Prologue
Emilia
I pause outside the ballroom entrance and take a fortifying breath, smoothing my hands down the silk of my dress. Inside, music and laughter spill through the doors—the reception is in full swing. The ceremony was beautiful, watching Matteo and Sofia exchange vows, but now comes the hard part.
Avoiding Antonio.
The mammoth-sized guards flanking the entrance don't surprise me. This is, after all, a union between two of the wealthiest and most powerful families in New York City. Security at every corner is expected.
I can do this. I can walk in there, congratulate the happy couple, and keep my distance from the one man who makes my heart race. Simple.
Taking one more breath, I step through the doors.
I’m immediately inundated with the sound of music and loud chatter. The ballroom is a riot of color and movement. Tables draped in crisp white linen stretch as far as the eye can see, each decorated with towering floral arrangements.
There are people everywhere. Couples on the dance floor and groups huddled together in what I suppose is networking. People don’t come to a wedding like this and not make anybusiness connections. The guests in this room have a combined net worth that could feed a small nation for generations.
I smile at the chaos, my eyes scanning the room in hopes of spotting my mother and twin brother so I can join them at their table. That’s when I see…him. The smile freezes on my lips when I spot the one man I was hoping not to run into at this event. He’s standing by a table, a wine glass in hand, eyes on the guests.
Antonio Rossi.
He’s wearing a dark suit, perfectly tailored, and a crisp white shirt. My heart skips a beat, a familiar flutter of nerves and excitement settling in my stomach as I take him in. The way the light catches the sharp angles of his face is something out of a dream. He's as handsome as he was the last time I saw him a year ago, and he makes my heart race just as fast.
I thought I would have fallen out of love with Antonio Rossi by now. That I could look at those broad shoulders and that chiseled jaw and just…look away.
But I can’t look away.
No, I’m still as helplessly in love with him as I was when I was a teen and doodling hearts on my notebook—if not more. All these years later, and my heart still longs for a man I cannot have.
I smooth my damp hands down my dress, suddenly nervous. Coming here meant seeing Antonio. It is, after all, his brother’s wedding. I watched him stand at the altar beside Matteo during the ceremony, impossibly handsome in his suit, and I've been bracing myself for this moment ever since..
Ignore him.
I can do that, right?No. Yes! I can definitely ignore the man I have harbored a crush on for years. So why are my feetstill stuck to the floor? I try to ignore the little pain in my chest when I realize that mine are not the only eyes locked on him. He definitely has multiple women watching him…wanting him.
Christ, what is wrong with me?
“Emilia!”
My head whips around just in time to see a flutter of dark hair, thick and wavy, push through the crowd before a familiar face surfaces and a frown I wasn’t aware I was wearing lifts into a smile. The pretty girl, a few inches shorter than me, with warm brown eyes and full lips, throws herself into my arms. I laugh as I rock back a step before we nearly topple over. Her presence knocks the nerves right out of me, and for a moment, I forget about Antonio Rossi as I embrace his sister.
“Gabby.”
“You made it,” she beams, pushing back to look at me. "You disappeared after the ceremony. I was worried you'd left already."
"How could I miss watching the ever-serious Matteo Rossi get married? I had to see the woman who brought him to his knees."
The smile on her face drops a little as she looks around to make sure no one’s within earshot before leaning in. “You know it’s an arranged marriage, right?”
“Of course, I do,” I smile at her. “But I don’t think Matteo would have married his bride if he wasn’t drawn to her. When have you known your brother to do something he didn’t want?”
"This time it’s different. Papa threatened not to make him the don if he didn't choose a bride." Her eyes cross over to the bride and groom who are engaged in what seems to be an intensestaring contest, and I notice her features change. "Maybe you're right. Something is going on between them."
I follow her eyes to the couple and nod. Something is definitely up with them, however much they try to hide it. Their bodies seem to subconsciously lean toward each other, and there are other little tells. Like the way Matteo watches his bride, as if he wants to kiss her where they stand. Perhaps more.
I clear my throat and look away. “You look gorgeous, Gabby. Why don’t we find some place to sit and chat?”
I turn around to look for an empty table when Gabriella Rossi loops her hand into my arm and drags me away. I chuckle as she leads me past other tables and toward…
