The crowd erupted into applause as Marcus De Luca raised his glass. My father’s voice boomed through the grand hall, cutting through the chatter and laughter.
“Tonight, we celebrate the union of two great families,” he announced, his arm around my shoulder. “Isabella and Antonio, together, will lead us into a new era of peace.”
I tried to focus on the cheers and Antonio’s hand resting lightly on my waist, but my heart was pounding for all the wrong reasons. From the corner of my eye, I caught Sofia glaring at me.
Antonio leaned in close, his breath brushing against my ear. “Smile, Isabella. This is your big moment.”
It wasn’t the comforting whisper I’d always dreamed of from him. Antonio Ricci had been my secret crush since college, back when I was just the quiet girl in the corner, watching him laugh with his friends. Back then, I thought he was untouchable. Now, he was mine—or at least, that’s what everyone wanted to believe.
As we stepped down from the stage, I was careful to avoid Sofia’s gaze. I didn’t want a scene, not tonight.
Too late.
A splash of cold, sticky wine hit my chest, the deep red staining the cream silk of my dress. Gasps rippled through the crowd, but no one moved to help me.
“Oh, no!” Sofia exclaimed, her voice dripping with false concern. She clutched her empty wine glass like an actress on stage. “I’m so clumsy. I didn’t mean to ruin your beautiful dress, Isabella.”
My hands trembled as I wiped at the stain. I knew what she was doing, but no one else seemed to care. The guests quickly turned back to their conversations, dismissing the incident as a harmless accident.
I forced a tight smile. “It’s fine, Sofia. Accidents happen.”
“Of course, they do,” she said sweetly, her eyes glinting with malice.
Without another word, I turned on my heel and headed upstairs to my room. The humiliation burned worse than the wine, and the memory of Antonio’s indifferent expression as it all happened twisted the knife even deeper.
Inside my room, I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, trying to catch my breath. I tore off the ruined dress and grabbed a simple black one from my closet. As I zipped it up, there was a sharp knock on the door.
Before I could answer, Sofia let herself in.
“What do you want?” I asked, glaring at her.
She shut the door behind her and crossed her arms. “I thought I’d properly introduce myself. Sofia Moretti. Antonio’s girlfriend.”
I froze, though her words didn’t surprise me. I’d known about Sofia long before tonight. Her smug Instagram posts, the whispers at parties—it wasn’t exactly a secret.
“I know who you are,” I said quietly, turning back to the mirror to adjust my dress.
“Oh, I bet you do,” she sneered. “You’ve been sniffing around Antonio since college, haven’t you? Poor little Isabella, always watching from the sidelines.”
I stiffened, but I refused to rise to her bait.
“You think wearing a ring is going to change anything?” Sofia continued, stepping closer. “He doesn’t love you. He never will. Antonio’s only doing this because it’s what his family wants.”
My hands curled into fists at my sides. “If that’s true, then why are you here? Shouldn’t you be off celebrating with him?”
Her face twisted in anger. “You don’t get it, do you? Antonio and I are meant to be together. You’re just a pawn in some ridiculous power play between our families.”
Her words cut deep, but I refused to let her see how much they hurt. Instead, I turned to face her, my expression calm.
“You’ve made your point, Sofia. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a party to return to.”
Her laughter was sharp and bitter. “Run along then, porcelain doll. Just remember, no matter what you do, you’ll never have him.”
Before I could reply, there was a knock at the door. Antonio’s voice called from the other side.
“Sofia, are you in there?”
Sofia’s lips curled into a triumphant smile as she sauntered to the door. She opened it, and without a word, pulled Antonio into the room.
“Antonio,” she cooed, her hands finding his collar. Without hesitation, she kissed him in front of me, her lips pressed against his with all the force of a declaration.
I stood frozen, watching them, my breath caught in my throat. Antonio’s hand lingered on the doorframe, his eyes not meeting mine.
I felt my heart shatter into pieces, but I refused to let them see it.
Sofia broke the kiss, pulling back just enough to look at me with a victorious glint in her eyes. “See? Told you he’d never be yours.”
