I wiped my tears, forced myself to my feet, and stumbled to the nearest pharmacy. I swallowed the bitter pill, my heart turning to ice on the walk back to the empty room.

I lay down, staring at the ceiling, replaying the last ten years in my mind.

Dante and I had grown up together. He was the son of New York's most powerful mafia Don, and while most kids were afraid of him, I never was.

I had always stood by his side, even when he pretended he didn't need anyone. But I knew the truth.

I'd seen the light in his eyes, even when he tried to push me away.

I fell asleep under the weight of a decade of memories, only to be jolted awake by a video call from my best friend, Chloe Martinez.

"Bella! Why aren't you at the gala? Oh my god, Dante just went on stage with Sofia! He's putting the Moretti family ring on her finger! They're announcing their engagement in front of everyone, and they're all cheering! Don't they know you were supposed to be his date?"

Chloe flipped her phone's camera around to show me Dante.

Dante and Sofia stood in the center of the stage, locked in a deep, passionate kiss. His eyes were closed, completely lost in the moment.

I realized then—in all our passion last night, we hadn't even kissed. In a moment of heated desire, I had leaned in to kiss him, but he had turned his head away.

"Sorry, I have to save that for my future wife," he'd said.

Like a fool, I had believed him. And now, he was kissing Sofia without a second thought, in front of the world.

So, it wasn't that he didn't kiss. He just wouldn't kiss me.

Watching them on my phone, every cheer from the crowd felt like a needle driving into my heart, each one stabbing deeper until the air was squeezed from my lungs.

Just this afternoon, Dante had nonchalantly told Marco he was getting engaged to Sofia, and now, only a few hours later, he had announced it to the world.

Classic Dante. He always got what he wanted, no matter who he had to crush to get it.

When the ball officially began, Dante naturally asked Sofia for the first dance. They swirled in the center of the dance floor, a spotlight illuminating them as the surrounding guests watched, captivated.

Everyone admired the perfect picture they made.

Except for me.

As the song ended, Dante rested his forehead against Sofia's, their lips less than an inch apart.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and the two leaned in for another kiss, lost to the world around them.

I cried until my eyes burned and no tears were left.

Chloe's voice cut through my haze of pain. "Bella, I know this hurts. I just want you to see him for what he is. Stop chasing Dante. He's not worth it. You deserve your own life."

My throat was raw, my voice barely a whisper. "I know."

I had been so foolish, blinded for years by a phantom affection, falling for someone who had never truly seen me.

Chloe's voice turned sharp. "He's a bastard, Bella. He knew exactly how you felt, and he loved it. He soaked up all your devotion while keeping you on the back burner. And look at him now—the second someone better for his ambition shows up, he tosses you aside without a second thought."

I forced a bitter smile. Everyone else had seen it so clearly; only I was trapped in the delusion that Dante might actually love me.

"Don't worry, Chloe. I'm done chasing him. I won't waste another second making myself smaller for his sake. I've made my decision. I'm withdrawing my application to USC and applying to Columbia instead."

Before I could lose my nerve, I opened my laptop, withdrew my USC application, and submitted the one for Columbia.

Chloe's face broke into a wide, relieved smile. She had always thought applying to USC for Dante was a waste of my potential.

But with his mediocre grades, USC was the best Dante could manage. He'd told me he didn't want us to be apart, that he hoped I would choose the same school.

I had taken it as a sign, clinging to the idea that being with him was worth any sacrifice.

Looking back, it was obvious Dante never intended for us to be together. He just didn't want to lose his most loyal follower. But now that he had Sofia, there was no reason for me to follow him down that path.

If I still chose to trail after Dante after everything I'd seen tonight, I would never respect myself again.

All I wanted now was to get as far away from him as possible.

To never see him again.

I wasn't going to follow Dante anymore.

I was going to chase my own dreams.

I hung up the phone, turning down Chloe's offer to come over and keep me company.

Unfortunately, the memories of last night kept replaying in my mind.

His strong arms wrapped around me, his warm breath on my skin, the sweet, whispered promises that made the headboard rattle all night.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to banish the images. I curled up on the bed, hugging my knees to my chest.

My mind toggled between the boy I grew up with and the cruel man he'd become.

It wasn't until dawn that I finally drifted into a fitful sleep. Dante hadn't sent a single text all night.

Once, when I had gotten drunk and disappeared for a few hours, Dante had nearly lost his mind trying to reach me.

After that, he insisted we say goodnight every single night, just so he knew I was safe. It had become our routine, a small, comforting ritual.

It was laughable how a habit built over years could be shattered in a single night. Maybe it was for the best. We were bound to drift apart eventually.

For a moment, I considered confronting him, even if it meant ruining my own reputation. But my family's business still depended, in part, on his father, the Don of the Moretti family. I couldn't act rashly.

No, the best thing to do was quietly pull away, piece by piece, until we were nothing but distant memories to each other.

The next morning, I felt myself being pulled into a warm, firm embrace. I jolted awake, my heart pounding.

The first thing I saw was the familiar curve of a sharp jawline, the faint stubble against his skin.

It was Dante.