TRISTAN'S POVI have never trusted the sea, but I have trusted my own stupid pride more.The wind howled over the deck of the as the lights of the cruise ship flickered behind us like dying fireflies.The moment the Atlantic embraced me, it wasn’t cold; it was a physical hammer blow.I hit the water with all the force of a desperate, idiotic leap, the air exploding from my lungs in a silent scream. The temperature was an immediate, blinding shock—a sudden, absolute betrayal of sensory input. It was only then, as the icy blackness swallowed me whole, that I realized the monumental, unforgivable stupidity of my action.My rationality had been thrown overboard long before I was. It had fled the scene when Juliana, eyes blazing with vindictive triumph, snatched the silver chain right off Giovanni’s hand. We had been locked in a grotesque dance of vengeance, a twisted engagement party orchestrated for ruin. My partnership with Anastasia, had been designed to dismantle his perfect narrativ
GIOVANNI'S POV The cold winter air of the Atlantic bit at my skin, a stark contrast to the oppressive heat of the ballroom just moments before. The grand engagement party, a spectacle of my own making, had been a triumph of appearance, until Tristan and Anastasia’s audacious stunt ripped through its carefully woven fabric. They had turned my celebration into a farce. Now, it was time for retribution, and Juliana was merely a tool in my carefully orchestrated revenge.I positioned myself near the railing, the moon casting a silver sheen on the dark water below. Juliana, ever eager for attention, was already leaning into my space. Her dress, a shimmering cascade of sapphire, clung to her in all the right places, a deliberate choice, no doubt. My grip tightened on her waist, pulling her closer, and then, with a calculated move, I lowered my head.My lips brushed her ear, then trailed down to the curve of her neck. An involuntary shiver ran through her, a predictable response. The scent
TRISTAN'S POVThe soft hum of the ship’s engines was the only sound accompanying Anastasia and me as we walked down the carpeted corridor. The lingering scent of champagne and expensive perfume still clung to the air from the party, a stark contrast to the growing unease settling in my chest. The thought had been bothering me for hours.“Anastasia, don’t you think it’s very unusual that we didn’t hear about Giovanni the whole night?”I asked, the words feeling heavy on my tongue. My gaze flickered towards her, seeking confirmation of my quiet anxieties.She nodded, a slight frown creasing her brow. “Yes, it is very different of him. Naturally, now that the party is over, he should be confronting at least one of us to settle the score.” Her voice held a certain resignation, an acceptance of their family’s volatile dynamics.My eyes drifted past her, focused on nothing in particular but seeing everything at once. The polished walls, the distant glow of emergency lights, the shadows tha
GIOVANNI'S POVThe lights of the ballroom glittered, reflecting off the crystal glasses and the smooth, anxious faces of the city’s elite. None of them, I was sure, had anticipated a spectacle quite like this.This was supposed to be my night, my public ratification of power alongside Juliana Conti, but Anastasia, my rebellious little sister, had decided to make a dramatic announcement that threatened to unravel everything I had meticulously planned.I stared across the polished floor at the small group that had gathered around Anastasia, their murmurs growing louder with every passing second. She stood there, defiant, with a smile pasted on her face, clinging to the man who was supposed to be mine: Tristan.My voice tore through the polite chatter, rough and low like grinding stone. “They aren’t going to marry nor engage,” I growled, the words dripping with venom. “Over my dead body.”I was serious. This was not a negotiation. I wasn't going to allow Anastasia, my younger sister, to
TRISTAN'S POVThe crystal chandeliers overhead shimmered, casting a warm glow on the sea of faces. I was supposed to be a ghost tonight, a phantom presence amidst the opulent celebration of Giovanni and Juliana’s engagement.A quick sip of champagne, perhaps a few more to dull the gnawing ache in my chest, and then I would melt back into the shadows, far from the man who had once claimed me as his. Giovanni. The name itself was a bitter twist in my gut. He was engaged, officially, to Juliana. Yet, he was the same man who couldn’t let me go, who treated me like a possession he’d misplaced and was determined to reclaim.The air crackled with forced festivity, a thin veneer over the undercurrent of power and expectation. Then, Anastasia’s voice, sharp and clear, cut through the murmur. “Meet the man who will become my partner for life… Tristan Morano Hayes!”The announcement hit like a physical blow, stealing the air from my lungs. All eyes, which had moments before been focused on the
GIOVANNI'S POVThe heavy thud of my fist against the cabin door echoed in the quiet corridor, a stark contrast to the distant murmur of the cruise ship’s engine and the gentle lapping of waves. My temper, already a raw nerve after hours of forced pleasantries and fake smiles, ignited further with each unanswered knock.My mood was already sour enough, curdled by the demanding charade I had been playing. I had spent the entire evening tethered to Juliana’s side, her delicate hand linked through my arm, her saccharine smiles plastered for the endless parade of guests at our engagement party. Every handshake, every empty compliment felt like a tightening noose around my neck. I had craved Tristan, needed his quiet presence, his clear eyes, to ease the tension coiling in my gut. He was my sanctuary, the only true thing in a world of lies. But here he was, locking himself away in this small cabin on a damn cruise ship.I swung the door with a loud thud, revealing Tristan. He stood there, h