Aria
“Thank you, daddy!” I cheered, jumping up and down. I had finally heard the news I had been waiting for.
The Garcias agreed to our proposal. I would marry the love of my life, and I would become his wife.
“I know, muffin.” Dad smiled proudly. “When has dad ever let you down?”
“Never?”
“That’s right, never!” He pulled me closer while mom stood behind with a sour expression on her face. She was not fond of the idea of having Vincenzo Garcia as her son-in-law, but I luckily managed to persuade her with some good arguments.
If we could turn the Garcia name around, all families would be impressed with us.
“Aria, you barely even know this guy,” Mom spoke, unamused. “I told you Cesca and Lita have sons—“
“I’m going to marry Vince, mom.” I made it clear. “And nothing you’ll ever say or do will change how I feel about him.”
“You heard her, sweetheart.” Dad shrugged at mom. “So I’m thinking we should announce your engagement at your birthday party—to get the news out there.”
“I agree!” I nodded enthusiastically. The more, the merrier.
Having the opportunity to marry someone as handsome and kind as Vince was indeed something to brag about.
I heard nothing but amazing things about his personality. Others described him as strong, handsome, kind, determined, and respectful, especially towards women. My future husband was perfect.
“Do you want me to hire someone for the preparations?” Dad suggested.
“For what, the birthday or the wedding?” Mom asked, trying to sound uninterested.
“Both.”
“I’m her mother, so I’ll do it.” She brushed her hair to the side. I was her only daughter, and she loved attention, so it was only fair for her to prepare the wedding.
“Now that it’s my engagement party as well, I need to buy a hot dress!” I came to the realization. “So I was thinking, V-line, sparkling and short?” I posed, pouting my lips. “Short enough for Vince to get a nosebleed?”
“Look at my baby, all grown up!” Dad gushed, pinching my cheeks. “No man could ever deny her charms or beauty. That’s why the Garcias have instantly agreed to it!”
“I wonder where she got it from.” Mom gave us a one-sided shoulder shrug, making dad let go of my cheeks.
“From you, of course.” He opened his arms, pulling her into a hug. I cringed as mom stood on her tippy toes and kissed his nose.
“Okay, first of all—bleh.” I pulled a disgusted look. “Furthermore, I need Vince’s number so we can discuss what color to wear. I want us to match.”
“Of course, muffin. I’ll text you his number.” My dad shamelessly caressed the sides of mom’s thigh. “And for you, my love—for you, I’ve got a different plan.”
“Gross.” I gagged as a high-pitched giggle released from between mom’s lip. Even after all these years, they were still very much in love and behaved like newlyweds.
It would be the same for Vince and me. I was sure of it.
“Anyway, I’ll be out to find my perfect dress for the announcement.” I excused myself before heading downstairs.
No matter how many times I would repeat it in my head, it still seemed unreal. I was actually getting married to the man I wanted to be with. With a broad smile, I grabbed my phone to text the only friend I had made until now. Stella.
—
Aria
Dress shopping?
Stella
When?
Aria
Now!
Stella
I’m sorry, I can’t
I’m with Serena
Aria
No problem, have fun xx
—
Serena this, Serena that.
That bitch was like a cockroach that just wouldn’t go away.
It was already bad enough that I had no choice but to invite her to my birthday party because she was not only Christian’s wife but also an Alfonzo.
What if Vince looked at her the same way he did at the wedding?
How could someone’s wife be my rival? That part was still beyond me.
“To the mall, at once.” I lowered my sunglasses before snapping my fingers. One thing I loved about my comfortable life was that daddy always made sure I got whatever I desired. I never had to ask for something twice.
“Yes, Miss Morales!” The driver ran to the car to open the door for me.
“And give it some gas—will you?” I skipped to the back. “I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
“You got it, miss.”
A while later, I had found my store—a designer boutique that would undoubtedly have my perfect dress for my special day.
“Can I offer you a champagne?” One of the employees welcomed me. I pulled back my sunglasses to take a better look at the woman. She didn’t even ask me for my ID. I guess getting engaged gave me a more mature look—a special glow.
“Forget the champagne.” I shrugged her off. “I need you to show me your most expensive dress.”
“T-the most expensive?” The woman stuttered. “Please follow me!”
I followed the woman to a golden gown and froze at the magnificent piece of clothing in front of me. “Wow.”
That was it. That’s my dress.
“This is a $35.000 designer evening gown.” She spoke. “There is only one piece left.”
“It looks amazing. It looks perfect!” I gasped, touching the ends with my fingers. If I wore this at the announcement, Vince would not be able to take his eyes off me.
“I’ll—“
“Take it.” Someone dared to finish the sentence. “I’ll take that dress!”
Startled, I turned my head and stared at a girl whose outfit was almost similar to mine. My eyes traveled from her pink crop top, to her tight jeans and stopped at the identical designer bag in her hands. Was this a joke?
“Miss, we haven’t seen you in a long time.” The employee pushed me aside to greet the girl.
“Excuse me, miss.” I expressed my annoyance.
“I think you’re interrupting something here.”
“So 35K, you say? My dad will double it.” The girl continued, ignoring my words. “So do I pay in cash, card, or do you want me to write you a check?”
The saleswoman cackled loudly. “Whatever works for you, miss!” She covered her mouth with her hand.
Double it? I bet dad could triple it.
“Hello, that is my dress?” I tilted my head and waved at the unbothered girl.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” The girl spoke, finally addressing me. Perhaps she didn’t fully understand, but that was okay. As long as she apologized, there would not be an issue.
“I’m sure you can find something else over there…in the lower range section which suits you.” She surprised me instead. So there would not be an apology?
“What?”
“Does the dress come in a box?” The girl yet again ignored my existence. In my city, something like this would never happen. Not in a million years. No one would even dare to disrespect Aria Morales.
“Yes, it comes in a box—“
“I’m not letting you walk away with that dress!” I spoke loudly, protecting the piece of clothing with my arms. “There’s no way in hell!”
The girl placed her bag on the sofa and cracked her knuckles. “I know you’re not talking to me.” She chuckled in a mocking tone. “Do you even know who you’re talking to?”
Me?
“Do you know who you’re talking to?” I raised my voice and placed my bag on the floor. “The dress doesn’t even suit you, so I suggest you just let it go.”
“Thanks, but I’ll take the dress.” The girl waved her hands. “You wouldn’t be able to afford it anyway.”
Okay, that was it.
Calling me broke is where I drew the line
“I’ll give you one chance to apologize, and if you don’t—there will be some serious consequences,” I spoke calmly, killing hee with kindness. I’d be damned if I would accept this knockoff version of myself call me broke.
“Oh, wow!” The girl threw back her head in laughter.
“And what will those consequences be? Please show me. I would like to know!”
AriaTiago stepped aside to let me into his apartment."So, what do you think?" he asked, shutting the door behind us.I walked in awkwardly, hesitating my next move as he closed the door behind us. My guts told me to run back to the hotel and see what Vince was up to, but I also knew that was none of my business.After all, he was the one who had left me with his friend.When I didn’t respond, Tiago gently placed his hand behind my back and guided me further into the apartment, where I couldn’t help but admire the sleek, modern vibe of the place. He seemed well-organized."You’ve got a nice house," I commented, impressed. “It looks clean and everything.”"Thanks," he replied, glancing back at me with a smile. “Come on, let me give you a tour.”Tiago led me around the house and was rather talkative, yet my mind was still stuck at Vince. Would he be with her?Livia?I saw the way he looked at her, and I couldn’t blame him. She was gorgeous, kind, smart—normal…I hadn’t even noticed we
AriaI walked up the stairs of a beautiful restaurant, following behind Vince as we were led to a dimly lit hall. Through the glass windows, I could already see a guy standing inside, waving with a bright smile plastered on his lips.One of the waiters opened the door, and the guy immediately pulled Vince into a warm hug. As he looked at me over Vince’s shoulder, I took the opportunity to study his face. He was handsome and toned, with beautiful golden brown curls, but the thing that made him likable without having to say a word was his sincere and kind smile.That was something I could never manage, no matter how hard I tried—because nine out of ten times, my smile was forced.When Vince let go of him, he took a step forward and gave me a polite nod. I tried to smile back, feeling a bit out of place.“Your wife?” he asked, his tone cheerful.Vince nodded and walked over to place his hand behind my back before gently pushing me forward. I stuck out my hand, but instead of shaking it,
VincenzoWe had finally arrived at our hotel in Miami. I guess it was supposed to be a honeymoon, but all I could think about was how long this trip was going to take and what kind of drag it could turn out to be with Aria by my side.To avoid any suspicion or negative comments, I booked a shared suite for Aria and me. It was all for appearances because I had also made sure the suite was big enough for separate rooms, separate beds.Getting too close to her was the last thing I wanted. The idea of being in such a small space with her was already suffocating enough.My focus was on Tiago and persuading him quickly so we could head back as soon as possible. The less time I spent here, the better.I pulled out my phone, expecting to see a text from Livia—but there was nothing. I couldn’t help but wonder what she and Dace were doing at the moment.Would they be okay?Settled in, alright?As I was the one to ask her on the trip, it made perfect sense for me to check up on her. Before doing
VincenzoA belated honeymoon?What the hell was I even thinking?The idea had popped out of my mouth before I could fully think about it, and it was all because of guilt.Aria’s excitement had me regretting the words almost immediately as I did not want to give her the wrong impression. She said she loved me, and here I was—taking her on a honeymoon. It wasn’t helping my case.As much as I appreciated her love, my opinion of her hadn’t changed. She was not someone I could see myself with, and I would never love her. I didn’t even know if I could.I pitied her because she was raised in a mess of a family she didn’t ask for. I pitied her because she didn’t know any better.A deep sigh escaped my lips as I carefully thought about my next steps. I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, be alone with her, and I would pull every string to avoid that from happening.Sprinting down the stairs, I headed to Luis, who was in the back, studying with Livia. His results had been good the past few days. A good rea
Aria"And this is why I've decided we need someone for the tech, someone to drive the truck, someone to go over the numbers, and three people—obviously you and me, to go to the auction," I shared my conclusion. I turned to Vince, who was watching me attentively, taking in every word.No words left his mouth."What do you think?" I asked, awaiting his answer."I think your brains must be hurting from planning it all out," Vince joked.I chuckled nervously. Planning did have a way of making my head spin, but I enjoyed doing it. Better yet, I already had my whole life planned out, including this very moment."I think it's a good idea," Vince admitted. "I just don't know where we can find more people from the outside who aren't afraid to work against the Lambertis." He furrowed his brows, deep in thought.I thought about the first person qualified for the job to drive the truck. Angelo.He was trustworthy, on my side, and as a Marino, knew his way around the business.Vince didn’t really
VincenzoWe sat in utter silence, on the opposite side of each other, without either of us saying a word.Aria had left the scene to give us some privacy. My eyes tried to avoid Serena, mainly because I didn’t want to get bewitched by the woman who held the power to do so.The moment I did look up, I saw Serena carrying the same smile on her lips as she always did, but this time it wasn’t because she was happy to see me. It was because she was unsure of what to say.“Vince?”Before she could say something else, I pulled out the necklace and threw it on the table. “Here,” I spoke, coldly.Her eyes widened as she grabbed the small piece of jewelry and balled it in her fist. “Did you find it?” She asked. “Who took it?”There it was again.Who took it?Where was it?The question added to my irritation. "I'm not doing this again, Serena," I told her. “I’ve already done it with Christian, I’m not doing it with you.”"I... I'm sorry," Serena looked apologetic, shaking her head. "You're right