Three

Confusion, hurt and anger; those were the three emotions I felt in a matter of seconds as I stared at Marco’s text.

What the hell was he saying? I thought as I tried calling his number again. It rang and the call was instantly rejected.

I felt my heart clench, painfully. This wasn’t possible. Macro couldn’t be breaking up with me. We’d spent too many years together for this joke to seem real.

I needed to see him, talk to him and make sure this joke was that alone, a joke!

Heading towards my closet, I changed out of my night dress and grabbed stormed out of my room, determined to reach his place in seconds and get the answers I deserved.

My father saw me on my way out, but didn’t make any effort to stop me. It was like he knew I wouldn’t do what Alecia did. I knew I wouldn’t do what Alecia did.

Getting into my car, I sped towards his penthouse and thanks to it being the early hours of the day, there was no traffic, meaning I arrived there in under an hour.

In little to no time, I was in front of Macro penthouse, banging my fist hard on his door.

“Bloody hell, I don’t remember ordering room service.”

I heard him mutter and seconds later, the door swung open. The moment he saw my face, his expression paled, then seconds later, panic set in.

“Val, what are you doing here? Why are you here and-“

“Explain,” I nearly shoved my phone in his face. “What is the meaning of this?”

He the text message, rubbed the back of his head and sighed. “Val, listen, I-“ before he could finish talking, a voice interrupted him.

“Macro? Who is it?”

Instantly, my blood ran cold upon hearing the voice.

I recognized that voice, knew it like the back of my palm and poison slipping slowly into ones internal organs, I watched as Alecia emerged from behind Macro, dressed in one of his dresses.

“Babe, who-“ She paused and her eyes widened the moment she spotted me standing there. “Oh.”

Bewildered, I looked between the two, momentarily ignoring the pain gnawing at my chest as reality set in.

“How long?” Was all I could ask.

Both of them were silent for a few seconds, before Alecia spoke up. “One year.”

My eyes went wide. One year? What about her boyfriend? Wouldn’t he- Oh!

Yet another realization set in and it was the fact that Macro, was the boyfriend she had been talking about.

I felt sick and angered at the same time. “You’ve been fucking me and my sister at the same time?” I asked, glaring at Macro who tried avoiding my gaze. “Have you?!”

“Val, Please listen to me,”

Once he began with those words, I knew it was true.

“Fucking hell Macro!” I spat. “Out of everyone you could cheat on me with, you chose to pick my own fucking sister?! And you,” I turned my attention on Alecia. “How could you do this? Fucking my fiance? Leaving your family for naught?”

“Don’t play the victim card here, Valentina. You brought this union yourself. You were so busy with yourself that you forgot all about your boyfriend's needs. Could you really blame any of us for…falling in love?” The last words were said as she wrapped her hand around Marco’s upper arm. “And as for that death wish of marriage, if you think it’s so easy, why don’t you take my place. We are twins after all, what’s a little switch in roles gonna affect.”

“Fuck you Alecia,” I spat ready to tear at her face, but Macro stopped me that very second.

“Don’t cause a scene here, Valentina.” He warned and the betrayal in front of me steeped in harder.

“I’m going to tell father about this.” Were the only words I could say.

Alecia smirked at me. “Go ahead, tell him,” She rolled her eyes. “Like he already doesn’t know.”

Those words felt like a punch to the gut and Alecia’s smile widened.

“He knows everything, Valy, darling. And I’d bet you this, he also knows where I am.”

She said those words with so much confidence that it made me feel stupid as well as realize that obvious truth in front of me. It was true, my father wasn’t that unresourceful. If he wanted to know where Alecia was, he would have done so in minutes.

He just…he just didn’t want to lose his favorite daughter.

My expression must have said it all, because Alecia cackled like a hyena. “Get it now don’t you.” She turned and shamelessly kissed Macro on the cheek. “I'd be waiting for you in the bedroom, babe.” Taking one last look at me, she said. “Enjoy your new life now, Valentina.”

Once she was gone, Macro spoke up. “Since you already know I want to break up, let’s not prolong things anymore and end it here. I’ll send all your things over, no need to come over for them.”

With that, he stepped back and slammed the door in my face, leaving me standing like a statue, although, that’s what I wished I was, because I was certain statues can’t feel the amount of pain and anger I was experiencing.

It was betrayal at its finest, from both my sister, father and brother and no other pain had ever hurt this much.

It took a little while, but eventually, I gathered myself and drove back home. On the way home, I received a call from the hospital.

“Miss De Luca, we’ve been trying to contact your father, but he’s not picking, do you happen to know another line we can reach him on?”

“No, but if you have any message to deliver you can leave it to me, I’ll pass it along.”

“Understood, well, it’s about your mother.”

My heart skipped a beat the moment I heard this. Fear grilled at me, causing my hold on the steering wheel to tighten and in a way, I felt my throat tighten.

“What is it?”

“Her condition deteriorated last night and we need to carry out treatment on her but can not do so without funds, please let him know this.”

Biting back tears, I informed the hospital that I would inform my father and needed the call. By then, I was pulling into the driveway of the family mansion.

The moment I got down, I stormed into my father’sstudy where the servants told me he was.

“Did you think I’d never find out?” I angrily asked, watching as he placed the file he was reading, down and fixed his attention on me. “Did you think I’d never find out?” I repeated.

“On the contrary, I knew. The same way I knew that once you found out, you’d realize you’re about to Jeopardize a family that loves you for a man that doesn’t,”

“Bullshit.” I spat.

“Same way I knew the hospital would call you if I didn’t pick up. So, what’s it going to be, Valentina, marry Luca, or give me a reason to stop paying for Rebecca’s hospital bills.”

“She’s your wife!” I snapped and watched as my father looked emotionlessly at me.

“So?”

That one word…one question, was enough to tell me that I was my mother’s only hope. Her last hope and the moment I refused to do this, it would be game over for her.

“It’s only going to be for a year, Valentina. In a years time, I would have gotten enough to pay the debt off.” His words were meant to serve as a source of reassurance to me, but it only made the situation seem more real.

For the next year, I had to be married to some old thug with residing hairline and a freaking limp dick, if I wanted my mother to stay awake.

Never had I hated my life more than I did at this moment.

“So? Would you do it or should I call the hos-“

“I'll do it.” I interrupted, not waiting for him to finish his threat that I knew he could carry out.

He smiled, weakly. “You’ve made the right choice.” Standing up, he brought a file along with him, one that contained the details of the contract, one that he handed to me.

As I took the folder, I couldn’t help but ask. “Does he know?”

“Not yet,” my father admitted, his expression grim. “But he will soon. And when he does, he’ll have no choice but to accept it. He needs this marriage as much as we do. It’s not just about us—it’s about his empire, his power. He won’t back out now.”

His words hung in the air like a death sentence. There was no escaping this. No way out.

The reality of what was happening hit me all at once, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. I turned away from my father, clutching the folder in my hand for support as the weight of the situation pressing down on my shoulders like a vice.

“Valentina,” my father said, his voice softer now, almost gentle. “I know this isn’t what you wanted. But sometimes, we have to do things we don’t want to do for the sake of the family. For the sake of those we love.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. All this… I wasn’t meant to be going through all this. But I had to, at least the marriage bit, for my mother’s sake.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to push the fear and uncertainty to the back of my mind. This was my reality now. Whether I liked it or not, I was about to become the wife of Luca Caruso, the most feared man in Naples.

“I understand, father.” My words were laced with tiny bit of venom, anger and hurt, all of which my father ignored and nodded his head.

“Good. I’ll have them prepare dresses for the meeting tomorrow.” Walking by, he tapped my shoulder. “Don’t disappoint me Valentina. If not for this family’s sake, then do it for your mother’s.”

With that, he walked away, leaving me with the gut wrenching reality that my fate was sealed.