Page 6 of Unworthy Ties
Fiorella walked through my room and over to my bed. “I knew it!” she said triumphantly, holding Giuseppe up by his leg.
“Put him down!” I said, reaching for my stuffed cat, but even though my sister was younger than me, she was much taller.
“Only if you go downstairs,” she said, lifting him even higher out of my grasp.
“Ugh! Fine.”
She set Giuseppe back down on the bed, and I took a moment to straighten his little bow tie before she hustled me out of the room. My heart pounded in my chest as my gaze fell on the grand staircase leading down to where the party was taking place. Already, I could hear the melody of classical music and the indistinct chatter of guests.
“This is terrible,” I said as we approached the party.
“For once, I agree with you.”
I was quickly whisked away and greeted with congratulations and well-wishes from a sea of faces, both familiar and unfamiliar. Many were relatives I’d met only once or twice; others were influential business associates of my father. After the fifth time, I had developed a default response I would give to them.
I took a deep breath and walked away from the latest round of people.
“Overwhelming, huh?” Luciana Catucci smirked at me, a wine glass in her hand.
Wait, that name wasn’t right. She had gotten married to what’s-his-face Renzetti.Oh.She understood exactly what I was going through.
“Definitely,” I sighed, standing with her and another girl I’d never met before.
“I offer you my required congratulations,” Luciana said, and I laughed in response.
“Luciana!” the other girl said, and tapped her arm before turning to me. “Congratulations,” she said sincerely.
“Thank you,” I paused, waiting for her to offer her name.
“Liria,” she responded. “Liria Moretti.”
I almost choked on my spit. AKA Hilaria Alto, this girl was Leone Alto’s daughter who he kept hidden from the world for years. I might as well be looking at a unicorn.
Before I could mull over the thought too long, Luciana started talking again. “But really, arranged marriages aren’t so bad. Everything works out!”
Maybe that would have been possible if I wasn’t obsessed with the groom’s brother.
“Maybe—” I started, before I felt a firm hand clasp against my shoulder.
Even though they were identical, I knew it was Rocco. The right hand on my shoulder was a dead giveaway—Felix was left handed. The touch sent a jolt of anxiety through my veins, but I turned to face him all the same.
“Our fathers are going to give a toast soon,” he said. “They want both of us at the front.”
“Right.”
I said goodbye to Liria and Luciana and followed Rocco. The man didn’t bother making conversation with me as we navigated through the crowd, his gaze distant and aloof. The touch of his hand never left my shoulder, a constant presence that reminded me of our impending fate.
As we continued through the crowd, my gaze fell on Felix, who was chatting with my two brothers. His smile was radiant, lighting up the room more than all the chandeliers combined. He was laughing at something my youngest brother had said, throwing his head back and letting out a deep, hearty sound that reverberated through the ornate hall.
I tried to get his attention on the way over to say hello, but he was too engrossed in the conversation. Rocco and I approached our fathers, and they started talking about something, but I wasn’t listening.
My heart ached as I watched Felix from a distance. Felix. The one I wanted to be with. Yet, fate had other plans, and I was damned to a life without him.
I felt a heavy gaze on me and tilted my head to the left. Rocco was staring at me with an intensity that startled me. His eyes, the same dark green as Felix’s, were filled with something I couldn’t quite decipher.
Everything I wanted to say to him was snide. But in this moment, surrounded by family and guests, I had to play nice.
“Are you alright?” I asked, my voice kept neutral despite the surge of emotions within me.
