Forbidden Temptation My Mafia Fiance's Alpha Father (Brooklyn and Aden) novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35
Brooklyn

That afternoon, Jayde appears in the doorway to my room, a big smile on her face.

“I have a surprise for you, baby,” she says.

She leads me downstairs towards the front of the house, where she throws open the doors to the parlor. I cover my mouth with both hands when I see what’s inside.

Everything is covered in white—white tulle, white lace, white silk, white satin—hanging from racks, draped over chairs, stacked on the sofa. The only dark spot in the room is Aden, standing before the fireplace, directing the workers who carry piles of garment bags.

“What’s going on?” Hudson says, walking up behind me, a cup of coffee in hand.

“Don’t bring that in here,” Jayde scolds, swatting at him. Hudson laughs, downs the coffee, and sets it on a table in the foyer.

“Is this…” I say, looking around in awe, anxiety roiling in my stomach.

“Wedding dresses!” Jayde says, clapping her hands. “Aren’t they gorgeous?”

Gorgeous? Yes. They are stunning.

But I’m not ready. That’s all I can think as I stand there.

“Now, you come stand here,” Jayde says, pulling me and Hudson farther into the room to stand by Aden, “out of the way, while I get everything set up.”

“Is it like this for every wedding in the family?” I mutter to myself.

“No,” I hear Aden say, and look up to meet his eyes. “My wedding to Hudson’s mother was small. In Sicily. That’s where she was from.”

Hudson’s mother. Nobody ever speaks of her, but I feel her presence here.

I open my mouth to ask another question, but I’m not sure if I should. And the look on Aden’s face, tight and withering, tells me not to chance it.

Hudson saves me. He puts a hand on my waist and pulls me closer.

“My mom died when I was young,” he says. “Her marriage to my dad was actually arranged. Like ours.”

I glance between Aden and Hudson, genuinely surprised. “Was her death…an accident?”

Aden sighs and looks at me sharply. “If you want to ask, Brooklyn, if I murdered her, or if she was kidnapped and tortured by my enemies, just do it.”

I press my lips together, embarrassed. Because of course, that’s exactly what I want to know. Instead, I say nothing.

“Cancer.” Hudson’s voice is low. “It’s okay,” he says, before I can say how truly sorry I am. “It was a long time ago.”

“Well,” I say. “I guess that’s something else we have in common. Both of our moms died young.”

“The good news is, you will start a new family soon,” Aden says dryly, putting his hands in his pockets.

Before I can reply, Jayde pulls me forward to try on the first gown.

***

The fitting takes all afternoon. Hudson and Aden leave immediately as the trials begin.

Hudson didn’t want to see the dress, insisting that it was bad luck, and Aden only wants to come in once the final selection is made. He said that if he’s paying for it, he wants final approval.

“Okay,” Jayde says, studying me in the last dress. She holds up a beaded Oscar de la Renta, an incredible off-white beaded silk that fell heavily to the floor, making a fantastic shushing sound as I walked.