Chapter 1

City Hall was bustling with people, and it didn't take long for someone to recognize us.

"Isn't that Luca Rossi, the one the Rossi family just brought home? And that's Sienna Costello with him."

"Who's the girl with the spare? Thought she could bag the future Don and grabbed the wrong one?"

"She's clinging to Matteo Rossi? The one they keep in the shadows? Pathetic."

Their contempt sliced into me like knives. And the man who once charged into danger for me over a single insult—"ugly girl"—now acted deaf, gazing at Sienna with tender devotion while ignoring every word.

A deep, icy chill settled deep in my bones.

"How about the tenth of next month?"

The man who hadn't spoken a word since they handed us the marriage certificate finally broke his silence.

"Fine."

Hearing the date he picked, my expression didn't change. I pulled out my phone and called the wedding planner I'd had on standby.

"The wedding date stays the same. Just change the groom's name to Matteo Rossi."

Luca's face darkened instantly. Sienna clutched his arm, her voice a saccharine drip.

"Luca, darling, don't be angry. Isabella is just throwing a fit. It's a test, right? To see if you'll obey her?"

She turned her fake, pitying eyes on me. "I was just having a bit of fun. I didn't think you'd take it so personally. But Isabella, you should know your place. The Rossi family isn't some backwater operation. Don't make this difficult for Luca."

I scoffed. "Fun? Oh, I'm sure you were. I bet it would have been even more ‘fun' if your name was next to Luca's on this certificate."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"Why does it look like the Costello heiress is the one being exposed as the other woman?"

"For real. What did this girl do to get on her bad side?"

Under the scrutiny, the color drained from Sienna's perfectly composed face, replaced by a furious blush. Her eyes promised venom. On cue, she burst into tears.

"I'm sorry! This is all my fault," she sobbed, pressing herself against Luca. "He was just trying to make me feel better. Not all of us are so… casual that we'd marry a complete stranger."

That was the trigger. Luca wrapped a protective arm around her, his voice dropping to a soothing murmur before he turned a furious glare on me.

"Isabella, that's enough. Apologize to her. Now! And cancel that goddamn wedding booking, or I swear you will never become my wife."

A humorless laugh escaped me. I pulled out the crisp, new marriage certificate, snapped a close-up photo, and posted it directly to my social media.

[Happily married. All thanks to Mr. Rossi for playing matchmaker. Wedding is the 10th of next month. Everyone's invited to the celebration.]

"Delete it!" Luca roared, trembling with rage.

"Not a chance." I turned and reached out, my fingers gently smoothing the collar of Matteo's simple shirt. He stood with a quiet, unshakeable strength that commanded the room.

"You started this game," I said, my voice cool. "Don't cry now that you're losing."

Then, Matteo's hand closed around mine. He looked directly at Luca, his voice ice-cold.

"Enough. She is my wife now. You will check your tone when you speak to her. From this moment on, Isabella is no longer your concern."