Page 50 of Dark Mafia Vows

My hands ball into fists as I remember Rinaldo’s mocking words. I shouldn’t be bothered by him because he’s an asshole, and I ended things with him before my forced engagement to Dario. However, he doesn’t know that. The moment I broke up with him, my engagement to Dario was announced.

I take a few deep breaths, yet I don’t feel better even the slightest. After a few minutes, I push my body off the floor and walk over to the sink. I have the strong urge to splash cold water on my face, but I remind myself that I’m wearing makeup and there’s still a party going on outside.

My eyes glance up, and I catch my reflection in the mirror. For a moment, I hardly recognize the woman staring back, dressed in elegant black, but feeling so out of place.

I hate Dario for all the things he’s done, but I also hate that I can’t shake the frustration I feel when he’s angry with me, like earlier today in the kitchen. I hate that he’s unpredictable—hot this moment and cold the next.

I hate that I care, that it affects me. I shouldn’t care about any of this, yet the conflicting emotions swirl in my chest, making it hard to think straight.

Feeling the need to get some fresh air, I push through the door and navigate the crowded ballroom, avoiding the curious glances of a few guests. I look toward Dario and Lorenzo and see them in a conversation. A huff slips past my lips before I pull my gaze away from them.

Finding solace in a dimly lit hallway, the floor lights cast soft shadows along the walls. As I walk, the buzz of the party fades into a distant hum, my footsteps leading me aimlessly.

Eventually, I stumble upon a small corridor that opens onto a veranda. Stepping outside, the cool night air brushes against my face, a welcome relief. Leaning against the railing, I gaze out into the darkness, hoping to clear my mind. But just as I start to relax, heavy footsteps echo nearby, and my stomach knots at the sound of that dreaded voice.

“Ginny! There you are!” Rinaldo’s voice cuts through the quiet, and I turn to see him striding toward me, his expression smug and infuriatingly confident.

I ignore him, hoping he would just go away, but knowing him, I know that’s literally impossible.

“What do you want, Rinaldo?” I finally snap, crossing my arms defensively as he comes closer.

His footsteps don’t stop until he’s invading my space. “Is that any way to greet your ex-fiancé, Sweet Pea?”

The nickname sends shivers of disgust down my spine. I never liked it.

“I was looking for you,” he continues, undeterred by my silence. “Do you think you can just end things with me over a flimsy phone call, ignore all my texts and calls, and then jump into the arms of another man?” His voice drips with disgust.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my temper. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” He chuckles harshly. “Then how do you explain the fact that just days after ending our engagement, your engagement to someone else was announced? Dario De Luca, of all people,” he spits.

My throat burns with anger and humiliation. “I don’t wish to talk to you, Rinaldo. Leave me alone.”

But he doesn’t listen. As he steps closer to me, I have to take a few steps back, but this only means he has me cornered against the wall. His eyes glint with pure evil, and my heart thumps with a mixture of fear, anger, and dread.

“Why? Are you ashamed, Ginny? Ashamed that you’re such a whore?”

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that,” I finally snap. “Our relationship and engagement were a sham, and you know it. If anyone ruined anything, it was you. Selfish bastard.”

His eyes flash, and in an instant, his grip tightens painfully around my arm.

“Is that so?” He smirks, his breath hot against my face as he lifts my left hand. My engagement ring catches the moonlight. A bitter chuckle escapes him. “Is that why you chose to proudly wear his ring instead of mine? Is that why you moved in with him?”

How did he find out about Dario and me living together?

“When you broke things off, I thought you were just being dramatic, as usual. Ignoring my calls and texts, trying to push me to do better,” he hisses, his grip on my wrist tightening further. “Until I heard about your engagement to another man,” he continues, his voice rising.

“The next day, I went to your brother’s house, and guess what the maids told me,” he barks with another loud laugh. “You moved in with him a day after your engagement became public. You wouldn’t move in with me after months of dating and getting engaged.”

“This has nothing to do with you,” I say firmly, trying to pull my arm away. “I ended things. You need to move on.”

“I guess my suspicions were true. Your brother’s just your pimp, selling you off to the best man he can get his hands on,” Rinaldo sneers.

“The best? You think you were thebest manmy brother could find for me?”

His expression is one of surprise at my response. He’s trying to rouse a reaction from me by dragging my brother into this, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction.

“We both knew our relationship was arranged from the start,” I continue, unflinching. “You act as if you contributed anything to my life—as if I gained anything from you.”

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