Chapter 3

That afternoon, Mason came to pick me up for dinner.

He was the son of one of Luca's capos, his family running two smuggling routes. He'd always looked down on me.

His family was no different.

At least no one laid a hand on me during dinner.

When it was over, I was about to get into Mason's car when someone grabbed me by the hair and yanked me away from the door.

"You slut! I'm Mason's girlfriend!"

Before I could say a word, a slap cracked across my face.

Everything went black for a second.

All I could hear was Mason's panicked voice.

"Lily, what are you doing here?"

"You're having dinner with the other woman and I'm not allowed to show up?"

Mason didn't explain.

He stood there and let the girl slap me across the face again and again.

Then I was kicked and sent sprawling face-first onto the ground.

The wound on my forehead tore open. Blood smeared over my eyes.

Maybe it was a hallucination, but I thought I saw Luca standing nearby.

The shock and worry on his face were something I hadn't seen in a long time.

But as he started walking toward me, Claire caught his arm and whispered something in his ear.

Luca stopped. He stared at me with a complicated expression.

So it wasn't a hallucination after all.

Because in a hallucination, Luca wouldn't have stood there watching me get beaten.

After the girl had spent her rage and been led away by Mason, Luca finally walked over.

He picked me up without a word, offered no explanation.

Even covered in injuries, all he did was call the Moretti family's private doctor for a cursory patch-up.

The only escape from the pain was sleep.

But I didn't sleep well.

Half-conscious, I heard Mason say:

"Boss, my girlfriend didn't mean it. Whatever you need to make it right, just say the word."

But Luca reassured him:

"Don't worry about it. I'm the one who asked you all to bring her home. Without you, I couldn't have brought Claire back to the main house."

"For you and Claire's happiness, we're all more than willing, Don."

I pressed my hands over my ears in agony.

When I woke again, Luca was sitting gently at the edge of my bed.

"Don't worry. I won't send you anywhere until your injuries heal."

He leaned close to my ear and said:

"Once you're better, we'll get married."

I didn't ask him who he was marrying.

Me?

Or Claire?

But what came before any wedding was Dante.

When I saw him show up at the Moretti house, I froze for a moment.

I hadn't expected Luca's word to become worthless so quickly.

I got into Dante's car and sat through another dinner with his family.

After his parents left, Dante took his time walking me out.

A friendly greeting came from the opposite direction.

"Dante, you're here for dinner too?"

Dante responded politely:

"Don Moretti. Just brought my girlfriend to have dinner with my parents."

Standing across from us were Luca's parents.

Luca and Claire were right behind them.

Luca was staring at me, his face ashen.

His parents looked uncomfortable when they saw me.

Probably remembering all the times they'd said I wasn't good enough to be seen in public.

But they still had to put on pleasant faces.

"What a coincidence. Luca's here with his fiancee for dinner too. Why don't you join us?"

Dante's lips curved. He didn't refuse.

Luca's expression visibly darkened.

Compared to the lighter fare at the Hale family table, the Morettis ordered almost everything heavy and spicy.

I'd never been able to handle spice.

In the beginning, Luca used to eat bland food alongside me.

But after Claire moved in, the entire household's palate followed hers.

I bowed my head and pushed the chili peppers aside on my plate.

Then I heard Dante ask:

"Luca, that string of beads on your wrist—is that a prayer bracelet from the monastery?"

It was a birthday gift I'd given Luca years ago.

At the time, he said he'd wear it for the rest of his life.

Now, he just gave a cold laugh.

"Some cheap thing from who knows where. You want it? It's yours."

"That won't be necessary."

As Dante said this, he placed a cheese-baked shrimp on my plate.

The next second, Luca dumped the entire platter of shrimp into the trash.

"This dish is too rich. Have the kitchen make a new one."

The table went dead silent.

Dante smiled on purpose.

"Luca, why do I get the feeling you have a problem with my girlfriend?"

Luca's gaze turned frigid.

"How could I? I don't even know her."

The old Don Moretti immediately smoothed things over:

"Of course not. You'll have to bring your girlfriend to Luca and Claire's wedding soon."

I chewed without tasting anything. But strangely, I felt calm inside, like a hard shell had sealed itself around me.

Sadness, resentment—those feelings were all gone.

After dinner, Dante was about to drive me home when Luca stormed out after us.

"Dante, don't let her fool you. You've heard the rumors about her cheating with some random guy, right?"

His voice dripped with contempt.

What he didn't know was that the "random guy" he was talking about was Dante.

Dante started to explain, but I pressed my hand over his.

"Go on ahead. I'll handle this."

After he left, I turned to face Luca and his fury.

"Luca Moretti, the one who chose to marry someone else—wasn't that you?"

I was simply stating a fact.

But Luca frowned deeply.

"I'm just appeasing my parents."

That excuse again.

Because of that absurd excuse, he sent me to keep his friends company while Claire kept him company.

I gave a mocking laugh.

Luca fixed his eyes on me.

"You actually think you can marry into the Hale family? Even if Dante did want to marry a commoner, a girl as clean as Claire would be a better choice than you."

"Ava, stop dreaming."

I nodded.

"Luca, you're the one who sent me to Dante."

Luca looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

He ground out the word "fine" through clenched teeth, again and again.

I didn't expect that three days later, my brother would call.

"Ava, what did you do now? The Morettis cut off Mom's cancer medication."