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All Chapters of Blood on My Wedding Dress: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Raffaella's lashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.Her eyes, still bright with tears, went to Matteo first, then to me. She looked startled."Elena..." She tried to sit up in Matteo's arms, but her hand fell against his chest as if she had no strength left."I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I was just so scared. That man from the projects, he... he..."She choked back a sob as fresh tears filled her eyes. She looked so fragile, so determined to hold herself together, that anyone would have felt sorry for her."What are you apologizing for?"Matteo kept a hand on her shoulder to stop her from sitting up. His voice had a cold edge I'd never heard before."You didn't do anything wrong."He looked up at me. His eyes, usually full of laughter, were as cold as ice."That man from the projects only got his hands on you because Elena didn't protect you."His voice stayed calm. "She was right there with you that day, and she let them take you. If it weren't for her, none of this would

Chapter 2

The line stayed silent so long that I thought the call had dropped."Elena, my princess."At last, my father, Salvatore Siciliano, spoke."You've finally come to your senses."I held the phone so tightly my knuckles went white."Yes, Father. I'm sorry for being so reckless."My father sighed."In three days, I'll send someone for you."When the call ended, I leaned against the cold hallway wall and slid down to the floor.Warm yellow light spilled through the gap in the door behind me. On the frosted glass, I could see Matteo's silhouette bend down and kiss Raffaella's forehead.His voice drifted out in bits and pieces, sweet as honey.I closed my eyes.Three years earlier, when I walked out on the Siciliano family, my father stood behind the estate's iron gates. He didn't stop me. He only had someone take my suitcase.I knew what that meant. He was taking back everything that proved who I was.Just a few days later, my father's enemies found me anyway and cornered me by the sea.I thr

Chapter 3

Matteo rushed over without thinking, and I followed him.The fitting room curtain was yanked open, and there stood Raffaella.She was wearing the wedding dress my mother had left me. The crescent moon embroidery at the neckline was stretched out of shape, and a huge tear ran from her armpit to her hip.She'd forced herself into that dress and ripped it apart.The dress my mother left me.The dress three generations of Siciliano brides had worn.I rushed over, my hands shaking."Take it off!" My voice was raw. I grabbed the edges of the torn fabric. "Take it off!""Elena!" Raffaella shrieked and backed away, tears pouring down her face. "I didn't mean to. I just grabbed the wrong dress..."She looked at Matteo, sobbing, and curled into herself."What the hell are you doing?!" Matteo grabbed my wrist and yanked me back.I lost my balance and fell backward. My lower back hit the corner of the tailor's table, and pain shot up my spine.I hit the floor among scattered thread and fabric scra

Chapter 4

His eyes settled on my face for a moment, then moved to Raffaella.Tears flooded Raffaella's eyes, and she started shaking all over."I..." Matteo opened his mouth, conflict flashing in his gray eyes.He took one step forward, then drew back."Can't make up your mind?"The leader laughed and slammed his bat into the floor right next to Raffaella. She screamed."Don't hurt her!" Matteo lunged forward a step.The bat swung the other way and smashed into my stomach.Pain exploded through me. I doubled over and hit the floor, chair and all.I tasted copper, and for a second everything went white.The second blow hit my side. I curled up on the floor, the ropes cutting into my wrists, a small pool of blood spreading beneath me.The third blow struck my stomach again. It felt as if every bone in my body was breaking. Pain tore through me and scattered my thoughts."Elena!" Matteo was shouting my name, but I could barely hear him.My vision blurred. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Raffaell

Chapter 5

Pain throbbed through my whole body. I forced my eyes open and saw my father walking toward me with his cane."Elena! My princess, I've come to take you home."By the time my father carried me to the car, my whole body was numb. I couldn't feel the pain anymore.Lillian Greco, the Siciliano family's doctor, cut open my clothes and pressed a cold stethoscope to my skin. Her hand paused."Her pulse is weak. She needs surgery immediately."My father's voice was thick with rage. "Back to the estate, as fast as you can!"The car tore through the night.I lay in the back seat as the full moon outside the window slowly blurred. Before I closed my eyes, I heard my father make a call."Tell every branch of the Siciliano family. Within three days, I want everything there is on the Calderone family and the Moro family."When I opened my eyes again, everything looked both strange and familiar.All my wounds had been stitched and covered with clean gauze.The room was warm. Pine logs burned in the

Chapter 6

As I recovered in bed over the next two months, I went through every record Matteo and Raffaella had left behind over the past three years: accounts, messages, movements, and transactions.I froze every asset in my name and revoked every credit guarantee I'd ever made for him.My father wanted me to take over the Siciliano family's South Side branch, so he sent me files to study every day. Lillian checked on me daily too.Two months later, I was back on my feet.With his cash flow cut off, Matteo spent two months looking for me everywhere.I dug out my old phone and turned it on.I had more missed calls and messages than I could count, all from Matteo.My father said he'd been asking around everywhere, trying to find out where I was.So I pulled up Matteo's number and called him back."Elena! Where did you go? It's been two months. I thought something happened to you!"He sounded anxious, almost pleading. I hadn't heard that tone from him in a long time.I almost laughed. "Two months.

Chapter 7

The next day, I took my people to the South Side to seize Matteo's bars and casinos.As soon as I stepped out of the car, the bodyguards behind me spread out and quietly blocked both ends of the street.I nodded toward the bar, and my men smashed open its metal door."Elena!"Matteo came running out.He looked much worse than he had two months earlier. His clothes were wrinkled, his shirt collar yellow with grime. His hair was a mess, and dark stubble covered his jaw."Elena!"One of my bodyguards held up a hand and stopped him."Get out of my way!" Matteo shoved him. When the guard didn't budge, Matteo gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and lunged at him.Two more bodyguards stepped in and grabbed Matteo's shoulders, one on each side.Matteo shook off one, then the other, but a third and fourth guard piled on and pinned him in place."Elena! It's me, Matteo!"I stopped, then walked up to him. He went still, staring at me for a moment.His gaze traveled from my ankle boots to the b

Chapter 8

Third-person POV:When Matteo got to the apartment to confront Raffaella, she was sitting on the couch painting her nails.She looked up at him. "Matteo, you haven't put any money in my account for three days."Raffaella shifted, held her freshly painted hand up to the light, and blew on her nails, satisfied."What if the baby goes hungry?" she whined, as she always did.Before, Matteo would have smiled, shaken his head, and sent her the money.Now her whiny voice only irritated him.He grabbed her wrist and yanked her up off the couch."Two months ago, you told me that kidnapping was something Elena staged herself. So why did Elena get hurt?"Raffaella struggled. "Are you crazy? How would I know?!""Don't you get it?! She was pregnant with my baby. Given Elena's condition, losing this child means she can never get pregnant again!"For days, Elena's words had run through his head. Now he remembered the night at the warehouse. As he carried Raffaella out, he'd heard a bat strike flesh a

Chapter 9

Elena's POV:The next time I saw Matteo, I was sitting in the rose garden at the estate, soaking up the sun.Lillian sat beside me, peeling a tangerine.I'd healed a lot, and getting around wasn't a problem anymore.When they brought Matteo in, I almost didn't recognize him.He wore the only presentable clothes he had left: a shirt faded from too many washes, its cuffs frayed.He was so thin that his cheekbones jutted out, making his gray eyes look huge and hollow.The man who'd smiled at me on that beach and said he wanted to get to know me was gone."Elena." Matteo stood at the gate. His old confidence was gone from his voice.He opened his mouth, his knees gave out, and he dropped to the ground in front of me.He bent over the grass, his shoulders heaving as he sobbed."Elena... I'm sorry."I looked at him and felt calmer than I ever had."What exactly are you sorry for?"He looked up, his eyes raw and red."I shouldn't have believed Raffaella. I shouldn't have left you alone in tha

Chapter 10

Six months later, I sat in the conference room at the Siciliano family headquarters.People filled every seat along both sides of the long table.My father sat at the far end, a small smile on his face."As of today," he began. His voice wasn't loud, but the room fell silent. "Elena officially takes over as head of the Siciliano family's South Side branch. She has full authority over every matter on the South Side."The people at the table exchanged glances. Nobody objected. Nobody would have dared.I stood up and looked around at everyone there.I knew some of them. Others I'd never seen before.They all watched me with a mix of respect, wariness, and curiosity."Thank you, Father. And thank you, everyone." My voice was calm and clear.I picked up the file on the table and opened it. It showed every family's territory. The Calderone family's mark was gone."My first order is this." I looked up and let my gaze sweep over them."As of today, no family is to recruit anyone through threat

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