He follows my gaze. "No one important. Excuse me, I need to speak with my uncle."
He leaves me with a group of wives who immediately start discussing jewelry and vacation homes with the enthusiasm of people who have nothing more interesting to talk about. I half-listen while keeping a cautious eye on the redhead, who's now making her way across the room.
Straight toward me.
"You must be Sofia," she says when she reaches our group. Her smile is bright and fake. "I'm Lucia, an old friend of Luca’s. We go way back."
The conversation goes quiet and the other wives suddenly find reasons to drift away, leaving us alone.
"Nice to meet you," I say carefully.
"Oh, don’t worry. We'll be seeing a lot of each other since we socialize in the same circles." She takes a sip of champagne, her eyes never leaving mine. "Luca and I have an understanding. I'm sure he's explained the arrangement to you?"
Arrangement?
"I'm sorry, I’m not sure what you mean."
"About the ongoing arrangement between Luca and I. Marriage is business, darling. Everyone knows that. What happens outside the marriage... well, that's personal." Her smile gets wider. "He called me yesterday, actually. To resume our usual schedule now that the wedding nonsense is over."
Luca called her? To what? Set up a fuck date?
After everything that's happened between us? After the way he's been looking at me, touching me?
I don't let it show. I've had years of practice keeping my face neutral when people try to hurt me. No way is this bitch going to see any reaction on my face.
"How nice for you," I say politely.
"I thought you should know. To avoid any awkward misunderstandings later." Lucia finishes her champagne. "You seem sweet. A bit sheltered, maybe, but that's what men like Luca prefer in wives. Quiet and easy to manage."
Every word is designed to hurt, and they're working. Not because I care about being called sheltered or easy to manage. I truly don’t give a shit, but because she's talking about Sofia. My sister, who would’ve been devastated if she were the one standing here, listening to this bitch talk about setting up fuck dates with her husband.
"I should get back to the party," I say. “Nice to meet you.”
"Of course. Enjoy your evening, Sofia. I know I'll enjoy mine."
She walks away, hips swaying, and I'm left standing there trying not to shake with rage.
Not at her.
She’s an idiot who isn’t worth my time worrying about.
I’m furious at him.
Because if Lucia's telling the truth, and her confidence suggests she is. Then Luca was planning to cheat on Sofia from day one. And was also planning to cheat on me, thinking I'm Sofia even now.
Bastard!
I glance across the room and find him deep in conversation with two men who look like they strangle people for a living. Probably do. He's nodding seriously, completely absorbed in whatever business they're discussing.
Suddenly I realize I can't do this anymore tonight.
I can't stand here smiling and playing the perfect wife while knowing he's planning to fuck other women the moment he can slip away from me.
I need air.
I need to get away from all of this before I do something that blows my cover completely. I slip out of the ballroom and find a bathroom where I can think in peace. But thinking just makes me angrier. Sofia deserved better than this. Whatever her reasons for running, she was right to get away from a man who saw marriage as a business transaction and fidelity as optional.
How dare Luca treat my sweet sister in this way?
