Chapter Four
Andrea
The tall, eerie gates of my father’s mansion swung open, making my heart pound harder against my rib cage. My car rolled into the vast compound, reducing in speed so I could take in the flawless surroundings.
The Rossi Mansion was a sweeping architectural beauty on a gigantic piece of land. With its polished white walls, tall, intimidating pillars, and large porch, it looked nothing short of a modern aristocratic home. I always wondered how it had been preserved through the generations.
The parking lot came into view, and I pulled over in a safe spot. I exhaled heavily, sadness washing over me, anxiety twisting into me. I yanked down the mirror in the driver’s corner, whipping out a lipstick from my purse.
That was when I saw it.
The black velvet box. Hesitantly, my fingers reached for it. I held it so tightly in my hand, I began tracing unconscious circles around it.
It’d been a week since I threw Luciano out of my office—a week since he crashed into my life and turned everything upside down, a week since I found out that he was the son of the man who probably had the most blood on his hands in Sicily, Italy, a week since he asked me to marry him.
I had been carrying the ring with me since then. At first, I convinced myself that it was because I didn’t want to discard it and would give it back to him when I saw him again. Who even said I was going to see him again? Then I Googled the price.
It was a Tiffany custom-made engagement ring.
Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Where the hell did Luciano get such money from?
My cheeks burned when I remembered again that he was in the Mafia.
He hadn’t called or shown up since then. Did he ... did he not want me anymore? Why was I even bothered about that?
I hissed through my teeth, taking out the ring. Then I slipped it on. I gasped as I put my hand up, letting the diamond sparkle in the sun. It fit so perfectly, like it was made for me. If this whole thing wasn’t crazy, I’d have fallen in love with him.
How did he even know what I’d like?
The steering wheel of my car was seized in my tight grip as I took a deep breath, trying to rehearse the story.
I got engaged a few months back but wasn’t ready to share it with the family yet. My fiancé will be joining us later. He has some important work to attend to.
Knowing how self-absorbed Sofia and her mother were, they wouldn’t even notice if he didn’t show up.
One of Dad’s ridiculous guards showed up to get my things once I got out of the car. As I approached the entrance, I snuck a glance at my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window to see if I looked presentable enough.
My brown hair was wrapped in a messy bun, leaving my neck bare except for my simple studded earrings. I was wearing a knit blush pink sweater dress that was off the shoulder, clung to my curves like a second skin, and stopped at my mid-thigh.
My face scrunched in a grimace. Why was I even bothered? It didn’t matter what I was wearing. Sofia and her mother would always have something to say.
I walked off.
The massive foyer brought back nostalgic memories once I was in the house. An image of myself running around the house while my mother chased me embedded itself in my memory. It elicited a laugh from me, almost prickling my eyes with tears at the same time.
My chest squeezed because my mother would be rolling in her grave right now if she saw how the house she built with her husband had been tainted by vermin. I genuinely hoped she wasn’t seeing it. Being stuck in oblivion was far better than this.
“You’re late.”
The sharp, vibrant voice and a thick Italian accent of my stepmother attacked me from the entrance that led to the first living room.
My gaze swung across the room. I wish it hadn’t.
Lillian had her blonde hair twisted into a conservative bun that almost gave away a cluster of veins on her forehead. Her makeup was a few layers thick, making her appear older than her age. Pearl accessories adorned her ears and neck.
Her black sleeveless chiffon blouse was tucked in gray pants, and her outfit was paired with black Louboutins.
Her red lips twitched into a grimace.
“Hello, Lillian. It’s so good to see you.” My voice was devoid of warmth.
“You should have been here an hour ago!” she snapped.
“Got held up with work.” I approached her and made to walk past her, but she grabbed my wrist harshly, glaring daggers at me.
My teeth clenched.
“Let me go.”
“You will not ruin this trip for my daughter. Do you understand me?” She squeezed harder.
“Now, let me go. Your perfume is choking the life out of me,” I sassed, unwilling to let her see how affected I was.
I snatched my wrist from her and walked into the living room.
Great. No one was there.
“Where’s Papa?” I asked her.
She smiled sweetly at me, and I knew she intended to make her words cut. “He’s upstairs with your sister and her fiancé.”
“Stepsister,” I corrected her firmly.
“Is that a ring on your finger?” Sofia’s whiny little voice caught my attention.
She was in the middle of the spiral staircase that led upstairs.
Her heart-shaped face was pulled into a frown that just made her look like a doll.
It wasn’t intimidating one bit. She breezed down the stairs, her heels clicking, her lush, honey-blonde waves bouncing.
Her long white dress, mostly dominated by frills, kept swishing, constantly giving away her dangerously high slit that kept her glistening, flawless leg on display.
Sofia got to me in an instant, snatching my hand.
Here we go.
“Mama!” she gasped. Her mother started rushing over to her to check for herself.
“Andrea, how selfish can you be? Why would you go to the extreme to buy a ring and take your sister’s spotlight on her trip?” Lillian barked.
Oh, how satisfying to see them rattled.
“Mama, it’s a Tiffany engagement ring. She can’t afford it with the crumbs she’s being paid at that stupid magazine company. She probably snagged it off an innocent woman,” Sofia sneered, but I could see the embers of envy burning in her eyes.
I snatched my hand away from her. “I didn’t steal it. I’m engaged.”
I’d give the world to see the looks on their faces all over again. They looked horrified. I was certain I saw fear flicker in Sofia’s blue eyes.
“You’re lying,” Lillian gritted.
“And what are my favorite women discussing?” We heard Papa’s voice and turned.
He was descending the stairs with a muscular brown-haired man who looked like a typical jock with his boyish, attractive features.
My heart softened a little when I laid eyes on Papa. Because of their toxicity toward me, I had made it a duty to stay away from home. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed until I saw that my old man was growing older.
His lean, athletic figure still made it easier for him to move around, but his once-dark hair was almost white now. His brown eyes looked a little tired, and he was now showing some wrinkles.
Where was the man who called me tesoro and often read me bedtime stories?
“Hi, Papa,” I murmured.
“Tesoro, it’s so good to see you. Won’t you hug your old man?” My heart cracked, and I approached him. I wrapped my arms around him, breathing shakily when he pressed a kiss to my hair.
“She stole someone’s ring!” Sofia whined.
“Yes, Marco. She lied that she’s engaged.” Lillian snickered.
I was now standing beside him, but not without catching the hurt in his eyes. Of course, he’d support them without confirming the truth from me.
The softness from earlier disappeared faster than mist, replaced by a frown.
“Are you that envious of your sister, Tesoro?” he whispered.
My heart clenched. “I—”
“I’m so sorry I’m late, amore.” Luciano’s voice swept into the room, and I widened my eyes.
No, he can’t be here.
But my spine stiffened once I saw him at the entrance.
He was casually adjusting his cuffs, looking every bit as dashing as the devil in his black button-up shirt and black slacks.
Relief crashed into me, but I was torn between holding on to that and the confusion I felt about how he was able to find me.
He strode toward us, wrapping his arm around my waist once he got to me. I crashed into his chest when he pulled me into him and slammed his lips on mine in a hungry, heated kiss.
I melted into Luciano, moaning softly into the kiss. I swear, if the room wasn’t crowded right now, if we kept up with the kiss longer, I’d have no problem with him pinning me against a wall and fucking me until I was sore and raw.
I blushed as he broke off the kiss.
“Everyone,” I turned to my family, “meet Luciano Romano, my fiancé.”
My father was stunned. Sofia and her mother had their jaws on the floor. But her fiancé ... he was calculative. He looked a little torn, yet sure that he knew Luciano.
“Aren’t you the son of Italy’s biggest Don?” Sofia’s fiancé blurted out.
“I am.” Luciano was unfazed, still wrapping a possessive arm around me to keep me in place.
“I knew he looked familiar!” Sofia exclaimed, a twinge of fear in her voice.
“A criminal, really?” Lillian arched her brow at me.
“He’s not a criminal!” I defended him.
“He’s the son of a man who’s known for his illegal and shady operations all around the world. You are going to soil the family’s reputation by marrying him!” she yelled. “You will break off this engagement.”
I scoffed. “Why? So that your daughter can get her spotlight back? I’ll be damned if I ever do that. I love him, and I’ll marry him. You can go to hell if that displeases you, Lillian,” I seethed.
Her eyes darkened. “How dare you speak to me like that?”
“Ladies, please.” Papa interrupted calmly. “Let’s not judge the man by his father’s sins. Besides, he and I are going to have a little chat about his intentions for my daughter.” He faked a smile with a clear underlying threat.
“Certainly, Mr. Rossi,” Luciano conceded politely.
“Now, why don’t we get this family trip started?”