Chapter 1

I, Elena Costa, was sick of watching them put on an act. Placing my hands on the wheels of my wheelchair, I prepared to leave.

Upon catching sight of my actions, Luca Romano rushed over and grabbed the handlebars of my wheelchair. Leaning down, he asked concernedly, "Why are you leaving all of a sudden? Are you feeling sick?"

"It's getting cold in the evening, so I'd like to go back," I explained reluctantly.

"But today's our anniversary. At least wait until we've cut the cake…" Nervousness flashed across Luca's eyes.

I refused to meet his gaze.

Luca immediately proposed to drive me home, but Pierre Rossi, his Underboss, held him back. "Don Romano, the party's just started. It wouldn't be a good look for you if you leave early. In addition, there are a few men asking for your help…"

Sofia Romano, our daughter, tugged at Luca's sleeves. "Papa, I'd like to stay to play with Ms. Celia Amato for a bit more. Please, could we not leave with Mom?"

Luca's expression turned grim. "Don't mention her name before your mother."

"What's there to be afraid of? It's not like Mom understands Italian."

Bitterness brewed in my heart at Sofia's words. I pushed Luca toward Sofia.

"I can leave on my own. They need you here."

Immediately, I asked one of the helpers to wheel me away. I didn't even give Luca the opportunity to convince me to stay.

As Rachel pushed me out of the garden where the party was held, I saw Celia coming our way. She kicked my wheelchair. I didn't know whether she'd done it on purpose, but she sent me careening into a nearby fence. My knee began bleeding.

Celia headed straight toward Luca and Sofia, gathering Sofia into her arms.

"Did you miss me after a day of being apart, Sofia?"

"Of course I did!"

Celia chuckled and said, "I'll give you a reward for that."

Sofia put her arms around Celia's neck and kissed her cheek. She'd never been so affectionate with me, her own biological mother.

Celia put Sofia back on the floor. Then, she looked at Luca. No words were exchanged, but her loving gaze said all that needed to be said.

Luca's eyes were filled with warmth as well. He asked one of the helpers to bring him an intricate box containing a gorgeous pink sapphire necklace. After removing it from the box, he helped her put it on.

"Don Romano's so kind! He treats his wife and his daughter's personal tutor well! A perfect man!"

"That necklace's gorgeous!"

His friends' eyes widened with amazement as they praised him fervently. Sofia clapped happily as well.

Watching them, I was overcome by a bone-deep chill.

Everyone wished them well.

I'd never felt such betrayal. All the people present knew they were together. However, they remained silent out of fear of Luca's power, keeping me in the dark.

I couldn't help but caress the box on my lap. The pearl earrings Luca had gifted me were nestled inside. He forgot I didn't like pearls, and the basic fact that I didn't even have piercings.

The necklace around Celia's neck was the only one of its kind. I had expressed my interest in it, but Luca gifted it to Celia today.

The servers wheeled a huge seven-tiered cake past me. One of them recognized me.

"Madre, your anniversary cake's here. Why don't you cut the first slice?"

Suddenly, the garden fell silent. Everyone's eyes turned to me. Luca was visibly uneasy. He retracted his hand from where it had rested around Celia's neck and strode toward me.

He explained that he was just giving Celia something and that I shouldn't overthink it.

Luca placed the knife in my hand and held it, saying, "Let's cut the cake together."

Seemingly behaving naturally, Luca didn't realize there were teeth marks on his neck left by Celia. He also failed to pick up on how Celia's fingers were pinching the corner of his shirt.

Behind Luca's back, our eyes met. Her gaze was smug and mocking.

Although I had prepared myself to leave, recalling what happened still felt like a stake through my heart.

I looked up at Luca. "Have you forgotten that I'm allergic to mangoes?"

The cake was almost entirely made of mangoes.

Tears shimmered in my eyes. Ignoring them, I asked the helpers to wheel me out of the garden and leave the hotel entirely.

In the car, I watched the buildings blur as we zipped through the streets. I felt isolated from the world.

When we were still in school, Luca had been the first to find out that I was being bullied by the bad boys in our class.

He was so anxious that he didn't even tell my Papa, Leonardo Costa, before bringing a bunch of his friends to face off with the bullies. Breaking their legs, he forced them to apologize to me.

When Leonardo found out, he praised Luca.

Luca cupped my face in his hands, as though I was precious to him. He told me to always tell him if anyone was bullying me so he could avenge me.

I said I was scared he'd be sanctioned by the school, but Luca replied that his sole purpose of staying alive was to protect me so I would never be wronged.

"If I ever wrong you or make you feel sad, I would be a useless man. You should leave me."

I was so touched that tears spilled from my eyes. Naively, I said, "I trust that you won't do anything that saddens me."

Luca had made the promise, but now it was he who was breaking it. It was time for us to go our own ways.