Chapter 1

Chiara's POV

I was getting ready to leave school when the sky suddenly opened up.

Alessio Romano hadn't forgotten what happened at the family assessment three days ago. He left me stranded in the downpour and had the driver take him back to the estate first.

We went everywhere together, so there was no extra car coming for me.

I borrowed an umbrella from the school, changed into regular clothes, and walked back to the estate in the pouring rain.

The butler, Salvatore Greco, was flustered when he saw me appear at the estate gates, soaked to the bone.

"It's pouring out there. Your health isn't the best. You could've called me, and I would've come for you myself!" he said. "If Don Moretti finds out we let you go through this, he'll have our heads!"

I took the towel calmly and dried myself off, then took the change of clothes from the servant.

"Relax. Don Moretti won't find out. And if he does, I'll tell him I chose to walk in the rain to punish myself."

Salvatore let out a long sigh.

"Was it another fight with Alessio? You two used to get along so well. Why does it keep coming to this lately?"

Ever since the Don, Vincenzo Moretti, agreed to let Vittoria Bellandi attend the family school, Alessio and I had been fighting constantly, and it was always about her.

During tactics class, I didn't bring an extra gun for Vittoria, so apparently, I was humiliating her in front of everyone.

During an overwatch drill, I accidentally blocked her line of sight, so apparently, I was sabotaging her on purpose.

Once, I ate the last burger before she could get to it, and Alessio spent an entire day chewing me out over it.

People in the family liked to joke that Vittoria was Vincenzo's unofficial Principessa, and Alessio was her protector. He'd protect her from every scratch and every bloodshed.

Even I, his childhood friend, was just something to be swept aside if I got in his way.

When I passed Alessio's door after heading upstairs, Salvatore deliberately pushed it open so I could see inside.

"Alessio still isn't back. He's probably out in the rain somewhere, sulking. Chiara, why don't you give him a call? You two seldom stay at odds for more than a couple of days."

I didn't say a word. I shut my door and sank into a warm bath.

Once I stopped shivering from the cold, I picked up my phone and started scrolling absentmindedly.

That was when Alessio posted a photo in the class group chat.

In the photo, he had his arm around Vittoria. They were both holding up a gun, aiming at a target in front of them.

He followed it up with a message. "Vittoria said if I impress her enough, she'll allow me to get close to her and be her personal trainer."

But it was what was at the center of the target that caught my eye.

I zoomed in on the photo until I could read the engraving.

It was a custom pocket watch, my initials and Alessio's carved into the rim, a photo of the two of us tucked inside.

Now, it had a bullet hole straight through the middle, and the casing was warped.

The group chat erupted.

"Classic Alessio. Even his targets are different from everyone else's. Whose watch is that?"

"If I'm not mistaken, I think it belongs to Chiara. She's the only one I've ever seen carry something like that."

"She used to treat that thing like it was priceless. Did she actually let Vittoria use it as a target?"

In the photo, a raindrop clung to the shattered face of the watch.

Alessio had probably long forgotten that he was the one who gave it to me for my 15th birthday. I'd carried it on me every day since, careful not to let so much as a scratch touch it.

I never could've imagined that in the span of just one day, it would be reduced to scrap metal.

Vittoria jumped in to explain on his behalf.

"It's all Alessio's fault. He insisted on showing off his marksmanship, claiming he could hit the smallest target from 300 feet away. He dug around and ended up pulling out that pocket watch."

Alessio followed up right after.

"It's just a watch. I'll replace it. I'll buy ten if one isn't enough. I almost forgot how she loves blowing things out of proportion, as if she's terrified Don Moretti won't hear about it otherwise."

Vittoria sent a laughing emoji.

"Alessio, you'd better start thinking about how you're going to explain this to Chiara when you get back. Don't go fighting all night again and show up to class tomorrow with dark circles under your eyes."

Alessio replied with a helpless emoji.

My eyes burned. I put my phone face down, dried off, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and pulled the duvet over my head.

Only when my tears had finally run dry did I get out of bed and sit down at my desk.