Chapter 4

The night before I left, I went back to the Moretti estate.

I'd come for the jewelry and photo albums my mother had left me, along with my passport and personal papers.

But the moment I pushed open my bedroom door, I stopped dead on the threshold.

The first thing I saw was a strip of fabric sticking out from under the shoe cabinet, my mother's crooked stitches caked with mud from people's shoes. When I looked up, I realized my graduation photos, my trophies, and every sign that I'd ever lived there were gone.

My chest tightened, and my breath caught. It took me two seconds to step inside.

Sophia came out of the bathroom in my silk pajamas.

When she saw me, she immediately covered her mouth.

"Emilia, why didn't you tell us you were coming? It's such a mess in here. I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

"This is my room."

Sophia bit her lip.

"Marco said that since you're marrying into the Romano family, you shouldn't keep the master bedroom here. I have so many clothes, so he let me move in."

She added softly, "You wouldn't begrudge me one empty room, would you?"

I walked over to the vanity.

The emerald bangle my mother had left me was on Sophia's wrist.

"Take it off."

Sophia clutched her wrist at once, and tears spilled down her face.

"Dante told me to wear it. He said if Mom were still here, she'd treat me like her own daughter too. Emilia, you already had all of Mom's love. Can't you spare me one thing she left behind?"

As she finished, she let go.

The bangle hit the floor and broke in two.

"Emilia, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. If it hurts you that much, hit me."

Sophia grabbed my hand and slapped it hard across her own face.

Just then, Marco and Dante pushed the door open.

There was a sharp crack.

Sophia clutched her face and crumpled to the floor.

Marco rushed over and shoved me away.

My lower back slammed into the vanity, and the pain drained every bit of strength out of me.

"Emilia, how dare you hit her?"

"She did it herself—"

"Shut up!"

Dante scooped Sophia up and shouted at me, "You hit her this hard, and now you're trying to blame her?"

Sophia shook her head, crying. "It's not Emilia's fault. I broke Mom's bangle. It's only right that she hates me."

Marco looked at the broken bangle on the floor and sneered. "It's just some dead woman's old bangle. Sophia did it a favor by wearing it. You'd hit someone over this? How are you any different from a rabid dog in a back alley?"

Dante stepped right on the pieces. The stone ground softly under his shoe. My lower back still throbbed, and a coppery taste rose in my throat.

"If Mom knew she'd given birth to something like you, she'd never rest in peace."

Sophia pleaded with them, her eyes red, "Stop it. If Emilia hears you talk about Mom like that, she'll be hurt."

The more she pleaded, the worse they cursed me.

"She doesn't get to be hurt. If we weren't the ones keeping trouble off her back, she'd have ended up dead in some alley a long time ago."

I didn't bother explaining. I just picked up the papers and photo albums my mother had left me.

Marco saw the passport in my hand, and his face darkened.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Palermo."

"Who said you could leave?"

"I've given Daniel the family crest and my statement ending the marriage alliance. As of today, I'm not marrying anyone for the Moretti family, and I'm done working for either of you for free."

Marco was so angry he laughed. "You think once you walk away from this name, anyone will take you seriously?"

"That's not your problem."

Dante pointed at the door.

"Get out! Walk out that door today, and even if Luca dumps you and you kneel outside until you die, we won't take you back."

Sophia ran after me and pressed an umbrella into my hand.

"Emilia, it's raining out."

Then, in a voice only I could hear, she said softly, "See? They still love me more."

With that, she took two steps back and cried out, "Take the umbrella, Emilia. I don't mind getting rained on. Nobody cares about me anyway."

My two brothers immediately crowded around her.

I left my key to the estate in the entryway.

Right before the front door closed behind me, I heard Marco sneer, "Three days, tops. She'll come crawling back like a dog."

At one in the morning, I dragged my luggage out of the apartment.

At dawn, I took a car to the airport. My flight was headed for Palermo, Sicily.

It wasn't until 9:30 that Luca showed up at the church.

My two brothers were with him.

Sophia was wearing my bridal robe, with the diamond brooch Luca had given her pinned to her chest.

She looked around the empty church and asked timidly, "Is Emilia still mad at me? Maybe I should wait until after she says her vows to come out."

Luca put his arm around her shoulders.

"Why should you hide? No matter what scene she makes, it won't change the fact that you matter more than she does."

Marco checked the time, his face grim.

"Emilia's still not here?"

Dante sneered, "That's the only trick that woman has, and it's a cheap one."

Claire hurried in through a side door.

"Mr. Romano, what are you all doing here?"

Luca frowned.

"We're redoing the wedding at ten. Did you forget?"

Claire looked at Luca, then at the empty altar.

"But Ms. Moretti canceled the wedding three days ago. The priest and all the guests were notified, and yesterday we even took down both families' crests."