Chapter 2

Siena's POV

The heat radiating from the cracked New York pavement felt like an open oven, suffocating and relentless in the midday sun.

Serena stood beside me on the curb, laughing even louder as she relentlessly taunted me.

Giovanni finally noticed my pale, drawn face and quietly scolded her.

"That's enough, Serena."

Serena slapped his hand away, and tears instantly spilled over her eyelashes.

"You're yelling at me! You are actually yelling at me for Siena!" she cried.

"Growing up, even my brother never raised his voice at me!"

"Just go live with Siena! I don't need you anymore!"

She screamed, turning on her heel and running down the crowded street.

Giovanni didn't even spare me a single glance as he chased after her in a few long strides.

"Why are you running blindly into traffic? What if you get hit?"

Serena turned her head away stubbornly. "Then let them run me over! My brother is dead, and now you don't want me either!"

Giovanni's voice softened completely as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I would never abandon you," he swore. "In my heart, you will always be my first priority."

Serena shot me a triumphant smirk. Seeing my expressionless face, she pouted in boredom.

Giovanni pulled her along and walked back to my side.

"I'm sorry, Serena is just spoiled," he told me. "She speaks without thinking and has a temper. Don't lower yourself to her level."

I looked up at him and asked.

"So, everything she just said... was it all true?"

Giovanni's face stiffened for a fraction of a second.

"The jeweler called me today. The custom ring is ready. I will propose to you properly tonight."

"You are already legally bound to her. What is the point of proposing to me again?" I asked. "Giovanni, I refuse to accept a used man."

Giovanni fell silent for a moment before offering a rare explanation.

"Her brother, Silvio, took a fatal bullet for me. Serena lost her only family."

"I promised to replace the family she lost."

"Only an official betrothal document can give her a sense of security."

"From now on, you will be her sister-in-law. You should be more accommodating and stop holding grudges over these things."

This was exactly what he had told me the first time Serena crashed my office.

Serena had no family, so she was pitiful. I had to accommodate her.

Serena was just terrified of losing him. I had to understand her.

I was supposed to pity her, but who the hell was going to pity me?

Serena hugged his arm tightly.

"Alright, alright. I promise this is the last time. I swear I will never play 'the scorned fiancée' again, okay?" she said.

"When can we go eat? I skipped breakfast and I'm starving."

Giovanni's expression instantly turned serious.

"Why did you leave the house without eating? Did you forget you passed out from low blood sugar last time?"

He scolded her gently, then cast a fleeting, dismissive glance at me.

"Serena already swore an oath. Just let it go, Siena."

"You head home first. I'm taking her to get some food."

The silhouettes of them walking away arm in arm grew further and further from me.

My encrypted phone lit up with an official clearance revocation notice from the Syndicate handler.

No amount of guarantees could repair the devastating loss I had just suffered.

I hesitated for a few seconds.

Swallowing my pride, I reached out to the Consigliere of the rival European Syndicate, whose offer I had recently rejected.

He replied almost immediately.

"Siena, we've interviewed several candidates, but we were just about to reach out to you again."

"If you accept the position, report to our headquarters tomorrow at 9 AM."

I booked a red-eye flight out of the country before replying with a simple "Yes."

This time, I was going to a Syndicate far enough away.

Even if Serena still wanted to play her little games, I would no longer entertain her.