ALMOST 2 YEARS LATER

"What's for breakfast?" Nico is sauntering out of his bedroom, yawning and scratching his bare chest. He's sporting a bedhead and looks ridiculous wearing only sunglasses and nothing else.

"Healthy stuff," I answer, ignoring his nudity. I knock back my green smoothie, then I adjust the elastic strap of my sports bra that's still damp with sweat from my morning run.

"What's in it?" He swipes my glass as soon as I put it down and takes a sniff. His face contorts in distaste before he pushes it back to me as though it's toxic.

"Healthy stuff," I deadpan. I threw in kale, avocados, bananas, and almond milk into the blender. I might have also added a couple of spoonfuls of chia seeds in.

"What happened to the good ole bacon and eggs or at least a toast?" he asks. He takes off his sunglasses but immediately puts them back on moaning, "Ugh... sunlight." Usually, Nico doesn't resurface from his bedroom before noon. I might have woken him up with the sound of the blender.

"This is healthier," I answer. I might not make it past the age of 25 and I might party hard and play hard but I try to stay healthy.

I graduated high school one year early since I had the grade and enough credits. I spent the year playing hard. I went tombstoning off bridges and cliffs in the islands of Hawaii, snowboarding in Whistler, riding big waves in California, Fiji, and Portugal, scuba diving with the sharks in the Bahamas and South Africa...some of those activities could've ended my life early but when it comes to my health and beauty, I don't take chances. I was given just this one body and I'm taking care of it.

I haven't been drinking either. The hangover isn't worth it and it won't solve my problem.

I still think of him, Alexander Gauthier, from time to time, but I can breathe now. I still don't understand why or how he almost destroyed me when we didn't even exchange a word to each other beyond him introducing himself. I felt the connection, yes. But it could have been just my imagination. Maybe I was seriously lonely and latched on to anyone who paid the slightest attention to me. I still can't believe how stupid I was, pining over him and stalking him...

"My darling, Dani..." Nico drawls, bringing me back to the present. He throws an arm around my shoulders. "Healthy is boring. Why don't you make your man a real breakfast?"

"First off, you're not my man. Secondly, ewww..." I gingerly pry his hand off my shoulders with the tip of my fingers. "Dude! Get your disease-ridden arm off me."

He winces. "Don't talk too loudly, darling. My head is killing me. And you wound me. How could you be so cold?" he asks before he strolls over to get his coffee from the Keurig. Then he casually rejoins me at the kitchen counter as though he's not buck naked. "You're the only woman for me and I'm the only man for you, ergo, I'm your man." He points to his chest.

Yeah, he's also the man for the woman he brought into his room before the party ended last night and to countless others before that.

He pops a couple of painkillers into his mouth and swallows them with his coffee. I gulp down the rest of the smoothie to hide my snicker. I don't feel an ounce of sympathy watching him nursing his hangover.

A while later, we both turn to the sound of heels clicking on the hardwood floor. A woman clad in a party dress from last night emerges from the end of the hallway where his bedroom is.

"Hey Nico, I used your toothbrush. I hope you don't mind. Do you want to get breakfast..." The woman stops mid-sentence when she sees me. "Oh..." she says, appearing confused. "You have a...visitor?" Then her eyes wander down Nico's body before they make their way up back to me.

"Actually, this is my wife, Dani," says Nico, quickly wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Dani, this is my...errr friend, Claire."

It takes a while before Nico's words register and her eyes widen in horror. "You're married?" she screeches. "Oh, my God! You're such a bastard!" She looks mad enough to throw things at his head. If she did, I would just step out of the way and cheer her on. In fact, I'd hand her plates, bowls, mugs...maybe even chairs for her to keep launching at him too.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," she says to me. "I didn't know." Then she hurries to the lobby. She pauses at the door to look back at me. "I'm really sorry. Your husband is an *s$hole. This is not the first time. You should get a good lawyer and take him to the cleaners," she advises me before she glares at him. Then she walks out and slams the door behind her.

We both stay silent, staring at the door for a few seconds before I remove his arm from around my shoulder once again and say, "She's right, you are an ass."

He shrugs. "It's not like this is the first time you pretended to be my wife," he says. That's true. We've done this so many times before that he doesn't need to explain anymore. The woman was getting clingy or she's a one-night stand who thought that they could be something more if she hangs around long enough. But that's never going to happen.

Nico Alesi is a 25 years old spoiled trust-fund man-child, a playboy with incurable Gamophobia, also known as the phobia of commitment. He's one of the heirs to the construction company, Alesi Alliance Ltd. He's also Juniper's cousin and one of many grandsons of Asmodeus- the demon of lust. Nico has a bad habit of walking around naked in his apartment. He'd probably do that outside too if he could get away with it.

We met at a party at Juniper's a year and a half ago. We immediately recognized each other for what we are and found mutual benefits in sticking together, so we do. In other words, we use each other. Besides, I find him...amusing and he keeps trying to get in my pants and failing.

Astaroth approves of our friendship just as he approved of my and Juniper's friendship since Asmodeus is his close ally. He never objects to me staying at Nico's place from time to time. In fact, I've been staying over so often that I have my own set of keys to his bachelor's pad.

"You know what? I've been thinking," he says.

Oh uh...all bad decisions we've made so far had started with that sentence.

"I think we should get married," he announces.

"Say what now?" I don't think my eyebrows could go up any higher. Then I burst out laughing. "That's hilarious, Nico. Very funny."

I can't see his eyes behind the sunglasses but the corners of his mouth turn down.

I stop laughing. "Oh dear, you're actually serious."

I know his parents have been pressuring him to marry a nice Italian girl from a nice respectable Italian family. But I'm not about to get myself tangled in any of his family's affairs. Besides, I'm not even Italian.

I give him a pitying look and a pat on his cheek. "I'm going home. Go put some pants on, Nico, and no more talks about us getting married."

He sighs as he removes the sunglasses. His dark brown eyes are red-rimmed, his dark hair is sticking out everywhere, and he has stubble covering half his cheeks and sharp jawline. Despite all that, he still manages to look very good. That's why women flock around him. "Would it be so bad?"

"Yes, it would," I say. "You don't want to get married, Nico." And neither do I.

"I know, but they're forcing Gabriella Gallo on me and I got the feeling that my mother won't back down this time. It's going to be bad," he says. Yeah, that would be a disaster, especially for Gabriella. She's a good girl. I'm sure a lot of Nico's sexual predilections would shock her and I don't see Nico giving up his lifestyle, even after marriage. He's a grandson of the demon of lust after all.

"If I were to marry anyone, it would be you," he continues. "You and I, we make sense, Dani. You're not Italian, but you're Astaroth's daughter. I'm sure my parents won't object."

"Yeah, great," I comment. My voice is flat. "But there's nothing in it for me." I'm staring at my phone, already losing interest in the conversation. It's almost noon. I'm going to shower at home. "Gotta go. See you when I see you."

"Just think about it. We'll both be free!" His voice follows me to the foyer.

"Put some pants on!" I call back before I step outside.

*****

I decided to pay my brother Dante a visit, just to scope out the situation at home since the lizard that I released into Astaroth's domain was squished by one of my father's henchmen two days ago. It was painful, for me and the lizard.

I find Dante at the bar in his wing. He shares that part of the house with Damien.

Loud music assaults my ears as soon as I open the door.

The bar is decorated mainly in black, grey, gold, and red. Everything is sleek and modern. The cabinets where the bottles of top-shelf liquor are kept are lighted up from behind. There is a T-shaped raised platform in front of the counter and right now, there are three half-naked girls dancing on it. My brother is sitting in a comfortable loveseat by himself facing them.

The girls are moving provocatively, grinding against each other, trying to tempt him to invite them to his suite. But one look at my brother and I know he's not even paying them any attention. He's watching himself in the mirror at the base of the counter behind them.

His shiny whitish blond hair is perfectly styled. Not a strand is out of place. His thick eyebrows and long eyelashes are a few shades darker than his hair. His red lips are a perfect cupid bow, fuller at the top, giving him a permanent pout. Flawlessly pretty. Prettier than any of the women dancing on the stage for him.

I let out a snicker and Dante shifts his piercing blue gaze lazily to me.

I slink down next to him on the loveseat and lay my head on his shoulder. "Dante..." I set my hand on his chest.

"Sister," he says playing with my hair. Dante loves nothing more than his own good looks and since I'm the perfect female version of him, once in a while, he shows me his affection.

I close my eyes and stay for a while. Dante smells good and I love it when someone plays with my hair. "Is Astaroth home?"

"No," he replies. "He's in the underworld until Tuesday." There are a lot of things happening in the underworld...dark things, beautiful things, ugly things, carnal things, sinful things. Things that we don't talk about.

I sigh in relief. "Okay, good."

I sense his muscle stiffening under my cheek and my hand and my guard goes up. "What?" I raise my head up to look at him.

"Do you remember Mr. Pappalardo?"

I wrinkle my nose. How could I ever forget the bulldog man who relentlessly bid on me almost two years ago?

"He came to see Astaroth," says Dante.

"Do you know what he wanted?"

He raises his perfect eyebrows. "What do you think?"

I remember his threat and shudder. "When he's done with you, I'll be waiting, little girl." Is he still holding on to his promise?

"The only thing that's stopping the old man from getting you these last couple of years is because Astaroth is honoring Sacha Gauthier's bid on you," says my brother and I touch the tracker bracelet on my wrist. "But since it doesn't look like the Nephilim is ever coming back for you..."

"What do you mean?"

Dante's finger moves over the screen of his phone and after a while, hands it to me.

My heart flips painfully in my chest. There's a picture of Alexander Gauthier on the screen, looking as handsome as ever. His arm is around a blonde supermodel, Naomi Walsh.

Supermodel Naomi Walsh and CEO Sacha Gauthier to tie the knot.

A reliable source reported that Sacha Gauthier, a playboy billionaire who likes fast cars and beautiful women is off the market. He was spotted in the arms of the beautiful Naomi Walsh...

Bile rises in my throat. I press the phone back into Dante's hand and stand up before he can feel the tremors that go through my body.

I know that Alexander Gauthier had officially taken over his father's business and also the throne of the Order of the Circle a year ago. But I haven't checked the news on him for a long time now because every time I see him in the arms of some other woman, something in me withers.

I thought I was over it. Over him... but maybe I'm not because it hurts.

"Pappalardo's coming for you," warns Dante but his attention is already on the women in front of him now.

"Right." I walk robotically out. I surrender myself to the crushing pain until I walk past Deedee's room...or what used to be Deedee's room. I remember her words, "Nobody is coming to save you from your fate. You only have yourself. Women like us, we're not meant to be loved and to be anyone's wife. Men don't marry women like us. We're good for a good time and that's it."

Self-preservation kicks in and I force myself to build up my wall. Deedee was right, I only have myself. It's every woman for herself. The weak shall perish, only the strong will survive.

But Deedee was also wrong. A man is going to marry me. I take out my phone and click on my contact list.

"Hello, Nico? Let's get married."

Maybe marriage will save me. Surely I can't be sold off to Pappalardo then?

Now I just need to get my tracker bracelet off and return the diamond choker set and the money back to the bidder.

**********************************************

Hello fellow readers!

My next update is going to be on Tuesday evening (est). If you want to read three chapters ahead, go to Inkitt:

https://Inkitt.apps. link/RA_NicoleRidd3y

Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe!

Much love,

Nicole♥