After a lunch full of heavy conversation with Andriano's grandfather, Richie took Sharlynn out of the mansion. It was quiet in the car, with only the sound of the engine breaking the silence. Sharlynn, who seemed to be lost in her thoughts, occasionally looked at the view of Milan through the side glass of the car. The distinctive old buildings and the streets filled with people passing by made her momentarily forget about the situation.Richie noticed Sharlynn's silence, finally breaking the silence. "Where do you want to go?" he asked, his voice soft, trying to break the ice.Sharlynn was surprised by the question. She turned her head, looking at Richie with an incredulous expression. This might be her first and last chance, she thought. "I want to go to the Duomo in Milano," she replied without hesitation.Richie nodded as if the request was perfectly natural to him. "Alright, Duomo di Milano."A few minutes later, they arrived in front of the magnificent cathedral, a historical
In the Civil Registry Office courtyard, the atmosphere was quiet, attended only by a few members of Andriano's grandfather's extended family. It was quite a contrast to the important moment that was taking place. Among them was a young man who didn't seem to like the wedding very much, especially not Sharlynn. His sardonic gaze, as if to convey an unspoken message, made the atmosphere a little tense.Sharlynn noticed the look, tried to remain calm and reminded herself of her promise not to give up easily. "I didn't see Dante coming. Does he still remember his young master?" asked Richie in a half-joking tone.Grandpa Andriano, with a smile, pointed at a black car that had just arrived. "That's him," he said with a chuckle.Richie frowned, immediately realizing that the figure he had been waiting for. Dante had arrived, albeit with a slight delay. Dante hurriedly approached them, a look of regret on his face. "Sorry I'm late," he said, almost breathless.When Dante noticed Sharlyn
Grandpa Andriano banged his cane on the table. Creating quite a shocking thumping sound. "Cut the crap! You should disperse and go home if you can't appreciate Richie and Sharlynn's happy day!" The DeVille family matriarch's stern and domineering tone was enough to make their guts shrink. Finally, the banquet went smoothly without anyone daring to bother Sharlynn anymore.The tension in the air suddenly dissipated with the crack of Grandpa Andriano's cane.Everyone's eyes immediately fell on him; some faces looked surprised, while others looked down, feeling guilty. The air seemed to tremble under the unrivaled authority of the DeVille patriarch."You should all be ashamed," Grandfather Andriano continued in a firm, calm voice. "This day is about Richie and Sharlynn, about our family welcoming new members with open hearts, not about creating divisions or demeaning anyone."Grandpa Andriano looked at Sharlynn, gazing at her with a gaze full of warmth. "Sharlynn, don't ever feel alone
Meanwhile, the commotion outside the mansion gates did not affect the warmth of Sharlynn and Grandpa Andriano's conversation. Nothing was covered up; Sharlynn briefly recounted how she came to marry Richie back in Berlin; she didn't even know the man's true identity. "What kind of father treats his daughter like this!" Grandpa Andriano's voice sounded stressed and angry as he banged the tip of his cane on the floor. "You have nothing to worry about, my granddaughter. You are already part of the DeVille family. Only children born from your womb will I recognize as Richie's children. Not those born from other women, let alone those with no ties to the DeVille family whatsoever!" Richie seemed to turn away from looking at Sharlynn while smiling wryly. He still thought that she was trying to get his grandfather's attention. The reluctance building up suddenly collapsed, and she assumed that she was no different from any other woman. "Born of any woman, if that child is truly my flesh
In the silence of the night, accompanied only by the slow ticking of the wall clock, the atmosphere in Sharlynn and Richie's room was filled with profound awkwardness. They were lying on the same bed, yet their distance felt like an ocean. Richie, who had been sleeping with his back to Sharlynn, slowly opened his eyes. The room's darkness was only slightly brightened by the moonlight that sneaked in through the gap in the curtains.Not knowing if he had just woken up or if those eyes had never closed in the first place, Richie carefully turned his body. He changed his position with an almost inaudible movement, not wanting to disturb the tranquility that had been created. His gaze then fell on Sharlynn, who lay peacefully, her regular breathing signaling that she had sunk into a deep sleep.The soft moonlight shone on Sharlynn's face, creating shadows that emphasized the softness of her facial features. Richie transfixed for a moment, gazed at that innocent face. There was a soft
It had been a month since Sharlynn had been at the DeVille family mansion, though she had to put up with Richie's coldness every day. The daily pain was already a daily meal for her. However, there was one thing she only wanted, to get the attention of Richie as her husband, even if it was just once. Although at the moment that was impossible, as Richie was increasingly not returning to the mansion to be with Aurora and the boy he recognized as his flesh and blood. Grandfather Andriano and Dante were the two people who kept him strong during this time, at least he tried to melt Richie's heart not alone, although from then on Andriano also did not bother too much with his grandson's wayward behavior. He just moved and moved in silence with Dante. Sharlynn was just coming out of the walk-in closet with a tie that Richie was going to wear. Although their conversations are not frequent, Sharlynn enjoys serving Richie. Every day, she prepares the formal suit that he will wear to the o
Sharlynn changed into longer-sleeved clothes to avoid the bruises from Richie's actions from being seen by Grandpa Andriano. Afterward, she decided to leave the room and go downstairs. "Should I go for a walk," she muttered as she descended the stairs. Occasionally, she still rubbed her hot hands. At the same time, a maid blocked his way, saying it was time to enter the dining room for breakfast. "Thank you, I'll be right there," Sharlynn replied wryly. Her steps half-stumbled towards the dining room. Before entering the dining room, she took a deep breath, walked slowly, and prepared for the questions Grandpa Andriano would ask her, or rather, scold. Moreover, Richie did not appear there.Sharlynn slowed her pace before entering the dining room, trying to gather her courage to face whatever was going to happen. The room was bright, with morning sunlight streaming through the window blinds, creating a warm atmosphere but not enough to chase away the nervousness creeping into her
After a twenty-minute wait, Dante and Sharlynn found themselves inside one of the cafés at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. "Madame, what did you want to talk to me about?" asked Dante matter-of-factly. "I wanted to show you something..." Sharlynn looked down, pausing her sentence. Then, exhaled roughly before answering Dante. "I know Richie would never trust me. Is it wrong of me to want to ensure that the woman he loves so much does something unexpected?" Dante frowned, not understanding where Sharlynn was going with this. "What do you mean?" Dante asked to make sure what she meant. Sharlynn didn't answer, she just took her cell phone out of her bag and fiddled with it for a while, then showed him the amateur footage she had taken at the time. "Isn't this Aurora and that guy who was always being sarcastic to Richie and me?" asked Sharlynn, causing Dante to turn his gaze from the cell phone screen to Sharlynn. "Looks like Richie's son is also very familiar with that guy. Hhuu