Chapter 66

Chapter 66
Sophia's POV
Upcoming Auctions. The anxiety was eating me alive. I couldn't sleep, could barely eat, and every time someone mentioned the charity event, my stomach twisted into knots. Even David's advice from our rushed phone call yesterday hadn't helped much.
Just stick to the basics. Focus on the emotional impact of the art rather than technical details. You can do this.
But I wasn't sure I could. The more I studied the auction materials, the more obvious it became that I was completely out of my depth.
I needed air. Fresh air and space to think without feeling like the walls were closing in on me.
The Romano estate's garden was peaceful in the afternoon sun. I walked along the stone paths, trying to calm my racing thoughts. The roses were in full bloom, and their sweet scent usually helped me relax. Today, even that wasn't working.
Maybe I should tell Vito the truth.
The thought had been circling in my mind for days now. Every time I looked at him, I felt the weight of the lie growing heavier.
But then I thought about Alfonso, still unconscious in his hospital bed, and I knew I couldn't risk it. Not yet.
I was passing by the old gazebo when I heard voices. Maria's voice, specifically. She was sitting on the far side of the structure, partially hidden by climbing vines, talking on her phone.
I should go. Give her privacy.
But something in her tone made me stop. She sounded different. Not the sweet, helpful woman who'd been so encouraging about the auction. This voice was sharp, business-like.
"Yes, I understand the timeline," Maria was saying. "The auction is this Saturday."
I found myself stepping closer, hidden by the thick rose bushes that bordered the path. I knew I shouldn't eavesdrop, but something told me this conversation was important.
"She's still maintaining the facade," Maria continued. "But I can tell she's nervous. More nervous than someone with her supposed background should be."
She's talking about me.
My heart started beating faster. I pressed myself closer to the bushes, praying she wouldn't notice me.
"No, she hasn't slipped up completely yet," Maria said in response to whatever the person on the other end had asked. "But she's close. The auction will be perfect."
A pause. Then Maria's voice became more animated.
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. As long as we find the opportunity at the auction, we can make her expose herself. One technical question about the art pieces, one moment where she can't fake the expertise she's supposed to have, and everyone will see she's not who she claims to be."
Oh God. Oh God, she knows.
I felt like I might be sick. Maria wasn't just suspicious. She was actively planning to expose me. And she was working with someone else.
"The Romano family won't be able to ignore it when their precious new wife humiliates herself in front of half of New York's elite," Maria continued with satisfaction in her voice. "Vito will have to deal with the consequences of marrying an impostor."
I had to get out of there. My legs felt shaky, but I forced myself to move slowly, quietly, away from the gazebo. One wrong step, one snapped twig, and Maria would know I'd heard everything.
An impostor. That's exactly what I am.
I made it back to the house without being seen, but I felt like I was going to collapse. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely turn the door handle.
I stumbled up to my room and locked the door behind me. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. I sat on the edge of the bed and tried to think clearly, but panic was taking over.
Who was she talking to? Who else knows?
The conversation replayed in my mind. Maria had sounded confident, like she had a plan. Like she'd been planning this for a while.
How long has she suspected? Since the first day she suggested the auction?
The answer was obvious. Of course it had been a setup from the beginning. Maria had probably been watching me, looking for signs that I wasn't who I claimed to be. And then she'd proposed the perfect trap. An art auction where my lack of expertise would be impossible to hide.
I thought about all the times Maria had visited, all the conversations we'd had. She'd been studying me, gathering evidence, waiting for the right moment to spring her trap.
But why? What does she gain from exposing me?
That was the part I couldn't understand. Maria seemed to care about Vito. She'd saved his life as a child, or at least that's what everyone believed. Why would she want to humiliate him by exposing his wife as a fraud?
Unless she wants him for herself.
The thought made my stomach turn. If Maria could prove that Vito's marriage was based on lies, if she could show that I'd deceived him, then maybe she thought he'd turn to her. The woman who'd supposedly saved his life as a child. The woman who was everything I was pretending to be.
I have to warn him.
But how could I warn Vito without exposing myself? I couldn't tell him about Maria's plan without explaining why she wanted to destroy me. And I couldn't explain that without revealing my true identity.
I'm trapped.
I thought about running. Just packing my things and disappearing before Saturday. But that would destroy the marriage arrangement, and without the money from the Romano family, Alfonso's medical care would stop.
I can't run. And I can't tell the truth. So I have to find a way to survive Maria's trap.
But how? How could I possibly convince a room full of art experts that I knew what I was talking about when I clearly didn't?
I got up and started pacing. There had to be a solution. Some way to get through the auction without completely exposing myself.
Think like Isabella. What would Isabella do?
Isabella would be confident. She would trust her education and her instincts. She would charm the audience instead of trying to impress them with technical knowledge.
Maybe that's the answer. Maybe I don't need to be an expert. Maybe I just need to be likeable.
I stopped pacing. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was something. Focus on the charity aspect. Talk about the emotional impact of art. Keep the technical details to a minimum and hope no one asked questions I couldn't answer.
And watch Maria carefully. If she's planning to trap me, I need to see it coming.
I walked to the window and looked out at the garden. Maria was gone from the gazebo now, but I knew she was somewhere in the house, probably planning her next move.
Saturday is going to be a nightmare.
But I would survive it. I had to. For Alfonso, for Vito, and for myself. I wouldn't let Maria destroy everything I'd worked so hard to build.
She wants a fight? Fine. But I won't go down without one.
That evening at dinner, I watched Maria carefully. She was the same sweet, supportive woman she'd always appeared to be. Asking about my preparation for the auction, offering encouragement, seeming genuinely excited about the event.
She's a good actress. I'll give her that.
"I'm so looking forward to Saturday," Maria said with a bright smile. "Isabella is going to be wonderful. I can feel it."
I bet you can.
"Thank you," I replied, matching her smile. "I'm nervous, but I think it will be a good experience."
"Nerves are natural," Vito said from across the table. "But you'll do beautifully."
I felt a stab of guilt at the confidence in his voice. He really believed in me. He had no idea that his wife was a fraud and that someone at his own dinner table was planning to expose her.
Us. Someone is planning to expose us both.
Because if Maria succeeded in proving I wasn't Isabella, it wouldn't just destroy me. It would humiliate Vito in front of the entire city. His enemies would use it against him, and his friends would question his judgment.
I can't let that happen.