Chapter 5

One hour later, there was a sudden knock on the door. I thought it was Bianca, so I opened the door for her. However, I realized that it was Luca standing there instead.

Carmela was right behind him. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked as though she had been thoroughly wronged.

"Elena, Carmela is here to explain the location error that night," Luca said with a frown.

Carmela took a step forward and hung her head.

"It was due to interference from a signal jammer, Elena. I really didn't mean to give any wrong directions deliberately…"

However, my gaze was drawn to a striking glint of gold on her wrist. It was an intricately crafted gold bracelet, inlaid with a beautiful pigeon-egg ruby.

I recognized that bracelet. It was a design that Luca had personally drafted up three months ago. He once told me that he would get the rarest ruby in the world to craft this unique wedding gift for me once the feud was over.

And yet, now, it was openly displayed on Carmela's wrist.

Carmela noticed my gaze and hurriedly tried to cover the bracelet with her sleeve.

"Please don't misunderstand, Elena. Luca just asked me to help him coordinate the wedding dress to make sure that the colors and design matched… He wanted to see how it looked."

She then made a move to undo the bracelet from her wrist. "I'll return it to you right now."

I took a step back.

"Forget it. I refuse to touch anything secondhand. It's unclean."

Carmela froze, her expression immediately turning embarrassed and awkward. She then looked pitifully at Luca next to her.

Luca immediately shielded her behind him and frowned at me. "Where are your manners, Elena Pasquini? Must you be so harsh with your words?"

I cocked an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"What, did I say anything wrong? She came to my door talking bullshit about some signal jam while wearing the wedding gift originally intended for me on her wrist.

"Did you think at all, Luca? Did you expect me to give you my blessings with a huge smile on my face?"

"It's my fault for overlooking the bracelet," Luca said, yanking at his collar frustratedly. "But regarding the coordinates, Carmela has already re-checked them, and the signal had indeed been severely interfered with that night. The location was off by a whole block.

"So, why are you still being so hostile and unforgiving when it wasn't even her fault to start with?"

Carmela tugged at Luca's sleeve and said, "Don't get mad, Luca. It's all my fault. I don't want your relationship to sour just because of me…"

"You did nothing wrong," Luca said at once, patting the back of her hand reassuringly. Then, he turned to me with an icy gaze and said, "Elena, Carmela has already apologized to you.

"Now, you will come back with me and officially apologize to Mama. Then, this matter will end right here. Once the storm has passed, we will proceed with our wedding as planned, and I will give you the title you should receive."

He said it proudly and arrogantly, as though he were being lenient and merciful toward me with this compromise.

I stared at him quietly.

He was leaning against the doorframe, his suit impeccably tailored and his facial features handsome and deep-set. Every gesture he made exuded authority and nobility.

In the past, I would always back down whenever he spoke to me in such a commanding tone, simply because he was Luca.

He was the man who silently held my trembling hands at my parents' funerals, who took off his coat and wrapped me in his arms on cold, rainy nights, and who rescued me single-handedly when I was kidnapped by the Famiglia's enemies.

Unfortunately, the Luca who used to only have eyes for me had long since died in the face of power and authority.

I replied calmly, "I will break off our engagement. From this day forward, kindly get out of my life and stop disgusting me like this."