3. Forced into marriage

Emilia sat stiffly at the long dining table, the remnants of a meal she hadn’t touched scattered across her plate. Around her, laughter and conversation flowed freely, the sound of clinking glasses filling the grand hall. Luca’s hand rested possessively on the back of her chair, a silent reminder of the cage she now found herself in.

Her head throbbed with the weight of her forced smiles and hollow nods, each moment a performance for the onlookers. Every guest who approached offered compliments about how beautiful she looked or how lucky Luca was. The words, while polite, felt like daggers, twisting deeper into her heart with each repetition.

As the evening wore on, Emilia found herself longing for escape. She glanced around the room, searching for an exit, but the opulence of the grand hall seemed to stretch endlessly, trapping her in its golden glow. Her gaze shifted to Luca, whose relaxed posture and faint smirk suggested he was fully in control of everything and everyone.

Just as she thought the evening couldn’t drag on any longer, she noticed her mother approaching, her emerald-green gown glinting under the chandeliers. Emilia’s heart sank. There was no comfort in her mother’s presence—only a new wave of tension.

“Emilia,” her mother said, her voice low but sharp as she stopped beside her. “A word, if you don’t mind.”

Luca’s brows lifted slightly, his dark eyes flickering between Emilia and her mother. He offered a polite nod. “Go ahead. I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”

Emilia wanted to beg him to stay, to shield her from what she knew was coming, but the words refused to form. Instead, she rose silently, following her mother as she led her out of the main hall and into a smaller, dimly lit room down the corridor.

The door clicked shut behind them, and the warmth of the festivities was replaced by the chill of isolation. Emilia turned to face her mother, her shoulders tense.

“What is it, Mother?” she asked, her voice weary.

Her mother’s expression was a mask of calm, but her eyes burned with quiet fury. “What is it?” she echoed, her voice dripping with disdain. “It’s your behavior, Emilia. You’ve done nothing but sulk and frown all evening. Do you think people haven’t noticed?”

Emilia’s jaw tightened. “I’ve done everything you and Father wanted. I walked down that aisle, I said the vows, and I married him. What more do you expect from me?”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed, her perfectly painted lips curling into a cold smile. “I expect you to act like a Russo. We are not a family that sulks and complains. You are Luca Moretti’s wife now, and you will carry yourself with dignity.”

“Dignity?” Emilia scoffed, her voice trembling with barely suppressed anger. “You call this dignified? Forcing me into a marriage I never wanted? Letting Elena drug me and take her place without a second thought?”

Her mother’s expression hardened, and she stepped closer, her heels clicking ominously against the marble floor.

“Watch your tone, Emilia,” she warned. “This isn’t about what you want. It’s about the family. This alliance secures our future. Your feelings are irrelevant.”

Tears burned at the corners of Emilia’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “I’m not a pawn,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

Her mother’s laughter was cold and humorless. “Oh, my dear, you’ve always been a pawn. You just never realized it until now.”

Emilia clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. “What do you want from me?”

“I want you to do your duty,” her mother said sharply.

“Be a good wife to Luca. Smile, obey him, and make him believe you’re the perfect partner. Because if you don’t…” She paused, letting the threat hang heavy in the air before stepping even closer.

“...then you can happily say goodbye to your sacred reputation.”

Emilia froze, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. “What do you mean?”

Her mother’s lips twisted into a cruel smile.

“You think we didn’t prepare for every possibility? One wrong step from you, and I won’t hesitate to reveal every little secret of yours to the world. Every embarrassing moment, every mistake, every private thought you’ve ever trusted me with. You’ll be ruined, Emilia. And don’t think Elena will save you. She’s the one who started this mess, but I’ll make sure you’re the one who suffers.”

The words hit Emilia like a punch to the gut, leaving her breathless. The betrayal cut deeper than she thought possible. Her own mother, the woman who was supposed to protect her, was threatening to destroy her life if she didn’t comply.

Tears finally spilled down her cheeks, but she wiped them away quickly, refusing to let her mother see her break.

“Why?” she whispered. “Why would you do this to me?”

Her mother sighed, as if Emilia were a child throwing a tantrum. “Because this is bigger than you, Emilia. The Russo family’s legacy depends on this union. You’re just a piece of the puzzle. Now pull yourself together and do what’s expected of you.”

Without waiting for a response, her mother turned on her heel and walked out of the room, leaving Emilia standing there, trembling and hollow.

For a long moment, she couldn’t move, couldn’t think. The weight of her new reality pressed down on her, threatening to crush her completely. She had no allies, no escape. Even her own blood had turned against her.

When she finally returned to the grand hall, the festivities were still in full swing. Luca spotted her immediately, his sharp gaze cutting through the crowd. He strode toward her, his movements confident and commanding.

“Is everything all right?” he asked, his voice low but tinged with curiosity.

Emilia forced herself to nod, plastering on the smile she had mastered over the course of the evening.

“Yes,” she lied. “Everything’s fine.”

Luca studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he offered her his arm. “Good. Because the night isn’t over yet, cara mia.”

She took his arm, her movements mechanical, and allowed him to lead her back into the throng of guests. Inside, her heart felt like it was being torn apart piece by piece, but on the outside, she was the perfect bride—smiling, poised, and utterly trapped.

Her mother’s warning echoed in her mind with every step she took. Be a good wife.

As the night wore on, Emilia realized she had no choice but to play her part. For now, she would smile. She would obey. But deep inside, a quiet fury burned—a determination to find a way out of the darkness that had consumed her life.

She may have been forced into this marriage, but she wasn’t done fighting. Not yet.