Semua Bab Don, I'm Not Your Bet: Bab 1 - Bab 10

After a brief, dead silence, the living room erupted."Betting on a wedding? And losing?""The Bianchi and Gallo engagement? That's not something you joke about!""Do you have any idea how exhausting it was for Seraphina to handwrite five hundred invitations? All of New York knows they're getting married. Now it's off, and how are we supposed to clean this up?"A few of them crowded in, talking over each other.The more they talked, the more heated they got, until finally they all turned to Julia:"You're Seraphina's own sister. Say something. It was just a joke, not a real bet."Julia sat in the corner, a wine glass in her hand.Avoiding everyone's eyes, she swirled the red wine slowly."I wasn't joking. You all know I never joke about bets."The air in the living room froze solid.Everyone realized, this wedding was truly dead.And for one simple reason.Every friend at this pre-wedding blowout had met through betting on horses.Our family had been in the "gambling" business for gene

Through my hangover, I was jolted awake by one phone call after another."Seraphina, what's the final word from the upscale wedding venue?""Seraphina, Father is furious. He says this reckless decision has cost the Gallo family a fortune.""Seraphina, get home right now and explain yourself!"My head was splitting.I lay in bed for a long moment before it sank in that last night wasn't a dream.The wedding I'd waited seven years for was really gone, all because of a candy-guessing game.I rubbed my temples and opened my phone.99+ unread messages.I tapped on Julia's voice message."Seraphina... what I said last night, I'm not taking it back. Be ready."And Lorenzo's chat? Spotless. Empty.Someone had posted a group photo on Instagram last night, captioned "Happy birthday, never apart."The filter was warm-toned. Everyone was smiling.I stood in front of the cake, candlelight flickering on my face, looking like I was genuinely happy.Someone commented below, "So when's the wedding?"Th

Lorenzo's POVHe shot to his feet, ignoring Julia's stunned cry behind him.He bolted out of the lobby like a madman.Lorenzo didn't even grab a jacket.Just a thin shirt, sprinting out of the hotel lobby.As he ran, he called Seraphina.But all he got was a busy tone.He flagged down a cab with its light on.But the next second, a firm force pressed against the door.Julia squeezed half her body in, hair disheveled, chest heaving:"Lorenzo! Where are you going?!""To the airport!"Lorenzo's eyes were bloodshot. He shoved her hand away."Let go!""Are you insane?!"Julia clung to him desperately."Tomorrow is the race! Everyone's bet their entire fortune! You leave now, what are we supposed to do?!"Behind her came Dante's voice, along with a few other friends."Lorenzo, calm down first.""I don't care!"Lorenzo whipped his head around, eyes threaded with red, voice hoarse."She's getting married!""And the guy is Ricardo! He's our friend, how could he be so shameless!"He was shaking

The night before the wedding, I went back to the Gallo family, back to my parents.It was the eve of my marriage, and instead of the panic I'd expected, there was a strange calm.My mother looked at me, eyes slightly red, but smiling more freely than I'd ever seen."Actually, the first time I met Ricardo, I thought he should be my daughter's husband."I blinked, caught off guard."I may be the Donna of the Gallo family, but I'm your mother first. I want you to be happy. Ricardo is attentive. He cares more about you. A mother can see these things."Her voice was soft, her eyes full of warmth."I mentioned once, offhand, that your stomach isn't good. After that, every time he came for dinner, he'd go out of his way to tell the kitchen to go easy on the spice, and that you can't drink cold water.""Lorenzo knew too. But Lorenzo was never that careful.""You saw it all along?" I asked quietly.She tapped my forehead with a smile. "Silly girl. Only you, in the middle of it, couldn't see."M

Lorenzo's POVInside the grand banquet hall of the upscale wedding hotel.The wedding march swelled, solemn and majestic.At the end of the white carpet, Ricardo stood in his suit, straight as a pine.Seraphina, in white lace, walked slowly toward him like a goddess descending.The priest read the vows with feeling:"Seraphina, do you take Ricardo to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"Seraphina had just opened her mouth—"BANG!"The heavy doors of the banquet hall were slammed open from the outside."I object!"Lorenzo stood in the doorway, gasping for breath.His eyes were blood red, fixed on the two figures on the red carpet.He screamed it out, his voice echoing through the vast hall.The whole room erupted.Guests turned, whispering.Lorenzo ignored every stare and strode down the carpet, straight to Ricardo.He loc