I Was the Mafia Heir's Bet, So I Married His Rival

I was the proud, untamed rose of the Ferrari family. Every man around me longed to tame me. Only Lorenzo Ricci ever said, "My dear Giulia, you can run as wild as you please." His sincerity moved me, and for the first time, I sought him out. But before I could knock on his door, I heard Lorenzo's tender voice from inside. "Elsa, you promised that if I could put up with that rude, heartless Giulia for three years, you'd believe I truly didn't care that you were born out of wedlock." "The three years are up. Why won't you accept me?" A woman's sobbing voice answered, delicate and fragile. "She's so beautiful. You've probably already fallen for her. But if you dump her in front of everyone at her birthday party, I'll be with you." Lorenzo agreed. My heart clenched in pain. I despised nothing more than betrayal and deception. And Lorenzo's true love turned out to be my father's illegitimate daughter! I didn't barge in. Instead, I stepped outside and called Dante Gallo, the Gallo family heir. "Dante, I accept your marriage proposal. I'll give you three of my family's overseas luxury trade routes and half the mining rights to our South American diamond mines. That should help you crush the Riccis' market share. "I only have one condition. You must propose to me at my birthday party three days from now." Dante agreed without hesitation. I let out a long breath. Lorenzo wanted to humiliate me. I would pay him back tenfold. Chapter 1 I drove home. The moment I parked in the garage, Lorenzo's call came through. His voice was gentle as always, though today it carried a hint of apology. "Giulia, I'll show up late today. One of my men got into trouble; I need to handle it. You..." "Oh, fine." I cut him off, barely hiding my disinterest. Lorenzo paused. Before, I would have been upset, thrown a fit, and demanded to go find him. But now I was perfectly calm. An unease crept into his voice as he tested the waters. "Did someone upset you? You don't sound happy." "I just don't want to see you." I slammed the car door, letting my words drip with undisguised contempt as I vented the fury I could barely contain. Lorenzo sounded almost relieved. He laughed. "I knew you'd be upset. I ordered a 21-carat red diamond from South America for you to decorate your sports car. Think of it as my apology." He always accepted my temper without complaint. Even though he was the heir to a mafia family, he would carry my shoes for me on summer beaches. He understood my preferences, once having tens of thousands of roses airlifted in to fill every street in the city during winter. But the moment I remembered that all this tolerance and patience had been for Elsa, I felt sick. I hung up and walked into the villa. The second I stepped through the door, I saw my father waiting in the living room for me. "There's something I need to discuss with you." His expression was cold as he toyed with a golf club. He got straight to the point. "I'm getting remarried to Mina. I expect you two to get along." Mina was Elsa's mother. She was also the woman my father had been cheating with. I stopped in my tracks, a cruel smile curling my lips. "Sure. I can end her life with a single bullet. I promise I won't let her suffer for long." Father's hands stilled. He barked, "How long are you going to keep this up? Your mother is dead. Why can't I remarry? "Mina and I have been together for twenty years. She gave me her youth and love. Why can't you just accept her?" Refusing to back down, I looked him straight in the eye and shouted, "Because my mother has only been dead for five years! You were married to her for more than twenty years, and you cheated on her almost the entire time. "As long as I'm alive, your mistress and her bastard daughter will never walk through the Ferrari front door!" Chapter 2 I headed upstairs. Twenty years ago, the Ferrari family had been a small family on the verge of bankruptcy. It was my mother who married in with a massive inheritance and built the family into what it was. Once Father had power and money, he wasted no time taking on one lover after another. Over the past three years, I had gathered countless pieces of evidence proving he had embezzled my mother's assets. This arranged marriage wasn't just about publicly embarrassing Lorenzo. I was going to use Dante's power to take back every last cent of my mother's inheritance. The next morning, after staying up all night organizing documents, I had just fallen asleep when the noise downstairs woke me. Father had his arms around Mina. Lorenzo and Elsa stood side by side nearby. They looked like one happy family, laughing and directing the servants to rearrange the furniture. The sunflower oil painting my mother had done by hand was replaced with a portrait of Mina. The green curtains my mother had loved were swapped for the white ones Elsa preferred. The pottery vase my mother and I had made together was tossed carelessly into a corner... Every trace of my mother's life was being erased, piece by piece. Rage exploded in my chest. I rushed downstairs. "What do you think you're doing? Who let you in here, and who gave you the nerve to touch my mother's things?" Father watched me warily. Elsa ducked behind him, but a flash of provocation crossed her eyes. "Daddy, I'm scared." Lorenzo stepped in front of her, his tone flat. "Giulia, you've always said you feel lonely. I brought your sister home for you. Aren't you happy?" I nearly laughed from the sheer absurdity. "Did a seagull make off with your brain? Her mother is the reason my mother is dead. What makes an illegitimate daughter like her think she deserves to be my sister?" Lorenzo frowned, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. Elsa's eyes instantly welled with tears. "Please don't be angry. If you don't like me, I'll stay out of your sight. But you can't deny that I'm Daddy's daughter." She spoke as she walked toward me and grabbed my arm. The warmth of her palm against my skin abruptly dragged me back to a memory from fifteen years ago. I had been ten years old, hiding in the bushes, crying. Elsa appeared before me for the first time, asking why I was crying. I answered without any guard up. "My daddy has another family. Mommy is so sad, and I can't do anything to comfort her." Elsa smiled. She took my hand and coaxed me. "I know a place that will make you stop feeling sad." I believed her. She led me to the rooftop and shoved me off. Elsa stood at the edge of the roof, looking down at me lying in a pool of blood, and sneered. "If you're so sad, then you and your mommy should just go die. Stop taking the place that belongs to me and my mama." Luckily, the servants found me in time and rushed me to the hospital. Otherwise, I would have bled to death right there. Afterward, my mother tried to report Elsa to the police. Father insisted it was nothing more than children playing around. He locked my mother away, worsening her depression until she nearly took her own life. Now, Elsa's hand was on my arm. It felt like a snake crawling up my skin. I shook her off by instinct. "Don't touch me!" The next second, Elsa let out a shriek and stumbled backward. Lorenzo shoved me aside almost on reflex and caught Elsa. I lost my balance and toppled backward. The back of my head hit the floor hard. A sharp breath hissed through my teeth. I couldn't help but cry out in pain. But everyone crowded around Elsa. All I got was disgust and cold stares. Mina spoke through her tears. "Miss Giulia, Elsa just wants to be your friend. Why did you hit her?" Father looked at me with disappointment. "You're just as vicious as your mother. Elsa has bent over backward to be kind to you, and you still treat her with nothing but malice!" Finally, Lorenzo helped Elsa to her feet. His gaze cut across me like a blade of ice. "Giulia, I always thought that beneath that temper of yours, you were still a good person at heart. "I was wrong. "How could you raise a hand against a girl who's done nothing but try to be nice to you? "To make up for what you did, Elsa and her mother will be moving into this villa. Otherwise..." He paused before continuing. "Otherwise, I won't help you get your mother's sapphire necklace back." My head snapped up. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Lorenzo Ricci, you're using my mother's keepsake to threaten me?!" Chapter 3 Lorenzo's voice was ice. "I want you to calm down and get along with your family." Family? What family did I have left? All my father ever did was scold me. Elsa and her mother wished I would just drop dead. When my mother passed away, I had been studying abroad. By the time I received the news and rushed home, her jewelry had been auctioned off. It took me five years to recover most of it. The last piece, a sapphire necklace, was in the hands of a private collector. My mother had designed it herself. It had been her favorite. The collector happened to do business with Lorenzo's family. I begged Lorenzo to help me buy it back. He had wiped my tears away and made me a promise. "Giulia, don't be sad. I'll get it back for you." He said it broke his heart to see me lose my mother so young. He said that once we got the necklace back, he would officially propose. He said he wanted to give me a home. I believed him. I even let myself dream about our future together. But now, Lorenzo was using my mother's necklace to force me to let my father's mistress and her daughter into the house, all to please Elsa. I laughed softly. At my own stupidity. I had watched my father betray my mother with my own eyes and still fallen for Lorenzo's sweet lies. At myself, for still being hurt by Lorenzo taking Elsa's side. Lorenzo didn't understand what I was laughing about. The air around him dropped to a terrifying chill. "Giulia, do you understand what I'm saying?" I stumbled to my feet and tucked my messy hair behind my ear. "Fine. They can move in, but I want that necklace by today." Lorenzo pressed his lips together, hesitating. We had agreed that the necklace would be his proposal gift at my birthday. But looking into Elsa's pitiful eyes, he gave in. "Fine. I'll have someone deliver it later. "Giulia..." His expression softened; he walked toward me, reaching for my hand. I didn't spare him a single glance but limped upstairs. The feelings had all been fake. What did I need a proposal gift for? I didn't notice that behind me, Lorenzo's eyes were fixed on my retreating figure. A belated wave of guilt and heartache twisted across his face. Elsa called out to him several times. Only then did he snap out of it, tearing his gaze away with reluctance. "What is it?" Elsa masked the jealousy and suspicion in her eyes, fighting to maintain her gentle facade. "Lorenzo, thank you for helping me and Mama move in. Even though my sister doesn't like me and always picks on me, I'll still try my best to get along with her." Lorenzo completely missed the insult behind Elsa's words. He gave a distracted nod. "Giulia's not a bad person. Just be good to her, and eventually she'll see that you mean well." Hearing Lorenzo defend me without even meaning to, Elsa's nails dug into her own palms. Back in my room, I packed up every gift Lorenzo had ever given me. On our first date, he had given me a star pendant necklace. He'd said, "They say people become stars when they die. Let this necklace keep you company whenever I can't be there." On our second date, he made me a seashell bracelet by hand. The third time, it was a rare heirloom gemstone called the Eternal Heart... I tossed them into a cardboard box, one by one. The beautiful memories surfaced, and I ripped them away. Every last bit of love I'd had for Lorenzo was gone. Six hours later, Elsa knocked on my door. She held a jewelry case in her hands, a smug grin on her face. "Lorenzo wanted me to deliver this necklace so you'd feel grateful to me. Tell me, why do you think your boyfriend is so nice to me?" I couldn't be bothered with her. I reached for the case. Elsa pulled it away and spoke slowly, "Because my mother and I deserve to be loved. You and your mother, on the other hand, are nothing but pathetic losers." Her expression turned vicious. She raised the case high above her head and slammed it to the ground. My eyes widened, and I quickly reached out to catch it. But Elsa tripped me deliberately. I could only watch as the necklace flew from the case and the massive sapphire struck the wall, shattering into a web of cracks. Elsa burst into triumphant laughter. "Look at you. Five years ago you couldn't protect your mother, and now you can't even protect what she left behind! This is what you get for not knowing your place and stepping aside as you should have!" My hands trembled as I picked up the necklace. The image of my mother smiling as she wore it, asking if she looked beautiful, floated before my eyes. Then her smile shattered along with the necklace. The last thread of reason in my mind snapped. Hatred swelled and surged and exploded inside me. I stood up, said nothing, walked into the room, and took the hunting rifle down from the wall. A shot rang out. Chapter 4 The first shot missed. The blast brought the bodyguards running. They rushed in. In one swift motion, they wrestled the rifle from my hands. "Get off me!" I screamed. But they answered only to my father and ignored my commands entirely. Elsa threw me a mocking look as I struggled in their grip. Then her eyes lit up with an idea. She bolted downstairs, screaming. "Lorenzo, save me! My sister is trying to shoot me!" Lorenzo rushed out from the reception room. He saw that I had already broken free of the bodyguards and was closing in on Elsa. His eyes went wide. "Giulia, stop!" He drew his gun and fired a warning shot into the air. But in the chaos, the trajectory shifted. The bullet grazed my knee. The searing force tore through skin and flesh. My legs buckled, and I tumbled down the stairs. Blood pooled beneath me. Lorenzo ran toward me on instinct. He had only meant to stop me. He'd never intended to hurt me. Panic and guilt flooded him all at once. But in the next instant, he forced himself to turn and reached for Elsa instead. "Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?" He checked her over carefully. Elsa threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "I was so scared. All I did was return the necklace, and she threw it on the ground and smashed it. She said I had no right to touch her mother's things. "I tried to explain that you asked me to bring it so we could get closer, but she accused me of seducing you and tried to shoot me." Fury flashed in Lorenzo's eyes. But then he saw me, covered in blood. He suddenly came to his senses, shoved Elsa away, scooped me up, and headed for the door. "Giulia, hang on. I'm taking you to the hospital right now." Cold sweat covered my forehead. My vision kept going black. "Lorenzo, you... you shot me for Elsa..." Lorenzo had no idea I already knew about him and Elsa. He stammered through an explanation. "No, I did it for you. I didn't want you to pull that trigger. I couldn't let you destroy your own life over someone like her." So he'd rather shoot at me and risk killing me by accident? What a pathetic lie. I gathered every last ounce of strength and sank my teeth into Lorenzo's shoulder. That bite carried all my fury and hatred at being betrayed. Lorenzo grunted but didn't stop me. He kept walking toward the door. The taste of blood filled my mouth before the pain finally dragged me under, and I passed out against my will. When I woke, I was lying in a hospital bed. The doctor told me the bullet had only grazed me. I just needed rest. I acknowledged the news numbly. My bite had torn a chunk of flesh from Lorenzo's shoulder. After getting it bandaged, he sat at my bedside, guilt heavy in his voice. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you." He had only wanted to protect Elsa. But he didn't understand that Elsa and I were enemies. Protecting her meant hurting me. I closed my eyes, exhausted. Lorenzo spoke quietly, "I'll take care of you until you've healed." Over the next few days, he took the role of the caregiver and tended to my every need. Until Elsa checked into the psychiatric ward one floor below, claiming she'd been "traumatized." After that, Lorenzo's visits dropped sharply. The nurses in the hallway gossiped among themselves. "Miss Elsa downstairs is so lucky. Her fiancé booked an entire floor for her recovery. Her rich daddy personally spoon-feeds her, and her mom peels fruit for her. What a happy little family of four." "Hey." Another nurse lowered her voice. "I heard that Giulia upstairs and Elsa share the same father. And that heir to the crime family isn't Elsa's fiancé at all. He's Giulia's boyfriend." The nurses were stunned. I had no interest in listening to their gossip about me. I coughed softly. The chatter outside my door fell silent. Then came the sound of footsteps hurrying away. I slowly turned my gaze to the blue sky outside the window. My birthday was coming. All of this would be over soon.