"Both, actually," Matteo replied, his tone drenched in sarcasm as he took a slow step closer, hands still buried in his pockets like he couldn't be bothered. "We're going to be married soon, remember? I figured it's best we start learning a few things about each other—like how you fall apart when things get hard."
"So you're really down for this?" She asked, surprised. She'd thought she wouldn't need to speak too much about getting the wedding canceled since Matteo wouldn't want her just like the way she didn't want him. But he was speaking about marriage already. "I thought you were against it. We can't get married. We would kill each other the next day."
A grin stretched on his lips before facing away from her and not saying anything.
"Why are our families getting us married anyway?" she asked since her father never explained anything to her.
"My father needs yours for security and your father needs mine for weapons." His tone was firm, as if he didn't want to explain any further.
Rosalie wasn't shocked at all by his response.
Their families had only been at odds with each other, but it wasn't serious to the extent that blood shed each time they came across each other. She had no full story to what happened, because apparently, women from mafia families were supposed to know less about feuds.
"I have something to say," she started. "I won't be in Astoria Vale after our wedding. I'm going back to Verdale to continue my career," she explained. Getting remarried hadn't been in her plan in the first place but she wasn't going to let it hinder her revenge. She still needed to make two particular people pay for what they did to her.
"Oh really now? Then why did you return in the first place?"
Rosalie's hands clenched. He wanted to know something and she wasn't going to tell him anything.
"You can go ahead and send me your rules, be it in a contract or a text, do what suits you. Also, I hope I won't be needing to give you a child or some nonsense. The thought of being intimate with you makes my skin crawl," she spat.
Matteo raised an eyebrow. "So you're thinking of being intimate with me? You really have to stop yourself there. I can't begin to imagine sleeping with someone like yourself," he spat back and Rosalie's eyes narrowed.
She had her reasons for not wanting to be intimate. First, Matteo was the last person she would want to sleep with. Second, her doctor's advice. It's been two years already since her last miscarriage but she was still scared of conceiving only for her to lose the child.
"Our fathers only want us to marry. I made sure they wouldn't expect any sort of intimacy from us, so you have nothing to worry about."
Now the sun was starting to cool, the wind blew, making her caramel brown hair dance in the wind, nearly covering half of her face.
With a huff, Rosalie tied her strands in a messy bun. Matteo stared at her, his expression blank and unreadable.
After what felt like forever, he cleared his throat. "I'll be sending you a text of the rules." He turned to leave but Rosalie stopped him.
"I have a condition." He halted. "I have a specific date I want our wedding to hold."
Earlier, while she was looking at Stephanie's and William's engagement pictures, their wedding date had been mentioned.
"Let's get married on August 20th."
The date was exactly in a month.
Since they were getting married, she might as well do the same and have the media question their actions even more. Besides, she hadn't cheated on William.
Matteo's face was blank as usual but he gave a curt nod.
"Incase you think I've forgotten, I haven't. I haven't forgotten the way you killed Peter, the way you murdered him with your hands for no reason at all. And while we get married, you'd better watch out for Matteo, because I might avenge his death."
It was quiet for a second before Matteo suddenly burst into laughter.
Rosalie's cheeks burned in embarrassment, wondering why he was suddenly laughing.
When Matteo was done, he stared at her. "You should know by now that you shouldn't tell your enemy you're going to make their life a living hell. It will help them predict your movements."
"Do I look like I care?" she shot back. "For everything you've done, Matteo, I'm going to make you pay. How and when it will happen, you shouldn't bother yourself with it." A creepy smile curved her lips. "Why, Matteo? Are you scared I might actually hurt you?"
From the entrance Rosalie had come out from, Sienna was standing there, watching them. She couldn't hear the conversation, but from her angle, it didn't look like an argument. They looked… civil. Too civil. Her jaw tightened, fists clenched.
Back outside, Matteo's jaw ticked before he calmed his expression.
"You can do whatever you want, Rosalie," he said. "Just don't put too much hope in thinking you can eliminate me that easily. I deal with worse people than you every day."
He smirked, then turned to leave.
Rosalie didn't stop him. Her anger simmered, but she stayed quiet.
She hadn't agreed to marry him for peace.
"I'll show you," she muttered.