Married By Mistake

Chapter Two- The Yes Heard Around the World

For a heartbeat, I thought Matteo might faint. His lips parted, his eyes darted to the crowd, the flashing cameras, then back to me, kneeling before him like some scandalized saint.

“Yes,” he whispered.

The crowd erupted like fireworks. Screams, cheers, laughter, and a hundred phones captured the moment I—Isabella Romano—brought a bartender to the limelight without him even moving.

My hand trembled slightly as I slid the silver band from my purse onto his finger. Not a diamond. Not gold. Just something I’d grabbed in the chaos of leaving the hospital. But the crowd didn’t care. They went wild anyway.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” he murmured, his face pale.

“Don’t say anything,” I said firmly, rising to my feet. “Just come with me.”

Reporters were already pressing forward, cameras flashing in our faces. “Isabella! Who is he?!” “What does this mean for the Roman Empire?” “When’s the wedding?”

I ignored them, grabbed Matteo’s hand, and pulled him toward the sleek black car waiting at the curb. He stumbled after me, still stunned. The driver’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he realized who I was holding hands with.

Inside the car, silence hung between us for a beat before Matteo finally found his voice. “Who are you?”

I turned my head slowly, letting a sly smile curl across my lips. “Isabella Romano.”

His reaction was priceless. He leaned back in his seat, eyes wide, breath stuttering. “Holy… f**k. You’re Isabella Romano. CEO of the Romano Empire.”

I tilted my head, amused. “Disappointed?”

He rubbed a hand over his face. “Why did you do this to me?”

I shrugged, looking out the window at the city lights streaking past. “Did you like it?”

His laugh was shaky. “The attention? Yeah. Who wouldn’t? But—” His voice dropped. “I could have easily said no. How did you know I wouldn’t?”

I turned my gaze back to him, pinning him with it. “I just knew.”

The way his brows drew together, the way his lips parted to question me—it almost made me slip. So I added quickly, “And no, it’s not because you’re poor. Don’t flatter yourself. I just… felt it in my bones.”

He stared at me for a moment, then gave the smallest nod. “Cool.”

His phone buzzed. Then buzzed again. And again. He fumbled it out of his pocket, and I caught a glimpse of his cracked screen before he answered.

“Mamá?” he said, and slipped into rapid Spanish. His voice softened, urgent, but I couldn’t make out the words. I only caught the way his throat worked, the way his hand tightened around the phone like it was a lifeline.

When he hung up, I arched a brow. “So now your family knows.”

He groaned. “Now the whole world knows. It’s everywhere already.”

Sure enough, my own phone buzzed with alerts. I ignored them, leaning back in my seat. “You’ll get used to it. You’re going to be my husband now.”

He let out a strangled laugh. “I’m not even used to hearing you say that. Isabella, what the hell is going on? This is too sudden.”

I smiled sweetly. “You think this is sudden? Wait until you hear this—”

I stopped myself. Not yet. Not here.

The car pulled up in front of a narrow street apartment, with plastered walls and flickering lights. Matteo shifted awkwardly. “This is me.”

I studied the rundown exterior, the chipped paint, the laundry strung across balconies. Then I looked at him. For a moment, something warm stirred in my chest. Humility. Simplicity. A man untouched by greed.

Perfect choice.

“Get some rest,” I said lightly. “We’ll talk more later.”

He gave me one last bewildered look before slipping out into the shadows.

⸻

By the time I reached the Romano estate, my phone was buzzing like a hornet’s nest. I silenced it, squared my shoulders, and pushed through the towering oak doors.

The grand hall was full. My uncle Carlo. My cousins. A few family friends. All of them were waiting, faces twisted with outrage and disbelief.

The moment they saw me, the room exploded.

“Isabella, have you lost your mind?!” my uncle thundered.

“On live television, Isa? Proposing to some stranger?” my cousin Lucia screeched.

“Do you even know who that man is? Where does he come from? What people are saying about you online?” Another voice cut in.

I let their fury wash over me, calm as the eye of a storm. I walked to the center of the hall, heels clicking against marble, and let the silence drag until every eye was locked on me.

Then I smiled. Sharp and wicked.

“You’re all upset now,” I said coolly. “But this? This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

My uncle’s face reddened. “What do you mean?”

I tilted my chin up, savoring the moment, and dropped the bomb, staring directly at Uncle Carlo.

“Your sister said I either get married or get disowned, and I can’t imagine getting disowned by my lovely Mama,” my voice dropped to a mocking one for a moment, then I sighed and muttered loud enough for the whole room to hear clearly.

“I’m marrying him this weekend. And you’re all invited—if you want.”

Gasps rippled across the room. My uncle’s mouth fell open. My cousins shrieked. Someone dropped a glass, shattering on the marble.

And I just stood there, smiling like the devil herself, as the weight of my words set fire to everything.