The Bride He Delayed Married Someone Better

But Gemma came rushing up in front of me and dropped to her knees with a thud, right there on the marble floor of the shopping arcade the Marchetti crew half-owned.

Her eyes were red, her voice thick with tears.

"Adriana, I never once thought of taking anything from Mr. Marchetti."

"I only wanted to stay by his side. As long as I can be near him, even just as an associate, even if I never carry any title in the Family, my whole life, I'd be happy."

Her hand had already pressed flat against her belly, too smooth, too timed.

The people around us stopped in their tracks and turned to look.

Lorenzo's face darkened at once.

He stepped over quickly, helped Gemma up, tucked her behind him, and looked at me coldly.

"Adriana, do you really have no room for her at all?"

"She's pitiful enough already. Did you have to push her until she was on her knees?"

"When did you become like this?"

His voice wasn't loud, but in a room full of made men and their women, it carried clearly enough for everyone to hear.

I stood frozen where I was, watching him shield Gemma and walk away.

It was a weekend, and the arcade was packed, people coming and going.

Everything that had just happened drew a crowd of onlookers in no time.

"Isn't that Lorenzo Marchetti, the Boss of the Marchetti crew? Weren't they saying he's about to seal a union with his betrothed?"

"I heard that girl's got no family of her own, all alone in the world, and his betrothed still went out of her way to target her. That's just too much."

"I heard a while back that Adriana Rossi is really controlling. The man can't say a word to another woman without her minding."

"Who'd take a Rossi girl like that into their bloodline? No wonder he keeps putting off the joining."

Word after word, like sharp knives, kept driving into my heart.

I covered my ears and fled the arcade in disgrace.

The Lorenzo who had once sworn on his own blood he'd protect me for the rest of my life.

Now, with his own hands, he'd set everyone against me.

I don't know how long I walked.

By the time I came back to myself, I was standing on that familiar street downtown, the one that ran between the old jewelers and the front cafés the Families used to launder their tribute.

This was where we loved to come when we were courting.

He used to walk with me past shop window after shop window, wait in line with me for pastries, and never once complained, even loaded down with boxes.

Every corner of this place held a memory of us.

Without thinking, I walked toward the Lovers' Bridge.

But the next second, my steps froze.

At the center of the bridge.

Lorenzo and Gemma were holding each other tight.

They stood in front of the railing hung with love locks, fastening a brand-new couple's lock to the iron rail.

That was the very spot where, years ago, Lorenzo had hung a love lock for me with his own hands.

I heard Lorenzo say, low.

"If only I'd met you sooner."

"If I hadn't been promised to Adriana so early back then, maybe the one standing beside me would have been you all along."

Before he could finish.

Gemma rose onto her toes and kissed him.

Lorenzo froze for only a second, then bent his head and kissed her back, hard.

His hand pressed tight against the small of her back, as if he wanted to fold her into himself.

So passionate, so out of control.

A version of him I'd never seen.

Gemma leaned softly against his chest.

"As long as I can be with you, even without any title in the Family, I'm willing."

Lorenzo looked down at her, his eyes full of resolve.

"No."

"The one I'm going to marry is you."

"I'll give you the joining of bloodlines, I'll give you a title, I'll let every Family in this city know that you're the one I'll spend my life with."

"From now on, no one will ever be able to bully you again."

The tears slid down before I could stop them.

My heart felt like it was being crushed in some invisible fist, the pain so sharp I could barely breathe.

Across the crowd.

Gemma suddenly lifted her head and looked in my direction.

The corners of her mouth curved up, her eyes full of open, undisguised challenge.

Then she nestled back into Lorenzo's arms.

The two of them, fingers laced together, slowly disappeared into the crowd.

I walked up onto the Lovers' Bridge.

Up to that love lock that belonged to me and Lorenzo.

After years of wind and sun, its body was already covered in rust.

I reached out with both hands and gripped it hard.

The next second.

With all the strength in my body, I gave it one fierce wrench.

"Crack—"

The clasp snapped.

I looked down at the old lock in my palm.

It wasn't until warm tears dripped onto the back of my hand that I realized my face was already soaked with them.

I suddenly remembered.

Five years of courting, and Lorenzo had always been restrained, always proper.

He said he respected me, so he never crossed a line.

Even holding my hand, even a hug, he'd ask my permission first.

Back then I always thought.

It was because he cherished me.

But only today did I understand.

Truly loving someone can't be hidden.

You can't help drawing close, can't hold back from embracing them, can't stop yourself from wanting to kiss them.

He wasn't restrained by nature.

He simply never loved me that fiercely.

I let out a bitter laugh.

Raised my hand and threw the love lock into the man-made lake below the bridge.

"Splash."

Ripples spread out across the water.

The lock quickly sank to the bottom, gone without a trace.

Just like these five years between me and Lorenzo.

Starting today.

Lorenzo, I won't love you anymore.

I raised my hand, wiped away the last tear on my face. My mother's thin gold ring turned once on my finger, then I pushed it hard to the knuckle, and without looking back, turned and walked off the Lovers' Bridge.