Chapter 2

Rachel came by first thing in the morning with a new tenant who wanted to take over the lease.

Luca hadn't come home all night.

At three in the morning, he'd posted a group photo from a restaurant in the chat.

Sophia had his suit jacket around her shoulders and was leaning against him.

Marco was shelling lobster for her, and Dante was crouched beside her, tending to the blisters her heels had rubbed into her feet.

The caption read, "Took all night, but we finally got our little princess smiling."

I stared at the photo. I hadn't eaten all night, but acid rose in my throat. Once the nausea passed, I turned off my phone and sent Luca's last box of things to his club in Little Italy.

At ten in the morning, Sophia sent a voice message to the family group chat.

"Emilia, are you still mad at me? Last night Luca was worried the red paint really was a warning, so he stood guard outside my door the whole time."

She paused, sounding even more wounded. "Emilia, please don't get the wrong idea. I only think of Luca as a brother. If it bothers you, I'll try not to rely on him so much from now on."

Luca replied right away, "You don't have to make yourself small for her."

Marco chimed in, "She just can't stand anyone being loved more than her."

Dante was even blunter. "She's a waste of space, clinging to the eldest daughter's place just because she was born a Moretti. Who is she to tell you what to do?"

I was about to leave the group when Luca messaged me privately with a photo of a chestnut cream roll.

"Saved this for you."

Ten years ago, at the first family banquet I ever went to, I'd stared at that dessert for a long time.

After that, every time we fought, all he had to do was bring one of those boxes home, and I'd be the first to give in.

But this time, I sent back just two words.

"No need."

His reply popped up instantly.

"Enough already."

"I'm only bothering to make up with you because you're about to be Mrs. Romano."

"Keep testing my patience, and no one will ever offer you that spot again."

It wasn't until the next message came in that I understood why he'd sent me dessert.

"Sophia's allergy meds are on the nightstand at the apartment."

"Bring them to the club. Now."

He wasn't making it up to me. He was offering me a box of pastries to get me to run Sophia's errands.

I didn't reply.

Half an hour later, Marco called.

"Where are the meds?"

"There's a pharmacy downstairs. Luca can buy them himself."

Marco laughed like he'd heard a joke. "Luca and his men guarded her all night, and you want to send him on errands? What else are you good for besides jealousy and sulking? If anything happens to Sophia, you can go kneel at Mom's grave and beg her forgiveness."

Before our mother died, she'd made my brothers promise to protect me until I inherited everything she'd left in Sicily.

But after Sophia moved into the Moretti estate, they rewrote her last words.

Now I was expected to coddle Sophia and share the seat and inheritance our mother had left me with her.

Otherwise, I was a spiteful woman who didn't deserve the Moretti name.

"I'm not bringing them."

Marco cut me off. "Emilia, don't push your luck. Without the family's support or Luca willing to marry you, what are you? At least Sophia's sweet, sensible, and easy to love. What about you? You're 30, and even your own brothers can't stand you."

The call cut off, and the busy signal kept pounding in my ears.

Then Dante texted, "I left the family crest with your doorman."

"Iron Sophia's dress."

"Her skin's delicate. Even one wrinkle bothers her."

Right after that, Sophia sent a photo of an IV in the back of her hand.

"Don't listen to Dante, Emilia."

"A few wrinkles are fine. I can put up with it."

"And if you don't want to bring the medicine, that's okay too. I can tough it out."

I stared at her messages, unmoved.

Then I called a courier and sent the meds and the dress back to the Moretti estate.

I didn't want to hear them curse me in my mother's name ever again.

That afternoon, I returned the Romano family's engagement ring and signed the papers ending the lease and transferring it to the new tenant.

That evening, the ring was delivered to Luca.

He took a picture of the ring box and posted it in the family group chat.

"Emilia, you really think you're something, don't you?"

"I'm taking this ring back."

"Even if you come crawling to the Romano estate on your knees, I'm never putting it on your finger again."

Sophia sent a crying emoji.

"Is it because the ring isn't expensive enough?"

"If it's because Luca gave me a bracelet, I'll give it back to him right now."

Luca replied, "You earned that. It has nothing to do with her."

"She's not worth a single hair on your head."

I left the group chat and signed my employment contract with Bellini Shipping.

48 hours until my flight.

They still thought I was just throwing a tantrum.

I was already counting down the hours until I went back to Sicily.