Chapter 2

Luca's eyes widened before they darted to the shattered remains of my phone anxiously.

Seconds later, though, he twirled his gun as his lips curled into a mocking sneer.

"Vera, I don't know why you've suddenly become such a chronic liar." Turning to look at the crowd below the stage, he put on a smile. "Let's not allow insignificant people or trivial matters to disrupt the flow of the banquet. Please, everyone, carry on."

Everyone stopped staring at me and resumed whatever they had been doing.

When I remained rooted to the spot, Luca frowned and dragged me over to a corner. Letting out a soft sigh, he tucked some loose strands of hair behind my ear.

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to investigate this matter thoroughly. Also, I can guarantee that this incident had nothing to do with Elena. Just wait till next month, okay? Once I finish handling the mess at the port and solidify my position as the Don, I'll definitely throw you a grand wedding."

Again with this promise.

I had seen over dozens of similar videos on my phone already. Some were dated back to a long time ago, while some were from the past few days.

Luca was certain that I would cave in once again, just like I had many times before.

I stared at the earnest expression on his face, feeling like something sharp had jabbed into my heart. A specific video from five years ago surfaced in my mind.

Back then, he had only just taken over the family, so his position was still rather shaky.

To alleviate his pressure, I kept to the shadows, ready to aid him at any moment.

Luca had a habit of hugging me from behind, his hot breath puffing against my neck as he peppered kisses on me.

Tilting my head back, I basked in his passionate love.

In a somewhat breathy voice, he had said, "Vera, I'm scared that I won't be able to do it. All I can ever think about is you."

I twisted around to cradle his face in my hands, stating firmly, "Luca, I'll help you, so you have to believe in yourself too."

His eyes reddened at my words. Gone was his usual cold and indifferent gaze.

"I'm sorry, Vera. For now, I still can't give you an official identity. I love you too much, and if I reveal you right now, there are plenty of people who will target you. I'm worried that I won't be able to protect you. Just wait for me a little longer, okay? Once I've stabilized my position as Don, I'll marry you and make you my Donna. Then, you'll be able to publicly stand by my side."

I had believed him then and willingly became a nobody by his side.

That lasted until half a year ago, when someone had poisoned his coffee. I had rushed over to knock the cup from his hand, but that only served to provoke the enemy, who detonated a bomb in retaliation. The resulting shockwave had sent me flying.

Luca had pulled my injured form from the ground and onto his lap, his face filled with guilt. Tears had streamed down his cheeks as he vowed that he would marry me after he had dealt with this incident.

However, after I had regained consciousness, he had changed his mind once again. "With your injuries, you wouldn't look good in your wedding dress, so let's wait till you've fully recovered. I can also use this time to gather my influence and strengthen my position. This way, I can give you a peaceful future."

Luca always had some sort of excuse to brush me off, with "stabilizing my position as Don" being his most used one.

Before I had lost my memories, I had watched as he eradicated all those who opposed him and became an outstanding Don, one step at a time.

After losing my memories, I could only rely on the videos I had taken to fall in love with him again, day after day. Yet, here he was, still using the same excuse.

"Luca."

Elena's voice dragged me out of my thoughts.

She reported to Luca, "Mario said that there's some discrepancy in the inventory records for the warehouse at the west port. We have to head over to take a look now."

For the past year, Elena had constantly used work matters as an excuse to build an invincible wall between me and Luca. Every single time, Luca would end up being lured away.

Luca's gaze remained on my face for a brief moment, but ultimately, he still turned to look at Elena.

"You should head to the flower shop for now. I'll clear my schedule for tomorrow and spend the day with you at the shop."

With that, the two of them walked off side by side.

Suddenly, Elena turned back to hand me a new phone.

"Your SIM card is already in it." Then, in a voice so soft that only the two of us could hear, she added, "Remember to look at the gallery."

My heart skipped a beat at that. I hastily checked the phone's gallery, only to find many different photos of Luca and Elena out on dates.

Without fail, every single one was dated to a time when Elena drew Luca away from me.

Elena glanced back at me, and when she noticed the shock written all over my face, her lips quirked into a provocative smile.

I stood in a corner of the hall, feeling waves of pain prick at my heart.