Chapter 4

"This is your wedding day, Matteo. Your wife is standing right beside you, yet you're standing here arguing with your ex-wife and making a fool of yourself in front of your guests. Why don't you take your bride and continue celebrating? You chose to move on, didn't you? You chose this woman over Bianca, so you should be happy with the life you wanted."

Matteo stood frozen, opening and closing his mouth as if he couldn't find the words to answer. His eyes moved between me and his father, and the shock on his face was impossible to miss.

"Dad, you're my father. You're supposed to be on my side," Matteo pleaded. "You can't let her embarrass our family like this. Please tell me this is some kind of joke."

"I don't treat marriage as a joke," Lorenzo answered without hesitation. "I never have, and I never will. You should learn to respect marriage too. You made your decision when you betrayed Bianca, and now you have to accept the consequences of that decision."

Alessia finally found her voice. She stared at me with wide eyes, clearly struggling to understand what was happening.

"So what? You're going to become his stepmother now? My stepmother?"

I smiled at her.

"Yes and no. I won't only be his stepmother. I will also be his father's wife, his former daughter-in-law, and, in a strange twist of fate, his new stepmother."

I looked at Matteo as I said the final words, enjoying the stunned expression on his face.

For once, he had nothing to say.

"For you, I will be your distant sister, your new stepmother-in-law, and your husband's ex-wife. Is there any other title I forgot?" I asked, looking directly at both of them.

Matteo had finally reached his limit. Without saying another word, he turned around and stormed away, leaving Alessia standing there in complete shock. She watched him disappear into the crowd before turning her eyes back to me. The moment our eyes met, the shock on her face quickly changed into disgust.

"How could you?" she spat, her face twisting with anger. "That is so disgusting. This is his father! What is he, like seventy? A hundred and fifty?"

"Oh, please stop it, Alessia," I replied calmly, although there was a sharp edge to my voice. "I can see the way you look at him. Are you already searching for your next victim? You're pregnant, you just got married, and yet you're standing here judging me."

"I know, and I'm offended that you're trying to ruin my wedding day, my party, and my new family!" she snapped, raising her voice with every word. "Have you no shame?"

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly. After everything she had done, she actually had the nerve to ask me that.

"No, Alessia. I think the person who should be asked that question is you. Have you no shame? You slept with your sister's husband, got pregnant by him, and then threw this huge wedding to celebrate it. And now you're standing here asking me about shame?"

Her face turned bright red with anger. She stamped her foot in frustration, clearly unable to think of anything to say. After a few seconds of silence, she turned around and stormed away without another word, probably going to find Matteo so they could complain about me together.

The murmurs and whispers from the guests grew louder as they watched the scene unfold. Their eyes moved between me, Lorenzo, and the retreating figures of Matteo and Alessia. Everyone had clearly witnessed enough to know that this wedding was not going to be remembered for the reasons the newlyweds had hoped.

I turned back toward Lorenzo with a small smile, trying to let go of the tension that had filled the room.

"Well, that was unexpected," I said with a small laugh.

"It was," Lorenzo replied with a smile of his own. "But it was worth it. Seeing the looks on their faces was priceless."

"Not as priceless as the look on my face," I teased, finally feeling lighter than I had all day. "You're my saviour, my hero. Today was supposed to be the worst day of my life, but you somehow turned it into one of the happiest days I've ever had. I think I should get a recording of this wedding so I can watch it over and over again. Do you think you can manage that as my wedding gift?"

Lorenzo looked at me with a strange expression, one I couldn't quite understand.

"I'm glad I could brighten your day," he said softly.

"But... getting engaged, though?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I honestly didn't expect that. I thought it might be too much for you, especially with all the attention and drama."

"I know," he admitted. "But when I saw you walking into this party, looking the way you did and trying so hard to hold yourself together, I knew I had to do something. Something pushed me to make that decision. You deserved some kind of revenge after everything they put you through, even if it had to be big and scandalous."

He paused and searched my face.

"I hope you don't mind."

"Of course I don't," I reassured him with a smile. "You've completely changed my day, Lorenzo. Thank you."

"No," he said, his voice becoming softer as he looked at me more seriously. "I hope you don't mind this."

Before I could ask what he meant, Lorenzo suddenly lowered himself onto one knee in front of me.

I froze.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small black box. When he opened it, a beautiful diamond ring caught the light.

A wave of gasps moved through the crowd around us, but I barely heard them. My eyes were fixed on Lorenzo, and I could hardly breathe.

I had expected many things that day, but I had never expected this.

Oh my God.

"Bianca," he began, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "Would you marry me?"

I stared at him, completely stunned, while the entire room waited for my answer.