Flashback -

Flashback -

It was during my high school days, a time of innocence and youthful infatuation.

"I like you," I confessed to my high school senior, my heart pounding with nervous anticipation.

"Ah... I'm sorry, but I want to focus on my studies," came his polite yet crushing rejection.

Even that small confession was rejected, leaving me feeling vulnerable and exposed.

Behind the scenes, I became the subject of ridicule and gossip among my peers.

In the music room, their hushed whispers reached my ears:

"You said Valentina confessed to you. Did you accept her?"

Laughter followed, mocking my failed attempt at love.

"Everyone knows the Romano family is in the mafia. How could you even consider being with her?"

"How creepy she must have looked when she confessed," they jeered, their words like daggers to my already wounded pride.

"If Matteo finds out, he'll teach you a lesson. Isn't it worth getting beaten up to prove you're not cold?" they taunted callously.

I stood on the verge of tears, feeling the weight of their scorn and humiliation bearing down on me.

Suddenly, like a protective shield, Matteo, my older brother, burst into the room.

"Dare to touch my sister," he growled, his eyes flashing with anger as he seized the collar of my heartless crush.

In a panic, I rushed forward, desperately grabbing at Matteo's shirt, pleading for him to stop.

"Matteo, please!" I cried out, my voice trembling with fear and frustration.

But Matteo's fury remained unabated, his grip tightening on the collar as he delivered a scathing warning to my former admirer.

"It's clear what kind of person you are now!" he declared, his voice filled with righteous indignation.

"MATTEO!!" I screamed, my heart aching with a mix of gratitude and embarrassment at his protective intervention.

It wasn't for Valentina; it was due to an emergency case of a disease that had been quiet for a while. He was itching so badly that he didn't even use his fists, Matteo said.

After that incident, everyone was afraid to make eye contact with me.

"Are you okay?" I asked my so-called first love, seeing him covered in bandages with a sling.

The miserable first love ended like that.

"Valentina Romano, right?" "What's more, you don't know what kind of house her house is?"

Even after severing ties with the family after entering college, the tough rumors didn't end.

The men heard rumors about Valentina and hurriedly withdrew.

"It's scary." "You can break an arm if you touch her for no reason."

The whispers followed me like a dark cloud, a constant reminder of the reputation I couldn't shake.

Present -

"But this man, I think..." I start, but Salvatore interrupts.

"I asked if you were dating anyone else," he says, his tone heavy with suspicion.

"What are you talking about? We're here to choose our wedding ring," I retort, trying to maintain composure despite the sudden tension.

"So I'm asking, I think it would be good to know before getting married," he stares right into my eyes, his gaze piercing.

Good to know? His voice sends shivers down my spine, as if unearthing hidden truths.

Maybe Salvatore, who pretended to be a gentleman and acted friendly, is now revealing his true face? Like my dad, who makes excuses for a man who doesn't even exist, and my mother, like a rat.

He's like the don who would warn that women should be careful, even as he plays with three women.

My dad had no intention of hiding it. My brother also changed women whenever he had spare time.

Salvatore and I?

"Does Mr. Salvatore have a girlfriend?" I ask, though I should say mistress... or worse, perhaps... What's happening to me?

What if we get married?

His mouth is slightly parted, then he smiles and says in a deep, low voice, almost like a low growl, "No, but I would have been sad if you hadn't asked." He turns and smiles, almost chuckles...

He picks up the box and says, "I have only Valentina Romano."

Opening the box reveals a 60-carat oval-shaped fancy vivid pink Type IIa diamond at its center, "The Pink Star." "Sounds like a threat," I say with siren eyes.

"No way," I exclaim, snatching the box from Salvatore's hands. "I think you forgot we're getting married," I add, feeling a surge of frustration and fear. His shocked expression only adds to the intensity of the moment. "It's not a children's playhouse, it's not even a fresh romance. It's funny, but I risk my family's life to fulfill the contract," I say, placing a hand on my chest, trying to steady my racing heart.

"No," Salvatore responds, his voice soft but firm.

"There won't be any useless scandals while the contract goes on. So don't do anything stupid, don't threaten or force me, don't think you could hold me or shake me," I scream, my voice trembling with emotion.

A/N: Point to note her family life is crazy hard to trust a man...

"Loving someone is giving them the power to break your heart, but trusting them not to."

Salvatore stands up and then bends down on one knee in front of me. "What..." I start, feeling a mixture of confusion and irritation.

"What are you doing?" I demand, but Salvatore's smile remains, infuriatingly persistent. "Aren't you waking up soon?!" I add, shaking his shoulders in frustration.

He laughs, a deep, resonant sound that sends shivers down my spine. Then, he slides his fingers into my trembling hand, kissing them gently as he gazes into my eyes. His touch is electric, igniting a fire within me that I struggle to contain. I watch, dumbfounded, as he inhales deeply, as if intoxicated by my scent.

I can feel the bulge in his pants, and I freeze, my mind reeling. Is it possible that he became aroused just by kissing my hand? The realization sends a thrill through me, mingled with disbelief. Who am I to judge when I've practically soaked my panties?

In the end, as Salvatore's laughter fills the room and his touch leaves me breathless, I can't help but wonder what lies ahead for us. Amidst the chaos of our families and the weight of our pasts, perhaps there's still room for something real between us.

He then takes my hand and delicately puts on the pink diamond ring, his words washing over me like a gentle breeze. "Let's live well. I won't let a drop of water get on this hand," he vows, holding both of my hands while still on his knees before me.

I once dreamed of receiving a proposal, of taking a walk at night with my loved one, imagining being told to walk together like this for the rest of my life. But it was just an imagination. Even if I lived in hiding for nine years, I would not be able to hide my family until the very end. 

So nobody loved me yet.

 I thought marriage would never be in my life.

A/N:(dedicating this line to my bestie @junglequeenaily ..don't mind me you all)

"Salvatore," I murmur, my heart heavy with conflicting emotions.

A man kneeling before my eyes, a ring that glows on my finger, a childish promise not to get a drop of water on my hand—this is a very romantic scene. But it's like fog in my eyes, hazy and elusive, slipping through my fingers no matter how hard I try to grasp it.

So, there was no reply to Salvatore's proposal.

And then, it starts raining. An unprecedented storm, natural for midsummer monsoon season. We get married amidst the violent rain, a symbolic representation of the relationship between two mafia families—an antagonizing relationship that has engulfed society in a battle turning the whole area into a sea of blood.

The news of the union between the second son of the Ricci family and the daughter of the Romano family spreads like wildfire, making headlines as the marriage of the century. I wonder if the meeting was held in such secrecy that it was postponed until after the wedding.

The day before the wedding, the news spreads through every press and media outlet, marking the beginning of a new chapter for Salvatore and me.

It was like issuing a warning to the enemy who was aiming for the two families, a bold declaration of unity despite the opposition from within. 

The love story of the century, culminating in a marriage that defied all odds.

In the newspapers, there was even a metaphor for the mafias: Romeo and Juliet. 

(A/N: I hate Romeo and Juliet as they're cheaters, but just the term that they're so lovey-dovey went against the odds). 

This comparison, though clichéd, captured the essence of our union—two individuals from rival families, bound by love amidst the chaos of their worlds.

A/N: Something like this was the wedding shoot.

It's comedy, And I was an actor in a comedy play.

"I can't come down until the play is over," I say in my wedding gown.

Today is my wedding!

Loves how was it ? 

Did you all enjoy?... 

do you all understand valentina? 

do you like salvatore? what do you think will happen on the wedding night? will there be one?

Did you get fooled by Matteo?

I hope you all love this chapter and please Vote (star) and comment, and i love getting your feedback and comments it really motivates me :)

Do you also hate romeo and juliet?