Chapter 676: Stop The Wedding!

Several crew members had stepped aside, and the photographer was checking something on a monitor.

A stylist made a final adjustment to the backdrop before someone called for the next look.

And then Vittoria appeared.

Leo’s attention settled on her almost immediately.

She was wearing a wedding dress with thin, delicate straps resting over her shoulders.

The design fitted closely through the bodice before falling into a softer, flowing silhouette.

It was elegant to say the least, and the details, whenever she moved, caught the light in the room.

Her hair had been arranged to complement the dress, while the makeup gave her face a softer finish than he was accustomed to seeing.

For a moment, Leo simply stared.

He had seen Vittoria dressed for dinners, events and occasions where she had to look her best.

He had also seen her in the comfort of their quieter moments, when neither of them had much reason to think about appearances.

In each of those times, she simply looked nothing short of breathtaking, but this was different.

She looked like someone he could spend the rest of his life with, and the thought caught him completely off guard.

"Vittoria, over here, please."

She turned towards the photographer, but not before noticing Leo’s expression.

She looked at him for another second before a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

"Everything okay?" one of the stylists asked as she adjusted the dress.

"Yes," Vittoria answered, quickly looking away. "I’m fine."

The photographer began directing her towards the centre of the set.

"Lovely. Just a little to your left. That’s it. Chin slightly down."

Vittoria followed the instructions, gradually settling into the position.

Leo, meanwhile, had only just realised that he had been halfway out of his chair.

He looked down at himself, then slowly sat back.

He couldn’t help it.

His eyes kept returning to her.

Even when the photographer changed the lighting and the crew moved around to prepare another angle, Leo found himself watching the same person.

Vittoria was already getting into the rhythm of the shoot, her expression changing naturally between poses.

She had recovered from the initial embarrassment.

Or at least, she was doing a good job of pretending she had.

And so the shoot went on.

There were adjustments to the dress, changes in the lighting and several different arrangements of the backdrop.

The photographer occasionally stopped to review the images before asking Vittoria to try something else.

Normally, Leo would have found the process a little tedious.

He understood the work involved, but watching someone take the same photograph from several different angles wasn’t exactly his idea of entertainment.

Today was different.

His thoughts kept returning to the dress.

To Vittoria standing beneath the lights, looking as though she belonged at the end of an aisle.

To the possibility of seeing her dressed like that for a reason that had nothing to do with a fashion campaign.

He found himself imagining a wedding.

Not the elaborate details or the guest list.

Not the venue and certainly not the arrangements or the speeches.

Just her.

Standing beside him.

The thought was so persistent that he eventually had to look away and rub his face.

He was getting ahead of himself.

Still, the image refused to leave.

By the time the photographer announced that they were finished, Leo was barely aware of how much time had passed.

He was brought back to the present by someone approaching his chair.

"Leo?"

At the mention of his name familiarly, Leo looked up.

A member of the lighting crew stood before him.

His face mask had been pulled down beneath his chin, and he wore the slightly hesitant expression of someone who had been debating whether to approach for a while.

"Sorry to bother you, but I’m a big fan."

Leo smiled at that and then nodded, reaching his hand out to shake the staff’s.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Would you mind if I got a picture? And maybe a signature?"

"Of course."

The man quickly produced his phone and a small notebook.

Leo found the other staff staring at the interaction, but it seemed like the man had enough clearance to use his phone on the set.

Leo stood to take the picture, then signed the notebook before handing it back.

"Thanks a lot," the staff member said. "And good luck with the league. You’re having a brilliant season."

"Thank you. Hopefully, we can keep it going."

"I’ll be watching."

The man gave him another smile before returning to his colleagues.

Watching him go, Leo then glanced back towards the set, but Vittoria was no longer there.

A few assistants were packing away some of the equipment, while others had begun preparing for the next stage of the production.

He checked the time, slipped his phone into his pocket and decided to step outside for some air.

The corridor leading away from the studio opened towards a quieter section of the building.

Leo found a spot near the entrance and stood there, taking a moment away from the noise.

A few minutes later, he heard footsteps behind him.

"Running away?"

He turned and found Vittoria had changed back into the outfit she had arrived in.

The wedding dress was gone, though a trace of the makeup from the shoot remained on her face.

Leo looked at her and then kept looking.

Vittoria, who was being subjected to such gazing, raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

He didn’t answer immediately.

She stepped closer and nudged him lightly in the shoulder.

"Why are you acting weird?"

Leo looked down at her, seemingly considering whether to say what was on his mind.

"You looked so..."

He paused, and Vittoria waited.

"So?"

"Enticing."

At that, her expression softened.

She glanced down briefly, trying to hide the smile that had already begun forming on her lips.

"Enticing?"

"Yeah."

She looked back up.

"That’s a new one."

"I was trying to find a better word."

Vittoria laughed quietly as Leo leaned down slightly, bringing his mouth closer to her ear.

"Made me want to find an altar and a priest."

She rolled her eyes immediately, though the smile on her face suggested that she was enjoying the whole thing.

"You have a lot of work to do, then."

With that, she turned and started walking towards the waiting premium van.

Leo remained where he was for a moment, watching her go.

Then he shook his head, smiling to himself, and followed.