He Played Dead, I Played the Headlines Chapter 08
I froze for a moment before I realized what William meant. Then, I lifted my arms and wrapped them around his waist.
The photo was taken.
That very day, the media broke the news. By night, both families had finalized the wedding, and the engagement date was set.
As the birthday party came to an end, I saw Tony again. He looked at me, his expression dark. Gone was the polite warmth he used to show me. There was even a trace of hostility now.
The live chat commenters spoke up for me.
“It’s not like Matteo is the only man in the world. Annie is beautiful and capable. Why shouldn’t she choose/ someone better? Besides, he’s the one who betrayed her first. This is the ending he deserves.”
“This is hilarious. This guy shows up uninvited, brings a bunch of useless junk, and now he’s sulking.”
Seeing that I was alone, Tony walked over and questioned me, “Ms. Morello, Don Cassimo has only been gone a few days, and you’re already getting married to someone else. Don’t you think that’s inappropriate?”
I smiled. “You said it yourself. Don Cassimo is dead. And his death had nothing to do with me. I already did everything I could for his funeral. As his girlfriend, I think that’s enough. You don’t expect me to follow him to the grave, or stay single for the rest of my life over someone who’s already gone, do you?”
He clearly hadn’t expected me to be so blunt. Flustered, he blurted, “Who said Don Cassimo is-”
But he quickly stopped himself from saying too much, glancing away awkwardly before continuing, “Don Cassimo loved you so much. A priest even had a premonition that he might still be alive.”
I immediately cut him off. “Wait. You expect me to stay unmarried based on some ridiculous prediction? If you believe it so much, why don’t you stay single for the rest of your life for the Don?”
Tony was speechless. “You…”
Footsteps approached from behind. I turned to see William walking over, with several bodyguards following close behind. They quickly circled us.
William’s voice was calm but authoritative. “Why are you speaking to my fiancee?”
Tony’s face turned pale. He then forced a smile and quickly left.
The Cassimo family might have influence, but compared to the Valentes, they were nothing. It wouldn’t end well for whoever offended the Valente family.
As soon as Tony left the venue, he called Matteo. “Don Cassimo, if you don’t come back soon, Ms. Morello is going to marry the Valente heir.”
That same night, news of the alliance between the two families spread everywhere. By the next morning, it was already making front-page headlines.
Hidden away at his villa, Matteo naturally saw the news too. When he watched me leaning sweetly into William’s arms on TV, he was furious. For the first time, he shoved Julie aside and got up to pack.
Julie followed behind him, pouting. “What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
Matteo’s voice was devoid of its usual warmth. “Move. I’m going back.”
Julie grabbed his sleeve, her tone turning aggrieved. “Why are you suddenly going back? Didn’t you promise to stay with me a little longer? Don’t worry. After ten days, I won’t cling to you.”
He ignored her and kept packing. “If I don’t go back now, Annie is going to marry someone else. I’ve spent days with you and bought you plenty of things. That should be enough.”
Julie pouted. “If she can marry someone else right after hearing you’re dead, it only proves she never loved you that much.”
“She must have her reasons.”
Matteo didn’t stop moving. He was clear exactly which woman was worth marrying, and which was just for amusement.
But Julie didn’t understand that. Standing off to the side, she picked up her phone and said, “Go then. I’ve had plenty of better men messaging me lately and asking me out anyway.”
She expected Matteo to get jealous like he usually did. But he only replied indifferently, “Good luck with that.”
With that, he grabbed his bag and walked out.
