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Chapter 3

Penulis: Sarah Lane
My heart skipped a beat. I hung up the phone instantly.

"You're back from your trip?"

Vittorio avoided my gaze, clearly guilty. Then, he glanced at the wedding dress draped over the sofa. His brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Isabella, I told you I have no mind for a wedding right now. Can you stop pushing me?"

He paused. "Just give me a little more time. I swear I'll marry you."

A faint chuckle escaped my lips. I was dying to ask him what made him assume I'd marry a person who has no love for me. Yet, I ultimately held back and said nothing.

"My college roommate is getting married. She just mistakes the shipping address for her dress."

Vittorio let out a long, audible sigh of relief. I picked up the dress and walked straight out the door. That night, I picked up a marker and crossed off another day on the calendar. Tomorrow was Vittorio's birthday, and it was also the final day I got to stay by his side.

Early the next morning, Serena's phone call woke me up.

"Isabella, I know you're busy with wedding, but you can’t abandon the company! Ask Vittorio to get back to the office. There's a mountain of paperwork waiting for his signature!"

She rattled on and on, not intending to pause at all.

"There is one more thing. I heard that Dante Moretti, the president of Vespera Capital, was about to get married next week. Vittorio had better find a way to get an invitation and show his face. If Dante Moretti gives his nod, our IPO is absolutely guaranteed."

"Wait." I interrupted her.

I had been distracted by a gnawing stomachache, but her words jolted me awake. "Who did you say was the president of Vespera Capital?"

"Dante Moretti!"

Serena sighed in admiration.

"He's a true silver-spoon heir. We're entirely at Vespera Capital's mercy for the IPO, but I heard Vespera Capital is barely even a notable business for their Group.”

The mention of Dante Moretti, Vespera Capital, and investment struck me as way too much of a coincidence.

Seeing my silence, Serena asked.

"Isabella? Are you hearing me?"

"Yes… yes, I'm listening."

I pressed my lips together.

"I'll pass everything you said on to Vittorio."

Relieved, Serena added, "Alright. Have you set a date for your wedding? I want a hard-copy invitation. Don't try to cut corners with a digital one!"

I smiled softly.

"Next week. Don't worry about the invitation. I'll hand it over myself in person."

After hanging up, I dialed Vittorio. His voice was cold.

"What’s up?"

"What are you busy with? Serena said you haven't been to the headquarters for several days."

He lowered his voice, furious.

"What do you think I'm busy with? Why did you throw paint on Elara's front door? You know she's timid and easily frightened! Isabella, since when did you become so vicious?"

I was astonished.

"Elara told you I did it, and you just believed her?"

"She has never lied to me in her entire life!" He declared self-righteously. "I'll assign someone else to handle the company."

He was about to hang up, but I stopped him.

"Are you coming home tonight?"

"Isabella, why do you have to be so unreasonable when Elara needs me the most?"

I froze.

"Today is your birthday and our sixth anniversary."

I rubbed my aching stomach gently.

"Vittorio, you promised we would spend every anniversary together."

"I…"

Vittorio hesitated, a hint of guilt creeping into his tone.

"I almost forgot."

"Isabella, I'm coming back right now. I'll pick up some pastries you love on the way."

I was about to say something when a startled scream from Elara echoed through the phone.

Vittorio was so panicked that he didn't even hang up. He immediately lowered his voice to soothe her.

"Don't be scared. I'm right here. Don't cry. I'm not going anywhere."

I hung up the phone and stared at the empty penthouse. As the hands of the clock spun around and around, the night fell as heavy and suffocating as a black curtain.

Aside from the delivery guy dropping off my takeout, there was absolute silence. I knew Vittorio wasn't coming back. At 3:00 AM, my phone lit up. It was a message from Vittorio.

[Isabella, Elara is having nightmares. I'll be back before dawn. Wait for me.]

I pushed my suitcases out the door and hailed a cab to the airport without looking back. Vittorio, this time, I wouldn’t wait for you anymore.

My belongings and my very soul would leave Vittorio today and never come back.
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  • No Second Chances   Chapter 9

    Elara stared at him in sheer disbelief."She's about to marry Dante Moretti. Why are you giving her such an extravagant gift? Its market value right now…""She deserves it." Vittorio tossed out three words and walked out without a backward glance. Elara hurried after him. "Where are you going?""I have an appointment. Get yourself home.""…"Elara was left standing in the cold, abandoned by Vittorio. Her body was still aching terribly, making it impossible for her to keep up with his long strides. In the end, she had no choice but to hail a cab back to her own apartment.But she was not as gentle and accommodating as Isabella. Before 9:00 PM, she had already started bombarding Vittorio's phone, call after call. Vittorio didn't answer. Thus, she dialed frantically, sending text after text. Isabella might have been naive and easy to manipulate, but Elara wasn't. She truly couldn't fathom what kind of spell Isabella had used on him. Before, it had never seemed like he was deeply in lov

  • No Second Chances   Chapter 8

    "Suit yourself." I hung up the phone and sent him every single screenshot of the chat logs Elara had sent me that night. Each screenshot was like a brutal slap, striking him without mercy. Vittorio was rendered completely speechless. His eyes were nothing but a bloodshot, agonizing red. Yet, I was expressionless and simply held out my hand toward him. "When will you give me the pendant? Serena said you refused to give it to her."Then, I cut off any escape route he might have had. "Just FedEx it to me." "Isabella…"His voice was hoarse, his gaze practically begging. "Can't you give me one more chance? Just once.""Vittorio De Luca."I blinked, my tone even. "We’re done." Vittorio almost fled in shame. Every single word in those screenshots had stripped him of his pride, leaving him unable to lift his head in front of me.The moment his private jet landed, Vittorio went straight to Elara's apartment. Hearing the commotion, Elara stumbled out of her bedroom, rubbing her sleepy ey

  • No Second Chances   Chapter 7

    When I returned home, my mother was almost glued to my side. She accompanied me through every single detail of the wedding preparations. In her words, since a wedding only happened once in a lifetime, it absolutely had to meet my complete satisfaction.One day, Dante Moretti, paid a visit to our home, accompanied by his parents. They brought an array of extravagant gifts. Dante’s mother slipped a flawless, jade-green bangle onto my wrist."I can't wait for you to join our family so you can keep Dante in line for me." She continued to tease. "He has been cold and detached lately, he lacks any warmth."Hearing this, a blush crept onto my cheeks. I instinctively glanced toward Dante. As expected, Dante wore the same aloof, unbothered expression.I nervously rubbed my palm, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Auntie, Mr. Moretti…"The moment the formal title slipped from my lips, everyone in the room turned to look at me, including Dante Moretti.Dante Moretti’s expression was unreadable. A faint,

  • No Second Chances   Chapter 6

    The second he burst through the front door, Vittorio’s heart didn't settle. Instead, it plummeted into a bottomless abyss. The penthouse was terrifyingly empty. It was spotless, sterile, and felt exactly like a high-end property waiting for a new owner. There wasn't a single trace of Isabella left. The photo wall that she used to cherish so much was completely bare.Vittorio walked stiffly toward her bedroom, which was even emptier than the living room. There wasn't a single strand of her hair left behind. It felt as though a vital piece of his heart had been violently carved out. Clutching at the last frayed thread of hope, he threw open the wardrobe and emptied every drawer in the bedroom and the bathroom…Suddenly, Vittorio realized he had completely misunderstood Isabella. She had always been so sensible that even she made sure not to leave a single trace behind before leaving him forever.He stumbled out of the bedroom in a daze. It wasn't until he passed the dining room that he f

  • No Second Chances   Chapter 5

    The next morning, Serena got out of bed and directly dialed Vittorio. Having been hounded about work for days, Vittorio was in no mood to be polite."It's the weekend. Even if you have me sign documents, can't you wait until Monday?" Serena didn't beat around the bush."Where are you?"There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.Unable to hold back, Serena pressed."Still playing nurse to Elara? You've been with Isabella for all these years, don’t you care about her at all?”"Serena Russo, I always thought you were reasonable. Why are you acting as willful as Isabella now?" Vittorio rebuked. "Our relationship is perfectly fine. Just mind your own business."Hearing this, Serena actually sneered. "Perfectly fine? Are you sure? Do you even know where she is right now?" A flash of indignation bled into her tone, defending her friend. Everyone knew exactly how much Isabella had sacrificed to stand by his side over the years. Now that their business was finally thriving, Vitt

  • No Second Chances   Chapter 4

    Vittorio received the message just as he had finally coaxed his childhood sweetheart back to sleep. At the first chime of his phone, his brow furrowed, terrified that the sound would wake Elara. Still, when he saw the caller ID, he picked up the phone as quietly as possible.[Vittorio, we break up.]He walked out onto the balcony and immediately dialed me. But there wasn't even a dial tone. He felt a violent lurch in his heart. A wave of panic, sharp and suffocating, began to spread wildly through his chest. He felt as though he was about to lose something of immeasurable importance. But, he didn't dare think too deeply. Driven by urgency and near-panic, he turned and bolted toward the door."Vittorio!"Just as he reached the foyer, Elara's frail voice stopped him. Turning back, he saw her deathly pale face."Where are you going? Are you going to leave me all alone?"Vittorio and Elara were truly childhood sweethearts. They had grown up living right across the hall from each other, wal

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