Then came the second life. I was careful beyond measure, steering clear of the cliff road, making it back to Aurelia alive. I said every kind word I could think of, poured out every ounce of devotion I had. But he still raised his crew and stormed the Montecarlo compound for Carmela Valenti's sake. The entire Corsetti family was executed because of it. I stared at him through burning eyes and asked, "Why?" Why sacrifice so many lives for one Carmela Valenti? He reached up and wiped the tears from the corner of my eye. "Because she's my sister." "I would betray the whole world to see her happy. What's the extermination of three families compared to that?" In that moment, I finally understood. Childhood sweethearts, steadfast husband and wife, all of it was a lie. The only person Dominic Valenti had ever cared about was Carmela.
……
I pulled myself out of the memories and unclenched my fists, my palms aching where my nails had dug in.
"Father," I said quietly, "I want to enter the selection."
He blinked in surprise. "You mean you want to join the Montecarlo alliance selection?"
I nodded.
His lips moved soundlessly for a moment. "Serafina, even if you don't marry Dominic, there are plenty of fine young men from good families in Aurelia worth considering. Marriage is too important a matter to decide out of spite."
I cut him off. "Besides Luciano Montecarlo, who in this syndicate outranks Dominic Valenti?"
"The Corsettis aren't what they used to be. You've already been generous enough to let me break the blood oath with the Valentis on a whim."
"But I refuse to let our family keep fading."
"Besides, a daughter of a legacy family will have to present herself to the Montecarlos sooner or later. If not me, it will be Giulietta."
Father let out a long sigh.
Luciano Montecarlo was cold by nature. Nothing like Dominic, who knew how to charm. In my previous life, only Carmela had set her sights on the Montecarlo estate. She had been singularly obsessed with becoming the Don's wife.
The old Don was wary of Luciano forming alliances with powerful families. Dominic had to surrender his command of the Crimson Crew before Carmela could be admitted into the Montecarlo inner circle. To prove his loyalty and pave the way for her, Dominic had also handed over every last dollar of the Valenti war chest, including my dowry.
The day we left Aurelia, Carmela came to see us off in tears. She leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Rest easy out in the country, sister-in-law. I'll put your dowry to good use."
My heart sank like a stone. So my dowry had never been surrendered to the Montecarlos. It had gone straight to Carmela. That was the first time I discovered Dominic had lied to me.
……
Father sent for the best portrait artist in Aurelia to paint my likeness for the selection portfolio. I had barely settled into my pose in the front parlor when Dominic came through the gates of the Corsetti house. Two of his soldiers stayed at the curb, engines idling. He spotted me, faltered mid-stride, and took a moment to adjust the collar of his coat before closing the distance. His expression was ice.
"You don't think you owe me an explanation for this broken engagement?"
I lifted my gaze to meet his. "I wanted it broken, so I broke it. What is there to explain?"
"Or does the great Underboss Valenti intend to force a marriage?"
In the past, I had been nothing but gentle and considerate in front of him. Never willful. Never a harsh word. Dominic's brow creased.
"What's gotten into you?"
"Are you upset that I didn't write these past few months?"
"I figured I'd be coming home soon enough. There was no need to waste runners on letters."
I let out a mocking laugh. "Funny. I hear Miss Valenti received one every single day, delivered by personal courier."
"What happened to not wasting runners, Underboss?"
Dominic looked at me with open disappointment. "Carmela is my sister. You're really going to make an issue out of a few family letters?"
"Serafina, we haven't seen each other in three years. When did you become so jealous?"
His sister. The same excuse. The same lie, told to me and to himself. I wiped the smile from my face.
"What I've become is none of Underboss Valenti's concern."
"The betrothal contract has been returned. We're both free. Don't let me keep you."
"Serafina Corsetti!" Dominic seized my wrist. "There's a limit to throwing tantrums."
"Our engagement was sealed before we were even born. You can't just tear it up!"
He thought I was throwing a tantrum.
He had no idea that reaching this moment had cost me two lifetimes.
