He Missed Our Wedding, So I Married His Enemy Chapter 06

He Missed Our Wedding, So I Married His Enemy Chapter 06

ALESSIA

Once the partnership settled into place, our project teams arranged a dinner.

I could not reasonably refuse.

Halfway through the meal, Carlos called.

He had a private gathering that evening and wanted to introduce me to several people.

I asked for the address.

It was in the same hotel.

When our dinner ended, I went alone to the private room on the top floor.

A server opened the door.

Every conversation inside stopped.

I stared at the people around the long table.

They stared back.

“Alessia?”

Lorenzo spoke first.

I had not expected him to be there.

The room held young leaders from several New York families and corporations.

Some were close to Carlos.

Others kept only a polite peace with him for business.

Camilla sat beside Lorenzo.

When he saw me notice her, he immediately put his arm around her shoulders.

“Let me introduce you.”

“This is my girlfriend.”

I felt no surprise.

I looked away and searched for Carlos.

The seat at the head of the table was empty.

I checked the room number.

I had not made a mistake.

“Did you come looking for me?” Lorenzo asked.

He leaned back with a smug smile.

“Now that you’re here, sit with us.”

He ordered the server to place a chair beside him.

I turned to leave.

Lorenzo would not let me.

“Why are you running?”

“You know everyone here.”

“They can’t call you Mrs. Salvi anymore, but Ms. Bellandi still sounds respectable.”

Several people at the table had once called me their sister-in-law because of Lorenzo.

Now no one spoke.

He was humiliating me in public to prove he had not been the one rejected.

I did not care enough to answer.

I kept walking.

“Alessia Bellandi!”

Lorenzo slammed his palm against the table and stood.

The noise made me stop instinctively.

Then the door opened behind me.

Carlos entered with four men from the Varela family.

The room became silent.

His gaze went first to my face.

“You’re already here?”

“Where were you?”

The question escaped before I could stop it.

The instant I saw Carlos, I had relaxed.

“You said your dinner was almost over.”

He had gone downstairs to meet me.

We had missed each other.

Carlos came to my side.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

I looked at Lorenzo, who was still standing.

“He only startled me.”

The last trace of warmth vanished from Carlos’s eyes.

He looked at Lorenzo.

There was no threat.

No question.

Still, several men at the table set down their glasses at once.

Carlos took my hand and led me to the head of the table.

Then he faced the room.

“A formal introduction.”

“This is my wife, Alessia Bellandi Varela.”

Silence.

Every trace of color disappeared from Lorenzo’s face.

Carlos’s gaze moved over him.

“From now on, address her as Mrs. Varela.”

No one at that dinner could have been more miserable than Lorenzo.

His face never recovered after Carlos announced my identity.

He even forgot to pay attention to Camilla.

Once everyone understood, they raised their glasses to me.

Carlos stopped them.

“She doesn’t like alcohol.”

That was all it took.

Every glass lowered.

They greeted me instead.

I could drink.

In the past, I had swallowed liquor I hated to close a deal.

I had never imagined I could sit at a table like this with nothing but juice because Carlos had spoken one

sentence.

Someone joked that Carlos deserved punishment for marrying without telling any of them.

He accepted every drink they poured.

I tugged his sleeve.

“Are you all right?”

“Don’t worry.”

“I know my limit.”

He still wore his usual detached expression.

But his features had relaxed.

There was even a faint smile in his eyes.

One thought entered my mind.

He could drink this much.

At least I would not need to worry at our wedding.

My face heated for no reason.

I lowered my head to drink my juice and felt someone watching me.

Lorenzo.

What bad luck.

I looked away.

After the gathering, Carlos stood beside me and rubbed his brow.

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then I’ll ask the driver to bring the car.”

Carlos caught my hand.

“We’ll go together.”

As we left through the private corridor, we found Lorenzo waiting ahead.

He had never left.

d Carlos and glared at me.

married him?”

The accusation in his voice was absurd.

Before I could answer, Carlos wrapped an arm around my waist.

“We’re married.”

Lorenzo’s face twisted.

“When did this begin?”

Carlos answ

hout interest.

siness.”

refused to answer him, Lorenzo lost control.

e you two already sleeping together?”

“Alessia, wasn’t he the man you hated most?”

“You married my enemy just to punish me?”

The arm around my waist stiffened.

Carlos’s mouth flattened.

I glared at Lorenzo.

“He was never the man I hated most.”

Lorenzo turned pale.

Carlos said nothing.

His chin lifted by the smallest degree.

As we turned to leave, Lorenzo laughed bitterly behind us.

“Don’t let her fool you, Carlos.”

“She only married you to provoke me.”

“That proves I’m still the man she truly loves.”

My temple throbbed.

Then I realized the ridiculous logic almost sounded possible.

I looked at Carlos, afraid he might misunderstand.

He laughed.

There was no warmth in it.

“She finally recognized a dog that would never learn loyalty.”

“What makes you think you’re important enough for her to use marriage as revenge?”

Lorenzo’s face contorted.

Carlos tightened his arm around me.

“Come on, wife.”

“We’re going home.”

He led me away.

Behind us, Lorenzo was too angry to form a sentence.