Chapter 4

From the front seat, Rita glanced back.

“Oh, so that’s where it went! You borrowed my coat when you were drunk last time and never returned it. I’ve been looking for it everywhere.”

She eyed me through the rearview mirror and said provocatively, “Soph, just put it on for now. We’re almost there.”

I watched as Luca adjusted his sleeve again, and it made me feel sick to my stomach. Still, I took the coat from her. If I didn’t, they would assume I was throwing another tantrum. Dealing with these exhausting confrontations was giving me a massive headache.

When we finally arrived at the venue, Luca and Rita walked ahead to greet the client. It was as if they had forgotten I was even there.

The cartel boss shook Luca’s hand before presenting a gift. “The Donna looks even more beautiful than she did last time. We didn’t get a chance to catch up at the funeral, so we must drink more tonight.”

Rita gave a shy, embarrassed smile, instantly looking back to check my reaction. Luca, a little guilty, also stole a glance back at me. It was only when he saw my lack of reaction that he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Right then, I recalled the time when a highly respected elder who was a great benefactor to the mafia family had passed away. I had set out early to attend the funeral, but the driver’s car broke down in the middle of nowhere. I called Luca to pick me up since he was driving past the area at the time and easily could have turned back for me. Instead, he told me he was running too late and couldn’t make it.

I waited until nightfall, standing in the freezing wind, shivering. By the time he showed up, the funeral was already over, and because of that, rumors spread like wildfire through the mafia family that I was an ungrateful wretch.

Faced with those vicious rumors, Luca offered no explanation whatsoever, and missing that funeral became the biggest regret of my life. Yet now, it all made perfect sense. As it turned out, he had gone with Rita the entire time and simply didn’t want me to know.

Once the cartel boss walked away, Rita immediately tried to soothe me. “Soph, please don’t mind them. They don’t know who you are. Here, you take the gift. Don’t worry, I would never steal what’s yours.”

The gift was an incredibly expensive diamond necklace.

I took a deep breath, a suffocating ache squeezing my chest.

“It’s all your fault for picking up Soph so late last time,” Rita said while playfully swatting Luca’s shoulder.

Luca said, “Stop being angry about it. It’s already in the past. Just take the necklace. I’ll buy Rita another one later.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I stared at him in disbelief.

Why did they make it sound like I was begging for this stupid thing? The way they talked made it sound as though they think this gift mattered to me.

“You keep it,” I sneered.

Rita gasped. “Soph, you aren’t actually mad, are you? I have more than enough jewelry like this, so just take it. Think of it as me making amends on his behalf.”

I clenched my fists. The two of them seemed exactly like a married couple, while I was the unreasonable one.

Luca’s patience finally snapped. “Enough. Let’s not cause a scene here. Let’s go, Rita.”

With that, he grabbed Rita by the wrist and led her inside.

I bit my lip and took a while to compose myself, but I didn’t follow them in. Instead, I called my father to come and get me.

My parents picked me up, and we quickly arrived at the airport terminal. While sitting in the departure lounge, Luca had sent three messages in a row.

[Where are you?]

[Why did you leave without saying anything?]

[Forget it. I know you’re not in a good headspace, so go home and get some rest. Today is very important, and I can’t leave. We’ll reschedule the wedding in a few days. Don’t worry. This time, I will definitely show up.]

I didn’t reply.

Right before boarding, Luca sent another text.

[Rita drank too much, so I have to take her back. It’s not safe for a girl to be out alone. Get some sleep.]

Still, I didn’t reply. Instead, I deleted his contact and blocked his number completely. Then, I stepped onto the plane, and as it took off, I took a deep breath, knowing I would likely never return to this city again.

Back across town, Luca began to grow uneasy after receiving no response for hours. He tried dialing my number, only to get an automated recording stating the number was out of service.

That nagging sense of dread intensified. Holding his breath, he tried calling a few more times, but the result was the same.

[Are you home yet?]

He typed out the words and tapped send. Suddenly, a notification that the message failed to deliver flashed across his screen. His heart skipped a beat, and his hand instantly tightened around his phone.