ROSALINA'S POVWhen it came to rude interruptions at the most inconvenient timing, my cousin Isabella was the reigning champion. I hissed at the loud banging on the door, which made me want to scream my lungs out. My skin turned red with a different emotion this time--piping-hot anger. "Go hide inside the bathroom! Now!" I pulled Leo's arm to get him out of my bed, which was as effective as trying to move a boulder with a feather. "Leo! Stop laughing and GO!" "Alright, alright," He got off my bed, throwing me a flirty wink over his shoulder, tickling my humor out of the pile of frustration Isabella's persistent knock at my door put me in. "Rose! Open up! Why are you taking so LONG!""I'm changing!""Then let me in!"Why this little...I swung the door open, shooting Isabella a glare that could melt steel. "What's your emergency, Izzy? World-ending crisis or just your usual dramatic entrance?"She fluttered her lashes at me, seemingly unfazed. "Important? What could be more importan

ROSALINA'S POVWhere are my white shoes!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the marble-floored hallway of our massive mansion. The clock was ticking, and Nonna was getting more impatient by the second.Frantically searching through my closet, I muttered to myself, "In a house this big, my shoes decide to play hide and seek. Classic."The dress, a soft pink and white A-line beauty, lay elegantly on the bed, patiently awaiting its footwear companion. My cousin Isabella waltzed into the room, dressed like a time-traveling fashionista from the '70s, bellbottoms swaying with each step. I shot her a sarcastic grin."Nice time capsule you got there, Isabella. Did you borrow those bellbottoms from Nonna's secret stash?"Isabella giggled, "No, silly. I found them in the attic. They're super cool, right?"I rolled my eyes, "Cool, sure. But seriously, have you seen my white block heels anywhere? I need them to complete my ensemble."Isabella scratched her head, her brown curls bouncing. "Um, no

LEONARDO'S POV"No." No?Anger rumbled like distant thunder, gradually getting louder until it exploded in a deafening roar. Grabbing her elbow, I dragged her down the aisle, our footsteps resonating through the sacred quietness of the church, followed by Sasha's gasp. "Leonardo!" "Let go of me!" Rosalina tried to tear away from me, but my grip only constricted around her, cutting off her protests.Let go? NEVER. If I was going to end up in hell, I would drag her with me.The hefty wooden doors creaked open, revealing the blinding sunlight outside. As we stepped into the brightness of the courtyard, the cool breeze and the distant sounds of the city greeted us."You're hurting me!" My steps faltered, the reality of my actions sinking in. The chill breeze that had once seemed refreshing now carried the bitter bite of remorse. Slowly, I released her frail elbow, my fingers uncurling as I let her go. Rosalina stumbled back, rubbing her arm where my grip had left an unintentional mark

ROSALINA'S POVThe sunlight dripped like honey through the stained-glass window, painting dappled patterns on the flour-dusted countertop. I kneaded the dough with a rhythmic vengeance, frustration simmering alongside the rising yeast."Honestly, Rose, you threw away a diamond!" Isabella's voice, sharp as a stiletto, pierced through my self-pitying haze. "Leo finally came around, finally ready to settle down, and you… you let him go?!"I gave the dough a particularly vicious punch, its soft groan mirroring my own. "It's not that simple, Izzy. He's a playboy. Remember what happened to Selena?"Izzy scoffed, her perfectly manicured cherry nails clacking against the ceramic mug she sipped from. "That was college, Rose! People change. And Leo… he adores you. You're the whole package, brains, beauty, and that firecracker spirit he finds so irresistible."I winced at the word "irresistible." It always sent a shiver down my spine, a delicious yet dangerous warning. Leo's charm was a hurrican

Liora's mom, a vision of frosty fury in diamonds and Chanel, stared me down as if I'd just eaten her poodle the second I stepped out of the hospital room. "I'd like to have a word with you, come with me," She commanded. At first, I wanted to refuse, but then, I owed Liora so much and this was her mother, whether Liora liked her or not. It would be rude of me to refuse. She led me past sterile corridors and hushed whispers, her heels clicking a staccato rhythm against the polished floor. The opulent VIP waiting room felt like a world apart from the fluorescent bleakness of the rest of the hospital. Plush leather sofas swallowed you whole, and a crystal chandelier dripped light onto polished marble coffee tables laden with silver trays of gourmet finger food.Ignoring the spread, she headed straight for a secluded corner where a single armchair sat like a velvet throne. Her diamond-laden fingers tapped a restless rhythm on its armrest, a stark disparity to her steely glare as she ges