Chapter 1

The coming-of-age ceremony had yet to start, and a few of my elders were already getting restless.

My Aunt Francesca came over with a glass of wine and patted my shoulder. She sighed and said, "You've chased after Dario for so many years. Good thing you're finally getting what you want today."

Dario Morandi's uncle chimed in, "Tell me about it. The daughter of a Don has humbled herself for a man. Would anyone believe that?"

They laughed and shook their heads, like they were talking about something ridiculous that was finally coming to an end.

I didn't argue. They were right, after all. For the past six years, I'd done plenty of humiliating things for Dario.

He liked horse racing, so I'd bought an entire racetrack for him. He'd casually mentioned that he liked a certain watch, and I'd had one flown in from abroad the very next day.

Now, he stood not far away, watching me get mocked. I looked away in disgust.

All he did was laugh, set down his glass, and walk toward me. His steps were unhurried, and his gaze was steady and confident, just like in my previous life.

"Cecilia, don't pull a face in front of all these people," he said cockily. "Sure, our families have a promise to marry, but you should know that whether you get to marry me doesn't depend on how long you've pursued me. It depends on what you can bring to the table."

I snorted. "Dario, you're not the only son the Morandi family has, are you?"

The smug look on his face froze, and the snickering behind me cut off abruptly.

The connection between the Vito and Morandi families went back to my grandfather's generation. He and Dario's grandfather had fought side by side in Vidaly and agreed that their descendants would marry.

The marriage never happened in Papa's generation, so the engagement was passed down to ours. And Papa had made it clear that whoever in the Morandi family married me would gain the right to merge all of the Vito family's assets with the Morandi family's.

The Vito family controlled the most important port and three-quarters of the smuggling routes, not to mention countless legitimate businesses. Everyone knew how massive that pool of resources was. Obviously, Dario knew it, too.

After a moment, Dario regained his composure and even chuckled. "Are you threatening me?"

"No," I said. "I'm just telling you that you're not indispensable. Besides, don't you already have someone you like?"

I nodded toward Lina Greco, who was quietly edging closer to him.

The smile vanished from his face, and surprise flashed in his eyes. In my previous life, I hadn't found out until our wedding day. Still, knowing about this little affair ahead of time didn't make him realize I'd been reborn. Instead, he just wrapped an arm around Lina's shoulders.

"It's all the better that you already know," he said. "From now on, be nicer to her. As long as you don't interfere with us, I can still give you the status and dignity of being my wife."

I was so stunned by his shamelessness that I couldn't help turning to look at him. His gaze on me was as arrogant as ever.

How ridiculous. Did he expect me to react as I had in my past life? That I'd fly into a jealous rage and then try even harder to please him?

When I didn't say anything, he pulled Lina closer and asked, "What's wrong? Are you jealous?"

Lina lifted her head and glanced at me timidly. She said softly, "Ms. Vito, I'm only here to help. Please don't get the wrong idea…"

"I don't mind," I said, turning to leave. "You two can do whatever you want."

Behind me came the sharp crash of shattering glass. It was like someone had just realized I'd gone off script and had crushed their wineglass, unable to control their anger.

Lina deliberately let out a shrill cry, the sound following me as I walked away. "Dario, your hand is bleeding! Let me take you to the back to get it bandaged…"

Her voice grew louder. "But I'm afraid Principessa will be upset."

I turned to look. Dario immediately pulled Lina tightly into his arms and lifted his chin at me. "What's there to be upset about? There's no way I'll marry her if she doesn't even have the grace to tolerate this."

With that, he looked away from me and walked off with Lina in his arms.