all an act. But I think... maybe we've both known for a while that it's more than that."

She looked away, her hands trembling. "Matteo, I—this wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to just go along with our parents' plans, do what they wanted, and be done with it."

"I know," he said softly, taking a step closer. "But somewhere along the way, it stopped being about them. At least, for me."

His words hung in the air, and she felt her heart aching with a strange, beautiful pain. She wanted to deny it, to tell him he was wrong, but the truth was, she felt it too. She'd felt it from the beginning—the pull toward him, the way he'd always been able to get under her skin in a way no one else could.

"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I don't know if I can risk... everything."

He reached for her hand, his touch gentle, grounding. "Calista, I know this wasn't the life you wanted. It wasn't the life I wanted either. But maybe, somehow, we found each other through all of this. Maybe it's okay to want more."

She looked up at him, her defenses crumbling. For once, she allowed herself to truly see him—not as the arrogant, teasing boy she'd grown up with, but as the man who'd seen past her walls, who'd challenged her, who'd made her feel more than she'd ever thought possible.

"What if this is just... a temporary feeling?" she asked, her voice shaking. "What if we're just caught up in the circumstances, and once this is all over, we go back to who we were?"

He shook his head, his thumb tracing gentle circles on her hand. "Do you really believe that?"

She hesitated, the words on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't lie—not now. "No," she admitted, her voice soft. "I don't."

They stood there, their foreheads touching, their breaths mingling in the cool night air. And in that moment, the world around them faded, leaving only the two of them and the quiet promise that hung between them.

"Then let's stop pretending," he whispered, his voice filled with a raw sincerity that sent shivers down her spine. "Let's stop fighting this."

Slowly, she nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek. "Okay."

And with that, he kissed her—a kiss that was neither rushed nor uncertain, but filled with a quiet, unspoken understanding. It was the beginning of something neither of them could put into words, but something they both knew was real.

They pulled apart, their gazes locked, and for once, neither of them felt the need to fill the silence with words. There was a new understanding between them, a fragile trust that neither dared to break.

As they walked back into the house hand in hand, Calista felt a warmth spreading through her chest, a quiet hope that maybe—just maybe—this wasn't a game or a trap, but the beginning of something she'd never allowed herself to dream of.

And for the first time, she felt like she wasn't walking into an arrangement but into a future, one she was ready to explore with Matteo by her side.

Bisou,