Masuk(Author's POV)"I'll check my schedule."Carmelita said it the way people did when they had already decided to say no. She was already walking toward the exit before Sebastian could reply, and she never looked back.Sebastian remained at the table, staring at the empty chair across from him. After a long moment, he let out a quiet, bitter laugh. He had handled stubborn witnesses in court with far more success than he had just managed with Carmelita.He pulled out his phone and called Vincenzo."Come have a drink with me," he said. "I need to clear my head.""Some of us have wives waiting at home," Vincenzo replied.Sebastian rolled his eyes. Just two months ago, Vincenzo had been the most ruthless and efficient man he knew. Now he acted as if being a husband was the most important part of his life.A soft female voice spoke somewhere in the background. Sebastian could not make out the words, but he knew it was Celeste.A second later, Vincenzo spoke again."Send me the address."Sebas
(Author's POV)Lavinia stood alone in the hallway, thinking about everything Luca had said. His words refused to leave her mind. He had said that Celeste's husband took very good care of her, and she kept wondering about it. A man like Vincenzo Vitale had chosen Celeste. Not Tiziana, who was beautiful, graceful, and had spent years making herself look like the perfect woman for a powerful family.The thought left a bitter feeling inside her. She hated admitting it, but she could not understand why Celeste had been the one Vincenzo wanted.Then she remembered something else. She still had a secret that nobody knew about. She was still holding information that could change everything. At the same time, she knew she was surrounded by powerful people who could ruin her life if she made the wrong move. After thinking about it for a long moment, she let out a slow breath and returned to the kitchen.She decided she would not contact Celeste. Not now. She would wait and hope that time healed
(Author's POV)Lavinia stood alone in the hallway after everyone had gone their separate ways. Luca's words kept playing over and over in her mind. He had said that Vincenzo treated Celeste well, and that thought refused to leave her. She could not understand it. A man like Vincenzo Vitale had chosen Celeste. Not Tiziana, who was elegant, beautiful, and had spent years making herself look like the perfect woman in every situation.The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. It made her chest tighten with jealousy. She could not stop wondering why Celeste had been the one to win when Tiziana had seemed like the obvious choice.Then another thought came to her, and her expression slowly changed. She still had a secret. She still knew something that nobody else knew, and that secret gave her a little comfort. At the same time, she understood that everyone caught up in this situation had enough power to make her life miserable if they wanted to. Thinking about that made her uneasy. She
(Author's POV)Tiziana lowered her eyes and looked at their hands resting together. Her father's words kept repeating in her mind.You chose this path. You made your decisions. Now you have to make this marriage work.But beneath those words was the secret that frightened her more than anything else. She was not Giorgio Argentieri's biological daughter. If that truth ever came out, everything she had worked so hard to build could disappear overnight. She needed Stefano. She needed this marriage to survive.She looked up at him, her voice quieter than she intended."Are you still angry with me?"Stefano gently lifted her hand and pressed a soft kiss against her knuckles."No," he said. "I'm not angry with you. It's just... today wasn't the wedding either of us dreamed of. I'm sorry I couldn't give you a better day.""It wasn't your fault."He slowly shook his head."Part of it was my fault. There were things I should have handled differently."Tiziana leaned against him and rested her
(Author's POV)The last guest had barely left the wedding venue before Tiziana completely lost control.She began tearing apart every dress she had worn for the wedding. She started with the wedding gown, then moved to the reception dress, and finally the spare dress she had never even needed to wear. Her fingers dug into the seams and ripped them apart with all the strength she had. Pearl buttons scattered across the floor like grains of rice, while pieces of lace floated down around her. The sound of fabric tearing filled the dressing room until there was nothing left that she could destroy.When it was over, she stood in the middle of the ruined dresses, breathing heavily. Her chest rose and fell as she stared at Stefano Conti with burning eyes."You did this," she said through clenched teeth. "You and her. You gave her the best seat in the room to watch me humiliate myself, and you just stood there doing nothing."Stefano sat quietly on the bench in front of the dressing table. Hi
(Celeste Moretti's POV)I leaned back in my chair and looked around the hall. It did not take long before I noticed people whispering to each other. Everyone was staring at us. They could not believe that Stefano Conti's ex wife had arrived with Vincenzo, and not only that, but as his wife. It was the kind of surprise that no one could ignore. Their eyes kept moving between us, and the whispers grew louder until Vincenzo slowly turned his head and looked at the nearest group. His calm but cold gaze was enough. The conversations stopped immediately, and silence spread through the hall.My eyes moved back to the altar, where Tiziana had taken her place. She was no longer looking at the guests. She was looking directly at us. Her eyes stayed on Vincenzo's arm resting comfortably behind my chair before they shifted to my face. I had no idea what expression she saw, but whatever it was, it made her grip her bouquet so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She looked like she was forcing
Celeste's POV "I’ve called a car," I lied to a concerned doorman to avoid questions. But when I checked my app, the screen mocked me. No cars available. We were halfway up a hill in an exclusive residential zone. Rideshares were non-existent. A gust of wind swept through the canyon, cutting rig
(Celeste Moretti’s POV) The Uber pulled up to the glass tower of Aetheris Biotech at 8:47 in the morning. I walked through the lobby with my carry-on in one hand and a cardboard box tucked under my arm. The receptionist looked up, startled. Ethan’s office was on the fourth floor. I pushed open
(Celeste Moretti’s POV) He looked up. "What is it?" "I think we should—" His phone rang. His assistant's name lit up the screen. He held up one finger and answered, already pressing his fingers to his temple as the voice on the other end escalated into obvious crisis. He snapped back at whoever
(Celeste Moretti’s POV) Stefano didn’t come home last night. Neither did Bianca. After her husband’s death, Tiziana had claimed that staying at the Conti estate brought back too many painful memories, so she’d moved into a luxury penthouse downtown. Where Stefano and Bianca had spent the night,







