You'd Have To Make A Choice

Chapter 3: Smiles That Lies

Elena's POV

I know it won’t feel like home.

But I didn’t expect it to be worse than this.

7:00 AM. My Room.

There was a soft knock on the door.

Before I could answer, it opened.

Rosa walked in with a folded set of clothes in her hands.

“Oh, young lady Elena, you’re already awake,” she said, and set the clothes on the chair.

She looked tired. Dark circles under her eyes.

I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

“Good morning, ma’am.”

I stood up and headed toward the bathroom.

“The young master wants you down for breakfast,” Rosa said behind me. “He said ten minutes. Not a second late.”

I stopped and turned back to her.

“Rosa, are you okay? You look tired.”

I reached out and touched her forehead without thinking. Old habit.

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Child, I’m fine. Just a bit tired. Tomorrow’s my day off, so I’ll sleep for a whole day. Now hurry and get dressed before he sends the guards up here.”

I nodded and went into the bathroom.

Quick shower. Cold water. It helped wake me up.

The clothes Rosa left were oversized. Gray sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt.

Really? Oversized clothes? Can’t he find something that fits?

I thought to myself as I pulled them on.

But still... it’s neater than the clothes the Hayes family ever gave me.

I tied my hair into a low ponytail and left the room.

Two guards were already waiting in the hallway.

“Oh,” I muttered. “I almost forgot about them.”

7:10 AM. The Dining Room.

The atmosphere hit me the second I stepped in.

Cold. Distant. Nothing like a family breakfast.

Grandpa Salvatore was already seated at the far end of the long marble table.

Catherine, Lorenzo’s mother, sat to the right of the head chair in a cream silk blouse and pearls, sipping coffee.

And at the head of the table: Lorenzo.

He didn’t look up when I came in.

Black suit. White shirt. Black coffee in front of him. Dark circles under his eyes.

“Good morning, Grandpa,” I said. “Good morning, Madam Catherine. Good morning, Lorenzo...”

“Don’t say my name.”

His voice cut through the room. Flat. Cold.

I flinched.

Grandpa raised a brow at him.

“Good morning, Sir,” I corrected quickly, and tried to pull out the only empty chair.

“You’re not allowed to sit.”

Lorenzo still didn’t look at me.

“Why?” I asked. My voice came out smaller than I wanted.

He finally lifted his eyes. Dark. Empty.

“A debt isn’t supposed to have a plate at the table. You’re nothing but the Hayes family’s charity case.”

The room went silent.

“That’s enough,” Grandpa slammed his cup down. Coffee splashed. “She’s your wife, Lorenzo. How can you speak to her like that?”

I stood there, holding the back of the chair. My hands were shaking.

“So where am I supposed to eat, then?” I asked, looking straight at Lorenzo.

“That’s none of my business,” he said.

I looked at Catherine. She just smiled behind her coffee cup like this was entertainment.

“Lorenzo, are you doing this on purpose?”

“What exactly?” He leaned back in his chair. “Either you take whatever you’re going to eat before I change my mind.”

I looked at Grandpa. He gave me a pitiful look. Like he wanted to help but couldn’t.

A maid came in with a tray.

One cup of black coffee. Three slices of plain bread. No butter. No jam.

She set it on a small side table near the door. Not at the main table.

I couldn’t figure out what his problem was this morning. Was it me? Was it the Hayes name? Was it something else?

I picked up the tray and walked toward the main table to get sugar for the coffee.

“Don’t.”

I froze.

“Excuse me?”

“You take your coffee black,” Lorenzo said. “No sugar. In this house.”

My cheeks burned.

“Okay,” I whispered, and set the sugar down.

“That’s enough!” Grandpa finally snapped. “Lorenzo, she is your wife, for crying out loud. You can’t treat her this way.”

Lorenzo didn’t answer.

Catherine set her cup down delicately.

“Father,” she said sweetly. “Whatever Lorenzo does to her suits her. She should be shown her place. As the charity case she is.”

I couldn’t help it.

“I never begged to be here.”

“Don’t you dare talk back to an elder,” Lorenzo said, standing up. His chair scraped loudly against the marble.

I didn’t want to hear any more. I didn’t want to cry in front of them.

So I turned and ran upstairs.

“Elena, come back, child!” Grandpa called after me.

But I was too upset to listen.

7:25 AM. The Hallway.

My chest felt tight as I walked down the long hallway to my room.

The house was too quiet. Every step echoed.

I passed a door that was slightly ajar. A study, probably.

I wasn’t going to stop. I wasn’t going to snoop.

But then I heard a voice.

“Listen to me, Richard. You better keep your mouth shut.”

I stopped.

Richard?

That was my adoptive father’s name.

I stepped closer. My heart was pounding.

“That’s Adrian’s voice,” I thought. “How does he know my adoptive father?”

I pressed myself against the wall next to the door.

“I don’t know,” Richard’s voice came through the phone, shaky. “But it’s haunting me.”

Adrian’s voice was low. Calm. Dangerous.

“You should not disclose this to Lorenzo. Or to anyone else. If you do, you’ll have to stay silent forever.”

There was a pause.

“Lorenzo wants revenge. And he’s got his wife as the tool for it. Let it blind him for now. Sooner or later, I’ll make my first move.”

I gasped. My hand flew to my mouth.

He’ll kill Richard? But what other move does he have?

The call ended. I heard footsteps.

I ducked behind a tall pillar just in time.

Adrian walked out of the study. Phone in one hand. That same easy smile on his face.

He walked right past me without noticing.

A few seconds later, the two guards who had been following me earlier came up the stairs.

I stayed hidden until they passed.

But what is he doing with Richard?

Why is he threatening him?

What “first move” was he talking about?

I came out from behind the pillar, my legs shaking.

I started walking to my room again, but my mind was racing.

I’ve always suspected Adrian.

He smiles too much. He’s too helpful. Too nice.

And those smiles were never real. They were a mask.

Thirteen years.

That’s how long he’s served the Romanos, according to Rosa.

Lorenzo trusts him. Everyone does.

If I tell Lorenzo, will he believe me?

Or will he think I’m lying to turn them against each other?

Adrian has access to everything. To Lorenzo. To the business. To me.

This is going to be a very hard knot to crack.

I reached my room and closed the door behind me.

I slid down to the floor and hugged my knees.

The coffee and bread were still downstairs. I wasn’t hungry anymore.

My phone buzzed.

Except I don’t have a phone.

It was just my heart. Beating too fast.

Adrian and Richard are talking.

Adrian is planning something.

And he used my name to do it.

I looked at the ring on my finger. Heavy. Cold.

A symbol of a marriage built on revenge.

Lorenzo thinks I’m the enemy.

But the real enemy has been smiling at us this whole time.

I don’t know what to do.

If I tell Lorenzo now, he might not listen.

If I don’t tell him, someone could get hurt.

I pressed my forehead to my knees.

“God,” I whispered. “What did I walk into?”

8:00 AM. Still in my room.

There was another knock.

“Mrs. Romano?” Rosa’s voice. “Are you alright?”

I wiped my face fast.

“I’m fine, Rosa.”

“Do you want me to bring you something to eat?”

“No. I’m not hungry.”

Silence.

“Okay, child. I’m right outside if you need me.”

I heard her walk away.

I stood up and went to the window.

The gates were still there. 12 feet high. Armed guards.

I was in a palace.

And the person who was supposed to protect me might be the one I needed protection from.

I touched the Romano crest on my ring.

This wasn’t just about me and Lorenzo anymore.

This was bigger.

And if Adrian thought I was going to sit quietly and let him use me as a pawn,

he was wrong.

I didn’t know how yet.

But I was going to figure it out.

For Grandpa.

For myself.

Even if Lorenzo never believed me.