Rebuilding Ruins (BOOK 1)Updated at Dec 9, 2025, 05:20
I turn to Angel, mouth full of pancake, and she's staring down at something in her hand. I follow her gaze and... WHOA. She's got a ring, and not just any ring - it's got an HONORABLE diamond in it! I'm thinking, "What is going on?" I nearly choke on my food, my heart's racing like I'm in slow motion. Angel's eyes are wide, and she's looking at me like, "Say something, Frankie!" I'm like, frozen, with a fork in my hand... This has Leonardo Russo's written all over it.
"What is that?" Bella asks, her voice suddenly excited.
"I-It's a ring." Angel stammers. My heart skips a beat. Where did she get that?
Aunt Gabriella asks, "Angel, did Frankie give you the ring?" with a hopeful smile.
Please say no, please say no, I chant in my head.
But Angel half whispers, "Yes," with so much emotion in her voice that I feel the blood drain from my face.
Smiling, uncle Rocco asks, "Was it in the flowers?"
This better not be what I think it is.
"If Frankie gave you the flowers, then you should ask him why he put the ring in them," Uncle Leonardo says, with a smirk, cutting his eggs without a care in the world.
I'm fuming. He set me up.
Angel turns to me, tears in her eyes. "Frankie, what is this?" she asks, glancing at the ring.
"It looks like an engagement ring to me," Uncle Leonardo adds, sipping his tea.
Aunt Salsa chimes in, "Frankie, get on your knees and propose properly! Show Angel Rose how the Russo men do!" it's like she's already planning the wedding in her head.
Uncle Rocco laughs, "Make it memorable, Frankie boy. Make it count."
I'm frozen, staring at the ring in Angel's hand. This is not happening. I look to my cousins, for help, but they just don't have the guts to stand up to Uncle Leonardo. I'm on my own.
Frankie's been guarding his heart since his last heartbreak, and it's been years. He's stuck in a pattern of one-night stands, keeping things casual and safe. But deep down, he's terrified of getting hurt again. Meanwhile, Angel's just got out of a relationship and is hoping to find love that lasts. Problem is, Frankie's interested in her, but he's not looking for anything serious... and Angel's looking for forever.
Can they find love in the midst of chaos, or will their hearts be the casualties of a love that will never be given a chance to flourish?
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