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Chapter 2

Auteur: Cher
Everyone just stood there, stunned. Isabella went ghost-white.

She rushed over and gripped my hand hard. "Giulia, dear," she begged, voice trembling. "For both families' reputations, please—let's finish the ceremony. We'll explain everything after."

I stared at her, remembering how three months ago she'd looked me dead in the eye and promised, 'You'll be the only lady of this house. I'll treat you like my own daughter.'

What a joke.

I yanked my hand back. "Is the 'explanation' you mentioned about welcoming your son's side chick or demoting my dad to your grandson's butler?"

"Giulia, please try to—"

"Oh, I get it," I snapped, turning to the crowd. "Let me make it real simple. I'd rather blow up this entire alliance than marry that garbage. And trust me—I've got options."

Marco cracked.

He scooped up Lola and stormed out. Isabella screamed after him, but he didn't look back.

"Marco! Get back here!"

Too late.

Alessandro's face turned stone-cold. Clearly, even he hadn't seen this disaster coming.

The ballroom doors slammed. Silence followed, thick and tense.

I stood there, center stage, feeling every stare burn into me.

Some looked sorry. Others were eating it up. And a few were just waiting to see how the De Lucas would react.

Isabella pulled herself together and stepped up to the mic.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is just a small misunderstanding. We—"

"Misunderstanding?" I cut in, laughing coldly. "Your son humiliated me in front of every major family. That's your excuse?"

"Giulia, please, just give us a chance..."

"A chance?" My voice cracked through the silence. "He already made his choice. What else do you think I need?"

Isabella went pale again but wouldn't quit. "To preserve the alliance, maybe... maybe you could finish the ceremony with Marco's family ring. That way—"

"Marry a RING?" I blinked at her. "You really want me to be the mafia world's punchline?"

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

By morning, this would be all over the North American underworld—'Giulia De Luca, the so-called Lady of Glory, dumped by a loser and offered a ring instead of a groom.'

I was boxed in.

Say yes, and I'd torch my pride. Say no, and my family would be at war with one of the most powerful mafia dynasties.

Silence. Heavy and choking.

Everyone was watching, waiting to see how the legendary Lady of Glory would claw her way out.

I was just about to declare the De Lucas were cutting ties for good when a deep voice rang out from the back.

"Signorina De Luca, do your words still stand?"

Heads whipped around.

A tall figure rose from the shadows. He moved stiffly, but every step hit like a power move.

I froze.

Dante Falcone.

Marco's older brother. The real heir.

He'd taken a step back from family affairs after that near-fatal hit three years ago.

He moved toward the stage, his left leg dragging slightly. But those eyes—sharp, locked in, like he saw everything.

The air thickened with every step.

"Dante, what are you doing?" Isabella's voice wavered, caught between panic and disbelief.

He didn't even blink her way.

His eyes stayed on me.

"You said you'd pick a new fiancé. That still on the table?"

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  • My Fiance's Gone, His Brother Stayed   Chapter 9

    "Are we locked on the mercenaries' location?"I stood in Dante's office, eyes locked on the map of Chicago. Red pins stabbed through it like warning signs."Confirmed," Rico said. "Dozens flew in last night on a private jet. Isabella burned through her last stash to hire them.""The target?""Salvatore's funeral. Tomorrow. Alessandro's showing up. Marco wants to take everyone out in one shot."Figures. Exile had snapped him clean. With Isabella egging him on, he was going all in."Get our people ready," Dante said, already unlocking the weapons cabinet. "If he wants war, we finish it."***By morning, Saint Mary's Cathedral was packed.Salvatore had betrayed us, yeah—but old blood still got a proper send-off.Alessandro sat front row. Dante and I were right beside him.Something felt off. A few "mourners" had weird placements—one near every exit."It's starting," Dante murmured.Right on cue, just as the priest began to pray, the back doors banged open.Marco barged in wi

  • My Fiance's Gone, His Brother Stayed   Chapter 8

    The second I stepped in, all eyes locked on me.Marco and his crew looked like they wanted me gone yesterday. Dante gave a small nod—calm face, but his eyes flickered with something close to worry.But Alessandro caught me off guard. No rage, no doubt—just this calm, unreadable satisfaction."Giulia, my dear." He stood, pulled out a chair beside him. "Sit."Marco's jaw clenched. The Capos traded nervous glances."Papa, what are you doing?" Marco hissed.Alessandro sat down, eyes sweeping the room. Then locked on Marco, full of disappointment."Do you even realize what you just said?""I accused betrayal!" Marco snapped. "Dante betrayed us. He betrayed Chicago!""No." Alessandro's voice dropped cold. "You falsely accused the woman who saved this family. Giulia De Luca is a gift from God. And you—" his stare burned through Marco—"you humiliated her over some damn stripper."Rocco jumped in. "Don, what about our independence—""Independence?" Alessandro scoffed, walking to the

  • My Fiance's Gone, His Brother Stayed   Chapter 7

    "Salvatore, there's a three-million-dollar hole in the West Dock accounts."Dante's voice cut through the room like ice.The named Capo turned pale, his hands trembling. "Don, I can explai—""No need." Dante stood, moving like his leg had never been hurt. "Angelo, take him to meet God."Two guys in black closed in."Dante! Don't! I fought beside your father!" Salvatore thrashed, panicked."Which makes it worse." Dante sat back down. "Get him out."The doors shut. Silence dropped. No one dared look up.Since getting back on his feet, Dante had wiped out six traitors and cleaned up three branches. Fast, brutal, no second chances."East Side casino's next." Dante flipped a page. "Tommy, your numbers are up forty percent. Solid work."Tommy lit up. "All thanks to Don's leadership!"Alessandro, seated at the head, watched quietly. In three months, Dante had flipped the family upside down—and earned his respect.After the meeting, Alessandro stayed behind."You handled that well

  • My Fiance's Gone, His Brother Stayed   Chapter 6

    "This will hurt. You'll need to bear it."The lab doc held up a long needle, eyes on Dante."We need to hit the damaged nerve root. It'll take about six hours."I sat next to Dante, watching him stay calm.Getting him this treatment? I'd pulled every string the De Luca Family had.Three private jets flew in the gear. Five top neurosurgeons flew in under the radar."Let's do it," Dante said, lying back on the surgical table, steady as ever.I grabbed his hand. "I'm not going anywhere."They started. Machines worth more than some mansions buzzed around us. I just kept praying.Six hours later, the lead doc peeled off his mask, looking wiped but pleased."It worked. He should get full use of his leg back in three weeks."I finally breathed.Dante crashed hard after—slept three days straight. I barely left his side.Morning of day four, his eyes opened."How do you feel?"He tested his leg, a flicker of shock crossing his face. "Feels... good. Pain's down. I can feel the str

  • My Fiance's Gone, His Brother Stayed   Chapter 5

    "Let go of me!"Marco's voice bounced off the clinic walls, but Dante didn't move an inch."Giulia's about to be my wife. The Lady of the Falcone Family," Dante said, voice low and lethal. "You better learn respect."The staff froze, caught in the silent pressure of the moment.Marco struggled but couldn't break free. His face flushed."You think marrying her changes anything? You're still a cripple!""Is that so?"Dante let go. Marco stumbled back, rubbing his wrist."You can't even protect yourself," Marco sneered. "And you think you can protect her? That bullet made you dead weight. Papa was just too polite to say it."The room went still.I saw it—the way Dante's whole body tensed. Coiled tight. But his face? Ice."You'll never lead this family," Marco spat. "A cripple can't be Don."Dante looked ready to answer, but I stepped in, sliding naturally to his side."You're right, Marco," I said coolly. "Dante was injured."Marco smirked, thinking I'd folded."But," I sna

  • My Fiance's Gone, His Brother Stayed   Chapter 4

    The next morning, a soft knock woke me."Signorina, breakfast is ready," a maid called through the door.I stared at the ceiling for a second, letting last night hit me all over again.I was engaged. And in a month, I'd be married to Dante Falcone.After freshening up, I made my way to the dining room.Dante was already there, papers spread in front of him."Morning," he said, standing to pull out my chair."Morning." I sat, eyeing the fancy breakfast. "You're up early.""Old habit." He slid a document toward me. "Property agreement. All your assets stay yours—I won't touch a cent."I flipped through it. Way more generous than I expected.It basically gave me full freedom."Also," Dante said, "I arranged a memorial Mass for your mother this afternoon. I know you were young when she passed."I looked up, caught off guard.That loss was buried deep—and he remembered."Thank you," I said, voice catching."We're getting married," he said softly. "It's the least I could do."

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