sia

oom to pack the last of my things. I was severing every last tie to the Moretti est

alized it

cate chain of white gold with a single, flawless teardrop diamond. It was my most p

re, my initial fear turning into a ris

Santino and Valentina were sitting. My eyes, shar

ound her neck, the diamond resting against her skin like a vulgar trophy. A smug, mock

whispered, the word

to shield her. "Alessia, stop it. I

ing with false innocence. She touched the diam

ce. He knew what it meant to me. "Valentina, just..

g it, she simply pulled. The delicate chain snapped. She let the irreplaceable heirloom fall f

n her face as my mother's le

nymore. This was for my mother's desecrated memory. I moved without think

hoed in the

n face. Santino had slapped me. Hard. My head snapped to the side, my c

He had put his hands on the daugh

is face inches from mine, his

im, truly looked at him, and saw a stranger. The man I marr

"And I swear on my mother's grave, I will bring a b