Chapter 2

The Balzano Famiglia had deep roots, and Luca was notorious for his ruthless methods. By now, he had half the underworld's business firmly in his grasp.

A marriage alliance with him was a massive step up for the Colonna Famiglia, which was why they had been so set on marrying Ilaria off to him.

But there was no way in hell I'd let that happen.

The day after Luca and I got engaged, I headed to Balzano Estate with gifts in hand. Dressed elegantly for the occasion, I paid a visit to Serafina Ricci Balzano, Luca's Nonna.

She came from an old noble family and had spent her childhood in Fiorenza, so I made a point of learning Fiorenzan cuisine and cooking it for her myself. She was pleasantly surprised.

From that day on, I went over to keep her company every day. She was thoroughly pleased with my attentiveness, thoughtfulness, and refined manners.

I never went out of my way to look for Luca, but I was at the estate often enough that we kept running into each other. Before long, he was used to having me around.

As we grew closer, Luca asked me to attend a gala with him as his fiancee.

The gala was packed with prominent figures from high society. At first, he worried I wouldn't know all the complicated rules of etiquette, but he soon realized his concern was unfounded.

Under everyone's scrutinizing gaze, I mingled calmly and gracefully without a single misstep.

As Luca watched me work the room, warmth softened his gaze, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Where did you learn all this etiquette?" he asked, curiosity lacing his voice. "Ilaria mentioned that before the Colonna Famiglia found you, you were living on the streets. By all rights, you shouldn't have had any exposure to events like this."

"Living on the streets" was putting it mildly. I remembered the days when anyone could beat me or curse at me, the times I'd fought homeless people for food, but I kept my smile easy and gracious.

"Well, I have an important role to play now, and I couldn't exactly embarrass you, so I hired a few tutors and did some serious cramming. Looks like it paid off."

Luca chuckled. "In just one month, you've made me see you in a whole new light."

I just smiled and took the compliment.

When I was first brought back to the Colonna Famiglia, Ilaria was always making subtle digs about how poor and shabby I looked and how I didn't know the first thing about proper manners.

I still remembered our first meeting. She had sobbed over how much I'd suffered while casually letting slip how luxuriously she'd lived all those years.

From then on, she flaunted her superiority at every turn.

She'd rub hard at the chilblains on my hands with her own soft, pampered hands, pretending to care, then show off her aristocratic manners to make me look crude and ignorant by comparison.

That was why I'd made up my mind to master everything Ilaria had learned, and more.

But Luca didn't need to know any of that.

He assumed I'd worked so hard entirely for his sake and casually handed me a black card. "This card has no limit. While you're playing my fiancee, put whatever you want on it."

I accepted it readily with a bright smile. "Then I won't be shy about it. Thank you, fiance."

…

After that day, Luca was noticeably different with me.

He started taking me to all kinds of galas and gatherings, joining in on our conversations when I was with Serafina, and occasionally inviting me out for private dinners.

Within a single month, he'd come to expect me at his side. Sometimes, if I didn't show up at the estate, he'd even call just to ask what I was up to.

During a negotiation with a rival family over how to divide the dock territory, their Don suddenly proposed a riding contest between his female companion and me, declaring that whoever won would take the territory.

Halfway through the obstacle course, my horse spooked, but I kept it under control through sheer horsemanship and still won the race.

Sitting in the saddle, I looked over at Luca with a brilliant smile.

He came over and lifted me down from the horse himself, his gaze lingering on me long afterward, his admiration impossible to hide.

"Rosalia, I feel like I've gotten to know a whole new side of you lately," he said. "You've really impressed me."

Luca's attitude toward me changed after that. He truly began treating me as his fiancee, asking about my schedule, learning my favorite foods, and occasionally surprising me with gifts.

Even so, I stayed measured, never pushing for more intimacy despite how much he'd softened toward me.

The more often I appeared at Luca's side, the more attention I drew. Being so visible made me an easy target, especially with all the enemies he had.

One evening, just as we were leaving a gala, a gunshot rang out behind me. Before I could react, Luca pulled me into his arms and spun us halfway around.

I was unharmed, and his Soldati dropped the hitman within seconds, but the bullet grazed Luca's arm as he shielded me.

On the drive back, I quickly tended to his wound.

"Luca," I whispered, unable to hold back any longer. I threw my arms around him, burying my face in the crook of his neck. "Please… don't let anything happen to you."

When Luca felt my tears on his neck, he wrapped his arms around me and gently patted my back to soothe me.

"Rosalia, don't cry. I'm fine. No more tears, alright?"

His voice was as steady as ever, but the wild pounding of his heart betrayed what he was really feeling.

Just as our relationship was deepening, Ilaria, who had been waiting in vain for him to come after her, grew restless.

Then, through carefully placed whispers, Luca finally learned her whereabouts.