The Principessa's Gambit

I was very satisfied with William—so satisfied that, for a moment, I thought he might be the exception. But sometimes, reality has a way of striking back far too quickly.

On the day of the family ball rehearsal, I went to the Colombo estate on Craten Island to find him. He was standing close beside Jennifer, lifting a glass of whiskey to his lips for a sip.

Then Jennifer lowered her head and pressed her lips against the very rim he had just touched.

After she drank, William picked up the glass again, as if to take another sip—but he frowned. Instead of drinking, he set it aside and told a nearby attendant, "Bring me a fresh glass."

I stood at the doorway, watching everything unfold.

When William looked up and saw me, he paused for a moment.

"Sophia, you're here."

He walked over, his expression unchanged.

"Jennifer's blood sugar dropped a bit. She fainted a few times earlier. I want to finish the rehearsal quickly so we don't hold everyone up."

He glanced back at her.

"Finish your drink and get back to rehearsal."

Jennifer held the glass he had set down, leisurely taking another sip.

Then she smiled at me.

"Your new fiancé really is a block of wood. No matter how much I try to tease him, he doesn't react at all. This time, it looks like you've finally chosen the right one."

She walked off in her heels, her back as brazen as ever.

I stood there, my heart pounding. That look in her eyes—the one that said she was determined to win—I knew it all too well.

Sensing something was off, William pulled me into his arms.

"Baby, don't overthink it. The person who was handling this got into a car accident a few days ago. Jennifer stepped in temporarily to help. I owe her this favor."

I nodded, resting my head against his shoulder.

"You know… Jennifer seems to like stealing my fiancés. She's taken every one of them before you. I'm afraid you might…"

He tightened his embrace.

"Don't worry. You're the only one worthy of being my wife."

The moment he finished speaking, his phone rang. I glanced at the screen—it was a message from Jennifer.

He checked it, then let go of me.

"I need to take care of something. I'll come find you later."

I watched his retreating figure, my heart sinking little by little.

I thought William would be different. But in less than a week… he had already been keeping in touch with her.

Over the next few days, William clearly noticed my low mood. To cheer me up, he said he'd take me out on his yacht and introduce me to some of his family members.

I decided to give him one more chance.

The yacht was enormous, with champagne and delicate pastries laid out across the deck. William introduced me to the group.

"This is my fiancée, Sophia Colombo."

Several men greeted me with easy smiles, and the atmosphere was fairly relaxed.

After a few exchanges, the conversation shifted to a recent project of the Lucia family.

"How's the shipping route for that batch of goods coming along?"

William frowned.

"There's a critical bottleneck we can't seem to break through. If we could get in touch with Old Tony from the Eastern line, that would solve it. Otherwise, if this drags on, all our initial investment will go to waste."

Before he could say more, a familiar voice cut in.

"Old Tony?" Jennifer walked over with a bright smile. "I know him. My uncle used to do business with him—we've had dinner together several times. If you want to meet him, I can arrange it."

William looked up, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Standing beside them, I felt my fingers slowly tighten.

All of William's attention had shifted to Jennifer.

While they were deep in conversation, I quietly took out my phone and sent a message to a number without a name.

The fish is about to take the bait. Proceed as planned.