The Godfather Was Too Proud to Love Me, So I Walked Away Chapter 01

The Godfather Was Too Proud to Love Me, So I Walked Away Chapter 01

When I found out I was the fake heiress, I decided to marry myself off before the real one showed up.

I barged into Renzo Ferraro’s office. “Hey, idiot. I’m giving you a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Marry me.”

The words had barely left my mouth when a wall of comments exploded across my vision:

[LMAO the male lead already fell for the real heiress at first sight, the fake one looks like such a clown hahaha]

[The real heiress was actually found by the male lead first. He’s already had people bring her back to the Vitale family so he can marry someone of equal standing]

[Later the fake heiress tries to sabotage the real one to win him back, and ends up getting her arms and legs broken by the male lead and the Vitales before they throw her in a psych ward]

I froze. Ice flooded through every vein.

Renzo leaned back in his chair, watching me with that lazy, infuriating half-smile.

“Weren’t you the one who said you wouldn’t marry me even if I were the last man on earth?”

“I was kidding. I can’t believe you actually took that seriously. You really are an idiot.”

I turned around and ran away in anger, not noticing…

The light in Renzo’s eyes had gone out.

I nearly rolled my ankle sprinting out of the Ferraro Group building.

The revolving door caught my reflection. Ghost-white.

I panicked and dug out my compact mirror. I had eight million followers as a beauty influencer. Looking ugly was not an option.

Still fine. Foundation intact. Lipstick holding.

[?? Why did she run? Isn’t she supposed to break down crying and beg the male lead to marry her?]

[She’s probably too proud to grovel right now. Give it three minutes. She’ll be back.]

[She can’t go back to the Vitale family anymore. She HAS to cling to the male lead.]

Me? Crying and begging Renzo to marry me?

I’m Odette Vitale. I have never been that pathetic in my entire life.

My phone buzzed.

An email.

I didn’t process it at first. Then I opened it, read two lines, and stopped dead on the sidewalk.

One of the top three art institutes in the world.

I had been applying for three years.

I got in.

My first instinct was to call Renzo and share the news.

[Too bad. In the original story she never goes. She couldn’t bear to leave Renzo.]

[Her career means nothing. The male lead crooks a finger and she rejects the offer herself.]

My hand stopped mid-dial.

A horn blared from the curb.

A black Maybach pulled up in front of me.

The window slid down. Renzo had one hand draped over the steering wheel.

“Get in.”

Looking at his face made something hot and angry surge through my chest.

“What? Regretting that you didn’t say yes just now? Too late.”

Renzo’s hand tightened on the wheel for a fraction of a second.

“So what you said back there. You were serious?”

I hesitated for half a beat.

Maybe I was imagining it, but there was something almost hopeful in the way he looked at me.

“Renzo, what fantasy world are you living in?”

“Even if I were desperate to get married, you wouldn’t be my only option.”

He looked away. His voice flattened back out.

“Get in. I’ll drive you home.”

I was about to refuse when he added, almost offhandedly:

“I’m heading to the Vitale estate anyway. Thought I’d meet Serena.”

Serena. The Vitale family’s real lost princess.

Two intersections later, Renzo pulled out a dark blue velvet box.

“What do you think? Is this nice?”

I opened the lid. My eyes went wide.

It was a necklace I had wanted for ages. Ultra-limited edition. Impossible to get.

“Serena just came back to the family. The welcome gift can’t be cheap. Do you think she’ll like it?”

Something sharp jabbed the center of my chest.

[Here we go, the fake heiress is about to lose it]

[She’s been eyeing that necklace forever. She’s definitely going to snatch it and then the male lead will put her in her place.]

I snapped the lid shut and tossed the box back.

“It’s pretty. She’ll probably love it.”

[She didn’t take it? She’s not throwing a fit??]

[That’s so unlike her. She’s probably seething inside, already planning how to get rid of the real heiress.]

Renzo stared at me for a long moment. For some reason, he looked distinctly unhappy.

When we arrived at the Vitale estate, Renzo pulled a pile of gifts from the trunk.

The moment he stepped through the door, the diamond necklace slipped out of one of the bags and landed right at Serena’s feet.

She bent down, picked it up, and opened the box. Her eyes lit up immediately.

“It’s beautiful.” She looked up at Renzo, hope written all over her face. “Is it for me?”