Chapter 2

In that moment, a strange calm washed over me.

I lowered my hand and slowly sank onto the couch.

"Isabella, do you really think I can't live without you?"

A long time passed before I let out a heavy, heavy breath.

"I'm not the kind of man who begs."

"Since the love is gone, let's break up. Call off the engagement."

"Go be with Marco. I won't stand in your way."

"There's no need for the whole family to conspire behind my back, playing me for a fool."

Isabella's face twisted into something strange.

"You really want to cancel the engagement?"

"Yes."

She studied me for a few seconds, her expression unreadable. Then she suddenly snorted a laugh.

"Is there any point in saying things like that?"

"Who was it who told me he'd never let go, not even in death? That he wanted to spend his entire life with me?"

"I've already agreed to marry you—do you really need to make a scene?"

"Luca, don't play hard to get. I'll give you the wedding. Satisfied?"

I stared at her face—that shameless expression—and realized I'd never truly known her at all.

"Then go be with my brother." I looked at her.

"What's the point of going through with a marriage like this?"

"Why do you insist on marrying me?"

My voice was so desperate it circled back to calm, yet my heart was dying.

She regarded me from above, appraising.

After a long pause, she let out a cold laugh.

"What do you think? Because I love you?"

She leaned down, gently cradling my face, her gaze a mixture of disgust and pity.

"Luca, Marco is your biological brother."

"Even if I broke up with you, how could I be with him openly?"

"He's so well-respected. I don't want him subjected to anyone's gossip."

"So." She pressed her hand to my chest, her voice tender to the point of cruelty.

"Luca, I can't bear to let him suffer. So the only one I can let suffer is you."

I stared at her, chilled to the bone.

"What you're saying is—you want to use our engagement as a front, so you can be with my brother."

"Clever." She smiled indulgently.

"So you'll cooperate, won't you?"

I shoved her hand away, furious.

"Isabella, what makes you think I'll cooperate? That I'll just do whatever you tell me?"

"You will." She smiled, pulling a lab report from her pocket.

She placed it in front of me.

"Last week's physical. The results came back—I'm pregnant."

"Luca, this is our first child. And your last."

She smiled. "If you don't want him, then what are you going to do?"

My head snapped up. "What do you mean?"

Her smile deepened, like a serpent flicking its tongue.

"Two months ago, during your appendectomy, I had someone perform a vasectomy on you."

"It's nearly irreversible."

"Luca, for the sake of this child, you'll just have to bear with it."

"See how good I am to you?" She crouched before me, smiling.

"To keep you tied down, I'm even willing to bear you a child."

I picked up the lab report. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold it.

I burst out laughing, tears splashing onto the paper.

"Isabella. You're ruthless."

She smiled, took my hand, tender and cruel in equal measure.

"Luca, you don't have a choice."

"And remember—don't breathe a word of this to your brother."

"I don't want Marco to carry any guilt. Understand?"

I looked at her protective expression and felt as though I was seeing her for the very first time.

She finished her instructions, stood up briskly, and walked out without a backward glance.

A tidal wave of nausea surged from my stomach. I nearly retched.

I stumbled into the bathroom and threw up until the world spun.

I couldn't tell anymore whether it was my heart or my stomach that was burning.

Finally, I turned on the cold water and splashed my face.

I looked at myself in the mirror—eyes sharp, dark, and vicious.

Isabella was wrong. I had a choice.

I just had to be more ruthless than her.

I took out my phone and pressed stop on the voice recorder.

I saved the entire conversation.

Then I dialed a number.

"Hello. I'd like to book an appointment for my partner—an abortion."