7 Chapter 7
Vincent’s heart clenched, and he immediately humbled himself. O
“The deeds to three adjoining villas in Beverly Hills.”
“A fifty-percent stake in a premier Napa Valley winery.”
“The Salvatore family truly lives up to its reputation as the kings of Las Vegas. So extravagant!”
I offered a serene smile. In this life, I would never have anything to do with him again.
Remembering my resolute “I refuse” from just a moment ago, he panicked.
“A collection of betrothal gifts like this is a first for Chicago! This has to be worth over a
hundred million dollars, doesn’t it?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophia glaring at me with jealousy and resentment, while Vincent’s face was a mask of panic and bitterness.
“My goodness, this Principessa from the Romano family is really making all of us women
proud! This is what a true marriage between powerful families looks like!”GOS
“A thirty-carat, flawless blue diamond dubbed the ‘Heart of the Ocean.””
He had always assumed our marriage was a done deal, so he’d never worried about his company’s funding issues, certain that the Romano family would bail him out.
“Mr. Salvatore said, one villa is for Principessa to grow roses, and another to raise Italian Greyhounds, just to pass the time.”
“Isabella Romano, you can’t marry him!”
Just as Alessandro took my hand to lead me back toward the center of the altar, Vincent
bellowed.
But now, if I were to actually marry someone else, the massive gap in his company’s funding…
He knew that if it weren’t for the deep friendship between our families, and the fact that
he had grown up with me, he might never have even caught my eye.
He skipped any unnecessary pleasantries, unrolling the list directly and beginning to announce its contents in a booming voice:
“The gifts from the Salvatore family to Miss Isabella Romano are as follows:”
“Oh, and there’s the cost of the wedding dress and the makeup artists. By the way, that ‘Silver Wolf and Rose’ on your mistress is valued at eight million dollars. You were the one
who insisted on snatching it just now. I won’t bother calling the police; just pay me back
what it’s worth.”
“Oh, that’s right, Mr. Kane, don’t forget to settle the bill for the church and the wedding planner. Surely the heir to the great Kane family wouldn’t let someone else pay for his wedding, would he?”
As time went on, he took advantage of my growing love for him, constantly putting me down and trying to make me defer to him in every single thing.
The color drained from Vincent’s face. He couldn’t even scrape together a few hundred thousand right now, let alone millions.
“Mr. Kane, you can’t go back on your word. A moment ago, you already agreed to marry Miss Sophia.”
“You two have already completed your ceremony. This is now the venue for the wedding of the Romano and Salvatore families. Please leave immediately.”
“A set of matching, museum-grade antique Patek Philippe watches.”
Sophia’s gentle adoration, in particular, had fed his ego, making him arrogant and conceited. It led him to the absurd idea of having his mistress attend our wedding, all to prove his absolute authority.
At this thought, regret washed over Vincent. He had indeed gone too far. If Isabella really were to marry someone else, then he…
“Oh my God, I’ve really seen it all today! Just look at that blue diamond, and the private jet…”
“Alright, alright, Isabella, don’t be like this. It’s all my fault. I know the arrangement was
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humiliating for you. If you’d just told me you cared, I would’ve never let Sophia attend.”
“A Gulfstream G650ER private jet, with ‘Isabella’ already emblazoned on its side.”
Everyone stared at the sparkling diamonds, then at the thick stack of stock certificates, their murmurs of admiration and envy filling the air.
The bodyguards retreated in silence. The great doors of the church swung open once more, and Alessandro’s chief advisor, an elderly man with piercing eyes, stepped forward with composure, holding a list in his hand.
Isabella Romano-beautiful, intelligent, and, most importantly, the Romano family’s one
and only Principessa.
Looking at Vincent’s terrified face, I scoffed. This was only the beginning; the main event
was yet to come. He shouldn’t get weak in the knees so quickly.
I stared at Alessandro in shock. Had he just emptied out his father’s private vault?
A cold sweat broke out on Vincent’s forehead. He stared grimly at my face, as if he couldn’t believe I could actually forge an alliance with the Salvatore family.
A cold sweat dripped down Vincent’s forehead.
“Isabella, I’ll marry only you. You will always be my one and only wife. Please, tell Mr. Salvatore to step down so we can have our wedding again.”
Just as he lunged forward to grab me, a dozen well-trained bodyguards in tailored suits strode in. They swiftly replaced the aisle runner at the altar and redecorated the entire church. In less than ten minutes, the entire space was transformed.
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