Dakota POV

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"Dakota Weasly!" his voice was like thunder startling both of me and Paul who were in the middle of a heated kiss in front of everyone at my best friend's wedding.

However, instead of stopping, Paul even deepened our kiss, his tongue swirling inside my mouth searching for my tongue. I couldn't no longer focus, my side glances were on the man coming with big thunderous strides. I hastily pushed Paul when I saw Martin was now just a couple of meters away. Not that I could measure our distance, but his expensive manly cologne assaulted my nostrils.

If there were alarms here, they would be ringing now. DANGER!

Paul halted when he noticed I was no longer responding. He condescendingly held his head high and faced Martin while his hand was on my waist, holding me firmly, for he noticed my legs wobble. I was on the verge of dropping to the ground. The face of this scarred-face mafia boss didn't seem to scare Paul. Not even a bit. Not that he had no idea he was a mafia, but the fact that his voice scared most of the guests here. Especially my bestie Amy Leah, who went straight to her husband, who was also looking alert while holding a glass of champagne in his hand. Martin's men strode straight to the ceremony, staring straight at Paul like he was their prey. One mistake of movement might end his life today.

"Huh?! What the heck?!" I screamed when I felt a cold hand grabbing my wrist and pulling me away from the man I just kissed. His glare could cut me in a half, and his hardened jaw ticked like a bomb, ready to explode anytime.

"You just sentenced your toy to death, woman!" Martin stressed every word, making Paul raise his brow and sneer. The latter's reaction seemed to anger Martin more, so he slowly shifted his glare at him.

"That's a bit scary. Know that?!" Paul fake-coughed. "Maybe to some, but not to me!" damn it, Paul. Just stop talking. The more he provoked this asshole, the more he firmly held my wrist. I was already in pain here. However, I was shocked when Paul raised his left hand and his ten bodyguards came rushing in, guns tucked into the waist of their pants.

Some of the guests screamed in fear as they ran away from the villa while Desmond strode straight to his blood brother, who was sizing Paul with his death glare.

"Martin, calm yourself down!" Desmond whispered as he also glanced at Paul, who had the same glare as Martin. "Your cousin is now worried, Paul. Might tell your guards to tone down?!" he uttered, but Paul seemed to not hear him.

Till it was Amy Leah who came near us and held her cousin's hand. "Paul, please!" she beseeched.

"Tell your asshole friend to let go of her first!" Paul commanded. I twitched at his words.

"That will never happen!" Martin lordly said.

I felt like I was between two huge rocks. I was trapped and couldn't move. "Martin, please. Let me go!" I made my voice a bit strong and firm hiding the fear I felt inside.

"No fucking way, kitty!" Martin replied, not removing his eyes from Paul. My nickname to him seemed to catch our friends' attention that they shifted their stares at me. I just wanted to smack Martin's face now.

We only had nicknames when we were f*cking each other! That was our deal!

When a voice I hated to hear suddenly appeared out of nowhere, shifting all of our gazes to the woman striding in her stilettos. "Martin, darling. What are you doing?" darling your ass! I aggressively removed my hand from his grip and intertwined Paul's hand, and before everyone could spit anything, I dragged Paul out of the garden.

"Kota, wait!" I heard Amy Leah call my name, but I played deaf.

"That's a badass move!" Paul praised when we reached the back of the villa. We sat on the wooden bench near the gazebo while watching the koi fish swimming freely on the pond.

"I hate him! I hate her, too!" I burst out. I couldn't control the pain I had inside. How dare he? He had no idea who he was messing with...nor did I? That b*tch was his ex from what I heard from Donna and the reason why he left his f*cking kingdom in Italy. To tap that, she had a little bit of similarities with me!

Tall, slender body with curves at the right spots, and long straight brunette hair. Her hazel brown eyes were the same as mine.

Did Martin just f*ck me because I looked like his ex. Was I a shadow of that Shantel Zaborowski, my BFF's husband's cousin slash successful businesswoman and very attractive?

"Hey! Don't be too hard on yourself!" Paul's comforting words rang in my ears. I glanced at him, and our eyes met. "I love that you fought for your freedom there. You didn't show any fear or weaknesses!" I could feel the sincerity in his voice and couldn't help but lean on his shoulder for a moment.

"Thanks, Paul. I'm glad you're here!" I gently uttered. I was a bit calmer now. His soft touch on my cheek made me blush. Our lips were so close, just an inch apart.

"But I'm hurt!" he suddenly whispered, making me lift my head and stare at him. My eyes were asking, and so were his. "Did you just kiss me to upset him?"

"I... Well... The truth is!" I couldn't find the right terms, but he got me. Da*m I was really transparent. I couldn't hide my feelings well. I had to learn to cloak this from now on.

"It's all right!" he took a deep sigh and gazed at nowhere. "But hopefully, someday, you will also learn to like me!" a confession... from my former crush!

"What?!" to say I was startled was an understatement. I was shocked. "You have feelings for me? Since when? How?" series of questions were now coming out like bullets. Paul Castillo, a famous surgeon and owner of one of the biggest hospitals in the state, my crush since my BFF, Amy Leah, brought him to London when we were in college, had feelings for me!

"Dakota Weasly!" his voice was melodic. I gasped when he suddenly knelt in front of me and kissed my knuckles. "The moment I saw you at your school, you already captured my heart!" d*mn, that was a bomb!