A Diary for a Mad Don

He spun around abruptly and placed the necklace around Bianca's neck.

"Now, it's yours," he announced coldly.

My heart shattered. And from the torment in his eyes, I knew I had taken a piece of him with me. We were broken, two jagged halves that could never be whole again.

How absurd. He would fight the entire family for me, but he couldn’t believe me just one more time? Why, when I was set up, violated, and needed him most, did he choose to abandon me?

Ten years of vows, utterly shattered by a few fake photos.

My chest felt like it had been seared with a branding iron, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face.

"She's actually crying?"

"Betraying the family and still playing the victim. How disgusting."

The surrounding murmurs grew louder. I was once the Principessa of the Callahan family, and I had always carried myself with pride. Now, it was all ground to dust.

Bianca triumphantly linked her arm with Julian’s. “Julian, darling, don’t be angry… Maybe she was just confused. After all, she's from the Callahan family; rebellion is in her blood. And you've been spending so much time with me lately because of our marriage alliance. She was probably just lonely…”

She feigned sympathy, but every word was a poisoned dart meant to paint me as a faithless whore.

"You're lying!" I shot my head up, pointing at her. "You were the one who handed me that spiked champagne! You wanted to destroy a decade of love between Julian and me, just so you, the political fiancée, could waltz right into the Donna's seat! You're shameless!"

"If you loved him so much, where were you ten years ago when he was buried under the rubble of a firefight?"

"Enough!" Julian pulled Bianca protectively into his arms. "Just because you're filthy, you have to drag everyone down into the mud with you? What right do you have to compare yourself to Bianca?"

“She’s pure and noble; she wouldn’t hurt a fly. And you? The last remnant of a rival family. The very blood in your veins is dirty.”

“She may have come late, but she’s pure. She’s better than you in every conceivable way! Can’t you keep your legs shut for one goddamn day?”

I froze. So this was how he saw me?

"Julian..." My voice was hoarse as I tried to claw back a shred of his sanity. "Our ten years of love can't compare to one month of her act? Fine... Since you think she's so perfect, I'll tear that pure face of hers apart and show you the monster underneath!"

Rage consumed me. I lunged at Bianca, but before I could even touch the hem of her dress, Julian kicked me viciously. I slammed into one of the ballroom's Roman columns and slid to the floor. A sharp pain tore through my lower abdomen.