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Chapter 2

Author: Shearheart
That evening, a message popped up from my business partner.

[Your project has been officially approved. We launch in three days.]

I stared at the screen and took a deep, steady breath. I wanted to find Ricardo and finally lay everything out between us, but he was nowhere to be found in the estate.

I called for a house staff member to fetch Ricardo.

Just past midnight tonight would mark our third anniversary.

It wasn’t long before he returned, flustered. "Don Ricardo is currently accompanying Signorina Ella. They're dining in a private suite at that premier club downtown, so he won't be able to make it back to the estate tonight."

My heart sank. I pulled out my phone and dialed Ricardo's number.

The moment he picked up, I forced out a voice heavy with restraint. "Where are you? Today is our anniversary. Did you forget?"

Ricardo lowered his voice, offering a smooth explanation. "Ella mentioned the food at this place was great, so I just came to check it out. If it’s good, I’ll bring you here next time."

"Don't be upset. I'll host a famiglia dinner tomorrow night and make it up to you properly."

After hanging up, I leaned back into the couch, thinking back on my past.

Nobody in my family had ever remembered my milestones, let alone prepared me a gift. It was Ricardo who had shown me, for the very first time, what it felt like to be truly cherished.

For our first two anniversaries, he had stayed up until midnight just to be by my side the instant the clock struck, celebrating with total devotion.

The next day, the butler, Alfred, came to inform me, "Don Ricardo has arranged the dinner. He’s invited the Tucci famiglia's inner circle to the ballroom to celebrate your anniversary."

The space was dripping with opulence, and as I walked down the ballroom, I found the famiglia's most trusted allies had already gathered.

Alfred stepped up beside me and murmured in a low voice, "Don Ricardo planned the entire evening himself. He just went to retrieve your gift and will be joining us shortly."

A few minutes later, the heavy doors of the ballroom swung open.

Ricardo walked in, sharp and commanding in a tailored black suit, carrying an exquisite velvet gift box in his hands.

My heart skipped a beat, and a quiet flare of hope flickered deep inside me.

Yet as he walked past the room full of guests, his eyes never once landed on me. Instead, he walked straight up to Ella and placed the heavy box directly into her hands.

"Emma, I'm sorry to make you suffer through this anniversary. I got you this one-of-a-kind diamond set to make it up to you. Happy anniversary."

The entire ballroom fell dead silent. The chatter evaporated instantly.

A wave of panic washed over Ella's face. She quickly pointed toward me, standing just a short distance away. "You've got the wrong person! Emma's over there!"

Ricardo turned his head in the direction of her finger, his gaze finally landing on me.

He put on a look of forced annoyance, then casually snatched a promotional gift from a nearby table and walked over to me.

"Emma, I kept this bracelet specifically for you. It suits your vibe perfectly."

A suffocating silence enveloped the room.

Without a single expression on my face, I reached out my hand and took the gift.

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  • Mistaken for the Last Time   Chapter 9

    Ricardo didn't give up that easily.Over the following weeks, he began lingering around the places I frequented most. Sometimes he’d stand by the curb outside my apartment building; other times, he’d wait near the entrance of our firm's office.The endless back-and-forth travel was visibly wearing him down. Heavy, dark circles hung under his eyes, and the crisp, immaculate standard of his suits had completely fallen apart.He brought gifts on several occasions. Once, it was a Tucci famiglia heirloom passed down through generations. Another time, he held the exact diamond headpiece that was supposed to be mine at the engagement party.Every single time I saw him, I simply walked past him.For a whole month, the same scene played out over and over. Several people at the firm began noticing his constant presence, whispering about it in private.Eventually, the city center's open-air antique market commenced.The central plaza was packed with merchants, collectors, and industry brok

  • Mistaken for the Last Time   Chapter 8

    Ricardo stood at the entrance.The immaculate suit he normally wore as a don was completely out of shape, his tie hanging loosely at his collar. The imposing aura that usually governed the Tucci famiglia had been thoroughly worn down by his desperate travels.His gaze locked onto me, and he crossed the floor toward our table.I leaned back into my chair without a word, putting physical distance between us.Ricardo stopped in his tracks, his voice raspy and choked. "I've been looking for you everywhere. I've scoured every neighboring city trying to find you."Before I could say anything, he pressed on with urgency. "I went through so many of our old videos over the past few days, learning to tell the difference between you and Ella."Your tastes, the way you treat people—there were so many. I promise you, I'll never mix you two up again."He then brought up another point, his tone carrying a touch of self-righteous consideration. "Ella was using cosca Tucci's connections to sprea

  • Mistaken for the Last Time   Chapter 7

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  • Mistaken for the Last Time   Chapter 6

    Ricardo sat frozen on the floor, unable to process what he was hearing.An antique firm.She had been building an antique firm for three straight years, an undertaking so huge, yet she had never mentioned a single word to him.The door suddenly swung open.Ricardo snapped his head up, a fleeting flare of hope surging in his chest. "Emma?"It was Ella.She was wearing the exact bridal gown meant for me, one I had chosen myself, tailored with clean, sharp, restrained lines.Standing by the door, Ella lifted the hem and eyed it with undisguised disdain."This gown is far too plain," she muttered softly. "There aren't even any jewel embellishments on it. Wearing something like this to a Tucci famiglia wedding won't command any respect at all."She took a few steps forward, looking down at Ricardo, still sitting on the floor."The ceremony has been stalled long enough. The famiglia elders are losing their patience in the hall, and the host can barely control the room anymore."Ri

  • Mistaken for the Last Time   Chapter 5

    The wedding ceremony was about to begin.Dons, elders, and business partners in an alliance with the cosca Tucci had already taken their seats, while endless media lenses were locked onto the altar.Ricardo frowned as he typed a quick message to ask Emma where she was.An error notification instantly flashed on his screen. His message had failed to send.Emma had blocked him.His heart sank, and he dialed her number on the spot. Call after call went straight to a cold, automated voice telling him the line was unreachable.Ricardo’s hand tightened around his phone until his knuckles turned white.The muffled chatter filtering in from the hall felt unbearable.Noticing his rigid stance, Ella stepped up and whispered carefully, "Still can't reach her? Is she really still holding a grudge over what happened at the engagement party?"Ricardo offered no reply, relentlessly pressing the redial button over and over, only to hear nothing but the same dead signal.A quiet panic finally

  • Mistaken for the Last Time   Chapter 4

    My mother stood at the entrance of the ballroom, her head held high in smug arrogance.Instant toxic memories rushed back into my mind, completely out of my control.At seven, she locked me in the dark tower, leaving me with lifelong claustrophobia.At twelve, I saved every penny I could to buy a tiny pendant. She confiscated all my savings and used it to buy my sister a whole fine jewelry set instead.At eighteen, I worked myself to the bone to get into a top-tier university. That day, I swore deep down that I would break free from that leeching family, no matter what it took."Who invited her?" My voice trembled, shaking with rage.Ricardo answered, completely unbothered. "Ella suggested it. She said it was only right to bring your mother to your engagement party. She thought it might help heal the rift between the two of you. Ella was only doing it for your own good."I was on the brink of a total breakdown, my knuckles turning white as I clutched my gown. "How many times h

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