Chapter 57

Chapter 57
Chapter 57
Sophia's POV
The past few days, Vito had been acting strange. I couldn't put my finger on what exactly was different, but something was off. The way he looked at me during meals, like he was studying me. The random questions about my college days. The way he'd pause before responding to things I said, like he was weighing my words for hidden meanings.
It was making me nervous as hell.
This morning he'd asked me to remind him about my graduation thesis topic. I'd fumbled through some vague answer about Renaissance art influences, but his eyes behind those dark glasses had remained unreadable. The whole conversation left me feeling like I'd failed some test I didn't even know I was taking.
I needed to get out of the house. Clear my head. Stop jumping at shadows.
I picked up my phone and dialed Emily's number.
"Isabella!" Her voice was bright and cheerful. "How are you, honey?"
"I'm okay," I said, though we both knew it was a lie. "I actually brought you something back from the wedding. A little gift from Paris. Would you like to meet up?"
"Oh, how sweet of you! I'd love to see you. How about afternoon tea, and then maybe we can do some shopping? I've been dying to get out of the house."
"That sounds perfect."
"Great! There's this lovely place on Fifth Avenue that makes incredible macarons. I'll text you the address."
Two hours later, I was sitting across from Emily in an elegant tea salon, watching her unwrap the silk scarf I'd bought her in a boutique near the hotel.
"Isabella, this is gorgeous," she said, holding up the soft blue fabric. "You really didn't have to."
"I wanted to. You've been so kind to me since I married into the family."
Emily smiled warmly. "That's what friends are for." She poured herself more tea. "So how are things? You sounded a little stressed on the phone."
I hesitated, trying to figure out how to explain without revealing too much. Emily had no idea about the sister switch—she thought I was really Isabella Cohen. As far as she knew, Vito and I were just having normal newlywed adjustment issues.
"Things with Vito have been... tense lately," I said carefully.
"Tense how?"
"I don't know. It feels like we're not connecting. Like there's this wall between us that I can't get through." I stirred my tea absently. "He's been distant. Cold, even."
Emily nodded sympathetically. "Marriage adjustment is hard, especially when you barely knew each other beforehand. Nicholas and I went through our rough patches too in the beginning."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. I remember one fight we had about three months in—I can't even remember what it was about now—but I was convinced we'd made a huge mistake. I thought maybe we were just too different to make it work."
The parallel was uncomfortably close to my actual situation. "What did you do?"
"I talked to his sister, and she gave me some excellent advice. She said sometimes in these arranged marriages, you have to be the one to build the bridge. You can't wait for the other person to make the first move."
I took a sip of tea, thinking about that. "You mean I should try to fix things?"
"Why not? What's the worst that could happen?"
He could discover I'm not really his wife and have me killed. But I couldn't say that.
"I guess I'm just not sure how," I said instead.
Emily's eyes lit up with mischief. "Actually, I might have just the thing to help with that."
"What do you mean?"
"Consider it a gift from me to you. Something to help you... reconnect with your husband." She grinned. "I'll have it sent to your bedroom. You'll know what it is when you see it."
"Emily, that's really not necessary—"
"Trust me on this one," she said with a wink. "Sometimes a little feminine mystery is exactly what a marriage needs."
We spent the next few hours shopping and talking. Emily had a way of making me laugh that helped push away my anxiety about Vito's behavior. She was smart and funny, and I found myself wishing I could tell her the truth about everything. It would be nice to have someone to confide in who wasn't David.David was the only one who knew the truth, that I had married Vito in my sister's place.
By the time I got home that evening, I was feeling better than I had in days. Maybe Emily was right. Maybe I just needed to try harder to connect with Vito.
I took a long, hot bath, letting the warm water wash away the stress of the past few days. When I came out of the bathroom in my robe, I noticed a package on my bed. It was wrapped in elegant paper with a note from Emily attached.
"For building bridges. Use wisely. - E"
I smiled, curious about what my friend had sent me. Knowing Emily's taste, it was probably something expensive and thoughtful. Maybe a nice nightgown or some luxury skincare products.
I heard the front door close downstairs—Vito was home from whatever business had kept him out all day. Perfect timing. Maybe I could use whatever Emily had gotten me as an excuse to try talking to him.
I tore open the wrapping paper and opened the box.
Then I froze.
Oh my God.
The tissue paper fell away to reveal delicate black lace. A lot of delicate black lace. I lifted the items out of the box with shaking hands.
It was lingerie. Not just any lingerie—this was the kind of thing you saw in high-end boutiques with names like "Fantasy" and "Seduction." The bra was barely there, all intricate lace and strategically placed cutouts. The matching panties were little more than wisps of fabric held together with silk ribbons.
And underneath those... fishnet stockings.
Emily, what were you thinking?
My face burned with embarrassment as I held up the lingerie. She wanted me to wear this? For Vito? The woman who'd given me marriage advice about building bridges apparently thought the best way to do that was through sexy underwear.
I was so mortified I almost dropped the whole thing back in the box. But as I fumbled with the lace, my clumsy fingers let everything slip.
The lingerie scattered across the floor in a tangle of black lace and silk ribbons. The stockings unfurled like a fishnet banner across my bedroom carpet.
"Perfect," I muttered, getting down on my hands and knees to gather everything up before—
"Isabella?"
I froze. Vito's voice came from the doorway.
No. No, no, no.
"Yes?" I called back, trying to sound normal while frantically scooping up lingerie with both hands.
"Is everything alright? I heard something fall."
"Everything's fine!" My voice came out higher than normal. "Just... dropped something. I'll be out in a minute!"
I could hear his wheelchair moving closer to the bedroom. Panic shot through me as I realized he might actually come in and see me kneeling on the floor surrounded by the most embarrassing underwear collection known to mankind.
"Are you sure you don't need help?"
"No! I mean, no thank you. I've got it."
But before I could stand up, Vito came in with his wheelchair. My lace bra fell to the floor.
What made it even worse was that Tony was standing behind him.
"Oh. This..." Tony coughed and mumbled something to Vito.
He'd better not say something ridiculous like I was planning to surprise Vito with lacy lingerie.
Finally, he said to us, "Have a pleasant evening."
Then he closed the door and left.