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"The vow that wasn't mine"
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2025-03-12 10:14:34My heart thundered against my ribcage as I stared at the people in front of me, my breath hitching in disbelief. "What do you mean she ran away... and I should take her place as the bride?" The words came out in a whisper, trembling on my tongue, then a little louder, laced with horror.
I scanned their faces, desperate for any sign that this was a cruel joke. But all I saw was panic... urgency... and expectation. My hands trembled violently as I took a step back, the walls of the room pressing in on me.
"I can't believe Beatrice decided to run away on the day of her wedding... and now I have to take her place." My voice cracked as the words escaped, foreign and surreal. My pulse roared in my ears, palms slick with sweat. This couldn't be happening. Not to me.
Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision. "No, Mommy, I can't! I won't marry that man for Beatrice's sake!" My fists clenched by my sides, my chest rising and falling in sharp, ragged breaths. "Why don’t you just tell his family the truth? Tell them Beatrice ran away and cancel the wedding!"
My mother’s lips curled in disgust. "Do you think this family can afford a scandal, Antonia? Do you think we have the luxury of shame?"
"Mommy, why do I always have to do everything for Beatrice? That ungrateful girl!" My voice cracked, the betrayal too sharp to contain. "All she ever does is run. And I’m the one left behind to pay the price for her choices. Why is it always me?!"
Before I could say another word, a stinging slap sent my head snapping to the side. My cheek burned with the force of it, and for a moment, all I could hear was the ringing in my ears.
"You ungrateful bitch!" my mother hissed, venom dripping from every syllable. Her eyes gleamed with fury. "You should be lucky the chairman decided to take you as his daughter! You will do everything possible to please him. Whether you like it or not, you will marry that man. Because you have no choice. Do you hear me? No. Choice."
Her words sliced deeper than the slap. I stood there, trembling, tasting blood in my mouth and swallowing down the scream that clawed at my throat.
"Beatrice," I spat, "she got everything she wanted on a platinum platter without lifting a single finger. And me? I was always the shadow. Always the one left to fix what she broke. The pawn."
My chest heaved with fury, my voice shaking with defiance. "What if I don’t do it? What if I refuse to marry that stranger instead of Beatrice? What then, Mommy? Huh? What are you going to do to me this time?"
She didn’t flinch. Instead, she folded her arms, her voice like ice. "Well, Antonia, I guess you’d be happy to watch your father suffer. Who’s going to pay off his debts? Who’s going to keep him in the hospital when the bills pile up? You?"
The words were a dagger. My knees buckled slightly, but I held myself upright. Because I knew the truth. She was the reason he was in that hospital to begin with. Her gambling, her lies, her obsession with status. But she still used him like a weapon to keep me chained.
"Get into that room," she said, grabbing my arm with a bruising grip. "Put on the dress. And walk down that aisle like the obedient daughter you pretend to be."
She shoved me forward, and I stumbled, catching myself against the doorframe. The room was bathed in soft light, the air thick with the scent of roses and expensive perfume. There, on a mannequin, hung Beatrice’s wedding dress—pristine, white, and suffocating.
I turned to protest, but the door slammed shut behind me.
I was trapped.
Each layer of lace I stepped into felt like a chain. Every button fastened was a lock sealing my fate. When I stepped out of the room, the gown wrapped around me like a cage. My lungs constricted.
I reached the grand doors of the wedding hall, and my stepfather extended his arm. I hesitated, but placed my hand in his. There was no turning back now.
The doors creaked open. A sea of unfamiliar faces turned to look at me.
Every step down that aisle was heavy with dread.
But then—I looked up.
My heart stopped. My breath caught in my throat.
The man at the altar.
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I couldn’t believe this was happening.Me—Antonia Rossi—standing at the altar in a gown I didn’t choose, preparing to marry the most powerful man in the tech world. Not because he loved me. Not because I wanted to.But because my sister ran away.And I was the replacement.My fingers tightened around the bouquet as if it could tether me to reality. I could feel the tremble in my knees, the tightness in my chest. I had dreamt of being in this hall—though never like this. I used to imagine walking these marbled floors as an intern, maybe an executive someday. I spent so many nights researching his company, whispering his name to myself as though it were a password to a better future.Alessandro Amato.Now I was about to become his wife.He stood at the altar like a shadow cast from something larger than life—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a black suit so perfectly tailored it looked like it was carved onto his body. His dark hair curled slightly at the ends, immaculately styled, yet
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“How does it feel to be Mrs. Amato?”Alessandro’s voice sliced through the tense silence, sharp and laced with mockery. His piercing blue eyes bore into mine—cold, unforgiving, as though daring me to lie to him.“I hope we live a happily married life,” he added, his tone dripping with sarcasm, each word poisoned with disdain.Before I could react, his fingers closed around my hand in a deceptively gentle gesture that quickly turned into a punishing grip. Pain lanced through my wrist, sharp and hot.Fear crawled up my spine. This wasn’t just a warning. It was a promise.“You could end the marriage now while you still have the chance,” he said, voice cold and precise, each syllable like glass. “And don’t worry—you won’t be responsible for any damages. I’ll make sure of that.”His words weren’t an offer. They were a challenge.He wanted me to run.He expected me to crumble.He wanted this to end before it even began.My heart pounded in my chest, but my voice refused to leave my throat.W
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-12Secret Wife Of The Billionaire Walls that Watch
Beside me, Alessandro remained as stone-faced as ever, his eyes fixed ahead like I was nothing more than a ghost beside him. Not that I was surprised—kindness wasn’t something I’d come to expect from my so-called husband.“Mrs. Amato,” he said coolly, not even glancing my way, “we're here. You can step out now—unless you want me to drag you out myself.”His voice was sharp, cutting. Like a blade wrapped in velvet.I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palm as I fought the urge to snap back. Instead, I inhaled slowly, steadying the chaos in my chest before I stepped out.And there it was.My new… home.Or, as Alessandro would so proudly call it, my new house.It towered before me, a mansion so pristine and polished it looked almost unreal. Like something out of a luxury magazine. But where others might see opulence, I saw a fortress.Cold. Isolated. Imprisoning.The massive, wrought-iron gate behind us sealed with a quiet finality. I turned to look one last time, but
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-12Secret Wife Of The Billionaire Shards and secrets
My heart pounded against my chest as I bolted out of my room, breath hitching with every frantic step. The eerie silence that followed the crash made it worse—too quiet, too sudden. The marble floor beneath my bare feet was ice-cold, grounding me in fear and urgency. What could have caused such a terrifying sound? And worse—was I still alone in this house?I skidded into the kitchen, heart thundering. And there he was.Alessandro stood motionless in the center of the room, his face carved from stone. Shards of broken glass littered the floor around him like fragments of an untold story. The overhead light flickered softly, catching the glint of each jagged piece—like cruel little stars scattered at his feet.My breath caught when I saw it—blood. Crimson droplets trailed down his right hand, dripping from his fingers, staining the white floor in haunting patterns."Are you okay?" I asked, breathless, taking a cautious step forward. The concern in my voice cracked through the tension lik
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The silence in the house was deafening, wrapping around me like a heavy, suffocating blanket. Each step I took echoed louder than the last, swallowed by the vastness of the halls. Every chandelier shimmered in quiet mockery, every marble tile beneath my feet colder than the one before.I stood still in the center of the hallway, arms wrapped tightly around myself as if my own embrace could offer the comfort the house refused to give.With Alessandro gone and no one else around, the estate felt less like a sanctuary and more like a museum—beautiful but lifeless. A prison built from polished stone and silent rules. I didn’t belong here. I never did.I sighed, rubbing my arms. "What am I supposed to do now?" I whispered to no one.There were no answers—only the low hum of the air conditioning and the ghost of footsteps that no longer filled the halls. My thoughts turned inward, swirling like smoke in a locked room. A life I never chose. A marriage I never wanted. And a man I couldn’t unde
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Before I could even process what was happening, the doors slammed shut with a mechanical clank, locking themselves in place like the closing of a vault. The alarm blared, sharp and merciless, echoing off the cold walls like a warning bell from hell itself."No! No! No!" I cried out, rushing to the door, frantically yanking at the handle, pushing, pulling—anything to break free. It wouldn’t budge.My chest tightened as fear surged up my throat like a wave. Panic took hold."Help!" I screamed, banging my fists against the door with every ounce of strength I had. "Is anybody there?! I'm locked inside!"But the house stayed silent, like it was mocking me. Like it was listening, but chose not to answer.And that’s when the truth hit me.I was alone. Utterly, terrifyingly alone in this massive house. No staff. No family. No one coming to save me.Only me.And my mistake.I sank back against the cold wall, the reality of it all crashing down on me like ice water.I had broken Alessandro’s num
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Blood trickled down his forearm, stark against the whiteness of his once-crisp shirt. The deep crimson soaked into the fabric, blooming like a wound that wouldn’t stop bleeding. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t even seem to notice.In his other hand, he clutched a half-empty wine bottle, the glass slick in his grip. His knuckles were white, tense, like he might crush it into shards without realizing.He took a step forward.Then another.And with each step, the air in my lungs thinned.The dim light of my room bathed him in shadow. His shirt hung open at the top, stained and wrinkled. The tailored edges of his suit were disheveled, hanging off his shoulders like discarded armor. The sharp, bitter scent of alcohol clung to him, thick and invasive.And then his eyes found me.I froze.Those piercing blue eyes—once indifferent, now filled with rage and something darker—pinned me to the spot like prey caught in the open.He was drunk.He was furious.And he was coming straight for me."You bitch!!
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-15Secret Wife Of The Billionaire Mourning the living
I was shattered.Devastated.The weight of what had just happened crushed me, stealing the breath from my lungs. Alessandro had forced himself on me—and no matter how many times I blinked, I couldn’t erase the images, the pain, or the sound of my own screams echoing in my head.The violation clung to my skin like a second layer—impossible to peel off. I curled up in the corner of the room, every muscle in my body shaking, my sobs tearing through the still air like broken glass. Blood stained the sheets, the floor beneath me—a brutal testament to the horror I had endured.I wept until I couldn’t anymore.Until my body gave in to exhaustion and my mind sought refuge in the numbness of sleep.But peace was a stranger to me now.A loud bang from somewhere in the house snapped me awake, the sharp sound dragging me back to the brutal reality of what had happened just hours ago. I sat up slowly, my limbs aching, my soul heavier than it had ever been.The mirror across the room caught my eye.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-16
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The laughter of the twins still echoed through the banyan trees, harmonizing with the chirps of cicadas and the rhythmic crashing of waves nearby. Alessandro and Antonia lay side by side on the blanket, their sons nestled between them, the sun dipping lower into the horizon.For a moment, the world felt whole.But not far from the path, just behind a curtain of wild hibiscus and thick foliage, a figure stood watching. Unmoving. Eyes narrowed through the lenses of small binoculars, focused on the family with calculated interest.The man tapped a discreet earpiece and whispered, “They’re here. All of them. Together under the banyan tree.”There was a static pause, then a smooth voice replied on the other end. Calm, cool, almost indifferent.“Good. Just keep watching.”The man shifted slightly behind the bushes, the leaves rustling faintly under his boot. “They’re vulnerable now, Federico. There’s no security around. It’s the perfect time.”A sharp intake of breath came from the other en
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The park stretched across the island like a secret meadow untouched by the outside world. Wildflowers danced in the gentle breeze, and sunlight poured through the swaying palms like melted gold. For the first time in a long time, Antonia felt something close to peace.Matteo and Antonio ran a few steps ahead, their laughter ringing like chimes through the warm air. Matteo, ever the more cautious one, stayed near the cobblestone path while Antonio chased a butterfly into the grass, his curly dark hair bouncing as he moved.“Antonio, not too far!” Antonia called gently, adjusting the brim of her straw hat.“I wanna catch it, Mama!” Antonio shouted, a grin stretched across his small face. “It’s blue like your dress!”Antonia glanced down at her dress, laughing softly. “Is it?”“I’m faster than the butterfly!” Antonio declared, arms outstretched as he stumbled, then righted himself.Alessandro chuckled beside her, hands in his pockets, watching their sons with something close to reverence
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The sky was awash with a tender orange glow as the morning sun crept across the island, casting golden beams over the villa's whitewashed walls. Birds chirped like a lullaby in the distance, and the air smelled faintly of salt and hibiscus. It was the kind of morning that made everything feel gentle.In the heart of the villa, Antonia crouched beside a small suitcase, carefully folding Matteo’s favorite stuffed lion and Antonio’s striped beach towel into a small tote bag. She glanced at the boys, who were busy putting on their tiny sneakers—Antonio struggling with his left foot and Matteo pretending his sock was a puppet.“Do you think Nonno is going to be awake today?” Antonio asked as he leaned on the wall for balance.Antonia smiled softly. “Yes, baby. He’s feeling much better. We’re just going to visit and bring him some breakfast, okay?”Matteo popped up. “Can I give him my drawing? The one with the sun and the big house?”“You can give him anything you want,” Alessandro chimed i
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The sun draped itself across the island like a golden shawl, lazily spilling into the villa's open windows. The sound of the ocean, distant and rhythmic, blended with the quiet laughter of two small boys chasing each other barefoot through the sand-covered patio.Antonia was in the kitchen, slicing mangoes and humming softly, while Alessandro stood at the open French doors, sipping from a glass of water and watching his sons with quiet affection. For a man who once lived for boardrooms and deadlines, these slow island mornings had become his sanctuary.Then came the sound of tires crunching over gravel.Alessandro squinted toward the front gate, his brow lifting. “We weren’t expecting anyone, were we?”Antonia shook her head, wiping her hands. “No… unless—”Before she could finish, a familiar voice rang through the stillness.“Don’t tell me my nephews have already forgotten their favorite uncle!”The twins’ heads snapped up. Matteo gasped. Antonio shrieked with joy.“UNCLE FEDERICO!!!
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The living room glowed with warm afternoon sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains. Balloons floated near the ceiling, and a banner that read “Happy 1st Birthday Matteo & Antonio” hung across the mantle in cheerful colors. Laughter filled the air, rich with love, tinged with the unspoken.“Happy birthday to you,” sang Roosevelt in a melodic voice, her hands clapping in rhythm as her smile stretched wide and genuine.“Happy birthday to you,” Aldo joined in, chuckling as he nudged Federico, who reluctantly joined, holding a party hat askew on his head.Antonia’s voice wavered, but she smiled, singing softly as she carried little Antonio in her arms. The child giggled and tugged at her earrings with chubby fingers.Alessandro, standing beside her, held Matteo with gentle ease. His eyes were locked on Antonia more than the cake, as if searching for the faintest shift in her expression. Her smile was beautiful—poised and photogenic—but he could see the cracks. She always wore it like
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“Alessandro…” Federico’s voice was firm, but gentle, his hand pressing against his Senior brother’s back with brotherly urgency. “Everything is going to be okay. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you have to believe me.”Alessandro stood still, his eyes red-rimmed, his jaw tight. The sterile hospital hallway was cold and humming with soft machinery sounds, but nothing compared to the storm raging inside him.“You guys have to fight this,” Federico continued, stepping around to face him. “No matter what it takes. For your sons. At least for them.”Alessandro blinked back the welling tears, his throat tight as he thought of Matteo and Antonio—how small their hands were in his. And Lucas… his tiny son that was dead, wires and machines that was breathing for him. He hadn't even had the chance to hold his third son properly. Just a glimpse, and a name—Lucas. Antonia’s trembling lips had whispered it just before the nurses had wheeled her away.“You have to be by Antonia’s side no mat
