I had been secretly dating my brother's best friend, Lucian Valachi, the Underboss of the Marchetti family, for seven years. But our relationship was a secret, always kept in the shadows.

One day, Lucian came to me, his breath smoky with whiskey. He whispered, "Loraine, Reyan's pregnant with another man's child. If she doesn't have a fiancé, the Carusos and our family will have a serious problem. I need to get engaged to her. It's just for show, a means to an end. Please, can you do this for me?"

I answered in a calm tone he had never heard from me before, "Okay."

In my past life, I hadn't agreed. I had insisted that he make our relationship public.

A few weeks passed, and Reyan Caruso’s pregnancy could no longer be hidden. The truth came to light. An angry rival family declared war, and in the fallout, Lucian grew to resent me, then abandoned me completely.

After he left, I never saw or heard from him again.

I knew he blamed me for the disaster that had torn his family apart. Not long after, I died in an "accident."

As my eyes were about to close forever, I saw Lucian rushing toward me, his face a mask of panic. And Reyan—the one who was supposed to have been caught in the crossfire—followed safely behind him, holding a baby.

It was only then that I finally understood: Lucian was Reyan's savior, but he was never mine.

Now that I've been reborn, I won't refuse his request. Instead, I'll cut all ties with him. Let him and Reyan have each other, and whatever fate they've woven for themselves.

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1

I nodded obediently. My quiet agreement stunned Lucian Valachi. He hadn't expected me to give in so easily.

Under the dim light of the wall sconce, his cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, but his obsidian eyes were exceptionally clear, without a trace of drunkenness. As always, I sat beside him on the velvet sofa, as still and silent as a porcelain doll.

Lucian leaned closer, his presence filling the space between us, his expression unusually serious. "Loraine, do you understand what I just said?"

I nodded again, still docile. "I understand."

In my past life, I had grabbed his arm and vehemently refused, telling him not to even think about it. I was madly in love with him and could never let him be engaged to another woman.

But in this life, my heart was unnervingly calm. It felt as trivial as discussing the odds of rain in Chicago tonight.

Lucian frowned, clearly unhappy with how easily I had agreed. He was about to say something more when my brother, Lucian Marchetti, burst through the door. "Guess who I just saw downstairs—Reyan Caruso, your childhood sweetheart! Those bastards from the Falcone family are trying to get her drunk—"

Before my brother could finish, Valachi shot to his feet. "They have a death wish. Reyan's pregnant, she can't be drinking."

With that, he stormed out of the private room.

My brother was shocked. "Hasn't he spoken to her in seven years? How does he know she's pregnant? Could he be the father?"

I nodded, playing along. "Probably. Looks like the Marchetti family will be having an engagement party soon."

A chorus of shouts erupted outside, followed by the sharp crack of shattering glass. I remained in my seat, calmly picking up a fork to spear a strawberry from the fruit platter, as if I couldn't hear a thing.

My brother looked even more surprised, a teasing glint in his eye. "Loraine, your precious Lucian is out there fighting. Aren't you going to help?"

In the past, I was Lucian's shadow, following him everywhere. My own brother had complained about it more than once.

Whenever I was about to blurt out the truth, Lucian Valachi would gently ruffle my hair and cut me off. "In Loraine's heart, I'm more of an older brother than you are. It's my honor. You can't be jealous of that, can you, Marchetti?"

Over time, I had come to understand what Lucian truly wanted. He didn't want our relationship public. I was destined to be his secret, hidden in the shadows.

I savored the sweetness of the strawberry and then shook my head. "I'm not a fighter. Even if I went out, I couldn't help. I'd only get in the way."

If it were the past, I would have rushed out without a second thought, never caring about my own safety.

My brother said with relief, "That's my girl. You're not built for that kind of trouble. You should stay where it's safe."

He told me to stay put and went out to help. I sat there for a long time. It wasn't until the commotion outside finally died down that I rose and stepped out of the room.

Outside the private room, Valachi was carefully cradling a woman in his arms. It was his childhood sweetheart, Reyan. She leaned weakly against him, her eyes red-rimmed and wide with fright.

He held her protectively, his eyes filled with a fierce possessiveness that he didn't seem to realize was there.

My brother, Lucian, walked over to my side, gossiping excitedly. "Loraine, I think we guessed right. Looks like we'll be attending their engagement party soon!"

His voice was just loud enough for Valachi to hear, and Valachi’s head snapped up. When he saw me standing next to my brother, a flash of guilt crossed his eyes. He hurriedly explained, "Engagement party? No, you've got it wrong. I was just helping Reyan—"

I gave a faint smile and shook my head, cutting him off. "I understand, Lucian. Miss Caruso doesn't look well. You should see her home."

Lucian froze. "What did you just call me? Since when do you call me 'Lucian' again? And you want me to take her home?"

Ever since we became lovers, I'd only ever used his nickname. Hearing his given name from my lips again clearly unsettled him.

I used to be extremely possessive. I never allowed him to be alone with other women, yet today, I was telling him to escort Reyan home.

He opened his mouth to ask something, but Reyan suddenly cried out in pain and collapsed against him. "Lucian, my stomach..."

His expression immediately darkened. He swept her into his arms, his instincts as the family's Underboss kicking in, and vanished down the corridor. Before he disappeared, he reminded my brother, "Don't let Loraine wander around. Get her home early."

I watched his retreating back, my heart feeling as if it had been pierced by an icicle. In my past life, I had gotten my wish and prevented his engagement to Reyan, but I never received the happiness I craved.

If I couldn't have his loyalty, I didn't want him at all.

From that day on, I acted nothing like I had in my past life. I stopped looking for Lucian, stopped asking about his whereabouts.

Instead, I threw myself into my application for the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

Previously, I had given up that opportunity to be by Lucian's side. I had stayed in Chicago, taking care of his every need, abandoning everything for love. In the end, I had died alone in a cold apartment from an "accident."

This time, I would never let that opportunity slip away.

I figured if I stopped reaching out, we'd naturally drift apart in a city this big.

That evening, when my brother and I went to a restaurant, we walked right into Reyan, who was arm-in-arm with Lucian Valachi, laughing and talking.

When Valachi saw us, he instinctively pulled his hand away from hers.

Reyan's expression stiffened for a second before an elegant smile bloomed on her face. "What a coincidence. Since we're all here, why don't we sit together?"

Before we could answer, Valachi had already slid into the seat beside me. My brother's eyes widened, and he immediately pulled me to his side.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" my brother demanded of Valachi. "You expect me to sit with your childhood sweetheart? How is that appropriate?"

A flicker of displeasure crossed Valachi's eyes as I was pulled away. He stared straight at me, as if waiting for me to say something.

In the past, I would have done anything to reclaim the seat next to him. Now, I had no intention of moving. I sat calmly beside my brother and handed the menu to Reyan.

"Miss Caruso, please order whatever you'd like," I said politely. "My brother and I have already chosen."

She took the menu with a smile, then said suddenly, "I'm sure the food here is wonderful, but I'm more familiar with Lucian's tastes. You see, to appease the Caruso family, he even had the iris tattoo he got for you altered."

My composure cracked. That tattoo had been his secret eighteenth birthday gift to me. He had said that iris would only ever bloom for me.

I had pestered him to show it to me again and again. He had laughed and said, "What's the rush, my Principessa? It's on me for life, and it belongs only to you."

So, he was willing to erase the symbol of me for another woman.

Lucian looked uneasy and quickly explained, "Reyan needed an assurance, a gesture for everyone to see. It's just an act. Besides, I still have the stencil. I can get it tattooed back anytime. Loraine, you understand."

My brother interjected smugly, "I don't know what's gotten into her lately, but she's suddenly keen on an arranged marriage. At first, she almost made Papa draw his gun, but she's quite talented at it. She's got a good eye."

"Whoever marries my sister gets the support of half the Marchetti family."

Valachi had been smiling, but at these words, the light in his eyes dimmed. "Loraine is considering an arranged marriage?"

I paused, swallowing the bitter taste on my tongue, and nodded. "I've reached an age where I should contribute to the family. If you have any suitable candidates, I'll count on you, our Underboss, to make some introductions for me."

The moment the words left my mouth, Lucian's face darkened. His eyes, sharp as a falcon's, locked onto me, as if trying to read some hidden emotion on my face.

Reyan noticed the drastic shift in his mood, and her own expression stiffened for a moment.

Soon, she was smiling again. "Miss Marchetti, you're so lucky. You have two men who care about you so much. I'm truly envious. I think Lucian here is a great match. Perhaps you should consider—"

"Nonsense. Loraine is my sister!" my brother said with a frown, his eyes full of exasperation even though she hadn't finished.

I nodded in agreement. "That's right. I've only ever seen Lucian as a brother. Miss Caruso, please don't make such jokes. To be honest, I think you two are a much better match."

The color drained from Lucian’s face. He gritted his teeth, hissing each word. "Is that so? Then how about I introduce you to someone else?"

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, Lucian," I replied softly, a gentle smile on my face, without a trace of resistance.

With a loud bang, he knocked over a wine glass. He didn't seem to notice as he stormed toward the door, not even sparing Reyan a word.

She murmured an apology and hurried after him. Before leaving, she gave me a look I couldn't quite decipher, a mixture of triumph and warning.

A tightness seized my chest, and a strange sense of unease washed over me.

Meanwhile, my brother, always the last to catch on, was completely oblivious. He just complained, "What's with him now? His temper hasn't changed a bit! I really don't know how he's going to manage the family in the future!"

Indeed. For seven years, I had endlessly tolerated his temper. Looking back, I realized just how foolish I had been.

I didn't continue the conversation with my brother. Instead, I brought up my plans to study. "Hey, Lucian," I began, "I'm planning to book a flight to Rhode Island in three days. I want to go early."

He blinked in surprise. "So soon? I thought school didn't start for over a month. This is sudden... You haven't told Valachi, have you?"

I shook my head gently, speaking as much to him as to myself. "I don't need to tell him. He doesn't need to know. My business is no longer his concern."