I loved Lorenzo, so I believed him. I even felt proud of our situation. Proud that our union was so pure, so untouched by desire — a sacred alliance, the way the old ones spoke of it, blessed by the Family and the Church both.
Every time I reached for him, needing closeness, craving connection, he'd gently push me away with the same soft excuse, "Let's not taint what we have, Adriana. Our bond is sacred."
Looking back now, the signs were all there, so obvious I almost hate myself for missing them. The way his eyes lit up when Serena crossed the threshold of the compound. How he'd dress like he was going to a sit-down every time she visited. The times I walked in on them alone in the study and they'd spring apart like guilty children caught skimming from the collection.
I cried until my pillow was soaked. My heart felt hollowed out. That night, in the silence of a house where even the walls kept omertà, I drafted the papers for the dissolution of the union. Then finally drifted into a fitful, aching sleep.
I was woken the next morning by a gentle voice.
Lorenzo stood by the bed, wearing an apron over his shirtsleeves, holding a plate of my favorite, strawberry pancakes. "Tesoro, breakfast is ready," he said cheerfully. "Come on, time to enjoy something delicious."
He leaned down to kiss my forehead. I instinctively pulled away.
He paused, surprised, then smiled even more tenderly, like he hadn't dragged me naked into the freezing courtyard and humiliated me before the soldiers just hours ago.
"What's wrong? Didn't sleep well?" He reached out to touch my face.
I flinched again.
The red marks on Lorenzo's neck stung more than my eyes could bear.
He noticed where I was looking and scratched his neck awkwardly. "Must've been a mosquito last night… weird, right? How'd you sleep?"
I didn't answer.
Outside the door, a few of the house staff exchanged glances. Their eyes flicked toward me, some with pity, others with barely hidden amusement. In a house like this one, nobody spoke of what they saw. But they all saw.
I turned and headed straight for the bathroom, only to nearly collide with Serena at the door.
"Morning, Adriana!" she said, all saccharine cheer. "Hope you don't mind me crashing breakfast."
She casually tugged at her neckline, revealing more skin. Her chest and collarbone were littered with unmistakable love bites.
"Huh… strange. This time of year shouldn't have mosquitoes, right?" She leaned in slightly, her tone mocking. "Enzo and I both got bitten. Guess you must've been spared, huh?"
Her eyes flicked to my bare neck, a smirk curling at the corner of her lipstick-slicked mouth.
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms so hard I should've felt pain. I didn't.
"Move," I said, my voice low.
She stepped aside with a little laugh, but as I brushed past, she leaned in and whispered, "You heard how passionate Enzo was with me last night, didn't you? Poor thing. You've never had it that good."
Suddenly, it all made sense. The reason Lorenzo always bolted the bedroom door at night like he was guarding the Family vault. Serena must've left it ajar on purpose. Wanted me to hear. Wanted me to know.
The smugness in her eyes, the triumph on her face, it snapped something in me. Without thinking, I raised my hand and slapped her. Hard. Serena stumbled back, clutching her cheek, wide-eyed, tears welling fast.
"If you didn't want me joining you for breakfast, Adriana, you could've just said so," Serena said, voice trembling with wounded innocence. She pressed a black-lace handkerchief to her lips, the grief arriving a beat too late, the way it always did. "You didn't have to hit me…"
She turned and hurried off, her steps quick and shaky, only to run straight into Lorenzo at the end of the hall.
He caught her instinctively, arms wrapping around her as she buried herself in his chest. His expression shifted the moment he saw her face, reddened, marked by my hand.
He gently cupped her cheek, examining her like she was some delicate porcelain saint. His eyes filled with concern, with a protectiveness he'd never once shown me.
Then he turned to me, fury flashing in his eyes. The house went still around us. "Adriana! What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you strike Serena? Have you lost your mind?"
Serena provoked me. She wanted this. She asked for it.
Before I could even open my mouth, Serena spoke first, soft and self-effacing. "Enzo… it's my fault. I shouldn't have come and interrupted your time with Adriana. It's only natural she'd be upset. Don't be angry with her, please…"
And just like that, he looked at me like I was a monster. Like I was the one tearing the whole Family apart.
"Apologize to her," he snapped. His voice sharp as glass.
I stared straight into his eyes and said, clear and cold, "She deserved it."
That was the last straw. His face darkened, his fury boiling over. In a flash, he grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me toward the staircase.
