“Enough,” he said quietly, firm but gentle. “Stop crying. I’ll deal with it.”

Rocco brushed my hair back with practiced ease, his thumb sweeping away the tears that kept slipping down my face. He pressed a brief kiss against my temple before straightening and heading off to grab a cold compress, muttering under his breath like this was all routine.

“Always acting like you don’t need anyone,” he added over his shoulder, half-teasing, half-scolding. “Yet the moment you get hurt, you fall apart. What would you do if I wasn’t around?”

I didn’t answer. My eyes stayed fixed on the raw, reddened skin circling my wrist. Seven years. Seven years of being sheltered, soothed, protected by him. Wrapped in his attention like it was something permanent. What would I have done without Rocco?

The truth hit harder than the pain: I didn’t want to find out anymore. I didn’t want his care, his concern, or this hollow imitation of intimacy. Not now. Not ever again.

That night refused to release me into sleep. Whether it was the burning in my wrist or the quiet collapse happening in my chest, rest wouldn’t come. I shifted endlessly beneath the covers, sweat clinging to my skin, begging for unconsciousness. It took hours before exhaustion finally dragged me under.

At dawn, rough hands shook me awake.

I groaned and tried to swat him away, but Rocco only laughed softly and leaned down, brushing a quick kiss across my lips.

The lingering fog vanished instantly. Anger flared so sharply I almost shoved him away—almost slapped him—but I stopped myself at the last second.

“Good morning,” he said lightly. “Did my sleepy little star finally wake up?”

I turned my head aside and wiped my mouth with clear irritation.

“It’s the weekend,” I muttered as I pushed myself upright. “Would it kill you to let me sleep?”

His teasing expression dissolved into concern. “You were burning up last night. You didn’t even notice. Get dressed—we’re going to see a doctor.”

I studied his face. The worry was real, etched deep between his brows. But I couldn’t tell anymore if it was meant for me or simply the role he was used to playing.

I didn’t argue. I followed him anyway.

In the clinic corridor, fate intervened.

We nearly ran straight into Antonella.

She was favoring one foot, moving carefully, her expression pinched with discomfort. The moment Rocco saw her, his entire demeanor shifted.

The man who had been hovering over me moments earlier didn’t spare me a glance as he hurried to her side, one arm instantly supporting her weight.

“What happened?” he asked, urgency threading his voice.

Antonella’s eyes flicked past him—to me—and she offered a faint, almost apologetic smile. “Just twisted my ankle. What a coincidence. You’re here too?”

Rocco hesitated for the briefest second, then turned toward me. The look on his face—controlled, composed, faintly guilty—was one I knew far too well. It always surfaced when Antonella did.

“Yeah,” he said quickly. “A friend’s kid sister had a fever. I brought her in.”

I felt nothing. No shock. No anger. Just a dull acceptance. To the outside world, I had always been that—someone else’s sister. A detail. A secret.

Antonella nodded politely. “You should take care of her. I’ll be fine. I can head over there myself.” She gestured toward another section of the clinic.

Rocco didn’t even hesitate. He bent down and lifted Antonella into his arms with effortless care. “I’ll carry you. Sofia, wait here.”

I watched them move away together, something hollow spreading through my chest. Maybe it was the fever weakening my body. Maybe it was the sight of him prioritizing her without a second thought. My legs trembled, and I leaned against the wall to steady myself.

He never looked back.

It didn’t matter that I was sick. It didn’t matter that I was standing there alone. In that moment, nothing about me seemed to matter at all.

Rocco wore perfection well—until Antonella appeared. Then everything he tried to hide spilled through the cracks. And he didn’t even realize it.

I forced a thin, bitter smile and turned toward the examination room on my own.

The results were immediate. The thermometer blinked an alarming number—41.3°C. The burn on my wrist had worsened, infected and inflamed, aggravated by stress and neglect. On top of that, a viral fever had set in. The doctor prescribed boiled medicinal herbs and a bitter infusion.

Out of habit, my fingers reached for my phone.

Then I stopped.

Habit was dangerous. Habit was how I’d stayed too long.

A quiet laugh escaped me as I slipped the phone back into my bag. Carrying the medicine alone, I headed to the patient lounge—no escort, no hand to guide me, no one to lean on.

And for the first time, I didn’t ask for one.

The hours crawled by as I forced myself to finish the bitter herbal brew and thick medicinal infusion the clinic had prescribed. Each swallow felt heavier than the last. The room tilted every time I shifted my weight, dizziness rolling through me in waves. More than once, I had to clutch the cool edge of the marble counter to keep myself upright, my knuckles whitening as I fought the weakness.

I reached for my phone, meaning to call Rocco—but my chest tightened the moment the screen lit up. No messages. No missed calls. Not even a careless “Are you home?” or “Rest well.” Nothing.

Disappointment settled deep in my stomach.

After a long breath, I dialed his number anyway, schooling my voice into something steady. “Rocco, I’m still at the clinic,” I said evenly.

There was a brief silence, just long enough to make my pulse jump. When he finally spoke, his words stumbled slightly. “I… I meant to go back and get you. After I took Antonella home. But she didn’t feel well—her stomach started acting up.”

He took her home.

Before I could respond, a bright, overly cheerful voice rang out behind him. “Sir, your lunch is ready. Please enjoy your meal.”

Rocco sucked in a breath. I heard fabric shift, the faint sound of him covering the receiver—but it didn’t matter. The damage was done. Cutlery clinked faintly in the background, the sound far too clear. Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. For a moment, he didn’t speak at all, as if realizing too late that the lie had unraveled.

“It’s alright,” I said quietly, my tone distant even to my own ears. “I can get home by myself.”

I wasn’t sure whether I was trying to comfort him—or convince myself. The words felt hollow as they left my mouth, scraping against the ache in my chest.

I was about to end the call when his voice came again, low and hurried. “Sofia… just go home first. I’ll explain everything later.”

Explain what, exactly? Another excuse carefully stitched together? Another story meant to keep me believing in something that no longer existed?

I hung up without replying and arranged for one of the family’s private drivers to take me back. Night settled over the city soon after—but Rocco never returned.

Sleep wouldn’t come. The distant roar of traffic and the constant thrum of the city outside kept my mind restless. From the window, fireworks erupted across the skyline, brilliant flashes of color tearing through the dark. Someone’s celebration, I guessed bitterly. Someone’s grand gesture. My lips curved into a faint, sour smile.

Unable to drown out the noise, I picked up my tablet and distracted myself by sketching custom bridal gowns for a client—clean lines, careful details, nothing left to chance. As I worked, my finger brushed the messaging app by accident, opening a recent post from Antonella.

The image stole my breath.

Fireworks bloomed across a velvet-black sky, captured at the perfect moment. Beneath it was a caption steeped in emotion:

After being gone for so long, I finally came home. And tonight, the fireworks welcome me.

I stared at the screen longer than I should have, my thoughts spiraling downward. When I tried to close the app, I realized something else—Rocco’s account was still logged in on my tablet.

I didn’t want to see more. Didn’t want proof. Didn’t want to witness whatever intimacy lingered between them. Exhaling sharply, I logged out and set the tablet aside, refusing to let myself fall deeper into it.

By morning, I felt calmer—emptier, but steadier. At the office, my manager handed me my approved resignation letter. Her expression carried pride mixed with regret as I explained my reason for leaving: a bond marriage arranged between families, one that would take me out of the city.

“I’ll miss you, Sofia,” she said softly. “You’ve always been one of my strongest.”

I didn’t trust my voice, so I pulled her into a tight embrace instead, murmuring my thanks for everything she’d taught me over the years.

After the paperwork was finalized, my colleagues insisted on a farewell lunch to mark my engagement. I didn’t argue. I reserved a private table at one of Rocco’s preferred restaurants—a discreet place often used by men in our world for quiet meetings. It was familiar. Too familiar.

Midway through the meal, I excused myself to the restroom—and nearly collided with Antonella in the hallway.

Her smile was effortless, radiant. “Sofia? I didn’t expect to see you here.” She laughed lightly. “This is actually the first place Rocco brought me after my coming-of-age ceremony. We’ve eaten here more times than I can count.”

I returned a polite smile, controlled and distant, and attempted to pass her.

She stepped slightly into my path. “Oh—by the way,” she added, tilting her head. “I noticed something last time. Rocco always rinses the shrimp before peeling it for you, right? And you don’t like spicy food either?”

I stopped.

I did like spicy food. Always had. Yet Rocco had rinsed the shrimp every time, insisting it was healthier, urging me to avoid heat and strong flavors. I’d believed it was care. Consideration.

Standing there, facing Antonella, the truth finally settled into place.

The person he had always been protecting, adjusting for, worrying about—it had never been me.

It had been her.

Her head angled to the side, eyes narrowing with sharp, deliberate interest—as though she were dissecting my face piece by piece, searching for something she already suspected.

“I’ve wanted to mention this since the first time we crossed paths,” she said slowly, a lazy smirk curling her lips. “Has anyone ever told you how alike we look, little sister?”

The words struck like a gunshot.

My breath hitched, and before I could stop myself, my gaze slid to the mirrored wall beside us. The reflection was merciless. Dark hair. Similar eyes. Even the slope of her jaw echoed mine. At a glance, the resemblance was undeniable.

Shame surged hot and fast, tangled with fury. I had always known where I stood in Rocco’s life—never the chosen woman, only the one who filled the space temporarily. But this… this realization was something else entirely. I hadn’t just been a substitute. I’d been molded. Polished. Shaped to resemble the woman he truly wanted.

The understanding cut deeper than any insult ever could.

Under her satisfied stare, my composure finally cracked. The restraint I’d spent years perfecting shattered, replaced by a restless, bitter energy that crawled under my skin. I couldn’t stay there another second. Swallowing hard, I turned abruptly and walked away before she could say another word.

Back in the private dining room, the noise and warmth slowly thawed the chill gripping my veins. My colleagues’ laughter, their easy conversations, the way they treated me like nothing had changed—it grounded me. For a moment, I almost managed to forget her words.

Almost.

The door flew open with a violent slam.

Conversation died instantly.

Rocco stood at the entrance, his gaze sweeping the room until it landed on me. He froze for a heartbeat, something dark and volatile flickering across his face. Then his hands clenched, and he barked my name, sharp and commanding, ordering me out into the hallway.

Unease crawled up my spine, but I followed.

The corridor was dim and cold, the air tight with tension. I barely had time to register the shift before pain exploded across my cheek.

The sound echoed.

It was the first time he had ever laid a hand on me.

Shock rooted me in place. My face burned as I stared at him, waiting—hoping—for regret to surface. It never did. His expression was carved from anger alone.

“Why did you go after Antonella?” he demanded, voice low and coiled. “You knew she was injured. I told you I’d explain everything once we got back—but you couldn’t wait, could you?”

Each word cut almost as sharply as the slap.

Movement caught my attention. Antonella appeared at the far end of the corridor, limping deliberately, her clothes rumpled, a stain blooming across her blouse like part of a carefully staged performance. I opened my mouth to speak, but she stumbled suddenly, gasping loud enough to draw attention.

Rocco moved instantly.

He brushed past me and caught her, lifting her into his arms with practiced ease. The gentleness in his touch made my chest tighten painfully. His voice softened when he spoke to her, stripped of all the fury he’d aimed at me.

“I said I’d bring you over so she could apologize,” he murmured. “Why did you leave?”

Antonella shook her head, tears shimmering in her eyes, though her tone was carefully mild. “It’s nothing. She didn’t mean it. Please don’t be angry,” she said softly, playing the peacemaker.

Then her gaze flicked to me, false concern layered thick in her eyes. “If your fiancé hears about this, it could cause problems. It might even disrupt the alliance.”

At the mention of my brother—the one who had negotiated my marriage like a contract—Rocco’s jaw tightened. But the hesitation lasted only a moment.

“She’s under my authority,” he said coldly. “If she’s crossed a line, it’s my responsibility to correct her.”

A humorless laugh slipped from my throat. “Correct me?” I said bitterly. “Tell me—what crime have I committed? In this life, in business, judgment comes after evidence. And yet you sentenced me without a single fact. Is this how you run your empire?”

His fists curled tighter. “There are no cameras in that hallway,” he snapped. “You knew that. You thought you’d get away with it.”

I stared at him, stunned by his certainty. “No cameras?” I scoffed. “Then on what basis are you so sure it was me?”

His eyes flashed. “Because Antonella wouldn’t lie. She’s not that kind of woman.”

“And I am?” My voice shook despite myself.

Seven years. Seven years of loyalty, of standing beside him through bloodshed, negotiations, and nights meant only for us. And yet, the moment Antonella’s tears appeared, every one of those years was erased. One accusation outweighed everything I had given him.

I saw then that nothing I said would matter.

I turned away. “Believe whatever story you want,” I said flatly.

He shouted after me, ordering me to stop—but I didn’t turn back. My cheek still throbbed, the sting a brutal reminder of where I truly ranked in his world.

Going back to the table wasn’t an option. I wouldn’t poison the night for my colleagues, who had shown me nothing but kindness. Instead, I went to the front desk, settled the bill in full, and sent a short message to the group:

Something urgent came up. Enjoy the food and drinks—this one’s on me.

Then I left.

Each step felt heavy, the weight of the night pressing down on my shoulders, my heart burning with exhaustion—and a quiet, dangerous fury.