Chapter 6 Snapped

• MILENE’S POV
• Rina looked at me, her eyes filled with understanding, but she said nothing. At twenty one, she’d finally learned to control her outbursts.
• The shop owner led us to the fitting room while Jackson and the other guard stood outside the drawn curtains. Amelia and Rina sank into the plush couch as Mother browsed the gowns on display.
• I stood there, feeling suffocated by all the white silk and lace. The fitting room’s walls were covered with quotes about love that felt mocking, given my reality.
• Love was nothing more than a foolish wish. The shop owner and her assistants watched me closely, so I straightened my back and joined my mother. No one could know I wasn’t the joyful bride-to-be but a pawn in a power game. The owner eventually approached us with her most expensive dress.
• “What kind of dress do you think your future husband would prefer?” she asked in a pleasant tone.
• “The kind that doesn’t exist,” Rina muttered, earning a sharp look from Mother. I blushed, but the owner chuckled as if it was all just charming.
• “There’s time for that on the wedding night,” she said with a wink. I reached for a dress covered in brocade, embroidered with pearls and silvery threads forming intricate flowers.
• “Those threads are platinum,” the owner explained, which explained the high price. “Your groom will love it.”
• She knew him better than I did. The wedding would take place in the grand gardens of the Abelli estate in the Hamptons. Preparations were already in full swing. I hadn’t set foot on the estate yet, but Mother kept me updated, even though I never asked.
• When we arrived in New York that morning, my sisters and I huddled in our suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Ricardo Abelli had offered us rooms at the estate, but Father had refused. Five months of cooperation, and there was still no trust between them.
• I was glad because I didn’t want to see that place until I had to. Father allowed me to share a suite with Amelia and Rina, while he and Mother had their own. Of course, guards were stationed at all three doors.
• “Do we really have to go?”. Amelia sat on the sofa with her bare legs swinging over the backrest. Mum always said that the writer must have imagined a girl like Amelia when he wrote "Maria Lia" .While Rina liked to provoke with her sharp words, Amelia used her looks.
• She had turned nineteen last April, still a teenager using her newly formed curves to get a reaction from everyone around us. She looked like the model Kendall Johnson,but her hair was lighter, and she didn’t have the gap between her front teeth.
• It worried me. I knew this was Amelia’s way of rebelling against the golden cage we lived in, but while Father’s guards found her flirting amusing, there were others out there who might take her the wrong way.
• “We have to attend the bridal shower tomorrow, right?” Amelia asked.
• “Of course, we do,” Rina muttered. “Milene is the happy bride, remember?”
• Amelia let out a sarcastic laugh. “Right.” She sat up quickly. “I’m bored. Let’s go shopping.”
• Jackson wasn’t thrilled about this idea. Even with another one of Father’s guards with him, he always complained it was hard to keep us under control. But in the end, he agreed like he always did.
• We ended up shopping at a store that sold rocker-chic clothes, the kind Amelia loved. She wanted to try on some of the outfits when I got a text from Liam.
• It was the first time he’d contacted me directly, and for a moment, I just stared at my phone. Rina peeked over my shoulder in the fitting room. “'Meet me at your hotel at six. - Liam.' How nice of him to ask.”
• “What does he want?” I whispered. I had hoped not to see him until our wedding day in August.
• “There’s only one way to find out,” Rina said, adjusting her clothes.
• I felt nervous. I hadn’t seen Liam in a long time. I tried to smooth down my hair and fix my shirt. Rina had convinced me to wear the tight black jeans I bought earlier. Now, I wondered if a less revealing outfit might have been better.
• I had fifteen minutes left before Liam’s arrival. I assumed he would call once he was downstairs in the lobby.
• “Stop fussing,” Rina said, sitting on the sofa with a magazine.
• “I really don’t think this outfit is a good idea.”
• “It’s perfect. Men are easy to control. Amelia is only nineteen and has already figured it out. Father always says we’re the weaker sex because we don’t carry guns. But we have other weapons.
• If you want to survive a marriage to that man, you’ll need to use your body to your advantage. Even cold men like him have a weakness, and it’s between their legs.”
• I doubted Liam could be manipulated that easily.
• He didn’t seem like someone who lost control unless he chose to, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to notice me in that way.
• A sudden knock made me jump, and I glanced at the clock. It was too early for Liam. He wouldn’t come up to our suite, would he?
• Amelia rushed out of her room before Rina or I could react. She was wearing tight leather pants and a snug black shirt, trying to look mature. Rina and I thought she looked like a nineteen-year-old trying too hard.
• She opened the door, pushing her hip out to look sexy. Rina groaned, but I was more focused on the entrance.
• “Hi, Liam,” Amelia said brightly. I moved closer and saw Liam standing there. He looked down at Amelia, clearly trying to figure out who she was. Behind him were Adrian, Jake, and Nero. I wondered where Jackson was.
• “You must be Amelia, the youngest sister,” Liam said, ignoring her attempt to flirt.
• Amelia frowned. “I’m not that young.”
• “Yes, you are,” I said firmly, stepping forward and placing my hands on her shoulders. She was only a bit shorter than me. “Go to Rina.”
• Amelia shot me a frustrated look but finally went away. My heart raced as I turned to Liam. His eyes lingered on my legs and then slowly moved up to my face.
• That look hadn’t been there the last time we met. I realized with a jolt that it was desire. “I didn’t expect you to come up to my suite,” I said awkwardly, realizing I hadn’t greeted him properly.
• “Are you going to let me in?” he asked. I hesitated but then stepped back, allowing him and the others to walk in. Only Nero stayed outside and closed the door behind them.
• I wished he had left it slightly open.
• Adrian walked over to Rina, who quickly put down her magazine and shot him a nasty glare. Amelia, on the other hand, gave him a bright smile. “Can I see your gun?”
• Adrian grinned, but before he could answer, I interrupted. “No, you can’t.”
• I felt Liam’s eyes on me again, this time lingering on my legs and hips. Rina gave me a knowing look, as if to say “I told you so.” She wanted me to use my body to control Liam, but the thought of it terrified me.
• “You shouldn’t be alone with us here,” Rina muttered. “It’s not proper.” I nearly laughed. Rina didn’t usually care about being proper.
• Liam narrowed his eyes. “Where’s Jackson? Isn’t he supposed to be guarding you?
• “He’s probably taking a smoke or bathroom break,” I replied with a shrug.
• “Does he leave you unprotected often?” Liam asked.
• “Oh, all the time,” Rina said with sarcasm. “You see, Amelia, Milene, and I sneak out every weekend because we have a bet on who can pick up the most guys.” Amelia let out a bright, mischievous laugh.
• Everywhere became quiet suddenly and it felt like you could even hear a pin drop. I held my breath and looked at Liam with a fearful expression. I knew how possessive he was and was really scared of how he was going to respond to Rina’s taunts.
• “ Everybody get out! I need to talk to Milene alone,” Liam said, fixing me with his cold gaze.