His Deception: A Holiday She Will Never Forget

Chapter 2. A New Year That Rewrote Her Fate

A week later, as the New Year approached and the world celebrated fresh beginnings, Siena’s own future had been sealed without her consent. And now, here she stood—at the altar, draped in a beautiful wedding gown.

The arrangements had been made so quickly that everything felt unreal. Or perhaps they had been preparing for this moment long before—as if her family had known Fabio would leave her, and that she would have no choice but to marry the man they had chosen for her.

When her groom finally stood before her, Siena was stunned.

Having been told that this marriage had been arranged since her birth, she had expected someone undesirable—perhaps an unattractive or disabled heir from a desperate family.

But no.

He was strikingly handsome— the kind of man any girl would kill to marry.

That left Siena reeling in confusion. Why, then, had he agreed to this arranged marriage?

She hated the very idea of it. She had seen her own parents, married for thirty years yet unable to speak a word of love to each other. A marriage without love was nothing more than a compromise, and she had grown up watching that dull, suffocating life. Siena wanted more—a story filled with passion, a romance that set her soul on fire, a happily ever after that belonged to her.

But today, all her dreams were about to shatter.

She snapped out of her trance when the priest cleared his throat gently, beginning the sacred words.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and this company to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…”

And then came the time.

“Cristiano Vitelli, do you take Siena Costa to be your lawfully 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, until death do you part?”

That was the moment Siena heard her husband’s name for the very first time—Cristiano Vitelli. She lifted her eyes slightly and watched him from the corner of her gaze as he spoke.

“I do,” his deep, intimidating voice declared without pause.

Then the priest turned to her.

“Siena Costa, do you take Cristiano Vitelli to be your lawfully wedded husband? 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, until death do you part?”

Her lips parted as she swallowed the lump in her throat. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her.

She glanced at her family and her father nodded with an encouraging smile.

“I… do,” she finally said, her voice barely a whisper.

A woman came in carrying the rings. Cristiano took Siena’s hand without asking and slipped the ring onto her finger. When it was her turn, Siena hesitated. Sensing it, he raised his hand for her, and she quickly slid the ring on, too nervous to even touch him.

“By the power vested in me,” the priest declared, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Cristiano turned to her and slowly lifted her veil. His icy grey eyes met hers for a moment before he leaned in and pressed a light, almost mechanical kiss on her lips.

But Siena’s heart raced—the mere nearness of her husband was intoxicating, and the soft brush of his lips stole her breath, leaving her head spinning.

As quiet applause echoed around them, a woman from the wedding planning team stepped forward with a polite smile and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, the couple will now head to the reception hall for further celebration. Respected guests, please follow us.”

Then the newlywed couple was guided to the reception area, where a few close guests had gathered for lunch. There were no cameras, no video recordings—it all felt strange to Siena. Who even got married like this anymore? Even her best friends hadn’t been allowed to attend the wedding. When she had questioned it before, her mother reasoned that the Vitellis were wealthy and influential, and therefore kept the ceremony strictly private for security purposes. But to Siena, it all still felt dull and irrelevant.

“Hello, Siena. Congratulations, and welcome to the Vitelli family,” said a man in a sharp black suit, stepping forward with a warm yet confident smile. He appeared to be around Cristiano’s age—tall and composed. Perhaps he was Cristiano’s best man, Siena guessed.

“I’m Hunter,” he added. “Chris’s best friend and his right-hand man.”

“Thank you, Hunter,” Siena murmured softly.

But before she could say anything more, a man's sharp voice pulled her attention away.

"Hello, sister-in-law," the man said, his tone laced with intention. "I’m Gino, your husband’s half-brother—only three months younger than him."

Siena was stunned, her eyes flickering uncertainly between the unfamiliar faces—Cristiano’s family.

“Let me introduce your new family,” Gino announced with a sly smile, and Siena felt Cristiano stiffen beside her.

“Your father-in-law, Vittorio Vitelli,” he gestured to a tall, broad-shouldered man near the front. He didn’t look particularly old—maybe early fifties—but his sharp features and cold, commanding presence made him seem older, and far more intimidating.

“And that old lady in the center—she’s our grandma.”

Siena’s eyes landed on the elderly woman seated like a queen at the heart of it all, her face locked in a permanent scowl, as if she’d just bitten into something sour.

“That’s Cristiano’s mother, Soraya—the first wife of Vittorio Vitelli,” Gino added, nodding toward a stiff-looking woman beside Vittorio.

She looked more aged than Siena had expected. Her eyes were hollow and strained, her posture tense. She was fuller in the waist and arms, and though her hair was carefully styled, the blonde strands couldn’t hide the streaks of silver running through them.

“And this,” Gino added, stepping closer to a stunning woman with dark hair and a sculpted frame, “is my mother—Liliana. Our father’s second wife.”

Siena was too shocked to react. Vittorio had two wives? What kind of family was this? Were they so powerful and wealthy that even the rules of society didn’t apply to them? God, what had she gotten herself into?

Then Gino casually nodded toward a teenage boy standing off to the side. “And that’s my younger brother, Vito.”

He turned to a girl who looked about Siena’s age. “And that’s our half-sister from Soraya—Elena.”

Elena smiled and mouthed a soft hi. Siena offered a faint smile in return, barely managing the gesture before Gino continued, his tone shifting and a cunning grin stretching across his face.

“Now let me tell you the real reason you are married to Cristiano.”