Vincenzo⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Dead... That's what I felt from the inside. A chilling emptiness consumed me as I huddled on the cold floor within the shadows of my family's home. My brother had brought me here after they found me pathetically paralyzed in my apartment. I, Vincenzo Capone, got outsmarted by the woman I loved. Loved? Loved. It's insane how, in mere seconds, your perspective on someone can take a wild turn.One second you love them more than the whole world and the next, you hate them with every fiber of your being. Your whole being caught in this intense switch, like a tug of war between what felt great and what feels like a punch in the gut.Love and hate, surprisingly alike, are these crazy powerful feelings that have a knack for devouring you from within, like flames licking at the edges of your soul.In the end, both have the power to reshape you, leaving imprints that linger long after the flames have subsided.Claire Parker — She had me hooked from day one. I spotted

Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅"Is that really your plan?" I exclaimed into the phone, my pacing echoing in the living room."It's the safest option. If I let you slip through Vincenzo's fingers, he'll either kill me or, worse, never forgive any of us," Adriano replied in a hushed tone on the other end of the call. "We discussed this, Adriano. The moment I marry him, he'll surely kill me. I know him well enough to understand how a simple comment can trigger his anger. After what your father orchestrated, do you really think he'll easily let this go? He's marrying me to torture me," I stated, sitting on the couch and pushing my hair back."Maybe, but consider this: it's the best for all of us involved. We'll disclose everything the moment he's in power, or maybe even before if you two can find a—"I interrupted, firmly, "No! Not before he becomes Capo, Adriano. I'm afraid he might do something reckless. And your father, no offense, is a first-class jerk. He isn't even afraid to get rid of his own

Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅Vincenzo departed for Chicago five days ago, and I found myself without a wedding dress or a wedding band for him.His silence left me yearning for a sign. No calls, no cryptic messages from unknown numbers; just an unsettling radio silence that instilled both fear and a profound sense of sadness within me. Preparing for the wedding on my own was tougher than I expected, with his absence hanging over everything like a dark cloud.Despite Bianca and Allegra's repeated offers to join me shopping, I politely declined. Even when Scott offered to pay for everything, I turned him down too. Numbness enveloped me; the idea of shopping for my wedding felt like an insurmountable task. It wasn't just disinterest – it was a profound disconnect from everything. I lacked the will to live, let alone engage in the preparations for what should have been the happiest occasion of my life. Bianca labeled it as depression, but I'm not convinced. It feels like even depression would hesi

Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅I woke up in bed, though I had fallen asleep by the window in the early hours of the morning, observing the gradual illumination of the sky. Yet, inexplicably, I found myself tucked in bed with him standing by the bedroom window – shirtless, sipping his morning coffee.He glanced back at me and realized that I was awake. A look of complete indifference across his face before he returned his attention out the window. As I slowly sat up, I absentmindedly combed my fingers through my hair."I really thought that marrying you was going to be the happiest day of my life..." he voiced, gazing into the distance. I stared at the side of his face, I wanted to say how I had thought the same. The plan I had in mind for our wedding night, the things I wanted to tell him but couldn't. I had to wait. "Now it feels like I'm making the damn worst mistake of my life," he spat out, a bitter sneer contorting his face. "What the hell am I even doing? Marrying you after the shit you p

Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅"I, Vincenzo Capone, take thee, Claire Elise Parker, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith," his voice was emotionless, almost robotic. His words flowed mechanically, as though recited from memory, devoid of emotion or pause for reflection.Adriano stepped forward with the ring and Vincenzo took it, he held my hand and slid the wedding ring onto my finger, "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love; and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit..." Now, it was my moment. I turned around, and Allegra promptly handed me the envelope containing my wedding vows. Nervous anticipation flickered in my eyes, betraying the emotions swirling within me. Extracting the paper, I glance