His jaw clenched, flashing gray orbs glared at the exit where Antonio just left through. “How dare he come here! That fucking piece of shit! And he dared to come close to you!”

The last sentence came out as a hiss. Moving away when he tried to storm to the exit, I grabbed his arm. “Ace, no! Stop! Where are you going? It’s all right, he left already. There’s no point in following him now.”

“No!” He snatched his arm. “He shouldn’t have made that mistake today. How dare he come here and talk to you!”

I frowned. Why was he mad that Antonio talked to me?

I wrapped my arms around him. “Ace, please! Don’t do anything rash!”

“Rosebud, leave me.” His beautiful features were now clouded with anger.

I shook my head. “I won’t. No matter what you say.” At his scowl, I cupped his cheeks. “It’s Tess and Caleb’s wedding, baby. Don’t ruin it by doing anything drastic.”

I ignored the looks some of the passing guests were giving. They must’ve heard his roaring.

“Please? For me?”

Holding my gaze for some long moments, he gave me a tight nod. Though I knew he wasn’t letting it go so easily, a smile spread across my lips. At least the wedding would go smoothly now.

I placed a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

Cassie sent me a look of awe, but I ignored her and focused on calming the fuming man before me.

I peeked from behind the marble pillar.

At the end of the hall, he stood there with just a plain glass of water. His tight grip around it and the hardness of his jaw were evidence of his still smoldering rage inside him.

The reception ran in full swing. People were chattering, dancing, and drinking. The bride and groom were clicking pictures with their friends after the cake cutting. Among the gleeful ambience, his mood remained dark.

And for our first night together as a couple, I didn’t want that.

I bit my lip as I saw the waiter approaching him. Handing him the note I sent, the poor man scurried away from the sharp glare of his.

I shook my head.

Staring down at the note, he glanced around before opening the note with his long, lean fingers. His hard features softened as a smile slowly played on his lips.

I knew what he was smiling at.

If you’re done scowling at the corner, care to give this girl some company?

Your Rosebud.

When he looked up from the note, I let myself out from my hiding and his eyes immediately found me. Giving him a wink, I turned around and sauntered away from the crowd to the empty hallway decorated with crafted mirrors and beautiful paintings that hung on its walls.