So I did.
And she listened. Quiet. Focused. Calm.
But sometimes the people closest to you are the ones you trust the most.
One day, I left work early. I wanted to surprise her, maybe stay over like we used to. Her door wasn’t locked, so I walked in quietly, expecting nothing more than a normal afternoon.
Then I heard voices.
I stopped.
Bianca’s voice came first—uneasy, tense. “You should leave before she gets here. If you stay, we’ll get caught. I’m tired of hiding, Matteo… of hiding Mason. When are you actually going to make this official?”
My blood ran cold.
Then Matteo answered, calm as ever. “Soon. I just need a little more time. You know how important this is. Once everything is settled, I’ll take care of it. You and Mason will finally have my name… and I’ll get rid of her and her father.”
A pause.
Then Bianca again, frustrated. “You’ve been saying that forever. I can’t keep living like this. Mason needs stability—he needs a father.”
He gave a soft laugh. “Patience,” he said. “She’ll figure it out eventually. After that, we won’t need to hide anymore.”
Her voice turned sharper. “She’s so blind… she has no idea we’ve been doing this behind her back all this time.”
Everything in me went still.
Every memory. Every laugh. Every comfort she gave me. Every moment I trusted her.
It was all staged.
I didn’t wait to hear more.
I left without a sound, got into my car, and just drove.
I ended up at the pier.
The same place Matteo once told me we’d build our future.
The wind was cold, biting. The sea restless.
I removed my ring slowly, staring at it like it belonged to someone else’s life. My hand shook—but I didn’t stop.
Then I threw it.
It disappeared into the waves without a trace.
Gone.
Like everything it used to mean.
I pulled out my phone, fingers still trembling but my decision already made.
“Vincent,” I said quietly when he answered. “Come get me. Let’s get married.”
The wind hit my face harder that time.
But for the first time in a long while…
I felt like I could finally breathe.
I packed my suitcase in silence, my hands trembling slightly as I folded each piece of clothing with care I didn’t really feel. My heart was beating too loudly in my chest, but I kept my expression neutral, controlled—like I had already decided this a long time ago.
When Matteo stepped into the room, he stopped dead.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”