2. MATTEO

After the last set of push-ups, my muscles were burning, so I wiped my sweat.. My arms trembled slighty as I straightened up, letting out a sharp breath.

I went mindlessly toward the jacuzzi, which steamed enticingly in the gentle blue early light. A low, deep groan came out of my body as soon as it hit the water.

God.

What a way to start my day, I told myself. 

I reached for my phone, which I place by the edge of the pool. I wiped the moisture off before turning it on. It turned on and my lock screen lit up. My whole body calmed down seeing her picture.

“Giuli,”

The wind was blowing her hair while she was laughing. She didn't even knew I was secretly taking a photo of her laughing at something I said—Goddamn.

My thumb clicked the screen but didn't unlocked it. I couldn’t. I didn’t wanna unlock it. I just wanted to see her face and stare at it.

She probably hates me now. And I don't blame her. I did alot of things that made her hate me.

We would’ve still been together if it weren’t for what I did. She left knowing I cheated on her and abandoned her. The man he least expects to do all of this. I set the phone aside on the dry stone edge, face down. 

For a moment, I closed my eyes shut. But it wasn’t the memories I wanted to remember that came first. It was that night.

Three years ago…

I sat at the end corner of the bar's VIP section. I haven't been here since I met Giulianna.

My drink was half-full. I hadn’t touched it in like ten minutes. I kept staring at my phone's screen.

My heart ached staring at this photo. She's smiling from ear to ear while being held by another man. He stared at my girl like he knew he was holding something valuable.

I took another glass of whiskey but the burn wasn’t enough.

“Bad night?” I glanced up, looking up where that voice came up. She was petite and skinny. She looked like one of the p**n stars Enzo watched.

She sat on the lounge beside me, not even bothering to ask permission. I didn’t stop her. I set aside my phone at the table.

If Giuli could wrap herself around another man’s arms… why the hell shouldn’t I do the same with this woman?

“Valentina,” she said little smile. “But I prefer Valentine. Like love.” Her touch went higher, resting it on my chest.

Then, her lips met mine. I remember it being soft at first but then became desperate as if she wants to heal the ache in my heart.

She laughed flirtingly as she pulled away. Her gaze dropped to my phone and saw the photos I was staring at. “Giuliana Bianchi? Isn't she the one with a scandal now?” Valentine said after recognizing whose photos I was staring at.

I looked away and nodded. “She's my girlfriend,” I said with a heart aching.

“Was.” She corrected. Valentine started unbuttoning the top of my polo. “What are you doing?” I asked, not stopping her.

“Are you gonna let her step on your ego just because she came from a powerful family? You're the man in the relationship. What makes her think you can't do the same thing?”

Her hands traced from my chest down to my pants. She was right…

I shared the night with Valentine. A part of me says it's wrong, but I couldn’t care less. I even went home with her hickey on my neck.

Giuli looked at me unbelievably as if she couldn't believe it. She looked at me like she was about to cry when her eyes darted at the hickey on my neck which I didn't even tried to hide.

I wanted her to hurt. Just like I did when I saw her in that photo with that bastard holdin her like she belonged to him.

"Matteo..." Her voice was so small, I almost didn't hear it. 

"Save it." I said and walked away. She tried to stop me.

"Please, just let me--"

"No." I looked at her disgustingly. I can't believe I let a whore inside my life.. "You don’t get to play innocent now, Giuli. Don’t even fucking try."

"You think I didn’t see the photos?" I said stepping closer. "Are you all over that other guy?" I confronted.

“That wasn’t--”

“Shut up.” and for a second, I swore she was gonna cry.

“Don’t lie to me, You're a fucking whore. I'm disgusted.” My voice cracked with all the names I'm calling her. I can't do this. I don't want to call my girl anything like that.

“I didn’t cheat on you,” she whispered.

I laughed bitterly. She took one step back, like my words physically hit her. “You don’t even want to know,”

But I didn’t wanna hear it. Not the explanations or excuses. 

Weeks that turned into months when I shut her out. I was heartbroken and Valentine was there every night. She pleasured me and made me feel like a man.

“Faster! I'm coming.” she moaned. And I pounded on her even more. “Fuck, yes!” She was shaking so hard.

“That was... intense.” 

She propped herself on one elbow. “So... What should we name our baby?” I turned to her slowly. Valentine has been pregnant for over a week now. Giuli must've known now especially after she founds out I've been seeing Valentine lately.

I got up, stretching before slipping into my jeans. “Do you want anyting?” I asked. “I'm gonna go out for a while." I reasoned out just to avoid this conversation. 

"Just my usual." She said.

As soon as I went out of the apartment my phone vibrated in my hand. I looked down. Giuli’s Mom.

My heart stuttered.

I picked up. “Hello?” I felt the panic in her voice. “Hello? Have you seen Giuliana?”

I froze.

“She’s missing,” she said, breath shaking. “Please, come here. You were the last person seen with her before she ran away and cleared her bank accounts.”

I immediately roared my bike to life to get to her parents' home. The Bianchi Family was always known to be the powerful family in town. No one messes with them.

Before I knew it, I was sitting on their couch and fidgeting with my fingers—anxious. Because even if she cheated on me, I still cared for her.

Mr. Bianchi dropped a thick manila envelope on the table. I stared at it. My chest tightened. “What is this?”

“Open it,” he said, voice low and heavy.

I tore the flap and pulled out the contents. Photos. Dozens of them. The ones I saw three years ago—Giuli with another man. Smiling. Leaning close. His arm around her waist.

But these… were different.

Some were duplicates. But this time, I saw the original versions—unedited. It was a different person. I looked up, breath caught in my throat.

“They were fake?” My voice cracked.

Her father’s jaw tightened. “Fabricated. Digitally altered. She never cheated on you.”

My head spun. “You let someone poison your mind against her.”

I couldn’t breathe. She never cheated. Giuli never betrayed me. But I did… I let another woman into my bed.

Mr. Bianchi stepped closer. “You let her walk away pregnant.”

I snapped my gaze up. “What?” My mouth fell open, dry and useless. “Giuli’s… pregnant?”

He nodded once. Coldly.

I staggered back, nearly hitting the wall behind me. “She never told me—”

“She didn’t get the chance, Matteo,” he snapped. “You didn’t even listen. You turned your back on her the moment you thought she was unfaithful. And instead of fighting for her, you replaced her.”

I ran my hands over my face, breathing hard.

“I didn’t know… I didn’t know…”

“And that woman?” he added, his voice like a blade. “The one you’ve been with—Valentina?”

I met his eyes. “She was never pregnant.”

“My cousin works at a clinic. My men gathered her DNA. We checked. There’s no baby inside that womb.”

My heart crashing against my ribs. “She used you. Just like whoever sent those photos. And you let them win. You let them destroy what you had with my daughter.”

Giuli’s mom let out a quiet sob behind him.

“And now?” he continued. “Now she’s gone. Alone. With a child you didn’t even know existed.”

Those are the darkest days of three years ago.

My knees buckled, and I sank into the pool just a little bit more before deciding to get up and get dressed. I remembered that I had a race to win today.

The engine of my Ducati roared beneath me, screaming across the open highway as the wind whipped against my jacket.

Town after unfamiliar town blurred past me. I slowed a little as I approached the town square, where weekend stalls lined the sidewalks and kids played in the fading sunlight.

My fingers tightened around the handle, and then I saw her.

My eyes locked on a woman crossing near the pedestrian lane. I know that long wavy hair. She turned her head to the sound of my engine. Beautiful as fuck.

My Dolcezza.

I froze. My brain forgot everything, even the damn brake. 

Her eyes widened in horror as she saw me almost hitting her. In her panic, she stumbled backward and knocked two people.

“Shit.” I cursed as I pulled my bike to a hard stop. 

I am now just six feet away from her. I didn’t take off my helmet. She looked at me, confused. Disoriented and helped the people she bumped into. But her eyes kept looking back at me..

I twisted the throttle and I sped away before she thinks of approaching me.

Throughtout the day, I lost focus. Which resulted with me losing the race. But I didn’t even care.

I went around town with my boys, stopping at a small café first. “Do know someone named Giuliana Bianchi that lives here?” I asked at a barista.

 “Giuliana? Not around here. Sorry.” Strike one. This is a small town. The type of town where everyone knows each other.

I tried a small bookstore, then a corner repair shop. Same question. Same answer.

It wasn’t until I approached an old man at the fruit stand near the edge of the market, that something changed. “That her?” he asked. “I don’t. Sorry.” I pulled out a couple of bucks on my wallet and gave it to bribe him. “Please,”

My chest ached on what he said next. “I'm pretty sure, her name is Diana now.” he said. “Owns a bike repair shop about ten minutes down the main road.”

Diana, huh.

By the time I found her shop, the sun was already setting. The golden sunlight is already casted on her shop' name "Velocita". It was almost six. The shop looked like it was about to close. A little bell chimed above me when I entered.

She was there. My Giuli. Her hair is tied in a loose bun, and is busy wrapping things up. 

She casually said, without looking at me. “Sorry, we’re closed for the day. Just come back tomorrow--” 

“Is it now, dolcezza?”

I saw how she had chills. Her fingers dropped the wrench she held as she she looked at me.