Chapter 3

After work, several coworkers from the Romano family’s business division pulled Luciana and me into a car and took us to a private bar reserved for younger members of the allied syndicates.

I had barely been seated for five minutes when Matteo arrived. The moment he stepped inside, several Romano soldiers and young associates rose from their seats and greeted him with respectful nods.

“Good evening, Underboss.”

Matteo gave them a brief nod before walking straight through the crowd toward Luciana. His brows were drawn together as he took the mojito from her hand.

"Have you forgotten what day it is? Why are you drinking?"

Luciana reached for the glass.

"That's none of your concern. Give it back."

"I'm not giving it back."

Matteo raised the glass out of her reach and ordered the bartender, "Bring her a glass of warm milk."

With his other hand, he pressed Luciana back into her seat. His voice sounded strict, but the worry in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"If your cramps get so bad tomorrow that you can't even get out of bed, don't come crying to me."

The people around us exchanged awkward looks.

One of the women leaned toward another employee and whispered, "Is that Luciana's boyfriend? He's incredibly handsome."

The other woman froze.

"That's impossible. Isn't he Valeria's fiancé, the Romano family's Underboss?"

The entire table suddenly went silent.

Several people looked from Matteo to me.

I lowered my eyes to the glass of lemon water in my hand.

For some reason, the scene felt painfully familiar.

Over the years, at countless dinners and family gatherings, Matteo had always peeled shrimp for Luciana, served food onto her plate, and made sure her glass was never empty.

Because of the way they treated each other, even people from both mafia families often assumed they were a couple.

At first, Matteo and Luciana would explain the truth.

But after hearing the same question too many times, they eventually stopped correcting anyone.

Matteo's only answer had been, "If outsiders misunderstand our relationship, that's their problem. As long as you know what we are to each other, that's enough."

Only then did Matteo notice me.

His expression changed.

Instead of asking whether I was all right, he frowned at me.

"Valeria, why didn't you stop her?"

His tone carried clear blame.

"You know she shouldn't be drinking around this time, but you just let her do whatever she wanted."

A strange heat rose in my chest.

I hadn't expected to be blamed for something that wasn't my fault.

Before I could answer, Luciana quickly spoke up, "Why are you blaming Valeria? I'm the one who insisted on coming."

She looked at him unhappily.

"She's going to marry you soon. Is this really how you're going to treat her?"

Matteo fell silent, a trace of guilt crossing his face. He sighed and stepped closer, reaching an arm toward my shoulders.

“Valeria, I didn’t mean to accuse you. I just lose my temper when I’m worried about someone. Don’t take it personally.”

I stepped away before he could touch me, leaving his hand hanging in the air. Then I looked at him calmly. “Sit down. You’re already here.”

Matteo sat beside me, but it didn’t take long for his attention to drift back to Luciana.

The way he looked at her was so natural and open that I felt like an outsider at my own table.

My presence seemed to be the only thing separating two people who looked far more like lovers than friends.

Halfway through the party, a waiter approached Matteo and Luciana with a smile.

"You two are together, aren't you? Our bar has a special offer for members of the Five Families. The couple who shares the longest kiss tonight will receive a custom pair of diamond rings."

He gestured toward the stage.

"Would the two of you like to participate?"

Matteo immediately raised a hand as if he wanted to refuse.

Then he noticed the faint hope in Luciana's eyes.

Matteo hesitated, and for several long seconds neither he nor Luciana moved.

Then, under the cheers and encouragement of the crowd, he finally rose to his feet and took her hand, leading her toward the center of the stage.

The spotlight followed them as Luciana slowly lifted herself onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips. Matteo's body tensed for the briefest moment, but instead of stepping back, he closed his eyes and returned the kiss, pulling her closer as the moment stretched before the entire room.

I remained seated in the booth, watching everything unfold.

The whispers around me grew louder with every passing second, and I could feel curious and sympathetic gazes turning my way.

Strangely, none of it reached me anymore.

The embarrassment was gone. The jealousy was gone. Even the pain had faded. Perhaps my heart had been wounded too many times, until there was simply nothing left to break.

A burst of applause swept through the room as though they had just won some great victory.

Smiling, a waiter stepped forward and presented a black velvet box containing a pair of diamond rings. Luciana finally drew back from the kiss, her cheeks flushed with color, while Matteo stood beside her beneath the bright lights.

She hurried back toward me and opened the box.

"Valeria!"

She took out the men's ring and placed it in my hand.

"This one is for you. Don't be angry, okay? I only wanted the matching pair. I didn't mean anything by it."

I looked down at the ring. The band was far too wide for my finger, and I could barely hold it properly.

"It's too big for me."

I handed it back to Luciana. "Give it to someone who can actually wear it."

Her eyes immediately shifted toward Matteo. Without hesitation, she tossed the ring to him.

"Lucky you."

Matteo caught it easily and let out a short laugh before returning to the booth. He sat down beside me as if nothing unusual had happened.

"My future wife has always been easygoing. She's understanding and never makes trouble over small things."

He glanced toward Luciana.

"She's not like you, always making a fuss over every little thing."

The familiar scent of Matteo's cologne reached me.

This time, it only made my stomach turn.

But I didn't care anymore.

After all, twenty years of friendship and ten years of love that had survived distance had finally come to an end today.

And this time, I was the one who chose to let it end.