Chapter 3
Serenella's POV
I forced a weak smile, swallowing the bile in my throat. "Of course not. Just some bad seafood."
Before I could finish, Marcellino stepped forward, genuine panic in his eyes. He reached out to support me. "You look pale. Let me take you to the hospital."
But Cosimo slapped his hand away. His dark eyes flared with icy warning.
"Hands off, Marcellino," Cosimo’s voice was dangerously low. "She just ate too fast."
Marcellino’s hand froze mid-air. After a tense silence, he stepped back, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.
The dinner ended in suffocating silence.
At midnight, Cosimo and Marcellino drove Caterina back. It wasn't until 2:00 AM that I heard the front door click open.
I knew "he" was back. Cosimo despised me, so the one coming to my bed tonight had to be Marcellino.
Soon, the sound of the shower echoed from the bathroom. Seizing the moment, I slipped out of bed and grabbed his personal phone from the nightstand.
The screen lit up. Holding my breath, I typed in my birthday.
Unlock.
Before I could process the shock, I opened his messages. The pinned chat at the top drained the warmth from my body. It was a thread between Cosimo and Marcellino.
[Cosimo: Did you touch her these past two days?]
[Marcellino: No, Cosimo. Caterina is right, though. The sweeter we are to her now, the harder she'll crash when the truth is revealed at the altar. I'll play my part.]
[Cosimo: Remember, you do not touch her.]
My nails bit into my palms.
The phone password was my birthday. The phone belonged to Cosimo.
Which meant... the man showering in my bathroom right now was the real Don. Cosimo.
The bathroom door opened. Cosimo stepped out, a towel slung low on his hips, radiating heat.
He climbed into bed, pulling me into his chest. His lips found my neck, his touch possessive, almost desperate.
"Get off me," I wanted to scream. Instead, I forced my body to stiffen, pushing him away slightly. "I really don't feel well. My stomach hurts."
He froze. Displeasure flickered in his dark eyes, but he let go, pulling the blanket over me and wrapping his arms tightly around my waist from behind.
In the dark, my abdomen throbbed. A large, calloused hand covered my flat stomach, gently rubbing it, his steady breath brushing my hair.
His tenderness only made me feel sick.
Two days before the wedding, Cosimo took me to a bridal boutique.
He slipped a massive pink diamond onto my ring finger. The cold metal sent a shiver down my spine. Touching my cheek, his eyes held a strange, hopeful gaze. "Have you gained a little weight? Your waist looks a bit rounder, Piccola."
"Maybe," I smiled sweetly, already calculating the diamond's value. At ten carats, it would fetch at least two million dollars on the black market.
While changing out of my gown, voices drifted from outside the fitting room.
"Miss Caterina, you look stunning," Bianca, Caterina's maid, flattered. "That trash from the slums doesn't deserve to stand next to Don Cosimo. On her wedding day, she’ll be thrown out like a stray dog while everyone laughs."
"Of course," Caterina laughed, her voice dripping with venom. "She actually thinks she’s going to be the Don's wife. Is the surprise ready for tomorrow? I will be the only bride."
I stood behind the heavy velvet curtain, calmly smoothing my dress. I felt no anger, only amusement.
On the morning of the wedding, the Torregrossa estate was packed with the city’s elite.
Cosimo stood at the altar in a bespoke black tuxedo, looking powerful and striking. Marcellino, in a sharp grey suit, stood beside him as the best man, a careless smirk on his lips. Caterina, wearing a white gown that rivaled any wedding dress, laughed with them.
No one noticed me slip out of the side door in plain clothes, completely bypassing the security cameras.
I got into a waiting taxi and headed straight for the airport.
Just before boarding, I pulled out my phone to turn it off.
Suddenly, notifications flooded the screen.
Cosimo’s name flashed repeatedly.
[Piccola, where are you? The ceremony is starting.]
[Stop playing games. Come back now!]
