Chapter 3

Nico's face changed instantly.

The lady pressed, curious. "Valentina, who's the lucky man?"

"I thought this party allowed spouses. How come you didn't bring him?"

Before I could even open my mouth, Nico cleared his throat.

He lifted his glass. His tone was flat, like he was stating some irrelevant fact. "Her husband works for me. Just an ordinary accountant. A nobody."

"Probably stuck working late tonight. Reconciling accounts. Couldn't get away."

The lady took Nico's lead.

She sighed, a touch of sympathy in her voice. "An accountant is fine. After all, Valentina isn't as exceptional as your Olivia. She's just an average girl."

"Average people—well, they belong with average people."

Nico didn't respond. He tilted his head back and drained his glass.

I set my own glass down. It had gone completely cold.

Right. Ordinary people get ordinary lives.

Ordinary people pour their time and energy into a dazzling man like Nico. They treat his needs as sacred commands. They stay up late with him going over the ledgers. They run shipments with him, drink with him, negotiate deals with him. They live for him until they lose every piece of themselves—

And in the end, it all means nothing.

Olivia suddenly chimed in. "Valentina, you'll have to bring your hubby home soon so we can meet him. I still have no idea what he even looks like."

Nico was pouring hot water for Olivia. His face was utterly indifferent.

My heart seized. Like someone had just wrenched it. I pulled my lips into a thin smile. My fingers clenched around my wine glass, knuckles going white.

"Yeah. I will. When I get the chance."

After that, the conversation drifted elsewhere.

But the whole time, the talk circled around Nico and Olivia.

I couldn't sit there anymore. I excused myself to the restroom and got up.

It was pouring outside. The cold air slowly put out the suffocating feeling burning in my chest.

Once I'd steadied myself, I turned to head back to the private room.

And walked straight into Nico.

He'd come out just to find me. But all he said was, "Olivia took a liking to that black Cadillac you drove here. Give me the keys."

I shoved my hand in my pocket, gripping the keys. "What about me?"

"It's pouring rain. You're taking my car. How am I supposed to get back?"

The words had barely left my mouth before Nico stepped forward and reached into my pocket himself. He took the keys.

"My car is at the shop. Enzo took it. Just wait here a little while. He'll come get you soon."

"For God's sake, Valentina. Your sister is sick! Just this once, can you not be so damn selfish?"

I stood there. Frozen.

My whole life, because Olivia was better at charming our parents, she got everything good.

My mother had exactly one line. Always. "Valentina! After everything your sister's been through, this is all you care about?"

Give this up. Give that up. And now I'm supposed to give up my own husband.

Goddamn ridiculous.

And the punchline? I waited at the club until nearly closing time. No one came.

The rain got worse. I couldn't even get a rideshare.

I didn't finally get a car until late into the night.

But the second I climbed in, a work message from Nico popped up.

[Valentina. The Canada transport project needs an expedited proposal.]

[I'm tied up with Olivia right now. Go to the office and handle it.]

I still hadn't officially stepped down. On paper, I was still Nico's general manager. So I followed his orders and went.

But when I got to the office, I realized the proposal was missing a critical ledger file. And that file? It was in Nico's study at the house.

I texted him. I called him. Nothing.

I had no choice. I had to go back to the house.

I rang the doorbell. No answer.

So I punched in the code myself and opened the door.

And froze.

Nico was half-naked. He had Olivia wrapped in his arms. Both of them were asleep on the living room sofa.

My bag hit the floor.

The sound made Nico's eyes snap open. Sharp. He saw me. His whole body went rigid.

Then, carefully, he untangled himself from Olivia's arms. He didn't even grab a shirt. He rushed over, seized my arm, and dragged me outside.

He shut the door. His brows slammed together.

"What are you doing here?"

"I told you. Don't come back until Olivia recovers her memory. If she finds out I was married to you, the shock could make her condition worse. Then everything we did was for nothing."

Every line on his face was irritation. Irritation that I hadn't obeyed.

I fought to control the sting behind my eyes. I pulled out my phone and shoved the screen in his face—a dozen unanswered calls.

"The project you told me to rush—it was missing a critical ledger file. I called. You didn't pick up. I texted. You didn't reply. I had no other choice."

Nico went silent.

But I stared at his bare chest. A bitter, mocking smile twisted my lips.

"Though I have to say, I'm glad I came back."

"Otherwise, I never would've known that helping my sister recover her memory requires you to take your clothes off."

Nico froze. Then he looked away, awkward.

"You're reading too much into it. My clothes got wet."

"You've always been the sensible one. Don't get hung up on something so small."

Sensible. So that meant I deserved him and Olivia fooling around in my own home?

The words died in my throat. For the first time in my life, I understood it in my bones—wasting my best years on Nico Marchetti was the most worthless thing I'd ever done.