All Chapters of Never His First Choice: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Ms. Colombo, the burns on your back are serious. They need treatment right now."The firefighter stopped me and took me to the medic, who began treating my burns.Outside the church, the mourners were in chaos. Through the commotion, I heard Vincent calling my name.But I pretended not to hear him and quietly endured the pain tearing through my back.My phone kept ringing. I didn't recognize the number.The medic indicated that I could move my arm, but I still didn't answer the call. "Do you want me to pick it up for you?" the medic asked.I shook my head. "No. I don't know the number."I quietly slipped off the diamond ring Vincent had given me when he proposed.The phone rang until it cut off on its own. Then I saw Bianca coming toward me.There wasn't a trace of smoke on her face. Her clothes weren't even dirty. My scarf was still in her hand."Louisa, Vincent has been looking everywhere for you. Why aren't you picking up?"She stood beside me and reached out to touch my exposed ba

Chapter 2

In the hospital room, Vincent took one call after another. "Nothing from today's interviews gets out. Not a word, not a photo."He hung up and leaned over me. "Everything happened so fast today. I had no idea reporters would show up. Bianca's cold was getting worse, so I had to get her out of there."He thought for a moment, then pulled up a luxury brand's website on his phone and showed me its latest scarves. "These are all new arrivals. Pick whichever one you like, and I'll buy it."I have a small red birthmark near my collarbone. Foundation won't cover it, so I wear a scarf whenever I wear anything that shows my shoulders.Vincent used to say the birthmark didn't make me any less beautiful. He called it the mark of an angel's kiss. Then Bianca said it stood out too much and made me look beneath my station. Vincent's mother, Eleanor Winston, overheard her and sent me a scarf the next day. From then on, I wore a scarf whenever I wore a dress.I looked him in the eye and told him calml

Chapter 3

"No. I'm going." I forced myself upright, and pain shot through my wound. My vision went black for a second. "That is my father's funeral. Why can't I go?"Bianca didn't answer. Instead, I heard Vincent say over the phone, "You're injured. You can't sit through a funeral like this. Let Bianca stand in. Everyone there knows us anyway. Nobody will say a word. Don't be so mean. My family raised Bianca like a daughter. She isn't a nobody.""It doesn't matter. I am my father's daughter. I'm a Colombo. Who is Bianca?" My hand curled into a fist. The IV site swelled, and blood flowed back into the tubing. "I already said it. At my father's funeral, I belong at the front. No one else."Vincent lost his patience. "All right, calm down. We'll talk tomorrow."The next morning, the funeral director went over the new service arrangements with me and helped me choose a plot for my father.Eleanor sat on the couch with Bianca behind her. "Ms. Colombo, given your injuries and the fact that only the me

Chapter 4

The director flinched and pointed nervously at Vincent. "Mr. Winston already approved this."I turned to him. "You approved it? Without asking me?"Vincent rubbed his nose, looking awkward. "It was Bianca's idea. Your father was a serious man. He lived by his rules his whole life. Now that he's gone, maybe it's time to let him be free. He wore black all his life because of who he was. There's nothing wrong with changing things up a little now. Maybe it'll make the funeral feel less depressing.""So you didn't even ask me?"Vincent fell silent. Bianca hesitated before speaking. "Your father had a lot of enemies. I was afraid they might still come after him, even in death. No one would ever guess a mafia Don was buried under a headstone like this. In fact...""Shut up!" I screamed, losing control. "He's my father, not yours. You don't get to decide anything!"Eleanor slammed a hand on the table. "Watch your mouth!" She glared at me and pulled Bianca against her. "Louisa, Bianca did all t

Chapter 5

"Louisa, I'm your fiancé." Vincent glared at Charles, then turned back to me. "I'm the one who should be standing beside you."I shook my head. "Not anymore."He walked over and glanced at the wound on my back. "You can't stand for this long, Louisa. Let me help you inside.""No." I refused.He tried again. "The press already recognizes Bianca and you're injured. That's it. There's nothing more to it. I was just worried about you."I laughed. "What a great excuse."Bianca's fever had broken remarkably fast. She looked perfectly fine now. Tears welled in her eyes as she blinked. "Louisa, I know I had no right to pretend to be you, but Eleanor allowed it. Vincent worried you wouldn't make it through the service. Be angry with me if you want, but this is your father's funeral...""So you do know it's my father's funeral? I almost wasn't allowed to attend it myself. You all made decisions for me. Did any of you ever stop to think about what I wanted?"She froze, her lips trembling.Vincent

Chapter 6

I had my assistant send the scar cream back. That night, Vincent showed up at my door. "Why won't you use what I sent you?"His voice softened. "It's the best scar cream you can buy. It could stop you from scarring. Otherwise, when you wear a dress..."I shook my head. "I don't care."Vincent paused, then softened his voice again. "What do you want for your birthday? I've been looking at scarves, and they're all so..."I cut him off. "I don't wear scarves anymore. Besides, it's my birthday. Don't trouble yourself."His face darkened. "Louisa, don't say things you don't mean.""I mean every word." I looked him in the eye. "Your mother is the reason I wore scarves. I never wanted to."He glanced at Charles, who was standing nearby. "Why is Don Freeman still here? He's the Don but he spends all day with you. You think that's normal?"I smiled. "More normal than whatever's going on between you and Bianca."Vincent fell silent for a moment. "I look after her because her father saved mine. T

Chapter 7

She screamed, "Why?"I raised an eyebrow and motioned for her to look behind her.Vincent stood six feet away, with two of his capos surrounding a doctor.The doctor was shaking from head to toe. The moment he saw Bianca, he looked at her like she was his last hope. "Ms. Hayes, please tell them! I only did what you told me to do!"He pulled out a check and threw it at her feet as if it burned his hand. "I never cashed your check. Take it back. I don't want the money. Just make them let me go!"Vincent's expression darkened as he stared her down. "You never had a cold. You bribed this doctor to say you had a severe cold and anemia. Those cold pills were nothing but vitamins!"Bianca opened her mouth to explain. Then she noticed the men behind Vincent and backed away in fear. "I-I was scared you'd abandon me after you married Louisa. I thought you'd kick me out. But I really was terrified during the fire. That's why I begged you to save me. I wasn't lying about that!""Saving you wasn't

Chapter 8

"Then I'm taking that chance back." Vincent tore the check out of his checkbook, shoved it into Bianca's pocket, and dragged her with us to my father's grave.While I watched, Vincent kicked Bianca's legs out from under her, forcing her to her knees before my father's grave. Then he forced her head down and made her apologize.Bianca was almost unconscious from the pain. If she didn't get to a hospital soon, she could lose her leg. With both Vincent and me armed, she didn't dare argue. She apologized.Vincent offered to repair my father's grave and replace the headstone. I refused.I was out of patience. "Vincent, I thought I made this clear. He's my father. This has nothing to do with you."All I wanted was a clean break. I wanted nothing tying us together anymore. After the grave was repaired, Vincent asked me to meet him at a cafe. He ordered my favorite coffee and dessert, clearly trying to win me over. "Bianca's gone. I've already arranged our engagement announcement. Everyone wil

Chapter 9

Standing before my father's headstone, Charles bowed his head solemnly and promised to love me and take care of me for the rest of his life.We were arm in arm, about to leave, when we saw Vincent approaching with a bouquet. I frowned, thinking he'd come to bother me again. Charles immediately stepped to my other side, one hand moving toward his waist.But when Vincent saw me, he just nodded. His smile was strained. He clearly didn't want to let me go, but he knew he had no choice. These were the consequences of his own mistakes.Neither of us spoke. Our eyes met for a moment before I looked away.Once we were far enough away, Charles asked, "Do you want to move your father's grave somewhere else? I have a feeling he'll keep coming here, hoping to 'run into' you."He looked so ready for a fight that I couldn't help laughing. "No. He has the right to pay his respects to whoever he wants."We flew abroad to negotiate a business expansion. Vincent had once thought I couldn't handle the bu

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