Chapter 165: Preview

GIOVANNI'S DESIRE.

April 2007.

Giovanni Romero stood at the altar, his heart pounding with anticipation. The day he had eagerly waited for in the past year was finally here—his wedding day to the woman who changed his life. Before him stood Vanessa Bryan, his girlfriend. They had been together for only a year, but Giovanni loved her more than he had ever loved anyone.

He didn't care from the beginning that she was five years older than him, just like she didn't care about who he was and didn't mind marrying him without meeting his family or him meeting hers.

As the officiator called on Giovanni to read his vows, he cleared his throat and looked deeply into Vanessa's eyes. "Vanessa, my love, today I stand before you, ready to take you as my wife, to cherish and honor you for the rest of my days. From the moment I met you, I knew that there was something extraordinary between us. You are my best friend, my confidant, and my rock. I promise to always be there for you, to support you through life's ups and downs, and to love you unconditionally. Today, I vow to give you my heart and soul, to be your partner and your protector, for as long as we both shall live."

A warm, comforting smile spread across Vanessa's face as she listened intently to Giovanni's heartfelt words. But as the officiator turned to her, her expression suddenly changed. Giovanni watched in confusion as Vanessa's once-radiant smile slowly faded away. Time seemed to stand still as her eyes filled with fear.

When the officiator asked Vanessa if she would take Giovanni as her husband, a heavy silence hung in the air. Everyone in the room, including Giovanni , the officiator, and their witness, Giovanni's driver, held their breath, waiting for Vanessa's response. Giovanni's heart pounded with anticipation, but his joy was abruptly shattered when she uttered three devastating words: "No, I don't."

Giovanni's world crumbled before his eyes as her rejection sank into his soul. His throat tightened, and a lump formed, making it difficult to speak. "What... what is going on, Vanessa?" he managed to ask, his voice trembling with a mixture of hurt and confusion.

Vanessa's gaze dropped to the floor, unable to meet Giovanni's eyes. With a heavy sigh, she finally confessed, "Forgive me, Gio, but I've been lying to you all this time... I didn't meet you by coincidence, and I've known who you were long before you ever told me. Marcus hired me to seduce you and marry you. It was all just a plan to take advantage of you," she trembled as she spoke, fully aware of the magnitude of the betrayal.

"But I can't do that to you, Gio. You don't deserve it, and I'm so sorry," she begged.

Giovanni's world imploded. Betrayal and disbelief laced every fiber of his being, and his mind struggled to accept the enormity of Vanessa's confession. How could everything that they shared be a lie? Giovanni felt as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest. Emotions swirled in him: devastation, anger, and an indescribable sense of loss.

With his world shattered, Giovanni found himself aimlessly wandering the streets, overwhelmed by grief and confusion. Lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice an oncoming car and was tragically struck by it.

In the aftermath, Giovanni awakened in the hospital to the horrifying realization that both of his legs weren't moving, and the doctors delivered the devastating news that one of his legs would need to be amputated.

***

MARRIED TO MY EX-HUSBAND'S FATHER.

Briella Huxley stood frozen on the doorstep of Hayley Smith's apartment. She had come all the way to see her best friend with tears in her eyes, hoping to find her so that she could vent her confusion to her. Earlier today, she had suddenly received a notice that she and Darren were now officially divorced, and she had been utterly confused as she had no memory of ever signing divorce papers.

To make things worse, she also found out that not only did her husband, now an ex-husband, trick her into signing divorce papers, he had also taken everything from her. Her properties, the millions of dollars she had inherited from her grandmother, her company. Everything had been taken away from her, and she didn't even realize it.

As she rang the doorbell, anxiously tapping her foot, the door swung open to reveal Mrs. Granger, Hayley's housekeeper. The old woman wore a worried expression, her eyes darting nervously between Briella and the corridor.

"Briella, dear. I don't believe you should be here," Mrs. Granger whispered, and Briella could have sworn that Granger looked somewhat guilty.

"What do you mean, Mrs. Granger?" Briella asked, her voice trembling from all the emotions she felt. "I came here to talk to Hayley. Where is she?"

The housekeeper sighed heavily, her gaze now fixed on the tiled floor. "Hayley, she's getting married today."

Briella's heart plummeted. She couldn't believe her ears. How could her best friend be getting married without telling her? She felt an irrational surge of anger, as if Darren's betrayal wasn't enough. "That makes no sense, Mrs. Granger. Why would Hayley get married and not tell me? You and I know it's impossible."

Mrs. Granger's old eyes welled up with tears. "I'm so sorry, dear. I tried to convince her to tell you, but she insisted it was for the best. Please understand; she was confused and vulnerable, and this man swept her off her feet."

Briella was utterly confused by Mrs. Granger's words, but instead of wasting her time asking questions, she asked that the old lady tell her where the wedding was happening so she could confirm herself, if truly, her best friend was getting married without telling her.

Already feeling frustrated with how everything in her life seemed to be falling apart, Briella followed Mrs. Granger's instructions to the wedding venue.

The moment Briella stepped inside the grand hall, adorned with white lilies and twinkling fairy lights, her breath caught in her throat. Pictures of the bride and groom, Hayley and Darren, adorned the walls and hallway, shocking Briella to the core. She couldn't believe her eyes. Not only did she confirm that her best friend was really getting married, she was also finding out that the man who her best friend was getting married to was none other than her husband.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face as she stumbled forward, desperate to make sense of it all. Every step towards the altar felt like shards of broken glass beneath her feet. The room spun, each smiling face morphing into a grotesque mockery of her.

She saw Hayley, dazzling in an ivory gown, her smile radiant as she stood by Darren's side. The same man who had destroyed her life was now promising his love and commitment to her best friend. How could this be happening?

Briella's heart shattered, the sound echoing in her ears. She couldn't bear to watch any longer, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground, the pain too deep to move. Hayley and Darren noticed her presence, their expressions darting between surprise and annoyance.

Darren's eyes narrowed, and he discreetly gestured to the security personnel to remove the intruder. Tears continued to cascade down Briella's face as the strong arms of security guards encircled her, forcefully escorting her out of the hall.

The humiliating scene only intensified her heartache, and she caught a final glimpse of Hayley's eyes, once filled with warmth, now cold and distant.

***

A MARRIAGE WITH THE CRIPPLED BILLIONAIRE

A surge of excitement coursed through my veins as I stepped out of the elevator, making my way toward my fiancé's apartment. I briefly considered calling him to let him know I was on my way, but then decided to embrace the element of surprise since we hadn't seen each other in quite some time.

In my hand, I carried a bottle of expensive red wine—George's favorite. Approaching the apartment door, I put in the passcode, pushed the door open and entered.

My eyes immediately fixated on a gleaming pair of red-bottom heels, carelessly abandoned without any attempt to hide them. A strange feeling washed over me, causing my movements to stiffen and my chest to fill with dread. Hastily, I set the wine bottle down on the sofa before mustering the courage to continue walking towards George's bedroom.

As I approached the bedroom, familiar voices invaded my ears, to the point where I questioned if I was hallucinating.

Although not fully closed, the door let out their voices with enough clarity for me to hear every word exchanged.

"When will you finally break off your engagement with her?" the unmistakable voice chimed, causing my heart to plummet further into the depths of my stomach.

It was a sultry, mature voice that I could never mistake—it belonged to Julia, my half-sister. She was undoubtedly the woman with my fiancé, asking him when he planned to sever his commitment to me.

My heart skipped a beat as I heard George's laughter. "Now that you mention it, there's no point in pretending anymore. Since she's no longer the sole inheritor of her grandfather's assets, there's no reason to keep her around."

I clutched my chest, taking a faltering step backward.

Julia erupted in laughter. "Oh, George, you never fail to remind me why you're the absolute worst."

"My apologies, my love. But it's the truth—she's useless to me, so there's no need to continue the charade."

I became overcome with an uncontrollable sense of rage and stormed into the once-familiar bedroom, which now seemed as if I had never been there. Both of them were naked as they lay on the bed, George with his arms encircling Julia, who was resting on his chest. Even though I was glad that I did not walk in on them having sex, it still hurt to see how genuine and intimate they were.

***

As I arrived home, I found my father and stepmother, Daniel and Gina, sitting on the leather couch in the living room. They gazed at me expectantly, not uttering a word. Their silence didn't bother me, so I headed towards my room, intending to go upstairs.

However, Gina's firm voice prevented me from leaving unnoticed. "Clarissa, where are you going?"

Startled, I froze and muttered, "To my room."

"You seem upset, Clarissa. Care to share why?" my father asked.

Tears welled up in my eyes once again, and my features contorted with anger. I decided there was no reason not to tell them the truth. "Julia and George have been having an affair, Dad," I informed him. "Can you believe that?"

To my surprise, Gina replied, "Yes, we can."

"What?" I scoffed, utterly bewildered.

As I observed their expressions, the lack of surprise on their faces left me wide-eyed and in a state of shock. I stumbled backward, gripping the stair railing tightly to steady myself. "How did you find out? What is going on?"

"You're actually the last one to find out, Clarissa," Gina said nonchalantly. "Don't feel too bad; George and Julia are better suited for each other. You should be relieved. I assume you saw it yourself, which explains why you're hurting so much."

"On the bright side, it's fortunate that you found out now," my father said, engrossed in his phone. "You need to start making plans for your upcoming wedding."

Did I hear correctly? A wedding?

"What... are you talking about, father? Whose wedding are you referring to? Didn't you hear me say that George cheated on me?"

"I heard you loud and clear, Clarissa," he replied, meeting my gaze casually. "We took the liberty of arranging a wedding between you and the Montez family's eldest son because we knew something like this would happen eventually. So I suggest you forget about George and prepare yourself."

A sudden flashback hit me, reminding me of the news I once saw about the Montez family's eldest son being involved in an accident and becoming wheelchair-bound.

"The eldest son," I gasped silently. "Are you referring to the person I think you're talking about?"

"Yes, Clarissa," my father answered simply, his attention still fixed on his phone. "You are going to marry Jalen Montez, the crippled son of the Montez family."