The Don’s Heiress Won’t Choose Him Again Chapter 05
He rushed to the front of the room, staring at my father in disbelief.
“Don! Dominic? That can’t be right!”
Dominic was still frozen beside me, not quite processing what he’d heard.
The entire ballroom was dead silent, every eye fixed on the sudden turn of events.
My father cast Roman a glance—calm as a still lake, but with a chill underneath that raised the hair on my arms.
“Since you’re so intent on cutting ties with the Morettis, you’ll be moving out of the estate. Immediately. You don’t get to come and go from the Moretti family whenever it suits you.”
He paused, and his voice grew colder still.
I could feel that my father was genuinely furious.
This wasn’t the mild displeasure of a father meaning to teach a lesson. This was disappointment cut to the bone.
He wasn’t just angry—he was telling Roman, through his actions, that the Moretti family was done with him.
A flash of triumph crossed Serafina’s face, poorly hidden.
She tugged gently on Roman’s sleeve, her voice soft. “Roman, this is wonderful. Now we can be together openly.”
She nestled into his arms, looked up at him, eyes shining with fragile hope.
“Even if you’re not a Moretti guard anymore, it doesn’t matter. We can just be an ordinary married couple. I’ll stay with you always.”
But Roman recoiled as if she’d burned him and jerked his arm away.
The smile froze on her face. She stared at him, bewildered.
He ignored her. He walked straight toward me, his bloodshot eyes locked onto mine.
“Valentina!” He ground out my name through his teeth.
“Are you still sulking? Tell me, is all of this some scheme of yours to get back at me?”
“You can be angry with me all you want. But you can’t just marry the first man who happens to be there! You don’t love him!”
I hadn’t noticed Dominic move closer until he was only a few paces away.
He heard those words—you don’t love him—and his step faltered.
He raised his eyes to me. Those dark eyes held a question, and a wounded look that wasn’t quite hidden.
As if he were silently asking: Is what Roman says true?
Was choosing him only a way to get back at Roman?
I met Roman’s furious gaze, and a cold smile touched my lips.
“Roman Castellano, you flatter yourself.”
“Who I marry is none of your business.”
“I’ve done exactly what you wanted—I chose someone else. I’ve done exactly what you wanted. Now take Serafina and leave.”
“Valentina!” Roman roared, seizing my wrist.
“We grew up together. How am I supposed to stand by and watch you ruin your life? You don’t love him! You will not be happy married to him!”
“You love me! You’re doing all this to get my attention, aren’t you? You want me to regret rejecting you. You want me to come crawling back and beg!”
I laughed out loud.
The man was absurd.