On the eve of my wedding, my fiancé, Silas Volpe, boasted to his friends in a private booth at a club. He had lost a bet to his mistress, Odessa Monroe, and as a result, he crossed out the groom's name on our families' sacred marriage contract and replaced it with his brother's, Caius Volpe.

A friend whistled, leaning back against the velvet sofa to tease him, "Just for a bet with Odessa, you switched the contract to Caius? Aren't you afraid the Marino family's Principessa will have your head?"

Silas scoffed. "She took a car bomb for me. She'll get over it. I've already publicly canceled our wedding five times. What's one more humiliation? Besides, Caius is a cripple. What woman would touch him? When Alessia finds out the truth, she'll come crawling back to me, begging. She'll be mine again, right where I want her."

I stood behind the one-way glass of the private booth, and every word he spoke sent a chill through my veins.

For our families, the marriage contract is a sacred, inviolable bond. The names of each couple represent an alliance of power and the sanctity of our families' bond. And Silas had treated this solemn vow as a cheap joke.

I didn't cause a scene. I simply turned and disappeared into the shadows of the hallway.

On the day of our wedding, Silas strode into Trinity Church only to be met with echoing silence. It was completely deserted. He frantically dialed my number.

Across from me, my true groom waited. Dressed in my Vera Wang couture wedding gown, I faced him, holding my phone to my ear. "My wedding is about to begin," I said calmly. "Did you call to wish me well?"

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1

On my wedding day, I was preparing to marry the man Silas Volpe had chosen for me. But he would be the one to regret it.

...

My mother gripped my hand, her voice taut with anxiety. "Alessia, are you sure about this? Caius Volpe is crippled. He can’t even manage on his own. Silas is your fiancé, the future Don of the Volpe family."

I cut her off. "My mind is made up. Silas and Caius are both of the Volpe bloodline. Since Silas doesn't want me, why should I humiliate myself?"

For our families, the marriage contract was everything. Each union was a sacred pact between two powerful dynasties, a tradition that upheld our honor and power.

I never imagined Silas would treat it like a game.

I pressed my hand to my mouth, forcing back the sob clawing at my throat. Five years. I had wasted the best five years of my life on a man who didn't deserve them.

From the moment I first saw him at seventeen, I had given him everything. I had even taken a bullet for him—or rather, a bomb. I had pushed him out of the way of a car explosion meant to assassinate him, and the shrapnel had torn through my back. I almost died.

Although I survived, the explosion left permanent, grotesque scars that snaked across my back, throbbing on rainy days.

When I learned I was to be married to Silas, I was ecstatic, too deliriously happy to sleep for nights on end.

I truly believed my happy ending was finally within reach.

Yet, Silas postponed our wedding again and again, each time with a different excuse. And every excuse had a name: Odessa Monroe.

The first time, Odessa sprained her ankle at a club. Without a word, Silas abandoned me and a hall full of guests, rushing to her side at a private hospital.

The second time, Odessa threw a tantrum backstage, complaining that the bridesmaid dress I had chosen for her wasn't dazzling enough. Silas canceled the wedding again, this time to find her more exquisite jewels.

This farce had already played out four times. This was the fifth.

At first, the family pitied me. But as the cancellations mounted, they began to whisper that I was the problem.

They whispered that I was cold and heartless, and that was why Silas despised me.

They claimed I was barren, unable to bear children, and that this was the real reason he wouldn’t go through with the ceremony.

The rumors spread like wildfire, growing more vicious with each retelling, until I could hardly hold my head up at family gatherings.

I begged Silas to set the record straight.

But he would just pat my head and murmur, "Don't listen to them. What matters is that I know the truth."

At first, his words moved me. It wasn't until later that I discovered Silas himself was the source of those rumors. He wanted to divert all attention to me to protect Odessa from scrutiny.

Every betrayal was another knife to the heart, carving away at it until nothing but fragments remained.

I’m done wasting my life on you, Silas. I’m done.

The Don of the Volpe family, Vincenzo Volpe, was stunned to hear I wanted to marry Caius. But considering his son had been in a wheelchair for years, he knew this might be Caius's only chance at marriage. No other woman from a respectable family would have him.

So, Vincenzo agreed to my request, even offering a generous portion of the family's assets as a dowry.

As our two families discussed the wedding arrangements, I glanced out the study window and saw Caius in his wheelchair. He was in the estate's garden, engrossed in a book.

Though I could only see his profile, it was strikingly handsome, and his gray eyes, deep as wells, were mesmerizing. I found myself staring.

Suddenly, a heavy gardening cart came barreling out from the shadows of the bushes. I held my breath as Caius launched himself from his wheelchair, rolling clear of the collision before deftly settling back into the seat as if nothing had happened.

My heart pounded. Weren't his legs crippled? How could he move?

I blinked, certain I had imagined it. When I looked again, he was sitting quietly, as if he hadn't moved at all. Was I seeing things?

The wedding details were quickly finalized. Afterward, I went back to the villa I shared with Silas to pack my things.

When I pushed open the door, I found Odessa sitting on the living room sofa, wearing the gown I had custom-made for an important gala.

Odessa smirked at me. "Oh, Alessia, you're back. Silas says you make a killer martini. I'm dying of thirst. Be a dear and mix one for me, will you?"

I ignored her and strode toward my bedroom.

Just then, Silas appeared, his face darkening when he saw me ignore her.

"Alessia, Odessa just wanted to taste your handiwork. She meant no harm. You're supposed to be the future Donna of the Volpe family. How can you be so petty? How can I trust you to run this household?"

"Silas, don't be so harsh," Odessa cooed, clutching his sleeve with a practiced innocence. "It's my fault, really. I should have called. If Alessia isn't comfortable with me here, I can just leave."

She started for the door, but Silas caught her arm. "How could anyone not like you? You're so charming and sweet. Look, I even brought you a present."

He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and pressed them into Odessa's hand. "My lawyer drew up the papers for you—it's a condo in a prime location. You can watch the wedding from your own balcony. You'll have the best seat in the house."

Odessa took the keys, her face beaming. "This must have been so expensive."

Silas stroked her hair dotingly. "It's nothing. Just a condo. Anything for you is worth it."

I paid them no mind, a leaden weight settling in my stomach as I walked to the kitchen.

The last time, Odessa had complained that her bridesmaid dress wasn't as beautiful as my wedding gown, so Silas had forced me to change into a simpler dress.

He had told me then, "Alessia, darling, Odessa is sensitive about her humble origins. That dress of yours is too extravagant; it will only make her feel inadequate. Besides, you look beautiful in anything."

I believed him and gave up the gown I had spent months choosing. I never imagined he had secretly bought Odessa a condo behind my back.

At dinner, Silas asked casually, "Have you gone over the wedding arrangements?"

I nodded.

A flash of displeasure crossed his face. He pressed, "Did you check the signature on the marriage contract? It's a family tradition. We can't have any mistakes."

I feigned ignorance. "I've checked everything. It's all in order."

Silas was about to press further, but Odessa interrupted him. She pointed to a faded trident crest on his arm. "Silas, that Marino family crest is so pretty. It would be even more stunning if my name was tattooed there to match my dress."

Silas’s expression tightened. That tattoo wasn't just ink; it was a symbol of his bond with my family, a mark of honor. To alter it was a grave insult, a sign of broken fealty.

He met Odessa's expectant gaze, then turned to me, his expression a mask of strained apology. "Alessia, darling, I know how much that crest meant. But Odessa… she wanted a symbol of my affection too. After we're married, I swear, I'll make it up to you. A bigger surprise."

The man I was marrying wasn't Silas anyway, so the tattoo meant nothing to me now. But as my eyes fell on it, a flood of memories rushed back.

Years ago, he had pointed to that tattoo and sworn that my family's mark would be the only one on his body. Now, for another woman, he was ready to erase it.

My gaze fell to the spot on his arm. Now, where my family's trident had been, there was only a blurry, scarred patch of skin from laser removal, already covered by a garish rose for Odessa. He tugged his jacket sleeve down, trying to hide the disfigured skin. "On our wedding day," he said, "I'll give you a proper explanation."

In that moment, the tattoo that had captivated me for years lost its magic. Along with it, the man who had held me captive for so long.

"You're right," I said flatly. "I'm not the Donna yet. It's none of my business."

Silas hadn't expected me to concede so easily. A troubled look crossed his face.

Then, he repeated, "I promise. On the wedding day, you'll get a perfect explanation."

A flash of jealousy crossed Odessa's face at his words.

I didn't answer him. I just watched as Silas pulled his jacket sleeve down to cover the scarred skin.

I put down my utensils and asked seriously, "Silas, since I have no opinion on the tattoo, shouldn't you return the heirloom pocket watch my father gave you?"

Silas stared at me in disbelief. "You want the watch back? What is that supposed to mean? Are you calling off the wedding?"

I almost laughed out loud. Who was the one who didn't want this marriage? But I held it in, desperate to preserve what little dignity I had left and not sound like a scorned woman.

I just said calmly, "I just don't think it's appropriate for you to carry it anymore."

Silas ripped the pocket watch from his vest and slammed it on the table in front of me. "Fine. It's not appropriate. It was time for a new one anyway."

With that, he threw down his napkin, took Odessa's hand, and stormed out.

My fingers gently traced the cool metal of the watch. It had been my father's symbol of acceptance. Since Silas didn't cherish it, he would never get a second chance.

In the following days, I threw myself into the wedding preparations. I didn't see Silas once, nor did he call.

The long hours of work and stress caused my back injury to flare up again. With my usual physical therapist unavailable, the throbbing pain finally drove me to a private clinic for relief.

My vision blurred. I was staggering down the hallway, one hand on the wall for balance, when a familiar voice cut through the haze.

"The doctor said you're fine, don't worry," Silas said softly.

I looked up and saw him in the waiting area, holding Odessa in his arms. I hadn't seen such tenderness in his eyes in a long time.

Odessa leaned against his chest, feigning weakness. "My stomach hurts so much. I think I'll need to rest for a few days. But your wedding is in three days. How can I not be there as your bridesmaid?"

Silas gently stroked her hair. "Don't worry about that. The wedding can wait. Your health is what's most important."

Watching them, I couldn't help but let out a cold, bitter laugh.

When I got home, I found Silas on the phone, arranging to postpone the venue. He noticed me and frowned.

He asked, "Back hurting again?"

I managed a grunt of agreement.

He glanced at his phone, his hesitation brief. "I have to go to the port—it's business. We'll have to postpone the wedding again. Too much is happening with the family right now."

I kept my voice flat. "You're going to see Odessa, aren't you?"