My Childhood Sweetheart Gave My Wedding Dress to Mistress, Now I'm the Don's Wife

"Miss Valente, you are the trueborn daughter of the Valente family. Do you truly wish to marry a cripple — as his the contract bride?"

Under Rosa Tagliaferro's astonished stare, I gave a calm nod.

"It's the only way to protect the Valente family."

The Broker clicked her tongue twice, a sharp sound in the silence of the back office. Equal parts pity and disbelief.

"There was a time when every daughter of every Family in this city envied you, Miss Valente."

"A doting father and brother above you, a childhood sweetheart devoted to you alone. You lived more grandly than a Don's queen."

"Who could have imagined that this same Family would sacrifice its trueborn daughter to a cripple's bed — just to spare the adopted one?"

I said nothing more. In silence, I wrote my name on the contract.

In three days the agreement would take effect. My body for the debt of my birth and upbringing. The ledger, settled.

From that day forward, I would have nothing to do with the Valente family — or with my old love.

All bonds severed. In life or in death, we would never meet again.

——

By the time I returned to the Valente compound, night had already fallen.

Not a single soul came out to greet me. The only sound was shouting from the main hall.

The same argument as always — the endless wave of accusations and power plays raining down on the Family since my father's assassination.

I pushed open the doors, ready to tell them the problem had been resolved.

What greeted me was my brother's palm across my face.

"Serafina Valente, what have you done?"

"I never imagined you'd stoop this low — forcing Gianna Caruso to become that cripple's the contract bride, just to protect your own comfortable life!"

"So what if they call him cold-blooded and ruthless? Dominic Ravenna is nothing but a vicious, scheming cripple. Gianna would rather die than survive a marriage to him — and you… how can your heart be this cruel!"

Our father had been assassinated. The Valente family was condemned, our territories carved up, our name a target.

That cold-blooded cripple held more power than anyone on the Commission. He was the only one who could save us.

But when the Family came begging for his protection —

He had said only one thing: "If you want my hand in this, the Valentes send me a daughter. As my lowest-ranking the contract bride."

I knew he meant it as a humiliation.

I also knew that neither my brother nor Enzo Castellani could bear to let Gianna suffer that degradation.

So I made the decision for them.

I was about to explain when Gianna dropped to her knees.

"Sister, I already did what you told me to. Please don't push me into the pool again — I'm scared."

She held up her arms, lined with scratches and bruises, weeping like a blossom battered by rain.

The two of them went white with fury.

They gave me no chance to speak. They seized me and dragged me straight to the rear courtyard.

"Serafina Valente, bullying Gianna with your tantrums was bad enough. Now you've done something truly vile. Today I'll discipline you the way our dead father should have — to preserve what's left of the Valente family's honor!"

Neither of them would hear a word from me. Rage had made them deaf.

They hauled me to the edge of the courtyard pool and shoved me in.

The water was bone-cold with the first bite of winter.

Every time I fought my way to the surface, a hand forced my head back under, and all I could do was choke as freezing water flooded my nose and ears.

Again and again, until my consciousness began to dissolve.

Through the haze, I drifted back to a day many years ago.

I had refused to practice my needlework, and Mother rapped my palms with a ruler.

My brother and Enzo — their eyes had turned red with heartache just looking at my hands.

To coax a smile out of me, they planted an entire courtyard of roses themselves.

Enzo had told me then:

"Serafina, you don't need to learn these tiresome things. You were born to be cherished."

"Before you marry, you're the Valentes' beloved daughter. After you marry, you'll be the honored wife of the Castellani household. As long as we're here, you will never suffer a single day."

But now the roses had withered and fallen.

And the two of them didn't stop until I was on the edge of drowning.

I dragged myself out of the water, every breath a blade of pain.

They weren't even looking at me. They were gathered around Gianna, comforting her.

"Gianna, we know how much you've endured. I will never let Serafina hurt you again. Once both Families are through this crisis, I'll petition the Commission for a marriage decree — and take you as my wife!"