Chapter 4

“I got rid of some old things I didn’t need anymore.”

Luca looked as though he wanted to ask more, but before he could, Vivian suddenly struggled to breathe and clutched her chest. He immediately went over to support her.

It wasn’t until she sat down that I noticed her arms and legs were covered in scars from cuts.

Her face was pale as she gave me a faint smile. “The past few years have been awful. I’ve been through a lot.”

It turned out that her Family had offended a powerful Mafia Family in New York, forcing her mother to take her abroad and go into hiding. They had spent their days constantly looking over their shoulders, barely able to afford decent food or clothing, while Vivian also had to fend off homeless men who harassed and groped her on the streets.

Living that way for so long had taken an increasingly heavy toll on her mental state. Eventually, she had turned to Luca for help.

“The only reason we’ve been able to find our footing in New York all these years is because of Luca’s help.”

The moment she said that, I clearly felt Luca’s body stiffen.

No wonder Vivian had managed to return to Italy at exactly the right time for our wedding. They had never actually lost contact all these years.

“When I told Luca I wanted the South District deal, he diverted Family funds and helped me secure it outright.”

“That was how my Family finally managed to recover.”

My hand froze around my glass of water. So that explained the sudden fifty-million gap that had appeared in the Romano Family’s accounts back then, as well as why the deal they had been certain to win had somehow ended up in the Marino Family’s hands.

I truly hadn’t realized just how much Luca had done for her.

“Diana, I’ve never wanted to compete with you for anything.”

“Everything that happened before was just a coincidence.”

“Why don’t we try to be friends from now on?”

Her words sounded respectful on the surface, but the smugness and provocation beneath them were impossible to hide. Luca sat beside her without saying a word, silently condoning every absurd thing she said.

In the past, I would already have been red-eyed, demanding to know what Luca meant by all of this and fighting with him over Vivian.

Now, there was no point wasting another word on either of them. I was stepping aside.

“Sure. From now on, just treat this place like your own home.”

That night, Vivian slept in the master bedroom. Luca explained that her condition was unstable and that he was worried she might have another episode during the night, so he gave her the master bedroom to keep her away from me in case she lost control.

I agreed.

Later that night, Luca wrapped his arms around me from behind as he always did. The cool scent of pine clinging to him reached me as his chest pressed against my back.

I was almost asleep when his next words brought me fully awake.

“Diana, the only reason I agreed to pretend to be Vivian’s boyfriend is because we grew up together. She’s in trouble, and helping her is the right thing to do.”

“She can barely hold her ground in her Family right now. Once she gets through this, I’ll finally be able to marry you without worrying about anything else.”

“I’ll spend the rest of my life by your side. You understand, don’t you?”

He must have noticed how distant I had been lately and assumed that a few sincere words would be enough to make me forgive him the way I always had before.

This time, I simply remained silent.

Just as I was drifting off again, Luca got out of bed and left. The crisp click of the closing door echoed through the quiet bedroom.

The next morning, I came face-to-face with him as he walked out of the master bedroom. His expression was perfectly composed.

“Vivian had an episode last night. I was afraid she might hurt herself…”

I only nodded calmly.

At breakfast, Vivian said in a sweet, coaxing tone that she wanted something Luca had cooked himself. I was about to tell her that he didn’t know how to make breakfast. Then the man who had never once stepped into our kitchen began skillfully cooking her steak and warming some milk.

“I could never get used to the food in New York, so Luca learned to cook food that suited my tastes.”

“I really envy you. You get to eat his cooking every day.”

The satisfaction in her voice was unmistakable, as though she were the woman who had been living with Luca all along.

Luca noticed where I was looking and said softly, “Once we’re married and I have the time, I’ll make breakfast for you too.”

I said nothing, because there was no future left for us. I was leaving today.