Chapter 3. The Third Party

My heart clenched despite knowing how he felt about her when his hands rested on her slim waist. I averted my eyes and got up, trying to pull my zipper closed behind me.

“What are you doing here?” I heard Leone ask my sister.

“To see you, my love.” She said it in her most sensual voice, and I let out a frustrated breath. Why couldn’t I speak like her?

“It’s late,” he said as he gently pushed her away and turned to look at me.

“Yeah, and I’m staying here tonight,” she whispered sweetly.

I was still struggling with my zipper. When I looked toward the door, I found Naya’s blue eyes, identical to mine, fixed on me with disgust. But then her gaze fell on the necklace around my neck, and I saw a flash of jealousy in her eyes before she quickly masked her expression.

“Gia, what are you doing?” she giggled innocently, but the mockery in her voice wasn’t hidden from me. “We are here, and you’re removing your dress. Don’t be so shameless.”

Then she placed a hand on Leone’s arm and whispered, “Please, forgive her. We are the ones who failed to teach her how to behave when she was a child.” She sighed in feigned exhaustion, and my eyes narrowed at her.

“Naya, it’s our bedroom, and we were in the middle of something before you interrupted,” I said with a soft smile, and was so pleased to see her smile falter and her face twist into a nasty expression.

Why should she have all the fun?

“God, this isn’t pulling up,” I said in a tired voice as the zipper seemed to be stuck.

Leone walked over to me and took hold of the zipper, pulling it up for me. I locked eyes with my sister, and she was clearly furious to see this. The way her face twisted into an ugly scowl made me press my lips together to suppress my grin.

He pulled away, and I didn’t thank him. Why would I thank my husband when he was the one who had opened it in the first place?

But suddenly, Naya’s face changed into a gloomy, pained expression as she looked at Leone.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come. Gia isn’t happy to see me here,” she murmured in broken words, as if she were on the verge of sobbing.

She was such a good actress. She could win an Oscar if she ever tried acting in movies—for best villainess.

As she turned to leave, Leone called out, “Naya, you can come whenever you want.”

Then he looked at me with a cold gaze.

“No one will stop you.”

I didn’t want him to see how much his words hurt me. Hell, I didn’t even want to let them hurt me. But they did, whether I wanted them to or not.

He was basically telling me that he intended to shove the bitter truth in my face—that my sister was the one he loved. As if watching them make headlines every day wasn't enough to break me. 

But he didn’t know that I had stopped caring.

The more she was here, the easier it would be for me to get my freedom.

“I’ll get the guest room ready for you,” he declared before marching out of the room.

I was left alone with my sister.

“This necklace looks good on you. I don’t know why Leone was saying it wouldn’t suit you,” she said with a taunting smile.

I preferred to ignore her mocking comments, just as I had learned to do all my life.

“Gia, you’re my baby sister. I care about you. That’s why I reminded Leone that it was your wedding anniversary and told him he should give this necklace to you instead of me. I already have plenty of jewelry,” she said with another smug giggle.

So my husband remembering our anniversary hadn’t been a coincidence after all. But whatever the reason behind the gift, I wasn’t going to give my sister the satisfaction of knowing that I cared. 

“You’re so generous, Naya. You told him to give me a sixty-million-dollar necklace? That’s sweet of you, considering you’ve never spent a dime on me.”

Her smile faded slightly. She narrowed her eyes at me, then sighed and looked at me with pity.

“Gia, stop throwing yourself at Leone. He doesn’t want you.” She shook her head at me as if she were genuinely concerned. But I knew better than to believe her fake concern. “He would never be interested in a girl like you. You’re not his type. Just accept it and stop being so desperate. You’re only going to make yourself look like a whore.”

My jaw clenched as I shot to my feet and walked over to stand in front of my sister, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Who’s the whore here, Naya?” I asked calmly.

Her angry eyes widened in shock.

She had never expected me to fight back. The innocent, obedient daughter of the Valenti family never talked back. She had certainly never stood up to Naya like this.

“You’re clinging to my husband and calling me names. That makes you look pathetic.”

Her fake concern disappeared, replaced by cold hatred. The disgust she had been trying to hide was now plain on her face.

“Don’t act so high and mighty. I was only warning you,” she said coldly. “He loves me, and now that I’m back, your time is running out. Do yourself a favor and leave him with some dignity. It’s better for everyone.”

I smiled at her threat. I wasn’t scared of her. I was just tired of being trapped in the middle of their game.

She wanted me to leave Leone. I had already asked him for a divorce, but he had refused to let me go.

So, if Naya was really so certain that Leone loved her, why not let her prove it?

I decided to push her a little further.

“If he loves you and you love him, why are you begging me to walk away?” I looked straight into her eyes. “Make him divorce me. You’re so sure he wants you, aren’t you? Then convince him to choose you over me. Prove you actually hold that kind of power over him.”

I smiled, taking a step closer. “How about we make a deal? Keep him from returning to our bedroom tonight, and I’ll sign the divorce papers without a fight.” 

Naya stared at me with her mouth agape, as if I had just said something completely impossible. And why wouldn't she? What wife in her right mind would make a deal like that with the woman her husband actually loved?

To her, it looked like I was digging the grave of my own marriage. But she didn't realize what I stood to gain: my freedom.

My voice remained calm, my expression unreadable. That only confused her more. Cunning people are always looking for the hidden agenda, projecting their own viciousness onto everyone else.

“Is that a challenge?” she asked, her brow furrowing.

I smiled. “A demand.”

A slow smirk played across her lips before she murmured, “Challenge accepted. And remember—you asked for this, sweetie.”

She sighed softly, her voice dripping with mock-sisterly sweetness. But I knew her too well to fall for it.

Before I could react, her expression shifted violently. She threw herself onto the floor and began slapping her own face repeatedly. I froze, watching the surreal spectacle in total disbelief.

Just as my husband re-entered the room, she burst into loud, desperate tears.

“I’m sorry, Gia! I didn’t ask Leone to throw this party for me, I swear!” she sobbed, cowering on the carpet. “I’m sorry! Please don’t hit me! I’ll leave... I’ll leave and never come back! But I can’t stop loving him... It’s not in my control!”

“What’s going on here?” Leone’s voice cut through the air as he rushed across the room, gathering her pitiful, sobbing form off the floor.

I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes. There she was again—the real Naya hiding behind her innocent victim act.