Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Cecilia's POVI didn't believe Valentina Fiore, so I quietly took a taxi to tail Luciano Damiani to one of the private clubs they often frequented.I reached the top-floor private room and had just opened the door a sliver when I froze in place.Luciano was down on one knee, his slender fingers holding a diamond ring as he looked up at Valentina."Valentina, do you dare to spend the rest of your life with me?"Valentina smiled, arching an eyebrow. "We've already registered our marriage. What's there to be afraid of?"Before I could push the door wide open, I heard one of Luciano's men tease, "Sir, I have a feeling your point isn't really to see whether Cecilia will choose between love and friendship at your birthday party in two days. You just want to use this bet as an excuse to marry Ms. Fiore, don't you?"Another voice chimed in. "I mean, the engagement ring you gave Ms. Fiore is an eight-figure collector's piece, whereas the one you gave Cecilia was just a cheap piece of jun

Cecilia's POV"I've made my decision," I said, my voice firm.Only after my mentor confirmed my name was added to the list did I book my flight and tell Mamma.She was silent for a long time before finally saying, "Stay safe. If anything happens, contact Enzo Genovese. He happens to be stationed there on a peacekeeping mission.""I'll contact him," I replied obediently.After hanging up, I looked up and met Luciano's deep, dark eyes."Which Bastardo are you planning to contact?" he asked.My gaze turned cold as I retorted, "What does it have to do with you?"As far as he could remember, I'd always been sweet and meek. Even when he exhausted me until daybreak, I would only timidly ask, "Can we continue this tomorrow?"But now, I was cold and sharp-tongued, like a cat that had had its tail stepped on.For once, this seemed to amuse Luciano, and he pulled me into his arms."Don't be mad. Even if I'm married to Valentina, there's still a place for you by my side.""What place?"

Luciano's POVOnce Valentina was no longer in critical danger, I planned to go see Cecilia. As I walked down the hallway, I overheard two nurses talking in hushed voices."That young lady who donated blood in the ER… She gave so much that she could barely even stand when they were done. We had to help her walk out…""The poor thing."My footsteps faltered. The image of Cecilia—standing at the end of the hallway, framed by light and giving me a small smile—flashed in my mind.She had said, "Luciano… Addio."At the time, all I could think about was Valentina lying in the ER. Now, thinking back, that image was so vivid that it made my heart race with anxiety.Just as I was about to continue down the hallway, Valentina's frail voice came from behind me."Don't go."She was sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed out by a nurse. Her usually bright, radiant face showed a rare trace of fragility.I paused for two seconds, then walked back to her side. I took her ice-cold hand and pres

Luciano's POV"Luciano! Where are you going? Come back!" Valentina screamed behind me hysterically, but she was quickly drowned out by the surge of reporters and rising chaos.I rushed out of the banquet hall, my first thought being to return to the penthouse.When I arrived and pushed the door open, a cold, empty silence greeted me. Every trace of Cecilia had vanished completely.I leaned against the cold wall and slid to the floor, suddenly remembering something from a long time ago. To help me sleep, she had once told me a bedtime story.In the story, a king had imprisoned a nightingale in a cage, making it sing every night until it died.Back then, she had said softly, "If I were that nightingale, I wouldn't just wait around until I died. I'd find a way to open the cage and fly away myself."I'd brushed it off then, telling her that she was my nightingale, and that she could forget about ever flying away in this lifetime.But my nightingale had flown away. She didn't want m

Luciano's POVThe smell of disinfectant filled my nose. I forced my eyes open and met the doctor's grave expression."Mr. Damiani, your legs were severely crushed in the car accident. To save your life, we had no choice but to perform an amputation…"Amputation? My legs… were gone?I lay there on the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The phantom pain from my lower body—pain from something that no longer existed—was vivid, gnawing at me in waves.So this was how much it hurt.When Cecilia was whipped by Matteo, then forced to donate blood… Did it hurt like this, too? Or was it even worse? Because the pain I'd given her had been mixed with betrayal and heartbreak as well.Suddenly, I started struggling violently. I ripped the IV needle out of the back of my hand and, amid the nurse's startled cries, crashed heavily off the hospital bed.Propping myself up with my arms, I dragged my numb lower body and crawled, inch by inch, out of the room.No one dared to stop me.