Chapter 3
Amelia
I was kneeling in tears before my father who had his back against me. This man was meant to be enjoying his mid-fifties by resting, but all he always had on his mind was money and power. And my mum? She was standing at a corner in the study room, her presence almost non-existing as her opinions never really mattered when it comes to taking decisions.
“Annalisa,” he finally turned to face me and I saw a look of disgust in his eyes. “You have disgraced this family.” His voice was unusually calm, but I knew one slight mistake would make him lose control.
I opened my mouth to defend myself, but my father cut me off before I could utter a single word. That was it, he snapped. “You foolish decisions has ruined my chance of getting an investment from Giovanni!” Of course, that was all he cared about. “You leave me no choice, Annalisa. We will be holding a press conference to formally disown you.”
“Lorenzo—” my mother was taken aback the same way I was surprised.
“Hush, woman!” He yelled in return, cutting her off before she could even beg on my behalf.
My breath hitched in my throat as the meaning of his words sank in. Disown me? Is that that really necessary? It was just one mistake of which I was a victim. My heart hammered in my chest and tears spilled out of my eyes uncontrollably as I struggled to understand why my father would do such to me. Disowning me would not only cut my ties with my family, it would affect my reputation greatly as an actress. I know it had already been ruined by the scandals circulating around, but it would shatter completely if any news about disowning me escape.
“Father, please,” I managed to choke out as the tears made me lose my voice. “It wasn't my fault… I didn't know—”
He slammed his fist down on the table, causing me to flinch. “Enough!” he shouted, his face turning red with fury. “You made mockery of this family. Your scandal is all over the news! Do you think people care whether it's your fault or not?! The damage as already been done and I can't stand a disgrace bearing my last name!”
The tears continued to flow endlessly as I crawled to his legs and held it. I knew my father was strict, but never in a million years did the thought of him throwing me out ever cross my mind. But now… he would.
“Father…”
“My decision is final. I know you'll want some time with your mother so I give you two days to move your things out.” I knew at this point, there was no use begging anymore. I stood up, wiping the tears off my face but they wouldn't stop falling. My eyes met with my mother who was still standing there, unable to speak. This angered me and all I wanted was just to leave this place. I don't know where to, but I just wanted to leave.
I stumbled out of the study room, my vision hazy from the tears. It was when I was midway running through the hallway, I felt a hand pull me back. And when I turned, I met the sight of my mother in tears.
“I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything, Annalisa.” she apologized, but I snatched my hands out of her hold.
“Let go of me!” I transferred all my aggression on her. “He's your husband for crying out loud, talk some sense into him!” For the first time in this house, I spoke for myself. She was taken aback by my sudden change in attitude, but I was too hurt to care. I just wanted to leave before I could do even worse.
When I finally exhausted my energy and I couldn't cry anymore, I found myself in a lonely street. I had nowhere to turn to, I didn't even have any friends. My small stature made me the target of bullies, especially in the entertainment industry. As if my mind had been read, my phone buzzed in my pockets and when I brought it out, I saw that my agent was calling.
This wasn't the first time he had tried to reach me today, but I had ignored the calls thinking I should deal with one disaster at a time. Now, with my family disowning me, I feared the worst would be given to me once I answer the call. But I knew I couldn't avoid it forever.
With shaky hands, I swiped to answer the call, holding the phone to my ear as I tried to keep my voice steady. “H-Hello?”
“Annalisa, I've been trying to get a hold of you all morning.” His voice was unusually tense as he skipped the usual professional pleasantries.
“Sorry, I... I've been—” I swallowed hard as I failed to create an excuse. What could I possibly say? “What's going on?”
There was a long pause on the other end before he finally spoke. “I’ve received calls from all the producers you’ve been working with. They've decided to cut your roles from their projects.”
I blinked severally, not fully understanding what he had just said. “What? Why?”
“The scandal, Annalisa. They don’t want to be associated with it. They think it could affect the movies’ chances at success.”
“No, this can’t be happening... Please, they can't do that.”
His voice lowered as if he was speaking to a fragile child. Well, maybe I was fragile. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do. It’s out of my hands. The studio thinks it’s best to part ways.”
“What do you mean part ways? Are you—are you dropping me too?”
A silence followed, he didn't even need to answer my question since I already got the answer from it.
“Yes,” he finally admitted. “Look, it’s not personal. It’s just... business. With everything going on, the studio sees you as a threat to their success.”
I couldn’t breathe. It felt like the air had been removed from around me. First my family, now my career? Everything I had built, everything I had worked for was slipping away, crumbling before my eyes. “You can’t do this…” I muttered, the tears that took a while to stop already forming again. “Please, you can’t just drop me. I need this.”
“There’s nothing else I can do,” he repeated, more firmly this time. “I’m sorry, Annalisa. I truly am. But you’re not good for business right now.” He apologized and the line went dead.
What had I done to deserve this? How had it all gone wrong? I wanted to cry again, but I knew it wouldn't solve anything. What if I begged Giovanni? Perhaps he would understand if I explained that I was the victim here, and not the one at fault. Perhaps he could stop the press conference, stop my father from disowning me, and convince the world that this was all a misunderstanding. I had to try. Giovanni was the only one that could save me.
I made my way to his house with a taxi, but when I got to his doorstep, I became suddenly afraid. What if he didn’t believe me? What if he turned me away just like my father had? No, I had to at least try. I was about to knock when the door opened on its own, revealing a sight that made my blood run cold.
Giovanni was standing not far from the doorway, but he wasn't alone. Bianca was there with him. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and her lips… they were pressed against his in a passionate kiss.
Chapter 4Annalisa Surely, they must've noticed my presence but their lips remained locked in a passionate kiss for like forever as if I didn't even exist. My heart clenched in my chest painfully, and for a brief moment, I couldn't move. But then the anger in me bubbled over, forcing me forward.“Bianca!” I yelled when I couldn't endure the sickening sound of their kiss anymore. They ignored my confrontation, Giovanni’s hands on her waist tightened instead as if claiming her right in front of me. “Bianca!” I yelled again, feeling so furious as I lunged forward and tried to separate them. But my hands barely made an impact against their entangled body.Finally, Bianca peeled herself away from Giovanni with a smirk at a corner of her lips. “Oh, Annalisa,” her voice had this fake sweetness that infuriated me even more. All I wanted to do was hit her at that moment, but I controlled myself.“What are you doing here?” She asked.“You set me up with someone in that room, didn’t you?” My vo
Chapter 5AnnalisaCristiano must have prepared for this moment as he handed me a pen without hesitation. My fingers trembled slightly as his cold gray eyes on me made me feel uncomfortable. I was scared, I admit. Once I sign on the space meant for me on the document, my mind, body and soul would be his. Did I really want that?I guessed Cristiano must have sensed my doubt because he leaned back in his seat, although his eyes never left mine, they only softened a little. “You’re about to make a big decision, Lisa. It’s alright to think it over. But know that, if you reject my offer, I’m never coming back for you.”His voice was so calm, almost too calm that it scared me. I didn’t even know this man I was about to give my life control to. Yes, I knew he was feared by many and respected by all, but was this really worth it? What was the worst that could happen if I said no? I still had little money in my account that could get me an apartment, and keep me up for at least a month until I
Chapter 6Cristiano It was supposed to be a one-night stand—Just a brief moment of pleasure and nothing more. But the memories of that night with her… they stayed longer with me longer than they should have. Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel her right under me, her body fitting mine just the right way. I had known something was off the moment I felt her walls tighten around me. And when I found out that my client had sent the wrong girl, that the one I had spent the night with wasn't who I had expected, I had my men investigate her.She turned out to be Annalisa, Giovanni’s fiancée. She was the woman my rival had claimed as his. At that moment, I should have walked away. I should have left her to deal with her own problems. After all, it was none of my concern. But the headlines, the stories on the internet about her life after that night… it made me feel very uneasy. There was this tightening feeling in my chest that I couldn't brush off, and I knew it was very unlike me to
Chapter 7Annalisa I could barely remember the details of what happened after Cristiano led me to this huge bedroom that was now mine. He had left to answer a call and I sat on the queen-sized bed to rest for a moment, but before I knew it, I fell into the warm embrace of sleep. Now, with a stretch of my hands, I sat up only to find myself surrounded by five women in maid uniform. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. I knew Cristiano was so rich, but who wakes up to five women waiting to dress them like some kind of royal?I almost thought I did something wrong, but before I could get out of the bed, the head maid, who looked a few years older than me, stepped forward to stop me. “We’ve picked your outfit for today, ma’am,” she said in a very calm voice. “We’re ready to dress you.”“I can do it myself,” I mumbled quickly, scrambling to pull the sheet closer to my chest. “And I don’t need to be dressed up… I have nowhere to go.”It was as though my protest had gone in one of her ea
Chapter 8Cristiano I tried my best not to let my eyes linger on her too long as I watched Annalisa from behind my newspaper. She was adjusting to this new life, I could tell, but what she didn’t realize was that I was adjusting too. It took every bit of restraint in me not to close the distance between us and bend her over the table, claiming her right then and there. Her innocence, boldness, and her beauty were what I really liked about her. Each time I caught a glimpse of those blue eyes, something in me that I had no control over always stirred. She wasn’t supposed to have this kind of effect on me. Marrying her was strategic, nothing more. But every time I looked at her, the temptation to take things further itches me. Watching her eat alone brought this kind of odd satisfaction to me. Her presence filled the room even when we were silent. I was the kind of man who enjoyed control, but somehow, this woman made me anxious.When I told her I remembered her sizes, the flush that c
Chapter 9Annalisa Ba-dump. Ba-dump.My heart hammered in my chest as I leaned against the cool stone wall in the hallway, trying to catch my breath. What was his deal? I wasn’t even eavesdropping, and yet Cristiano had looked at me like I had committed some kind of terrible offense. I was only worried about him—while he took the call, he had seemed so tense with his eyebrows furrowed. But that cold, wicked look he had given me when our eyes met…it scared me more than I cared to admit.Why was he always like this? One moment, he seemed almost kind, like he cared about my well-being. The next, he became distant, harsh, like the mere sight of me annoyed him. I hated it.I needed some air, I needed to clear out the racing thoughts in my head. Before I knew it, I found myself outside. And yes, the cool breeze was really doing great to calm me. To my surprise, the garden I was in was filled with a wide bed of roses. Although the garden seemed out of place, as though it had been left untou
Chapter 10Annalisa I was stunned yet again as I watched Cristiano walk away in large strides. What just happened? I was wondering what I could have done wrong when the corner of my eyes caught the maid that was about to leave too.“Wait,” I called out, and she stopped immediately but kept her head bowed. “Do you think I overstepped my boundary? Is there something about this garden I don't know about?” I questioned.The maid hesitated for a moment before she finally answered. “He asked us never to touch the garden since his mother… used to take care of it personally. She loved those roses, Miss.” The maid bowed again before hurrying away as if scared of being caught talking to me.I felt my chest tightened. It was no news that Cristiano had lost his parents at a very tender age. Had I triggered those bad memories for him? But that still didn’t explain why he would want to destroy something that had belonged to his mother. Shouldn’t he cherish it, preserve it? How could he decide to w
Chapter 11AnnalisaDays quickly went by before I could tell, but thankfully, I was allowed to take my bath and serve myself now. The only words Cristiano and I exchanged were basic greetings, that was if he was even home. Sometimes, I wouldn’t see him for the entire day, and when I would ask, the staff would mention that he was out, handling business. It felt so strange being married, but never feeling like a wife. I kept telling myself I needed to do something more, something that could help me regain control over my life.Soon, it was the start of a new week, and I decided it was time to get back to what I loved doing best—acting. I was done with hiding away, done with feeling sorry for myself. There were new projects casting announcements, and I had this determination to start auditioning again. I found some exciting opportunities online, as well as a few in the groups I was a part of as an actress. I took it as my chance to finally get back on my feet and take back what the scand