When I arrived by car, the matriarch was in the dining room, directing Lorenzo's associates as they set the table. Heavy silverware, wine already breathing, the good linen. She folded and refolded her napkin into perfect thirds without looking up when the door opened.
The moment I walked in, the room fell strangely quiet.
Someone muttered under their breath, "Why invite her? She won't let Lorenzo drink with us."
I heard it clearly.
But I ignored it and sat down.
Not long after, Lorenzo arrived.
And Adriana was beside him.
Of course she was.
She walked in with him naturally, as if they had come home together a thousand times before.
My gaze fell on her hand.
The ring she had worn in the photo was gone.
A faint chill passed through my chest.
Adriana moved into the kitchen with practiced ease, chatting warmly with the matriarch. She rolled up her sleeves, smiled sweetly, and acted as if she belonged there more than I ever had.
Lorenzo sat down beside me.
Then he pulled out a ring box and held it up, his expression almost proud.
"I told you," he said smoothly, without the slightest hesitation. "It was in the car the whole time."
He lied so naturally.
So effortlessly.
As if truth and falsehood were only tools he could choose between depending on what suited him best.
Before I could react, he took my hand and slipped the ring onto my finger.
The metal was cold against my skin.
I looked down at it, and a wave of disgust rose inside me.
This ring had already been worn by Adriana.
This lie had already been polished by him.
And now he wanted me to accept both as if nothing had happened.
How many times had he lied to me like this?
How many times had I believed him because I wanted to keep loving him?
From the kitchen, the matriarch's voice floated out, warm and indulgent in a way she had never once used with me.
"Oh, Adriana, let Bianca handle these things. You're a guest here. How could I let you do this?"
Adriana clung to her arm and smiled softly.
"Auntie, I missed you."
"Missed me, did you?" The matriarch teased.
Then she glanced in my direction before pulling Adriana closer.
"Then why don't you visit me more often? I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about Lorenzo and me."
The meaning behind her words was not subtle.
She was not treating Adriana like a guest.
She was treating her like family.
Then the matriarch turned to me, wearing a smile so fake it barely covered the sharpness underneath.
"Oh, Bianca, have I properly introduced Adriana to you? She's my adopted daughter, Lorenzo's dear sister. You really shouldn't worry about their closeness. It's perfectly natural."
She paused, then added, "In fact, there's no need to keep checking on Lorenzo when he goes out. Don't you trust your own husband?"
The room went quiet.
Every pair of eyes seemed to land on me.
Before I could answer, Adriana lowered her lashes, fingers drifting to the tiny gold crucifix at her throat, and spoke softly.
"Yes, Bianca. You're always checking up on Lorenzo. It makes me feel uncomfortable, you know? We're all decent people here. None of us would drag Lorenzo into anything improper."
Her voice was gentle.
Her words were reasonable.
But every syllable carried the smugness of someone who knew she was protected.
Vincent Caruso, one of Lorenzo's closest soldiers and the loudest champion of Lorenzo and Adriana's so-called perfect bond, immediately chimed in. He flicked his silver lighter open and shut once, the sound sharp in the quiet room.
"Exactly," he said with a smug laugh. "Besides, we're just getting the new operation off the ground. Long nights are part of the deal, right?"
He leaned back in his chair, speaking as if he had finally found a righteous reason to lecture me.
"Adriana even ended up in the clinic after drinking with a contact. Lorenzo was just helping her. And honestly, if those two had feelings for each other, they would've been together ages ago. No need to worry, Bianca."
My eyes narrowed.
Operation?
New venture?
What was he talking about?
Wasn't Lorenzo running the DeLuca waterfront like he always had?
Since when had he become involved in some separate crew?
The moment Vincent finished speaking, he seemed to realize he had said too much.
