The sun was barely rising when I was jolted awake by the sound of hurried footsteps echoing down the hallway. The soft light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a pale glow over my room. For a moment, I lay still, listening, my heart pounding in my chest. Something wasn't right.

I slipped out of bed, my bare feet padding quietly across the cool marble floor as I moved toward the door. The voices in the hallway grew louder, more frantic. I recognized them immediately-my father's deep, commanding tone, laced with anger, and the strained, nervous replies of the servants.

I cracked the door open just enough to peer out. The corridor was a flurry of activity. Two of the maids were speaking in hushed whispers, their expressions anxious. My father stood at the end of the hallway, his face ashen, barking orders at anyone within earshot.

"Find her!" he shouted, his voice reverberating off the walls. "I want every inch of this house searched and Alecia brought to me! Go! Find her, she couldn't have gone far!"

Find Alecia?

It took my mind a few seconds to comprehend what was happening- perhaps because of the sleep, but once I understood my blood ran cold. I felt the seed of doubt that had been planted in my mind the night before blossom.

Alecia...Alecia had indeed pulled a crazy stunt, just like when our father wanted her to become valedictorian.

'Oh God,' Dread settled in the pit of my stomach along with the thought.

She was gone. Alecia was gone.

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I pulled the door open fully and stepped into the hallway, the maids falling silent as they noticed me. My father turned his gaze in my direction, his expression a storm of fury and fear.

"Papa, what's going on?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"She's gone," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Your sister has run away."

My heart sank. I had hoped, despite the obvious signs, that she hadn't done so. Another wishful thinking on my path.

"When did she leave?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"During the night, sometime after midnight," he replied, his tone clipped. "Her room was empty when the maids went to wake her this morning. They found this."

He held up a small piece of paper, crumpled from where he had been clutching it in his fist. I stepped closer, my stomach churning as I took the note from him.

The handwriting was unmistakably Alecia's, the letters scrawled hastily across the page.

[I won't be a pawn or bargaining chip in anyone's game. Don't bother looking for me. I'm gone.]

That was it. No explanations, no apologies. Just a terse declaration of her departure. I felt a wave of anger and hurt crash over me. How could she do this? How could she leave us to face the consequences of her actions alone?

Did she always have to be selfish at the wrong time?

Sure, guaranteed, the thought of marrying someone as dangerous as Luca was scary, petrifying even, but so was the thought of letting your family face the brunt of his wrath, all because what...she was too scared to step up and do one simple job? Because she had an unknown boyfriend she saw future with?

Whichever one of the two it was, I found it highly disappointing.

Thankfully, my father's voice cut through my thoughts before I could get any more angrier at Alecia.

"She's thrown everything away, Valentina. Everything we've built, everything we've worked for-gone." His voice was cold, laced with an edge of desperation that I had never heard before.

I glanced between the note and my father for a few seconds. As much as I would love to dwell on Alecia's stupidity and the fact that she had just put our entire family in jeopardy, I knew doing that wouldn't provide any form of solution.

"What are we going to do?" I asked after a heartbeat.

My father didn't respond immediately. Instead, he began pacing the hallway, his brow furrowed in deep thought. I could see the tension in his posture, the weight of the decision he knew he had to make.

Finally, he stopped and turned to face me, his expression unreadable. "We have no choice," he said slowly, each word measured and deliberate. "The marriage contract was drawn up in Alecia's name, but the Carusos don't care about that. All he cares about is securing the money we owe him, or better yet, getting a reassurance that the money we owe him would be paid back."

He stared right at me as he added. "We must honor the deal."

For a few seconds, it felt like his words were spoken in a foreign language, like I couldn't understand the meaning behind them. But the moment the meaning of his words became clear to me, a pit opened up in my stomach and I swallow thickly.

"You're going to send me instead," I spoke reality, rather than asking a question.

My father's eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw something close to regret flicker in his gaze. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by the stern resolve of a man who had made up his mind.

"There's no other way, Valentina," he said, his tone softer now but no less determined. "At the moment, I don't even have half of the money and Luca Caruso is not a man to cross. If we don't honor our end of the bargain, he will destroy us."

Of course he would. That shit wasn't up for debate. I had seen times without number, when his name would be written in the news, displaying the gory violence caused by him, the feared mafia king with no face to his name.

His reputation was already brutal enough for me to even think of doubting my father's words. And for that, the anger I felt for Alecia simmered down, diluted a bit with understanding.

No one would want to marry a criminal man, most definitely in his late fifties with residing hairline and pot like belly. Yet, here I, listening to my father as he suggested I do so.

"Papa," I began, hesitantly so. "You know I can't do that...I have a Fiance, we've-"

Whatever light had been in my father's eyes turned cold at the mention of Macro. It was obvious he wasn't taking the fact that both his daughter using their relationship as excuses, lightly.

"So what?" He advanced towards me, glaring. "You're going to abandon your family, just like Alecia, over some boy."

I took a few steps back. "Papa-"

"Don't forget Valentina, this family isn't just me and you, your mother's there, in the hospital! She's part of the reason why I'm in so much debt and you are the reason why she's in that condition!"

My heart clenched at his words. Whoever said the truth is painful, was right. Because no matter how many times I've heard this, I couldn't myself from believing that if I hadn't carelessly played in the center of the road as a child, then my mother wouldn't have had any need to get hit by a car and end up in a coma.

He was right in a way; I put my mother in that situation and I knew one of these days, I'd pay the price for it. But I had never imagined this. Never imagined that I would be offered up like some kind of sacrificial lamb, in place of the sister who had always been deemed more valuable.

"Don't be selfish, Valentina, be of use to this family for once."

I shook my head. "Not in this way, Papa."

My words caused him to stop walking, talking and he just stared blankly at me for a few seconds. The next words he said, we're ones I never expected to hear.

"You either go in your sister's place or I swear Valentina, I will call the hospital and tell them to disconnect your mother."

My eyes fluttered in disbelief. "What?"

"If this family is going to go down because of your stupidity, I'll make sure to drag her down with me. So we can be a complete family."

My stupidity? Shaking my head, I backed into my room and shut the door, not bothering to lock it because I knew my father wouldn't bother opening it.

This wasn't my fault, it was Alecia's! She was the one who decided to be so foolish and run away, so why was I being blamed? Why was everything falling on my head?

My breathing became labored as anger set in and I tried everything in my power not to scream or kick things. Rather, I located my phone and dialed Alecia's number.

It rang once, twice and thrice, before going directly to voice mail. I tried calling again and this time, the line was busied.

Tears of frustration pooled in my eyes and I knew then and there that I needed a source of peace and Marco seemed like the perfect option.

I called him instantly, but was met with the same fate. My frustration doubled and then and there, I was about to throw my phone against the wall, when I received a text message from him.

In seconds, my frustration seemed to lessen down. But the relief was short lived, because the moment I opened his text message, I felt like the floor had been strip away from my feet.

In the message that I had expected to find comfort in, we're words I didn't ever to see, yet feared.

[I've found someone I truly love. Let's break up Valentina.]

Confusion, hurt and anger; those were the three emotions I felt in a matter of seconds as I stared at Marco's text.

What the hell was he saying? I thought as I tried calling his number again. It rang and the call was instantly rejected.

I felt my heart clench, painfully. This wasn't possible. Macro couldn't be breaking up with me. We'd spent too many years together for this joke to seem real.

I needed to see him, talk to him and make sure this joke was that alone, a joke!

Heading towards my closet, I changed out of my night dress and grabbed stormed out of my room, determined to reach his place in seconds and get the answers I deserved.

My father saw me on my way out, but didn't make any effort to stop me. It was like he knew I wouldn't do what Alecia did. I knew I wouldn't do what Alecia did.

Getting into my car, I sped towards his penthouse and thanks to it being the early hours of the day, there was no traffic, meaning I arrived there in under an hour.

In little to no time, I was in front of Macro penthouse, banging my fist hard on his door.

"Bloody hell, I don't remember ordering room service."

I heard him mutter and seconds later, the door swung open. The moment he saw my face, his expression paled, then seconds later, panic set in.

"Val, what are you doing here? Why are you here and-"

"Explain," I nearly shoved my phone in his face. "What is the meaning of this?"

He the text message, rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Val, listen, I-" before he could finish talking, a voice interrupted him.

"Macro? Who is it?"

Instantly, my blood ran cold upon hearing the voice.

I recognized that voice, knew it like the back of my palm and poison slipping slowly into ones internal organs, I watched as Alecia emerged from behind Macro, dressed in one of his dresses.

"Babe, who-" She paused and her eyes widened the moment she spotted me standing there. "Oh."

Bewildered, I looked between the two, momentarily ignoring the pain gnawing at my chest as reality set in.

"How long?" Was all I could ask.

Both of them were silent for a few seconds, before Alecia spoke up. "One year."

My eyes went wide. One year? What about her boyfriend? Wouldn't he- Oh!

Yet another realization set in and it was the fact that Macro, was the boyfriend she had been talking about.

I felt sick and angered at the same time. "You've been fucking me and my sister at the same time?" I asked, glaring at Macro who tried avoiding my gaze. "Have you?!"

"Val, Please listen to me,"

Once he began with those words, I knew it was true.

"Fucking hell Macro!" I spat. "Out of everyone you could cheat on me with, you chose to pick my own fucking sister?! And you," I turned my attention on Alecia. "How could you do this? Fucking my fiance? Leaving your family for naught?"

"Don't play the victim card here, Valentina. You brought this union yourself. You were so busy with yourself that you forgot all about your boyfriend's needs. Could you really blame any of us for...falling in love?" The last words were said as she wrapped her hand around Marco's upper arm. "And as for that death wish of marriage, if you think it's so easy, why don't you take my place. We are twins after all, what's a little switch in roles gonna affect."

"Fuck you Alecia," I spat ready to tear at her face, but Macro stopped me that very second.

"Don't cause a scene here, Valentina." He warned and the betrayal in front of me steeped in harder.

"I'm going to tell father about this." Were the only words I could say.

Alecia smirked at me. "Go ahead, tell him," She rolled her eyes. "Like he already doesn't know."

Those words felt like a punch to the gut and Alecia's smile widened.

"He knows everything, Valy, darling. And I'd bet you this, he also knows where I am."

She said those words with so much confidence that it made me feel stupid as well as realize that obvious truth in front of me. It was true, my father wasn't that unresourceful. If he wanted to know where Alecia was, he would have done so in minutes.

He just...he just didn't want to lose his favorite daughter.

My expression must have said it all, because Alecia cackled like a hyena. "Get it now don't you." She turned and shamelessly kissed Macro on the cheek. "I'd be waiting for you in the bedroom, babe." Taking one last look at me, she said. "Enjoy your new life now, Valentina."

Once she was gone, Macro spoke up. "Since you already know I want to break up, let's not prolong things anymore and end it here. I'll send all your things over, no need to come over for them."

With that, he stepped back and slammed the door in my face, leaving me standing like a statue, although, that's what I wished I was, because I was certain statues can't feel the amount of pain and anger I was experiencing.

It was betrayal at its finest, from both my sister, father and brother and no other pain had ever hurt this much.

It took a little while, but eventually, I gathered myself and drove back home. On the way home, I received a call from the hospital.

"Miss De Luca, we've been trying to contact your father, but he's not picking, do you happen to know another line we can reach him on?"

"No, but if you have any message to deliver you can leave it to me, I'll pass it along."

"Understood, well, it's about your mother."

My heart skipped a beat the moment I heard this. Fear grilled at me, causing my hold on the steering wheel to tighten and in a way, I felt my throat tighten.

"What is it?"

"Her condition deteriorated last night and we need to carry out treatment on her but can not do so without funds, please let him know this."

Biting back tears, I informed the hospital that I would inform my father and needed the call. By then, I was pulling into the driveway of the family mansion.

The moment I got down, I stormed into my father'sstudy where the servants told me he was.

"Did you think I'd never find out?" I angrily asked, watching as he placed the file he was reading, down and fixed his attention on me. "Did you think I'd never find out?" I repeated.

"On the contrary, I knew. The same way I knew that once you found out, you'd realize you're about to Jeopardize a family that loves you for a man that doesn't,"

"Bullshit." I spat.

"Same way I knew the hospital would call you if I didn't pick up. So, what's it going to be, Valentina, marry Luca, or give me a reason to stop paying for Rebecca's hospital bills."

"She's your wife!" I snapped and watched as my father looked emotionlessly at me.

"So?"

That one word...one question, was enough to tell me that I was my mother's only hope. Her last hope and the moment I refused to do this, it would be game over for her.

"It's only going to be for a year, Valentina. In a years time, I would have gotten enough to pay the debt off." His words were meant to serve as a source of reassurance to me, but it only made the situation seem more real.

For the next year, I had to be married to some old thug with residing hairline and a freaking limp dick, if I wanted my mother to stay awake.

Never had I hated my life more than I did at this moment.

"So? Would you do it or should I call the hos-"

"I'll do it." I interrupted, not waiting for him to finish his threat that I knew he could carry out.

He smiled, weakly. "You've made the right choice." Standing up, he brought a file along with him, one that contained the details of the contract, one that he handed to me.

As I took the folder, I couldn't help but ask. "Does he know?"

"Not yet," my father admitted, his expression grim. "But he will soon. And when he does, he'll have no choice but to accept it. He needs this marriage as much as we do. It's not just about us-it's about his empire, his power. He won't back out now."

His words hung in the air like a death sentence. There was no escaping this. No way out.

The reality of what was happening hit me all at once, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. I turned away from my father, clutching the folder in my hand for support as the weight of the situation pressing down on my shoulders like a vice.

"Valentina," my father said, his voice softer now, almost gentle. "I know this isn't what you wanted. But sometimes, we have to do things we don't want to do for the sake of the family. For the sake of those we love."

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. All this... I wasn't meant to be going through all this. But I had to, at least the marriage bit, for my mother's sake.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to push the fear and uncertainty to the back of my mind. This was my reality now. Whether I liked it or not, I was about to become the wife of Luca Caruso, the most feared man in Naples.

"I understand, father." My words were laced with tiny bit of venom, anger and hurt, all of which my father ignored and nodded his head.

"Good. I'll have them prepare dresses for the meeting tomorrow." Walking by, he tapped my shoulder. "Don't disappoint me Valentina. If not for this family's sake, then do it for your mother's."

With that, he walked away, leaving me with the gut wrenching reality that my fate was sealed.

10:15 AM the next day

Forty Five minutes until the meeting and I was yet to dress up. I was forced to bath but I needed more time to regain control of myself before I put on that dress.

It's my favorite color, a shiny blue silk slip ankle length dress with cowl neck.

But it didn't stop the helpless feeling.

10:22

I finally pulled myself together and slipped into the dress. It only took a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity. I applied just enough makeup to cover the dark circles under my eyes, not wanting to look as tired as I felt. Then, I grabbed my bag.

As I headed downstairs, I couldn't stop the silent prayer running through my mind. Even though I knew just how wrong it was, but is it bad that I wanted Luca Caruso to find out about the switch and back out. But at the same time, a part of me wished he wouldn't. My mother's life hung in the balance, and I knew my father wouldn't hesitate to cut off her life support if this marriage didn't happen. He had made that clear. Pretty clear.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, my father was waiting. He glanced at me, checking his watch before eyeing me up and down. "Why did you take so long?" he asked, but before I could answer, he smirked and added, "Trying to look good for your future husband, I suppose."

The wave of disgust hit me, but I swallowed it down. I said nothing, just stood there as he looked me over, assessing me like I was something he owned.

Once he was done, he nodded, satisfied. "The driver will take you. I won't have you running off like your sister, though I doubt you would."

I nodded, forcing the words out. "Yes, Father."

Without another word, I walked outside to the waiting car. The driver opened the door for me, the car spotless, unnervingly polished-just like the life I was being forced into. I got in, knowing there was no turning back.

As soon as the car pulled out of the driveway and the gates creaked shut behind us, I felt the pain in my chest tighten even further. My hand immediately found my phone, fingers trembling slightly as I scrolled through recent calls. There it was-the number from St. Francis Hospital. Yesterday's call echoed in my head, the cold, matter-of-fact tone of the hospital administrator who had reminded me that time was running out.

I glanced toward the driver. He kept his eyes on the road, silent, not giving me a second thought. They all didn't. I took a deep breath and pressed the call button, bringing the phone up to my ear. The ringing felt like it lasted forever.

"St. Francis Hospital, how may I assist you?"

"Hi, this is Valentina De Luca," I said, my voice low. Afraid they might drop a bad news before I tell them the reason I called. Horrible feeling. "I spoke with someone yesterday about my mother's treatment. Is there any way you can connect me to the person handling her case?"

There was a brief pause on the other end. "Yes, Ms. De Luca. I remember your call. Have you had a chance to discuss the payment situation with your father?"

I pressed my lips together, staring out of the car window as we drove farther away from home. "Yes," I lied smoothly. "He's available now. I need you to call him right away. He's ready to handle the financial discussions."

There was a slight hesitation, as if the receptionist wasn't sure whether to believe me, but then she said, "I understand. I'll notify the financial department immediately and make sure they contact your father now. Is there anything else you need?"

I gripped the phone tighter, feeling my heart race. "No, just make sure you call him now. He's expecting it, and I need this settled as soon as possible."

"I understand, Ms. De Luca. We'll take care of it. Thank you for calling."

I ended the call, my thumb lingering over the screen for a second longer than necessary. A slow, uneasy breath left me as I lowered the phone onto my lap, staring out at the passing streets that blurred into one another. The hospital would call him. They had to. I'd done all I could to push this along-now, the rest was out of my hands.

But what if he refused? What if, after all this, he decided to pull the plug, to punish me for whatever twisted reasons fueled his cruelty? The thought of it made me feel sick, my stomach churning at the idea that my mother's life was hanging in the balance of my father's whims.

I let out a slow shaky breath, feeling the helplessness wash over me. At least for the moment, I had done what I could.

We made a deal. He better keep his own end of it.

The car suddenly slowed. Traffic. I thanked the heavens for it, my shoulders sagging with relief. If we got stuck long enough, we might even be late to the meeting.

Part of me knew I shouldn't feel that way. I should've been worried about the consequences, about the look on my father's face if we arrived late and Mr Luca Caruso angrily calls him. But I couldn't help it-the delay was a pause in the nightmare that awaited me.

I sat back in my seat, exhaling softly, allowing myself to enjoy the moment of reprieve. But then, I felt the car shift. The driver, without a word, swerved and took a sharp turn onto a different road. My heart sank.

I didn't need to ask. I knew this was no random detour. He must've gotten orders from my father, probably before we even left the house. There would be no escaping this, no extra time to stall. Of course, my father had planned for this. He always did.

I let out a quiet sigh and stared out at the unfamiliar streets we followed. The relief that had briefly settled in my chest faded away. I didn't say anything. There was no point. The driver was just doing his job, just like everyone else under my father's thumb.

I clasped my hands in my lap and turned my gaze back to the road ahead. The meeting would happen, on time. There was no avoiding it. I know.