Chapter 2

By then, I was surrounded by other family members holding up their phones, a torrent of abuse closing in. I’d thought he’d have something to say in my defense, but instead he blamed me. “Seraphina, I didn’t think you could be this vicious. Find time to apologize to Bianca and Lia.”

With that, he drove off without a second glance, leaving me to face the humiliation alone. It was only when the Bellini family’s head butler arrived with guards and dispersed the crowd that I could leave.

My white gown stained. My heart broke.

I sent the driver away and walked the Sicilian coast back to our castle.

When I pushed open the door, Adrian was sitting on the living room sofa smoking a cigar. I saw the clear disgust in his eyes. “You’re back?”

I looked at him calmly, speaking, “Adrian, we’re done.”

He froze, staring at my face. “Is this just about what happened at the restaurant? Seraphina, I thought you’d understand. If I’d defended you there, Bianca and Lia would have been the ones hurt.” He paused, taking a deep drag on his cigar.

“Besides, you were the one who hurt Lia first. You have only yourself to blame. Thankfully, Lia’s already forgiven you, and Bianca said she’s letting it go. It’s over and done with.”

He reached for my hair, yanked back at the stain. “Go clean yourself up. You’re making both our families look bad.”

“Adrian.” I watched his back as he turned to leave, and took a deep breath. “Three days from now is my wedding day.”

His steps came to an abrupt halt and he spun around, showing his patience completely gone. “Lia’s hurt. Do you really expect me to talk about the wedding right now?”

I looked at him, my face blank. “I’m telling you, not asking you or negotiating.”

His face darkened completely. “Stop being childish. I told you, I’m not free. A wedding without a groom will only humiliate you and the entire Bellini family.”

I clenched my fists and met his gaze. “I don’t need you for my wedding.”

He let out a cold, mocking laugh. “Seraphina, who else would dare marry you? Who would dare touch someone the Moretti family has staked a claim on?”

At that moment, a crash sounded from the family memorial room. I ran in and my blood ran cold. The silver cradle in the niche lay overturned, the baby swaddle my mother had sewn by hand was cut to shreds, the tiny silver pistol my father had made for my unborn child was dented and broken on the floor. Lia sat in the middle of the wreckage, staring at me with an innocent look on her face.

Bianca blinked back tears, her face full of helplessness and fear. “I just saw they were dusty, and tried to wipe them clean. I’m so sorry…”

Adrian shoved me hard out of the doorway and grabbed Bianca’s hands to check them frantically. “Bianca, are you hurt? Did the glass cut you?” Bianca’s gaze slid over Adrian’s shoulder, throwing me a triumphant smirk.

I knew she’d done it on purpose. I couldn’t hold back, and slapped her hard across the face.

Bianca clutched her red, swollen cheek, her voice trembling with misery. “I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean it. Please don’t hurt Lia, she’s just a child…”

Adrian stared at me, demanding that I apologize. “Seraphina, you’ve gone too far. Apologize.”

“Adrian, that was our child!” Two years prior, Adrian and I had been expecting a baby, who’d died before she could ever come into the world. What Bianca had shattered was the only thing I had left of her.

Lia ran out screaming. “Lia!” Bianca chased after her at once. Adrian’s face turned livid with rage. “Look at what you’ve done! I know how you are feeling, but did you have to hit her?”

I stared at him in disbelief, a cold chill spreading through my entire body. “Adrian, you know exactly what this memorial room means to me. That was your child too. How can you say that?”

“Seraphina!” He cut me off sharply. “None of this would have happened if you hadn’t bullied Lia at the restaurant! You brought this on yourself!”

Just then, Bianca’s terrified cries echoed from outside, followed by the crackle of the guards’ walkie-talkies. Torino family men were trying to attack this place. Adrian panicked at once, yanking his arm free of mine and sprinting outside. I lost my balance and fell hard, my head slamming into the stone floor, and everything went black.