The Runaway Don’s Bride Chapter 04

The Runaway Don’s Bride Chapter 04

[Valentina’s POV]

The living room went silent for one second.

Then I heard Dominic’s voice.

“I won’t let you go alone.”

A knock came at my bedroom door not long after.

Dominic stood in the hallway, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

“Valentina, the award Vittoria won is really important. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

“Can we push the wedding to the evening?”

I almost laughed at the absurdity.

As if a wedding isn’t also a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

A passing servant muttered under her breath.

“Who holds a wedding at night? Most churches wrap up ceremonies by the afternoon.”

Mamma snapped at her immediately.

“Nonsense! When the wedding happens is the family’s decision!”

Dominic’s gaze was soft, almost reverent. “Valentina, you’ve always been the understanding one. Say yes for me?”

I looked at him, and a memory surfaced unbidden from years ago.

The first time I won an award in an art competition. My parents said Vittoria’s speech contest was more important. Dominic had reassured me: “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely come watch you accept your prize.”

He went to Vittoria’s speech contest.

I stood on that stage alone.

And here I was now. Still alone.

I snapped back to the present. My answer came easily.

“No problem. Let’s move it to the evening.”

A wedding without its bride—what difference did the time make?

They launched into celebration. The living room buzzed back to life.

By the time it wound down, Dominic was drunk.

I looked at the haze in his eyes and couldn’t stop myself from asking.

“Dominic, are you looking forward to our wedding?”

He didn’t answer.

Just stared out at the dark expanse of sea in the distance.

The wind blew through the space between us. Cold enough to make me shiver.

“Then why did you propose to me?”

I already knew the answer.

But I wanted to hear him say it.

His voice came slurred, loosened by alcohol.

“When you can’t have what you really want, you settle for something close enough. This was the best option available.”

“Besides, you’re her sister. Keeping you around… I still get to see her…”

The wind stung my eyes.

But this time, I couldn’t produce a single tear.

The truth was crueler than anything I’d imagined.

The day of the wedding.

The sky was still dark when the Contini estate blazed with light.

Not for my wedding.

Everyone was getting ready for Vittoria’s awards ceremony—picking outfits, doing makeup, mapping out the route.

I walked out of my room dragging a small suitcase.

“I won’t be going to the ceremony. There’s still a lot to confirm at the wedding venue.”

Dominic didn’t even look up.

“Good. Go ahead and receive the guests.”

I dragged my suitcase out of the estate. Alone.

Then headed to the station.

As the car pulled away, I saw Dominic’s black Mercedes in the rearview mirror. It was leaving the estate too—heading in the direction of Vittoria’s ceremony.

Four hours later, I arrived in Florence.

My phone buzzed. A message from Dominic.

[Valentina, since the wedding’s been pushed to the evening anyway, cancel the church rehearsal and all the pre-ceremony stuff.]

[Vittoria needs me here. Handle the guests yourself.]

I stared at those two messages for a long time.

Then I blocked his number. Locked the screen.

Clara walked over and hugged me. “Let’s go.”

Meanwhile, Dominic and the others finally left Rome and rushed back to the wedding church in Naples.

But all he found was chaos.

I heard later that a friend grabbed his arm.

“Didn’t you say the bride was already there? It’s been hours—where is she?”

He froze.

The wedding planner spotted the groom at last and ran over.

“Don Mazzarella, we can’t reach the Donna. Her phone’s been off. No one can find her.”