Chapter 4

A moment later, I saw Anna run out. "Sofia, what are you doing out here?"

Caesar hurried after her, lifting the long train of her gown for her, his voice sweet with affection. "Slow down. You'll trip and fall."

The paparazzi gathered outside the estate and peered through the garden fence.

"She's gorgeous!"

"I can't believe the woman who stood by the Don, fighting her way up with him through bullets, is such a delicate being."

"How sweet! Do you see how he's looking at her? Who says a Don can't fall in love?"

Anna lowered her head shyly and leaned close to Caesar's ear. "Hurry and tell them Sofia's the one, not me."

Her voice was so quiet that even I could barely make it out, let alone the paparazzi outside. The men with cameras immediately started snapping photos.

From their angle, Anna and Caesar didn't look like they were talking. It looked as though they were kissing.

Caesar saw the cameras pointed at them but made no move to avoid them. He simply stayed there, standing close to Anna as they continued whispering to each other.

Only after a few other people came out did Anna walk over to me.

"What's done is done. There's no reason to be upset. This ring was never about your relationship in the first place. You're not worried I'm going to threaten your position in the family, are you?

"And as for your wedding, he even hired a planner. They've designed something incredibly romantic."

Caesar looked uncomfortable. "Why are you telling her all that?"

Anna turned around and gave him a light swat. "You clueless man. Your precious wife is upset. Of course, you have to say something to make it up to her."

As she spoke, she snatched his phone from his hand and pulled up the order history for me to see.

The order history wasn't for a wedding but for a birthday celebration. The date was last month, on Anna's birthday.

She refreshed the page several times, but no other orders appeared. "Where's the wedding order? Did you forget to book the wedding planner again?"

Caesar lowered his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The wedding's still a long way off. We can decide on everything first and schedule a planner later."

Ignoring his reaction, I frowned and questioned, "When did you celebrate Anna's birthday?"

"You were away negotiating the arms deal at the time," Anna frantically explained. "It wasn't anything important, so I didn't mention it."

I looked at Caesar in disbelief. That deal had originally been his to negotiate.

Right before he was supposed to leave, he told me, "Something urgent came up. Why don't you go in my place? The deal's already as good as done. There's nothing to worry about."

Instead, the arms dealer changed the terms at the last minute. If luck hadn't been on my side, I would've died there. Meanwhile, the urgent matter Caesar had mentioned turned out to be Anna's birthday celebration.

An overwhelming exhaustion consumed me. For the first time, I regretted holding on for all those years.

I didn't want to say another word to either of them, so I turned and walked toward the gates.