My father’s excitement pierced straight through my heart.

I swallowed back the sob rising in my throat. “Okay. I’ll see you at the wedding.”

After the call ended, George’s voice followed, calm and unhurried. “The wedding will be held at the best hotel in the city. The flowers are being flown in on a private jet. We hired the most famous photographer for the wedding photos. It will be the wedding you wished for.”

I dug my nails into my palm, forcing my voice to stay steady. “So you think that’s enough? Because you spent a lot of money, I should cooperate with this ridiculous wedding?”

“I’m not forcing you.” He slipped one hand into his pocket and looked at me the way he would in a business negotiation. “But you’ve been with me for seven years. Without me holding you, you can’t even fall asleep. Can you really leave me? And your father, a single dad… Think about how long he’s been waiting for this day.”

As if certain he had won, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “Don’t throw away what we have over an irrelevant woman.”

My chest felt heavy. “Then why don’t you divorce that ‘irrelevant woman’ first?”

A flicker of impatience passed through his eyes.

“Once the wedding is held, everyone will know you’re my only wife. In the future, our child will be the Grimaldi family heir. She won’t appear in our social circle and get in your way. You two never have to meet for the rest of your lives. I’ve done everything I can to satisfy you. Don’t be greedy.”

Greedy? Wanting my future husband to belong only to me was considered greed?

I clenched my teeth and said, “George, get out.”

He blinked. “Baby–”

I tore the ring off my finger and hurled it at him with all my strength, interrupting him, “Get out!”

He didn’t dodge. The diamond cut across his cheek, leaving a thin line of blood. He bent down, picked up the ring, and studied me with an unreadable expression.

“I know you’re just saying this out of anger. You’ll regret it later. I should’ve had a child with you sooner. Then, you wouldn’t be hung up on this. You would’ve chosen to stay by my side.”

A chill ran through my body, and my hand moved instinctively to my lower abdomen. In his eyes, even a child would only be a tool to tie me down.

I turned my face away as I couldn’t bear to look at him.

“I’ll give you some time to calm down. I’ll come back in a while,” he said.

When the door closed, I slid down against the wall and sat on the floor. The happiness I thought I could almost touch had turned out to be nothing but a bubble—one poke, and it burst.

My phone suddenly rang. It was a neighbor from my hometown.

I took a breath and tried to sound normal. “Mr. Benny?”

But his voice was cautious, probing.

“Bella, have you been very busy lately? Have you been checking on your father’s health?”

My heart clenched. He was right. For the past three months, all my energy had gone into wedding preparations.

He continued, “He fainted in the yard today, and we sent him to the hospital. The doctor says his condition is serious… Did you know that?”

I froze. “What do you mean?”

“It’s late-stage cancer. Your dad didn’t want us to tell you. He doesn’t have much time left. He seemed more energetic after hearing about your wedding. He said his final wish is to walk you down the aisle… and hand you over to a man he trusts.”

The call ended because my tears kept falling onto the screen. I covered my face and cried silently for a long time until no more tears would come. Only then did I dial the number I knew by heart.

George answered almost immediately. “Baby, what is it?”

My expression was empty as I forced myself to speak, my voice hoarse. “Our wedding… will go on as planned.”

Early the next morning, I rushed straight to the hospital where my father was staying. When I pushed open the door to his room, my heart skipped a beat. His hospital gown hung loosely on his frame. He had clearly lost even more weight, and the sight of it made my heart ache.

My father, however, looked surprised to see me. He then gave a helpless smile, no doubt guessing that one of the neighbors had tipped me off about his condition. Before I could say anything, he turned his phone toward me. On the screen was my pre-wedding photo with George.

“You, my daughter, are so beautiful,” he said proudly. “On your wedding day, you’re going to be the most stunning bride ever.”

There was a lump in my throat, and I couldn’t say a single thing.

Suddenly, he asked, “By the way, did you tell George about the pregnancy?”

I pressed down the sting in my eyes and nodded gently. “I did. He was very happy.”

My father let out a relieved sigh. Then he started giving me careful instructions on what I should eat, how much I should rest, and not to wear high heels for long periods.

My vision began to blur. Afraid he would notice, I turned my face away and made an excuse about going to the restroom to fix my makeup. The woman in the mirror looked exhausted. Even the heavy foundation couldn’t hide it.

I wiped the dampness from the corners of my eyes and took a deep breath. For my father’s sake, I had to hold it together. I had to finish acting out this “happy” play.

…

Three days before the wedding, I told George, “I want to meet Josie.”

To my surprise, he agreed. Maybe in his mind, everything had been settled. So, even if I met her, nothing would change.

The driver took me to a villa compound on the west side of the city. From a distance, I could see elite soldati patrolling the grounds. The security was tighter than at some consulates. So this was how he treated a “burden”?

With every gate we passed, my heart sank a little lower.

When the car door opened, a maid called out cheerfully, “Donna, the Don is here!”

Her voice stopped abruptly when she saw that it was me stepping out of the car. However, I said nothing and simply took in the house around me. It was luxurious, warm, and meticulously maintained. Nothing was neglected. Nothing looked temporary or improvised. It was clear that George had treated her fairly in terms of material needs.

A slender figure slowly entered my line of sight. She was indeed beautiful. Josie Hill walked past me without a glance and wrapped her arms around George’s arm behind me.

“Don, you’ve finally come. I’ve missed you so much.”

He nodded. “The doctor said you haven’t been taking your medicine again.”

His tone sounded neutral, but there was a trace of concern hidden underneath.

“I wanted you to feed it to me…” Josie said shyly.

Only then did George turn to me and introduce, “This is Bella.”

That was it. He didn’t say I was his fiancée or bride-to-be—just a name.

Josie narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked me over, her tone light and pleasant. “Hi, I’m Josie. Come in, don’t be shy. Make yourself at home. What would you like to drink? There’s champagne in the fridge he just bought, or you can try the coffee I made. He said my skills have improved.”

She carried herself like the lady of the house.

I clenched my teeth, feeling my anger rise. To be honest, she didn’t look like the daughter of heroes who had once taken a bullet for someone. She looked delicate, fragile, and almost spoiled.

On the way here, George had told me he’d once tried to send her away overseas for the best medical care, for school, and even just for travel. However, she refused. She only wanted to stay in this vast, empty mansion, clinging to her illness, waiting for George to visit her whenever he could.

…

Before I could say anything, George had lifted her naturally into his arms and carried her toward the couch.

He instructed the maid, “Bring me the medicine the Donna had hidden.”

The maid immediately retrieved it with practiced ease and handed it to him. Josie wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to let go, and George simply continued holding her like that.

I stood there, frozen. I watched as he brought the pills to her lips, poured her a glass of water, and used his thumb to wipe away the moisture at the corner of her mouth.

She held the title of Donna, which should belong only to me, and was shown the tenderness that should only be meant for me. If I had held onto even the slightest illusion before coming here—an illusion that they were only bound by a piece of paper, forced by their families—it all shattered in that moment.

I didn’t want to hurt this girl, but I also didn’t want my child to enter this world branded as illegitimate.

At the thought that the wedding between George and me would be built entirely on lies, I couldn’t stay there for another second.

I stood up, announcing, “I should go.”

George immediately stood up. “I’ll go with you.”

Just then, a servant spoke up. “Don, Ms. Josie’s doctor has arrived. He says he needs to speak with you in person.”

George told me to wait for him before heading toward the study.

The moment he disappeared at the end of the hallway, the atmosphere shifted. The fragile mask on Josie’s face vanished instantly, and the corners of her lips curled into a cold smirk.

“You have some nerve coming here… It seems like I’ve underestimated how bold you are.” She looked at me with disdain and said, “Do you really think you’ll become the Grimadi family’s Donna? As long as I don’t step aside, you’ll always be invisible. You'll be a whore everyone spits on.”

I frowned at how quickly she changed faces. It was almost absurd. However, I had no desire to argue. I turned, intending to leave.

She grabbed my wrist, her nails digging painfully into my skin as she leaned close to my ear.

“I heard your father’s been sending out wedding invitations everywhere? How embarrassing. His daughter’s a mistress, and the family is celebrating it. Aren’t you afraid he’ll die of shame?”

“Shut up!”

I spun around, my sharp gaze freezing on her face. I could tolerate insults directed at me, but I would never allow anyone to insult my family.

Josie lifted her chin slightly, malice flashing in her eyes.

“Am I wrong? Having raised such a vile daughter as you, I’m sure he wishes he was dea–”

Smack!

The sharp sound of my slap echoed through the room. I didn’t hold back. Her head snapped to the side, her cheek instantly flushed red.

“How dare you hit me?” she shrieked.

George rushed in at the noise. His eyes swept over Josie’s swollen cheek, and his expression darkened.

“Bella, Josie is a benefactor of the family. How could you bully her like that?”

I glared at her, my entire body shaking with anger. “Why don’t you ask her what she just said to me?”

Josie’s face turned pale. Tears fell the moment she willed them to, making her look pitiful and fragile.

“I didn’t… I would never…”

She performed flawlessly, and it almost made me laugh.

“She said I’m your mistress,” I said coldly. “She said my father should be ashamed of having a daughter like me and that he should die because of it. This is your ‘sweet and kind’ Josie.”

George ordered the servants to call a doctor. Disapproval filled his eyes.

“Even if she said something harsh, you can’t hit her. Her health is poor. What if something happens to her?”

As I observed the way he shielded Josie behind him and the undisguised bias in his words, my heart went cold.

“George,” I said evenly, my voice calm to the point of indifference, “I understand now. There’s nothing left for us to talk about.”

A flicker of unease crossed his face. “But our wedding–”

“The wedding will proceed as planned,” I cut him off.

Once, I had longed for a wedding with George more than anything. Now, I found myself grateful that it was nothing more than a performance. When the curtain falls, I’d finally be free.