Semua Bab Gave Up Four, Gained My One: Bab 1 - Bab 9

Papa looked up from his desk and regarded me with a puzzled expression."Didn't you already pick Otto?" he asked."I've changed my mind," I simply replied.Papa walked over, placed his arm around my shoulders, and leaned in to look at me. "Are you serious about this?"A slight pause later, he asked again, "Did they bully you?"I fell silent for a bit. I didn't want Papa to think that the people he'd chosen to protect me had become the ones who hurt me. After all, I used to think that I was the only one that the four of them—Enzo Mazzola, Otto Giunta, Marcela Sechi, and Raphael Rosetti—cared about.Marcela would scour the entire city in the middle of the night just to find a specific pastry for me; Raphael would tear up and fuss over me like a mother hen if I got injured; Enzo would take punishments on my behalf; and Otto would take a bullet for me without a moment of hesitation.Those moments of tenderness were real. That was why I always told myself that the kindness they showe

The moment I stepped into my bedroom, the tears I'd been holding back came pouring out like a broke dam.Every corner of my room still bore traces of Enzo's, Otto's, Marcela's, and Raphael's thoughtfulness, but I knew that everything had already changed, and there was no going back.I dried my tears and gathered everything they'd given to me over the years, including the nightlight Marcela personally crafted, the custom body pillow Raphael ordered, the special aromatic blend Enzo created, and the thousand paper cranes Otto folded for me.I packed them all into a cardboard box and instructed the butler to take it away and burn it.New messages kept popping up on my phone in the group chat that had the six of us in it, including Lia. Lia had posted photos of herself cooking in the kitchen."Miria, I noticed that you didn't eat dinner, so I made your favorite beef stew."Marcela was the first to respond, sending her a thumbs-up emoji. "You're the kindest person I've ever met, Lia."

In an instant, every gaze in the venue snapped toward the main entrance of the estate. A fleet of jet-black Maybachs was lined up in a perfect row, flanked by two long lines of bowing bodyguards.A young man in a bespoke suit walked toward me. It was Lorenzo Vaccaro. His eyes were sharp and menacing as they locked on Otto's hand that was grabbing my wrist. Otto was so intimidated by his imposing presence that he withdrew his hand at once.Lorenzo stopped before me and gently took my hand, his eyes full of deep affection. A murmur of astonishment rippled through the crowd on the lawn."Oh my god, it's Lorenzo Vaccaro! The heir to the Vaccaro Famiglia!""If Signorina Casati really entered into an alliance with Signore Vaccaro, they'd be a perfect match!""Exactly! Although the four of Signorina's suitors were personally selected and groomed by Don Casati himself, they're still no competition for Signore Vaccaro!""They make such a perfect couple!"Otto clenched his fists until h

Gasps rippled through the crowd as they watched the video, and my hands clenched instinctively. It wasn't that I was still in pain. I was simply angry at myself for having been so blind to their true colors.Then, I appeared on the screen.This time, Enzo, Otto, Raphael, and Marcela could all see that Lia was the one who staged the fall herself, yet they had criticized me and forced me to apologize to her without hesitation.The scene then cut to Lia deliberately splashing the beef stew onto the back of my hand, followed by the moment they barged in and hurled verbal abuse at me.Finally, the footage froze on my expressionless face.The four men instantly slumped to the ground, utterly defeated. Meanwhile, Lia's face turned a sickly white, looking completely wretched.I said nothing and just watched them being dragged out of the estate by the bodyguards, feeling absolutely calm and collected. I then turned to Papa with a smile and walked toward him and Lorenzo.The engagement ba

When I came back in the afternoon, Soldati and bodyguards were stationed all along the roads for at least ten miles leading into the estate.As soon as I drove my car through the main gate, I saw Lorenzo pacing anxiously in the foyer.I quickly got out of the car and ran over to hug him. He didn't ask me any questions and simply stroked my hair and spoke softly to me."Next time, tell me if you want to go out. It's only safe if I'm by your side."I nodded meekly and took out the gift I'd prepared for him. It was a pair of matching mother-of-pearl cufflinks—a unisex design that I had specifically created for us.I fastened them onto his cuffs and planted a kiss on his lips."I want to hold onto the rest of your life and lock you by my side forever!"And just like that, Lorenzo, a six-foot-three man towering over me, was actually moved to tears by my words.Neither of us brought up the unpleasant people or events of the past anymore after that. Life after marriage was quiet and h