The air in the room thickened with tension the moment Vito stepped inside, closing the door with a soft but final click. His expression was unyielding, his presence oppressive.
“What’s going on?” I asked, barely managing to steady my voice. “Where’s Marco? Why would he leave me like this, with just a letter?”
Vito’s gaze softened, but the truth in his words was sharp and cutting. “He’s gone, Celia. He’s not coming back. Marco’s leaving you for her—for Victoria. She’s pregnant, and he’s chosen her.”
I stumbled back, grabbing the wall for support. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “That’s impossible. Marco and I have been married for five years. He promised me. He loved me.”
Vito’s jaw tightened, his hesitation barely masking his resolve. “Celia, your marriage… it wasn’t what you thought. It was a business arrangement, a contract. Marco didn’t marry you for love. He married you for power—to solidify his position and secure the Moretti name. You were part of his plan, not his heart.”
The words struck me like a physical blow. I sank onto the arm of the couch, my hands trembling. “No,” I croaked. “That’s not true. We built a life together. He said he loved me.”
Vito stepped closer, his voice softer now but no less devastating. “Your father arranged it before he died. The marriage wasn’t for you—it was for what you represented. Marco needed your family’s name, your connections. And now, with Victoria carrying his child, he’s ended the façade. He’s moving on with her.”
My world crumbled. The man I had loved, trusted, and built my life around had never been mine. I pressed my hands to my face, the tears I had been holding back finally spilling over.
“I need you to see this,” Vito said after a long silence, placing a manila envelope on the table.
I looked at it, dread tightening around my chest. With trembling hands, I opened it and pulled out the documents inside. My breath hitched as I read the first page:
Marriage Contract: Celia Moretti and Marco Moretti.
Clause after clause laid bare the cold, calculated reality of my marriage. Financial agreements, stipulations, and even a payment of one billion dollars. It was all there in black and white.
“This can’t be real,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
Vito sighed heavily. “It’s the truth, Celia. Marco’s choice is clear—he’s marrying Victoria and starting a family with her. You deserve to know that what you had with him… it wasn’t love. It was just part of the deal.”
The weight of betrayal crushed me. Marco had used me. Marco had never loved me.
“Celia,” Vito finally said, his voice soft but steady, “I never wanted this for you.”
I looked up at him, my tears blurring his figure. “You knew, didn’t you?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “You knew about the contract. About everything.”
He didn’t deny it. His shoulders sagged as he nodded, the weight of his confession pressing down on him. “Yes, I knew. I knew from the beginning.”
His words felt like another betrayal, another knife twisting in my already wounded heart. “And you didn’t say anything? You just… let me believe it was all real?”
“I didn’t know how to tell you,” he said, stepping closer. “And I didn’t think it would come to this. I thought Marco might…” He trailed off, his jaw tightening. “I thought he might learn to love you. But when I saw how he treated you, how he kept using you… I couldn’t stand by anymore.”
I shook my head, disbelief and anger swirling inside me. “You let me live a lie for years, Vito. You let me love a man who never loved me back. How could you do that to me?”
“I thought I was protecting you,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “At first, I thought I was doing the right thing. But I was wrong, Celia. I was so wrong.”
I turned away, my hands trembling as I wiped at my tears. “And now what? What am I supposed to do with this?” I gestured to the contract, the damning evidence of my hollow marriage. “My whole life has been a lie. I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “I feel like I’m falling apart, Vito. I don’t even know where to begin picking up the pieces.”
“You don’t have to do it alone,” he said, his voice quiet but resolute.
I turned to him, confusion etched across my face. “What are you saying?”
He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his next words carefully. Then, taking a deep breath, he said, “I’m saying I’ll be here for you, Celia.”
His words hung in the air, heavy with promise. I searched his face, looking for any sign of deceit, but all I saw was sincerity.
“Why?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why would you do that for me?”
