Lena wore white. Pearls flowed down her hair like a crown. She looked untouched, innocent, untouchable.
No one spoke to me.
No one even glanced in my direction before we left.
**
At the estate, cameras exploded in flashes the moment we arrived. Reporters swarmed like a storm breaking at the gates.
Vincenzo stepped out first, straightening his cuffs, playing his role perfectly—the devoted husband, the powerful man.
He opened Lena’s door himself.
She stepped out slowly, like the world had been built just for her entrance.
Noel followed, holding her hand.
I stepped out last, my shoes sinking slightly into the gravel.
“Don’t speak unless spoken to,” Vincenzo said quietly without looking at me.
I nodded.
He didn’t look back.
**
Inside, the ballroom glittered like a different world. Gold chandeliers hung above us like dripping jewels. Music floated through the air, soft and expensive.
Vincenzo raised his glass.
“Everyone,” he announced, “this is Lena. The woman who will carry my future forward.”
Applause erupted instantly.
Lena lowered her head gracefully, pretending to be shy, though her posture said otherwise.
“And this,” Vincenzo continued, pulling Noel forward, “is my heir.”
The room clapped louder.