Sabrina, the sweet, bubbly girl next door, never imagined being pulled into a world of danger. But meeting Julian, a captivating mafia member with a dark past, changes everything.
As she falls for him, she's torn between love and the dangerous secr...
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I feel the blood drain from my face as Camilla saunters into the room, Alejandro following behind her like some twisted prize.
My heart sinks as I take in the scene; he wouldn't do this, not with her.
He knows what kind of person she is, the way she gets joy out of hurting people—hurting me.
But here he is, right by her side, and I can barely hold back the shame crawling up my spine.
Valentina is the first to speak, breaking the silence with a sharp, "Ale? What the hell?" Her shock is plain, and it makes me feel a little less alone, like I'm not the only one blindsided by this.
Then Camilla looks at me, her lips curling into a cruel smirk. "Oh, didn't you know, Sabrina?" she says with feigned innocence. "Alejandro found someone better."
The words feel like a punch, but I force myself to turn to him, searching his face for anything—any sign that he doesn't mean it.
"Ale... why?" I manage, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why would you go with someone like her?"
He laughs, but there's no humor in it. Just bitterness. "Right. Like you didn't go for someone like Julian."
His gaze turns cold, and I barely recognize him. "Don't act all innocent, Sabrina. What, you're that desperate that the second someone wants you, you just jump into it?"
It takes a second for his words to fully register, and when they do, they hit me like a slap. The realization of what he's implying settles heavily, and I feel a prickle at the back of my eyes, tears threatening to spill over.
He saw the picture. Somehow, he saw that stupid photo my cousin took, and now he thinks—he thinks I'm... My chest tightens painfully.
He sees the hurt flash across my face and just scoffs. "Guess it's true, huh?"
Ale crosses his arms, his gaze hardening as he sneers, "That's right. Jumping from one guy to the next like you're on some kind of mission. Guess we all know what that makes you, huh? Just a whore."
The word lands like a slap, sharp and brutal, and I feel the first tear slip down my cheek before I can even think about holding it back.
My hands shake, and I quickly wipe my face, refusing to let him see the full weight of his words sinking in.
I force myself to look him in the eye, even as I feel every pair of eyes in the room on us, the horror mirrored in their faces.
"So... you're doing all this just to get back at me?" I ask, my voice trembling but steady enough to hold my ground. "Just to hurt me?"
His expression doesn't change, the anger and resentment etched across his face. For a second, he almost looks like he's about to respond, but he just stays silent, letting his words hang in the air between us.
Val steps forward, anger blazing in her eyes. "What is wrong with you, Ale? She doesn't deserve any of this," she snaps, her voice cutting through the tension in the room.
Julian stands on the sidelines, watching, fists clenched, his jaw tight.
The silence that follows feels like it lasts forever, but finally, Alejandro just shakes his head, avoiding my gaze, as if I'm nothing more than a stranger to him now.
Camilla smirks, crossing her arms as she sizes me up. "You're not even denying it because you know it's true," she sneers. "Just a pathetic, attention-seeking slut. You'll jump at anyone who shows you the slightest interest, right?"
The words are like punches, each one tearing down whatever walls I had left standing. I feel like I'm crumbling, with shame and hurt crashing over me in waves, drowning me in front of everyone.
Tears fall faster than I can wipe them away, and my voice dies in my throat, caught somewhere between heartbreak and disbelief.
Julian steps forward, fury in his eyes as he stares down Alejandro and Camilla. "You know what? Just get the fuck out of here," he snaps, his voice dangerously low. "You've done enough damage. Both of you."
Alejandro sneers back, muttering, "Right, because you're the saint here, Julian."
Julian doesn't even flinch. "Better than standing here and tearing someone down for no reason. So go on, leave."
Camilla rolls her eyes, grabbing Alejandro's arm. "Fine," she says with a dismissive shrug. "Let's go. Not like there's anything left to see here."
As they turn to walk away, I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I refuse to let this ruin my day.
I glance at Julian, forcing a smile. "I'm fine. Just a little drama, you know?" I try to laugh it off, but my voice wavers slightly.
Julian looks at me, concern etched across his face. "Sabrina..."
"I'm good," I insist, swiping at my cheeks. "Really. Let's just forget about them." I take a deep breath, determined to shake off the lingering hurt.
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Alejandro's words still ring in my head, and every time I think of that smug look he threw her, it makes my blood boil.
I've known he was an ass for a while, but this was different—this was calculated, and Camilla's involvement makes it even worse.
I'm sure she orchestrated it, knowing exactly how much I care about Sabrina.
She always has a way of twisting things just to get under my skin.
Sabrina forces a laugh, but I catch the flash of hurt in her eyes. She's trying to brush it off, act like it's just some drama she can laugh about, but I can see it's deeper than that.
Alejandro didn't just embarrass her—he tore into her.
It cuts me more than I thought possible to see her like this.
Sabrina suddenly glances down at her phone, quickly scrolling through her messages.
She exhales a bit too loudly, her attempt at casual. "We should head out anyway... dinner with my family and all," she murmurs, trying to sound upbeat.
As she looks up, her eyes meet Matteo's and Val's. "Thanks, see you guys later." she says, her voice softer.
