Staring up at the ceiling, I finally made a decision I’d been avoiding for years. The marriage proposal my family had arranged long ago—the one I kept postponing, defending Lorenzo with excuses—I finally accepted it.
Yes.
My mother didn’t hesitate. She never did. The moment I returned to the apartment and shut the door behind me, my phone began buzzing nonstop. One message after another filled the screen—venues secured, designers contacted, guest lists approved, timelines locked in. Everything moved with ruthless efficiency.
I scrolled until I reached her final message.
I always knew Lorenzo wasn’t your future. A man who wants to marry a woman doesn’t make her wait eight years. You still have time, Sofia. Everything is ready.
Another message followed seconds later.
The ceremony is in three days. Bring only what you need. Don’t complicate things.
The simplicity of it was almost brutal. While I’d been clinging to Lorenzo’s vague reassurances and unfinished promises, everyone else had already accepted the truth I refused to see—he was never going to choose me.
I took a slow breath and sent her a voice message.
“Mom, handle everything as you see fit. I trust you. I don’t need anything grand. Keep it simple.”
I didn’t realize Lorenzo had come home until his voice sliced through the room, sharp with disbelief.
“A ceremony?” he said. “What ceremony?”
My body stiffened. I ended the call too quickly, but he was already moving toward me, hand outstretched. Before he could grab my phone, his own rang—loud, urgent, impossible to ignore.
Francesca’s voice poured out the moment he answered, shaky and panicked.
“Lorenzo, I think someone’s tailing me. I changed routes twice, but I’m scared. I don’t know what to do.”
His expression shifted instantly. Concern replaced confusion, his jaw tightening.
“Stay somewhere public,” he said, already reaching for his jacket. “Don’t leave. I’m coming.”
He didn’t look at me again. The door slammed shut behind him, echoing through the apartment.
I stayed where I was, perfectly still, my face calm even as something inside me finally broke free.
Once the silence settled, I called my Aunt Lyra. After my parents moved overseas years ago to expand the family’s criminal empire, she’d been the one who raised me.