Christiano guided Siena to sit in the passenger seat as he took the wheel. The moment he started the ignition, the car roared to life and raced down the road, cutting through the night air.Siena sat in silence, her mind replaying Gino’s words on a loop. He married her to secure the inheritance. Of course. Why else would he marry her? He wasn’t in love with her—just like she wasn’t in love with him. It was nothing personal. So it shouldn’t hurt. It shouldn’t matter.She took a deep breath and kept her gaze fixed on the passing landscape, though she wasn’t really seeing anything. Her nervous heart refused to settle, unease clawing inside her chest.She had never stayed away from home before—not without her mother. And now she was supposed to start a new life with a man she barely knew.It was the scariest thing she had ever done. And the worst part? There was no one left to tell her how to do it.She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even realize the car had stopped in fr
“Don’t you fucking say a word, Gino.”Christiano’s menacing threat rang through the air.Siena’s eyes widened as she turned to him—his body visibly trembling with rage, fists clenched tightly at his sides, and his eyes... a murderous red, glowing with fury. If looks could kill, Gino would’ve dropped dead on the spot.“I dare you to stop me,” Gino challenged with a filthy smirk before turning back to Siena. “You might not know this yet, but you were nothing more than a pawn—just a way for him to secure the inheritance. But if you had married me—”He couldn’t finish his sentence. Christiano shoved him hard, pinning him against the nearest wall. A split second later, a gun was pressed to Gino’s forehead.Siena gasped. She had never seen a gun in her life.“Vittorio! Look what your asshole son is doing to our son!” Lilliana screamed in horror.Everyone froze. Faces turned pale. Eyes wide with shock. The entire room was gripped by fear.Oh God, what was happening here? She had never imagin
She snapped out of her trance when her father stopped before the altar and gently placed her hand in the groom’s, her fingers brushing his for the first time.An electrifying sensation jolted through her, making her heart thud louder.His fingers curled around her small palm as he helped her up the steps to the altar. Once she stood beside him, he let go of her hand without a word, his expression unreadable. Christiano hadn’t even looked at her since she arrived. His jaw was clenched, his steely grey eyes focused ahead, as if this ceremony was just another formality in a day full of business transactions. The priest cleared his throat gently, beginning the sacred words. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and this company to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…”And then came the time.“Christiano Vitelli, do you take Siena Costa to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for p
By evening, Amadeo was back home after a few hours of observation at the hospital, and only then could the Costa family breathe in relief. Thankfully, it turned out to be nothing more than mild chest pain—nothing serious this time. But the doctor had been clear: no more stress. It wasn’t good for his heart, and next time, they might not be so lucky.And just like that—in the blink of a week—Siena found herself standing in a wedding dress before a full-length mirror.“I can’t believe I have to marry a man I’ve never even seen,” she cried as her best friends hugged her from both sides.“Babe, don’t cry. Your makeup will get ruined,” Anna reminded her gently. Siena sniffled and tilted her head back, trying to keep the tears from spilling.“Someone pass her a tissue,” Riya added, and the makeup artist quickly handed one over.“Don’t be sad. You look beautiful,” the artist said kindly and walked away with an empathetic smile. With trembling lips, Siena managed a faint smile and murmured in
The next morning, Siena woke up with a pounding headache and winced as sunlight hit her straight in the face.“Ugh… who the hell opened the curtains?” she groaned, pulling a pillow over her head.“Language, Siena!” came her mom Renata’s voice—sharp and disapproving.That snapped Siena awake real quick. “God forbid your father sees this guitar. He’ll lose it again,” Renata muttered, annoyed. “This isn’t something girls should be playing. Can’t you be a little more...girly?”She set the guitar back in the corner, shaking her head.“And I don’t get why your stuff is always scattered everywhere,” she added with a sigh, picking up the scattered handwritten notes—lyrics Siena had been working on for her latest song.Of course, her mom had no idea what they were for. Siena hadn’t told anyone she wanted to pursue music. Her family didn’t believe in things like that. To them, singing was just a silly hobby—something to grow out of, not chase. And a girl playing guitar? That was a big no. It wa
Siena’s bright hazel eyes stayed locked on that familiar, charming smile—the one that used to make her heart race. Fabio Santoro, her senior at school, was the guy she’d crushed on for three years, just like every other girl. He was the star student—smart, handsome, and popular. They had finally started dating six months ago, after he asked her to be his girlfriend the day he landed his first job.But tonight, that smile wasn’t for her.It was for the woman he was about to get engaged to.Her grip tightened around the beer bottle as her throat burned with a mix of alcohol and betrayal. She took another swig, her eyes stinging, then suddenly pushed through the crowd, heading straight for the stage where the picture-perfect couple stood.Behind her, Anna and Riya hurried after her, alarmed. They exchanged a quick, panicked glance. Just as Siena raised the bottle, fury burning in her eyes, ready to smash it over Fabio’s head, both girls lunged forward and grabbed her arms, pulling her ba