Just as I turned to leave, a familiar voice came from behind me.
"Birdie."
My steps halted.
I turned. Lorenzo stood a short distance away, watching me with something complicated in his eyes.
Without thinking, I clenched my fists. I didn't want him to see me in such a state.
I'd run the whole way out, and the long hair I'd carefully styled was a mess now, my makeup cried off, one of the pearl earrings gone from my ear somewhere along the way. I looked wrecked, beyond words.
I didn't know whether he had seen me pull that love lock off with my own hands and throw it into the lake.
Maybe he had.
But he probably didn't care.
I drew in a deep breath and told myself, in my heart, this was the last time I would ever cry for this man.
Lorenzo looked at my reddened eyes, and something like reluctance flickered deep in his.
For one instant, I ridiculously let myself believe he still had a little feeling left for me.
Then his next words shattered the last of that illusion.
"You heard everything I said back there, didn't you."
"Adriana, I can't let Gemma go."
"So I'm going to seal the bond with her first, in front of both Families."
"But don't worry, I won't do you wrong either."
"When this is over, I'll take you as mine. I give you my word."
"You'll always carry the Marchetti name."
He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, as if he were bestowing some enormous favor on me. The way a Boss tosses a scrap of tribute to a soldier who'd already bled for him.
Watching him wear that lofty, condescending look, all I felt was how absurd it was.
So this was it.
This was the man I'd loved for five years.
I looked at him, calm. My thumb found my mother's thin gold ring and pushed it slow along my finger.
"Lorenzo."
"I'm not going to marry you."
His face darkened at once. His thumb moved to the face of his watch, dragging a slow circle across the glass.
"If you don't marry me, who else are you going to marry?"
"Adriana, you're already thirty."
"Once this alliance is broken, every Family from here to the docks will know you're the bride I set aside."
"Who do you think would dare take you into their blood then?"
"Or are you planning to just grab any man off the street and hand yourself over?"
My pupils shrank sharply.
I never imagined words like that could come out of Lorenzo's mouth.
He knew me too well.
He knew exactly which line would cut me deepest. Like a knife slid clean between the ribs, aimed by a man who'd studied where they were.
Maybe he saw my face growing worse and worse.
Lorenzo fell silent for a few seconds, the circle of his thumb stalling on the watch, then softened his tone.
"That came out too harsh."
"Birdie, be reasonable."
"I'll make it up to you."
"When this is over, I'll give you the grandest joining of bloodlines this city has ever seen. I swear it on the Family."
"You and Gemma both, I'll take care of you both."
"I won't favor either of you."
I couldn't help laughing.
Laughing until the tears nearly came.
Won't favor?
Lorenzo, when have you ever not favored her?
I suddenly thought of what had happened half a month ago, the night the Marchetti crew marked its anniversary.
That night, the Family had booked the finest yacht on the river for the reception, the deck strung with light, soldiers posted quiet at every rail.
Lorenzo stood with me at the water's edge of the deck.
He said he'd bring me some champagne, told me to wait right there for him.
The moment he left, Gemma came over.
The usual careful, timid look was gone from her face. In its place was undisguised triumph. She kept one hand pressed flat and smooth against her belly, the way she always did when she wanted the world to pity her.
"Adriana."
"So what if you're the promised bride of the Marchetti heir?"
"The only person Lorenzo will ever love is me."
And with that, she suddenly climbed over the railing and dropped down into the river.
"Someone fell in!"
The screaming went up all at once.
I froze completely, then instinctively ran toward the railing.
But before I could reach it, a huge force slammed into me and knocked me aside.
I hit the deck hard, scraping a wide patch off my palm and wrenching my ankle badly.
When I lifted my head—
Lorenzo had already jumped into the river without a second's hesitation.
He was swimming toward Gemma with everything he had.
Quickly.
He had her up in his arms.
She was soaked through, the gown clinging to her body, and plenty of made men and their wives around were casting strange looks.
Gemma cried, shaking all over, and curled into Lorenzo's chest.
Without the slightest hesitation, in front of everyone, in front of the whole Family, he stripped off his suit jacket and wrapped her up in it, tight.
He swept a cold gaze over the people around them.
"What are you all looking at?"
"Turn around."
No one dared look again. Not one soldier, not one captain. The deck went silent as a church.
Then he scooped Gemma up and strode out of the banquet hall.
From beginning to end.
He never once turned back to look at me.
As if he'd already forgotten.
That I was the promised bride who had come to the reception on his arm.
I sat alone on the cold deck.
My ankle swollen high, my palm raw with blood.
Not until the reception ended, when my parents couldn't reach me and rushed over, was I finally taken to the hospital.
After I got home, I ran a high fever for a whole week.
But this time.
Lorenzo never came to see me once.
Ten days later.
He finally showed up at my door.
But the first thing out of his mouth was to tell me.
"I'm sealing the bond with Gemma first."
