Chapter 155 RIGHT AGAIN.
\~~~RAINA.
She leaned in, her face inches from mine, the cap casting a shadow over her features. “You waltzed into the Moretti family, stole my identity, my husband, Luciano thinks you're me, doesn't he? Sleeping in my bed, wearing my rings, and living my life!”
Her words hit like punches, each one landing in the soft spots I'd tried to armor over the months. I had taken her place, yes. Out of necessity, and out of survival. When she'd fled, leaving clues that pointed to her guilt in all the family chaos, I'd had no choice. Luciano's world was dangerous and pretending to be Talia had been the only way to protect myself, to hold onto the love we'd built.
But hearing it from her lips made it sound so dirty, and so wrong.
“Marco,” Talia turned away from me, her voice softening as she called out to the guy behind the wheel. She reached forward, her hand resting briefly on his shoulder, a touch that spoke of familiarity.
“Yes, love?” he replied, his voice gruff but affectionate. He glanced in the rearview mirror, his eyes meeting hers with a nod before focusing back on the road. The car engine purred to life, pulling us into the flow of traffic.
“Let’s go.” Talia's command was simple, and Marco obeyed without question, merging into the lane with a smooth turn.
“W… where are we going?” I asked, my voice smaller now, laced with dread.
The city blurred past the windows, tall buildings, honking taxis, and pedestrians rushing by but it all felt distant, like I was watching from underwater.
My bag was still clutched in my lap, but without my phone, I felt utterly cut off. Luciano would be worried when I didn't text back. Gabriel would wonder why I wasn't at the office when he came to pick me up. And Alessia... she'd be left hanging after our talk.
“To make everything right again, sister,” Talia smiled at me, but it was a predator's smile, sharp and unyielding. Her hand reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, the same gesture she used to do in the past, but now it felt like a chain, binding me to whatever plan she had brewing.
I shrank back against the seat, my mind racing.
How dare she return now?
A lot had happened in those eight months.
I had built a life in her shadow, fallen in love with the man she'd married out of convenience. And now she was back, claiming it all.
The car sped through the streets, weaving toward the outskirts of the city. Marco drove with steady hands, glancing occasionally at Talia in the mirror, like he was waiting to eat her up or whatever.
Who was he? Some ally she'd picked up in her time away? A lover? The tattoo on his neck looked like it could be from a gang, and just then, I remembered how Viktor had told me a few days back that Talia had been traveling around with someone.
Was it him?
"Talia, please," I said softly, trying to reach the sister I knew was still in there somewhere.
"We can talk. Really talk. Put the knife away, give me my phone back. Luciano... he loves me. He thinks I'm you, fine, but it is more than that now. We've been through hell together."
I wasn't ready to burst her bubble that Luciano knew about me, and her, and about the stupid shit she had pulled on.
Oh, she needed that surprise, and it wasn't going to hit this way.
She laughed, a short, bitter sound that filled the car. "Love you? Oh, sissy, you are so wrong there. It is me, the idea of me, and the perfect Talia Moretti. You were just a stand-in. But I am back now. And I will take it all back. Starting with him."
My stomach twisted at her words.
Luciano's face flashed in my mind, his gentle smiles in the mornings, and the way he'd hold me after nightmares, whispering that he loved me no matter what.
He knew I wasn’t her, and yes, our bond had grown real, unbreakable.
Even my parents’ past couldn’t break that.
"What do you want from me?" I pressed, my hands clenching into fists in my lap. The car hit a pothole, jolting us, and I gripped the door handle instinctively.
"Everything you stole," she replied simply, her eyes never leaving mine. "My name. My home. My husband. And whatever else you have hoarded in my absence. Our parents... they covered for me, but you? You thrived."
I thought of Mom's tear-streaked face when she'd confessed to killing Elena, Luciano's mother. Dad's infidelity, the lies that had entangled us all.
Oh, if only she knew what was really going on.
"Our family is broken, Talia. You running away didn't fix it. It just left me to deal with the pieces."
She shrugged, leaning her head back against the seat. "Then we will fix it together. Or I will fix it without you. Your choice."
The car continued, the skyline giving way to warehouses and industrial lots, the same direction I'd been heading for my inspection, but now it felt like a trap closing in. Marco turned on the radio softly, some low rock tune that did nothing to ease the tension.
Part of me still yearned to bridge the gap, to pull her into a hug and beg her to stay, and to be family again.
But the coldness from her warned me already that this reunion was anything but warm.
As the miles ticked by, I wondered if I'd ever see Luciano again, or if Talia's return would unravel everything I'd fought to hold onto.
The car slowed at a red light, and for a split second, I considered screaming, banging on the window. But Marco's eyes met mine in the mirror, hard and warning. Talia's hand rested on my knee, not comforting, but firm.
"Trust me, sister," she murmured. "This is for us."
I didn't trust her. Not anymore. But as the light turned green and we drove on, I realized I had no choice but to play along, for now.
“What is your plan now, tell me.”
“Oh, sister. You’re in a hurry. You’ve gotta calm down,” she chuckled, and then patted my knee.