Chapter 3

After three days of rest, I still went to the Vitali family's port office.

The office sat by the old docks, shipping containers and wet ropes piled up beyond the windows. Every shipping route here, every ledger, I knew better than anyone.

But when I pushed the door open, Bianca was sitting in my chair.

She wore a white dress, my file box set by her feet.

When she saw me come in, she smiled and lifted her chin.

"Lorenzo says that starting today, I'll be taking over the routes, the winery, and the casino accounts you handled. You can go back to the estate and get ready for the wedding."

I froze for a few seconds.

Then I turned and went to Lorenzo's office.

He was standing by the window, smoking, the haze blurring his profile.

"You're sure you want her taking over everything I do?"

Lorenzo brushed it off.

"The Rossi family will pass to her sooner or later. She needs the experience."

He stubbed out his cigarette and looked back at me.

"You'll come back after the wedding."

I took a deep breath.

"Fine."

I nodded.

"I hope you won't regret it."

Under Lorenzo's watch, I handed Bianca every ledger, every contract, and the port keys I held.

She took them quickly, like a child who'd finally snatched a toy she'd wanted for a long time.

I unpinned the Vitali family access badge from my collar and set it on the desk.

"I'm out."

Lorenzo's eyes darkened.

I looked at him, my tone calm.

"And while I'm at it, here's your official notice. The chapel wedding is off."

The chill on Lorenzo's face deepened bit by bit.

"Don't throw a tantrum like this. She's not taking anything from you. She's just learning the ropes for now."

I didn't look at him again.

I took out my phone and posted a public statement.

[The wedding is canceled. My engagement to the Vitali family is over.]

Something sinister flickered in Lorenzo's eyes.

"Anna, you'll regret this."

That evening, Lorenzo took Bianca to the private auction at the old opera house.

It was the most respectable of Old Port's nighttime dealings. Above the table, they sold antiques, jewelry, and vintage wines; below it, shipping routes, favors, and family reputations were decided.

When they arrived in matching evening wear, the whole hall went quiet for a moment.

Bianca held his arm, smiling like the true Madre of the house.

When Lorenzo saw me, he visibly froze.

"What are you doing here?"

I ignored him and walked straight to my seat.

Lorenzo's expression turned grim.

He lowered his voice, so only I could hear.

"Without me sitting beside you, you're nothing here."

I sat down without so much as lifting an eyelid.

The moment the first lot came up, Lorenzo handed Bianca the paddle.

"Bid on anything you like."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for those around to hear.

"Tonight it's on me."

Bianca kissed his cheek in excitement.

Lorenzo glanced at me without thinking.

Finding that I wasn't even looking at him, his hand tightened around his wine glass.

That night, Bianca was the center of attention.

She easily won a dozen or more lots. Everyone was flattering the Rossi family's little Principessa, and everyone was waiting to see how the cast-off bride, me, would be humiliated.

The final lot was brought out.

It was a pill made from the secret recipe of a mountain monastery, said to give the gravely ill elderly a few more months.

Many had come tonight for it alone.

I gripped my paddle.

Bianca raised hers first.

"Twenty million."

A low murmur rippled through the hall.

I raised mine.

"Thirty million."

Lorenzo went still for a moment.

"Where did you get the money?"

I didn't answer.

Bianca raised her paddle again.

"Fifty million."

I spoke calmly.

"Sixty million."

The murmuring grew louder.

Everyone knew that whatever standing I'd had in Old Port these three years had come from Lorenzo.

His assistant leaned in close to his ear, but Lorenzo didn't bother to lower his voice.

"Freeze every family account in her name."

In an instant, countless looks of sympathy, mockery, and pity fell on me.

Bianca smiled.

"Anna, give it up. When it's time to pay and you can't, you're the one who'll be humiliated."

Lorenzo leaned back and slowly adjusted his cufflinks.

"Put out a statement now, saying you called off the wedding today out of jealousy of Bianca, a moment's rashness."

He looked at me.

"The wedding goes ahead, and your accounts come back."

I smiled.

But the smile didn't reach my eyes.

Seeing Lorenzo's eyes fixed on me, Bianca's smile faded a little, and she quickly raised her paddle again.

"Eighty million."