The Marriage Gamble

Chapter 4

Leonardo's POV

My breath caught in my throat, each quick gasp hurting my lungs like broken glass. A hot anger burned inside me, making every nerve feel tight like a spring ready to snap. I looked at Sofia, the woman beside me, her soft breaths still filled with the memory of what we had just shared. How could something so close now feel like a knife?

“What does this mean?” I yelled, my voice deep and threatening, bouncing off the walls that seemed to see our betrayal. I could feel the heaviness of each word as it came back to me, mocking me without mercy.

Sofia's eyes grew wide, her lovely gaze now showing only confusion and fear. She shook a bit as she backed away from me, the bedsheets rustling like whispers of our shared blame. A wave of understanding hit me hard the resemblance was clear. “You’re not Luci!” I shouted, the truth hitting me like a rock, its grip tightening in my stomach. “You’re her sister, Sofia!”

Her silence confirmed my fears, and my heartbeat felt louder in the thick air, making my anger grow until it took over me. I shook my head in disbelief, starting to find clarity in the confusion. “You were shaking in the church, scared,” I said, moving closer to her, my eyes locked on hers with a force that demanded answers. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew this was wrong!”

I couldn't hold back as I grabbed her wrist, my grip strong but mixed with a feeling I didn’t completely understand. “Where is Lucia?” I asked, my voice becoming sharper, losing its calmness. “Is she safe? Why are you here with me instead?”

Sofia's eyes sparkled, and she looked like she might cry as tears formed in the corners—showing the turmoil in me. “Leonardo, please…”

“Tell me!” I shouted, not giving up, my feelings storming inside me. “Why isn't she here? Where is she?”

“Lucia…” she gasped, her voice breaking like thin ice starting to crack. “She’s gone. I have no idea where she is.”

The words felt heavy in the room, like a chandelier hanging over a dark space—a truth that seemed both unwanted and heavy. I let go of her wrist and stepped back, my boiling anger fading into a deep, freezing fear that filled my body.

“Missing?” The word felt strange and bitter, something I didn’t want to say. “What happened? You can’t just take her place without telling me!”

“She…” Sofia gasped, her voice shaking as tears rolled down her face like unending rain. “Our parents thought it was the right choice. I had to marry you for her because she… she never returned.”

“Coerced?” I said with anger and disbelief in my tight jaw. “Are you saying you just went along with it? You let this happen?”

“I had no option!” she shouted, her eyes filled with panic and anger, a mix of feelings just like mine. “Lucia disappeared, and our parents couldn't stand the thought of postponing!”

My heart raced in my chest, each beat reminding me of the lies being exposed. “I can’t believe this,” I said quietly, shaking my head slowly. “Do you honestly think I can just accept this?”

“I’m sorry!” she begged, reaching out her hands toward me in a desperate effort to close the gap that had opened between us. “I didn’t expect any of this either. I promise I only did it for Lucia!”

At that moment, I felt a storm of feelings hitting me—anger, betrayal, hopelessness. I looked away from her, my chest tightening as if her decisions—those that I didn’t make—were weighing heavy on me. Each step I took toward the door came from a deep need to run away from my pain, to find a bit of calm away from this deep hurt.

“Leonardo,” she whispered softly, barely making a sound, but I couldn’t turn around. I needed room, fresh air, and clear thoughts—anything that the four walls of her hurtful betrayal could not give me.

“Give me a moment to think,” I said quietly, feeling tired as I opened the door, stepping back from the openness of the moment, from the truth that hung unmentioned between us.

***

Sofia's POV

When the door closed behind him, I was overwhelmed by confusion and regret. Tears flowed down my face, each one showing the guilt I felt without him. I curled up, holding my knees tightly, rocking a bit, trying to lessen the pain in my heart.

“Why am I here?” I whispered, the memories of our fight playing over and over in my head. I stood up quickly, wiping my face, not letting sadness take hold of me. A sensible part of me urged me to push back against this gloom.

With trembling hands, I searched the closet, my fingers touching soft clothes until I found a simple blue dress. As I put it on, the heaviness of reality hit me hard, like iron chains around my chest. Memories rushed in—my rebellion against everything I knew, the wrongness of my bond with Leonardo. We were never meant to have a future together, yet here we were, caught in this chaos.

I looked down at the bed and gasped at the bloody sheets, the sight making me feel sick. Holding onto the mattress, I took a deep breath, trying to stop myself from feeling nauseous while shame washed over me. This room was more than just four walls it was a reminder of what happened to me.

Taking a shaky breath, I ripped the sheets off the bed and threw them away as new tears fell. “I’m sorry, Lucia. What did I do?” I whispered, balling up the stained fabric before putting on a clean bedsheet. It seemed pointless to wipe away my mistakes, but I had to try—to fight against the darkness inside me.

As I put the clean sheet on the bed, I felt broken—a shattered mirror showing bits of who I once was. I sat on the edge of the bed again, hugging my knees to my chest.

“What would this mean for me and Lucia when she returns?”

Time passed quickly, and the growing darkness made me feel uneasy. I struggled to stay awake, fear eating at me, but tiredness finally took over, pulling me down—until I was suddenly awake again from the clear sound of the door creaking.

My heart raced, and my pulse sped up as I sat up quickly. The shape entering the room was known to me, but it felt cold and intense.

“Leonardo!” I exclaimed, trying to compose myself, my heart dropping at the anger in his eyes. “Can you let me go now?” I asked, hope flickering like a candle in a storm.

“Let you go?” he laughed, moving closer, his closeness making it hard to breathe as he unbuckled his belt. “We haven’t even begun!”