—
The announcement goesout that afternoon. By evening, my phone is flooded with messages from people I haven't spoken to in months. I can feel the envy in everyone, other mafia daughters who probably wanted the same things I did but did their duty without fucking everything up.
Congratulations!
I had no idea you and Luca were together!
This is so romantic!
When's the wedding?
Each message feels like a knife twisting in my gut, because they believe the lie. They believe that this is a love story, that Luca and I have been carrying on some secret romance, and now we're finally getting our happy ending. And every one is a reminder that I couldn’t do what I was raised to do, the only purpose I’ve ever had. It’s a nightmare disguised as a fairy tale to try to save what remains of our family’s reputation.
They have no idea that he hates me, that he's only marrying me because the alternative is death. Every moment of our future together will be built on lies and resentment and the destruction of whatever feelings might have existed between us.
But there are other messages too. Messages that are less congratulatory and more... questioning.
Luca Moretti? Really?
I thought you were engaged to Alessandro Marchesi?
This seems sudden…
Is everything okay?
Those messages are closer to the truth, and I’m scared to even answer them. If people are already questioning the story and wondering what really happened, then maybe the lie isn't as believable as my father thinks it is. Maybe everyone can see right through us.
I'm lying on my bed, staring at my phone and trying to figure out how to respond to any of these messages, when there's a knock at my door. "Giulia?" It’s Romeo. "Can I come in?"
I sit up, wiping at my face. My face feels hot and swollen like I’ve been crying, but no more tears have come since this morning. I'm too numb for tears right now, too hollowed out to feel anything except a dull, persistent ache.
"Yes."
He opens the door and steps inside, closing it carefully behind him. He looks exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes and tension in every line of his body. He's been dealing with the fallout all day, I realize—fielding questions and trying to contain the damage I've caused.
"How are you holding up?" he asks. The genuine concern in his voice despite this being all my fault makes my throat tighten.
"I'm fine."
"Bullshit." He sits down on the edge of my bed, his expression serious. "You're not fine. None of us is fine. But I need to know if you're going to be able to handle what comes next."
"The wedding?"
"Everything. The wedding, yes. But also the scrutiny and the questions. The way people are going to look at you and Luca and try to figure out what really happened." He runs a hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration I've seen a thousand times. "The official story is out there now. Most people are accepting it at face value. But there are whispers, Giulia. People wondering why the engagement to Alessandro ended so suddenly. People are questioning whether our father is losing his grip."
The words echo what my father said this morning, and they make me feel sick. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I'm so sorry, Romeo. I never meant?—"
"I know." He cuts me off, but not unkindly. "I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen. But intent doesn't matter now. What matters is how we move forward. How we contain this and make sure it doesn't get any worse."
"How do we do that?"
"You play your part," he says simply. "You marry Luca. You act like this is exactly what you wanted, even if it’s turned out in a way that isn’t. You give people a love story they can believe in,even if it's not true. And you never give anyone reason to doubt the official version of events."
It's the same thing my father said, but coming from Romeo, it feels less like a command and more like a plea. Like he's asking me to help him save what's left of our family's reputation. "I'll do whatever you need me to do," I whisper. I mean it.
I could be bitter with him because he got to marry the woman he loved, and the whole family is disintegrating because I tried to reach for love, too. But I can’t be upset with him. I made my choices, and he made his. It’s the world that is unfair, not my brother.
He studies me for a long moment, then nods. "Good. We have a meeting tomorrow with the Marchesi family for the final dissolution of the engagement. Alessandro will be there, and his father, and probably a few of their key people.Papawants you present. And Luca will be there too, in his capacity as my second."
