Vito’s eyes softened, a flicker of vulnerability breaking through his usually stoic demeanor.
“Because I care about you, Celia. More than I ever should have.”
The room seemed smaller, the walls pressing in as Vito’s confession echoed in my mind. He cared about me. More than he ever should have. But could I believe him?
“You expect me to trust you now?” I said, my voice sharp despite the lump in my throat. “After years of lies and watching Marco betray me?”
Vito sighed. “I know you don’t trust me, Celia. But if I wanted to hurt you, I could’ve stayed quiet and let Marco destroy you.”
His words cut deeper than I cared to admit. “So what now? You tell me my marriage was a lie, Marco chose someone else, and I’m just supposed to thank you?”
“No,” he said quietly. “You’re supposed to take back what’s yours.”
I blinked. “What are you talking about?”
Vito stepped closer, his voice dangerous. “Marco didn’t just betray you. He stole from you—your love, your trust, your future—and handed it to Victoria. He used you to build his empire, and now he thinks he can walk away scot-free.”
I swallowed. “And what do you expect me to do about it?”
“You don’t have to let him win,” Vito said. “Everything Marco has, he got because of you. The Moretti empire wouldn’t exist without your family’s name. Now, he’s cutting you out like you’re nothing.”
“I don’t care about his money or empire,” I said. “I just want to be free of him!”
“Do you?” Vito challenged. “Or do you want to make him pay for every lie, every broken promise?”
His question hung in the air. I hesitated, the idea both terrifying and strangely exhilarating.
“You don’t understand,” I said, “I’m not like Marco. I’m not…”
“You don’t have to be like him to beat him. You just have to want it.”
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “Why do you care?”
Vito hesitated, then spoke, his voice steady. “Because Marco doesn’t deserve to win. He thinks he’s erased you, but he’s wrong. You can take back what’s yours—your power, your dignity. You can make him regret everything.”
His words wrapped around me like a vice. The thought of Marco—his betrayal—sent a fresh wave of anger through me.
“Even if I wanted to do something,” I whispered, “how? What could I possibly do to hurt him?!”
“I’m offering you a choice,” Vito said smoothly. “You can let Marco decide your fate, or you can take control of it yourself.”
“This is just the beginning, Celia. With my help, you can rebuild your life—but not as Marco’s discarded wife. As the woman who destroyed him.”
I stared at him. The old Celia would have walked away. But she was gone.
“Revenge, Celia. Revenge…” Vito said.
“I’m in,” I said, the words tasting like poison—and power.
Vito’s smile was sharp, predatory. “Good. Let’s make him pay.”
I leaned forward, my heart pounding in my chest. “How?” I whispered, my voice barely a breath.
Vito’s gaze locked onto mine, dark and calculating. “In ways Marco never saw coming. He won’t even know what hit him.”
A chill ran down my spine, and I felt my pulse quicken. The weight of the moment pressed down on me, the stakes rising higher.
Vito’s expression softened for just a moment, and then his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “Marry me, Celia.”
The words struck me like a thunderclap, and my breath caught in my throat. I stared at him, stunned, unsure if I had heard him right.
Vito leaned in closer, his gaze unwavering. “Marry me, and we’ll burn Marco’s world to the ground together.”
The room fell silent, the air thick with tension. My heart raced as I struggled to comprehend what he was asking.
His words hung in the air, heavy with promise and purpose. He didn’t say it with desperation, but with certainty—like he believed it would complete the plan. Like he knew this was the next step.
I froze, the world around me fading. Marry him? I wanted revenge, but this? This felt like another layer to the plan—one that could truly send a message to Marco.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice tinged with skepticism. “You’re his right-hand man. I can’t believe you’d actually want this.”
Vito nodded, unflinching. “Yes, I’m sure,” he said. “I’m offering this because it will change everything. It will make Marco understand that you can replace him, that you can rebuild your life without him.”
I hesitated, the thought weighing heavily on me. If Vito, the man trusted by Marco, was offering me this, it couldn’t be a coincidence. It felt like the ultimate trap, the ultimate plan to show Marco that I could easily replace him.
“You think this will make Marco regret it?” I asked, my voice tinged with doubt.
“It will,” Vito replied, his eyes steady, filled with a quiet intensity. “Because once Marco sees you with me, he’ll realize he never had a hold on you. Not really.”
His words felt both enticing and dangerous.
“Let’s make him regret it.” Vito convinced.
