Everyone who has ever met me says no man could possibly resist me. It is because I am a natural seductress. My hourglass figure is too sensual to even hide.

But my fiancé, Enzo Vitale, the Don of the Vitale family, is the exception. He dislikes my full lips and my curving hips. Not only that, he thinks my ample chest and narrow waist lack dignity and elegance.

He says everything about me screams promiscuity, and that I am like a flirtatious prostitute, making me unfit to be his wife.

So, he brings in the strictest etiquette mentore from Cicaro to teach me proper manners.

I study diligently for an entire year, but I still fail to become the perfect wife he wants.

When he once again complains that I am too seductive and improper, even going so far as to threaten to break off our engagement, I grow tired of it all.

I say, "Then let's cancel our engagement."

"What did you just say?"

Enzo Vitale thought he had misheard something. Those gray-blue eyes of his locked onto me, sharp and disbelieving.

I saw that reaction coming.

Every time he talked about calling off our engagement, I would be the one clinging to him, crying and begging for one more shot. I would swear to fix myself and be whatever version of me he wanted.

But not today. I was done. I had no desire left to keep dragging my dignity through the mud for his sake.

I met Enzo's gaze and repeated carefully. "I said, I'm good with calling off the engagement."

A rare flicker of confusion appeared on his face, though his voice soon hardened with authority. "Rossella, who taught you to talk to me like that? All those etiquette lessons this past year—where'd they go?"

Maybe I had finally gotten my head straight, I didn't bite my tongue this time.

"Doesn't matter what I do. It's never good enough for you, anyway," I argued. "So, go find yourself a woman who is."

I paused, then added, "Besides, we're not even married yet. It's just an engagement. It's not like you've ever liked me anyway. I thought you'd be the first to pop a bottle about our separation."

Honestly, I believed I had given more respect than this situation deserved. If it weren't meant to be, I would walk away and end things amicably. That was how it should've been done.

But Enzo clearly disagreed. His face went dark, his chest heaving with fury. "I always thought you just lacked manners and breeding. I thought, with the right mentore, you could turn out like Bellamy, who's gentle and obedient."

His voice dropped, edged with displeasure. "Yet now, you've learned to talk back. Worse, you're trying to strong-arm me with this engagement."

I laughed coldly. Wasn't he the one who brought it up first? I simply agreed, but somehow, that turned into me talking back and twisting his arm.

I swept my cold gaze across his face. "If Bellamy's so perfect, by all means, marry her."

Bellamy Costa was the Consigliere's daughter. Ever since she moved into the Vitale estate, Enzo had been holding her up like a gold standard, constantly measuring me against her every chance he got.

She was soft-spoken, graceful, everything he thought a Don's wife should be.

Meanwhile, I never made the cut in his eyes, no matter how hard I tried. If he wasn't giving me attitude, he was picking me apart. Even those mentore—etiquette tutors—he forced on me was Bellamy's idea.

The truth was, I never wanted any of it.

Something I said must've hit a nerve because Enzo snapped, "Rossella, do you even hear yourself? From today on, you're confined for a week! You will not step out of this estate without my say-so.

"If that mentore can't fix you, I'll bring in another. And I don't want to hear talk like that again. Next time, I won't be this reasonable."

It was the first time I had ever seen Enzo lose it like that. He was known for being composed, the kind of man who remained unrattled, even in the face of assassinations or betrayals.

Once, I used to love those traits about him. That cool, restrained air of his made it seem like nothing in this world could shake him. Yet when it came to me, he always found fault.

Every look, every smile, the way I sat, the way I walked… All of it was wrong in his eyes. Truthfully, it got under my skin.

It wasn't my fault I was born with a figure men stared at, all curves in the right places, with a face people remembered. To him, they were sins—things to tear down, to belittle, to grind into dust until I doubted myself.

For a while, I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror. All I saw was someone ugly, something wrong. I would hide out in my room, dodging people as much as I could.

Once, Enzo's tie got worn out. I bought him a new one, only for him to twist it into something calculated. He said I was trying to seduce him. In the end, he tore into me like I deserved the worst punishment in the world.

This past year, every time I saw him, I was on edge. One wrong move or word, and he would be on me again. I was sick of living like that.

I would gladly step down from being his wife if it meant I would be happy again.

Enzo was still boiling over. He went off on me for a while longer before storming out, slamming the door behind him.

That night, Papa came to see me.

His face was heavy with worry. He paced the study back and forth, as if something was gnawing at him. "Rossella, do you have any idea what you're doing?"

He lowered his voice. "You know how much weight the Vitale family carries in Cicaro. You pull out of this engagement on your own, they're not just going to let it slide!"

"Then, what am I supposed to do, Papa?" I shot back. "You want me to keep putting up with it?"

Papa stayed quiet for a long time before letting out a tired sigh. "No, that's not what I meant. You're my daughter, Rossella. I care about you. But you must give me some time. Let me talk to the Vitale family and settle this clean.

"If you don't want this marriage, we'll call it off. But we'll need to line up another family, another alliance."

I nodded. Papa didn't usually interfere much in my life, but when it truly mattered, he still supported me in what I wanted.

Then, out of nowhere, someone came to mind.

A year ago, I had met the Madre of the Scarela family, Teresa Colombo, once. She had taken a liking to me right away, repeatedly emphasizing that she wanted me as her daughter-in-law.

Back then, I turned her down every time. But things were different now, weren't they?

Teresa was kind, and she genuinely liked me. If she raised a son, chances were his taste and hobbies wouldn't be all that bad either.

Honestly, I was done playing this endless game of endurance and humiliation just because of some arranged alliance. If I were going to be traded into a marriage anyway, I might as well just switch out Enzo.

Teresa moved scarily fast.

The very next day, she showed up at my home to discuss the engagement. She was straightforward and decisive, as if she were afraid that if she blinked, I would change my mind again.

As for her son, Vito Scalera, he was still out on the West Coast handling family business. The wedding date would have to wait until he returned.

Of course, none of that really mattered anymore. What actually made me feel like I could breathe again was that Enzo was no longer my fiance. That was the real relief.

The first thing I did that day was to go to my wardrobe. I pulled it open and started packing.

All those outdated dresses, the oversized clothes, the dull, lifeless jewelry, I boxed it all up and told the maids to send it straight back to Enzo's wing.

The maid looked unsure. "Signora, these clothes and jewelry weren't cheap. Are you really sending them all over?"

"Do it," I said. "I don't want to see any of it again."

Back when I was with Enzo, everything I wore had to pass through him first. He dressed me like a woman twice my age, all muted colors and lifeless cuts. Even my lipstick had to be in nude shades.

I used to go along with it just to keep him from getting angry and get on his good side. But what kind of woman would want to dim her own light? Now, I could finally be myself again.

I changed into a red dress and wore a pink diamond necklace Mama had given me.

It had been so long since anyone saw me dress up that even the maid was shocked. "Bellissimo, Signora!"

I glanced at the mirror and smiled. For the first time in months, I stepped out of the estate. As usual, the moment I appeared, all eyes turned toward me. I ignored them all.

A cold voice cut through the street. "Rossella!"

I startled so hard my first instinct was to turn and run.

Back when I was bold enough to slip out on my own, Enzo had caught me once. I ended up writing apology notes for a month straight, fingers swollen from holding the pen too long.

Old habits died hard. It took me a few steps before it registered that I wasn't his fiance anymore. Why would I need to run?

I stopped mid-stride. By the time I turned back around, Enzo was already in front of me. His gaze landed on what I was wearing and darkened instantly.

"As my fiancee, how dare you walk out dressed like that? Are you trying to make a laughingstock of the Vitale name in Cicaro? Now, go back inside!"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Bellamy behind him. Unimpressed, I pointed at her and asked, "So, you two can walk around freely, but I can't even step out to get some fresh air?"

Enzo said matter-of-factly, "We're not the same as you."

Before I could ask what that was supposed to mean, Bellamy stepped forward awkwardly.

"Rossella, you've got this wrong. Don Vitale just didn't want me going to church alone for Mass. He was just accompanying me. We didn't expect to run into you here."

While we were talking, I kept catching people glancing my way.

Enzo suddenly shrugged off his suit jacket and threw it over my shoulders, covering the shape of my dress. Then, he grabbed my wrist. "Have you had enough of this? You're coming back with me!"

Pain shot up my arm as his grip tightened. My temper snapped. Before I knew it, I shoved him away.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. As I said, the engagement is over. We're nothing to each other now, so stop sticking your nose into my life!"

My two bodyguards stepped forward instantly, placing themselves between us. Behind him, Enzo's men reacted, too. One of them even slipped a hand under his jacket, ready.

"Don Vitale," one of my bodyguards piped up, "don't make this difficult."

Enzo's face darkened with rage. He looked at my bodyguards, then at me. In the end, he held back. He fixed his eyes on me like I was prey and lowered his voice. "You're going to regret this, Rossella."

After they brought me back to the estate, several boxes of clothes and jewelry started arriving in my room again. They were all from Enzo.

I didn't even look at them and just had them returned to where they came from.

Later, the maid told me Enzo's expression when he saw everything returned. It was ugly enough to scare people off. To that, I said, "Served him right."

The next day, Enzo showed up in my wing again. Bellamy was right behind him.

Meeting my confused gaze, he lifted his chin and announced flatly, "From now on, Bellamy will be your mentore. She'll teach you how to behave like a proper Don's wife."

I snorted. "How many times do I have to repeat myself, Enzo? The engagement is over. We're done. Get it?"

Before he could react, Bellamy stepped forward with that worried expression.

"Rossella, you're misunderstanding everything. We're doing this for your own good. Don Vitale is just worried you won't know how to handle yourself after marriage. That's why he asked me to tutor you. How can you speak to him like that?"

I stared at her for a second, then laughed coldly. "For my own good? Was that the case when you paid off those previous mentore and made sure they barely taught me anything?"

Bellamy's visage dropped. Her lips quivered as she stuttered, "Rossella, what are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

I turned to Enzo. "I told you more than once. Those mentore weren't doing their job. You didn't believe me. You made me write apology notes instead. So, what now? You still want to trust her over me?"

Enzo's expression stiffened. He glanced at Bellamy, pale, then back at me. His lips moved slightly, but no words slipped out. In the end, though, he still chose her side.

With a frown, he said, "Stop throwing baseless accusations, Rossella. Bellamy grew up with me, and I know exactly what kind of person she is—better than you ever will."

That was it. Whatever last bit of hope I had been holding onto went out like a dying cigar. I called for the guards and had them escort Enzo and Bellamy out of my wing.

When Papa heard what happened, he personally called Enzo. His tone was firm. "Don Vitale, the engagement is off. My daughter is no longer your fiancee. Please do not send your men to harass her again."

Only then did Enzo quiet things down on his end.

Three days later, Teresa sent me an invitation. That was when I found out Vito was back.

She hosted a welcome-back party for him, inviting all the major players in Cicaro's high society. Naturally, both of my parents took it seriously.

They had a custom dress made for me, using imported silk. It moved like liquid light when I walked, catching every angle and shaping my figure in a way that was impossible to ignore.

Although I hadn't come here to stand out, I still ended up drawing attention from every direction.

It was then that Enzo and Bellamy showed up. For a split second, surprise flickered in his eyes, though displeasure quickly replaced it.

"Rossella, what are you doing here?" he questioned, his gaze dropping over my dress. "And dressed like that?"

Enzo never liked me being the center of attention. Still, this wasn't his territory, and he knew better than to make a scene at someone else's party.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear. "Stay close to me tonight. Don't wander off. Stick with Bellamy."

The ballroom was crowded. I didn't feel like arguing with him here.

I scanned the room for Teresa but didn't see her anywhere, so I ended up taking a seat near Enzo. From then on, people kept coming over to talk to me and make introductions.

Every single time, he shut it down before I even had to speak.

Bellamy lifted a hand to her mouth, speaking with a sweet but jealous edge. "Rossella not only has a hot figure, but that face of hers is something else, too. No wonder she's got half the room losing focus."

The moment Enzo heard that, his expression shifted. He shot me a sharp look. "I had someone bring a change of clothes for you. Go and switch into them."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Stay out of my business."

He looked ready to snap back, but a business contact came over at just the right moment, pulling him into conversation. I took the chance and slipped away.

However, I didn't get far. Somehow, Enzo caught up and grabbed my arm again, turning me toward the exit. "I've got someone waiting outside. You're leaving through here."

I was invited here by Teresa. Leaving before even greeting her was a disrespect I didn't care to commit.

After a few dragged steps, my patience ran out. "I've got things to handle, Enzo. Let go of me."

He shot me a look, clearly annoyed. "What business could you possibly have? You think I don't know why you're here? You came for me. Look, I'm right here. What else do you have to do? Strut around for other men?"

I wished I knew where he got that confidence from.

My face went cold as I stepped back from him. "So what if I did? Who do you think you are to control me?"

Enzo's gaze darkened. "Because I'm your fiance."

The words had barely landed when a lazy, amused voice came from behind. "Is that so? Don Vitale, haven't you heard?"

A faint laugh followed. "Her fiance's already been replaced."