伊莎贝拉

几年前....

雨水顺着我的脸流下来，混杂着我强忍着不流出的泪水。我的心跳得厉害，仿佛要跳出胸腔。我需要见他。我需要解释。

我跑过莫雷蒂家族公司的走廊，脚后跟陷进柔软的地毯里。每一步都让我离洛伦佐更近一步，也离他被拒绝的命运更近一步。

当我停在总统套房门前时，我闭上眼睛，深吸了一口气，然后敲了敲门。

没有什么。

我又敲了敲门。

锁的咔哒声让我屏住了呼吸。

门开了，他出现了。洛伦佐·莫雷蒂，衬衫扣子敞开，露出赤裸的胸膛，柔顺的头发凌乱不堪。换作平时，他会把我拉进去，像往常一样吻我。但此刻，我们的处境截然不同。

他阴暗的目光落在我身上，充满仇恨。

“你还真敢来？竟然敢跑到这里来丢人现眼？”

我喉咙发干。我知道他不会轻易放过我。但即便如此，我还是想去那里。

“我需要解释一下……”

他的笑声冰冷而残忍。

“解释一下？”他举起手机，把屏幕显示给我看。“你到底想解释什么？我给你看的这张照片是蒙太奇的吗？”

我的肺里的空气消失了。照片。

屏幕上，图像模糊，却又清晰得让人看不清究竟是什么。这是某个人精心策划的阴谋，他想拆散我们，而且得逞了。

照片里我正坐进另一个人的车里。确切地说，这个人是埃尔南德斯·桑托罗，洛伦佐的敌人，一个不惜一切代价想要窃取洛伦佐的项目并摧毁他的公司的竞争对手。他把我卷入这场精心策划的混乱之后，就消失了。

听着他那充满仇恨的话语，我的心咯噔一下。

“洛伦佐……事情不是看上去的那样。我发誓。让我解释一下！”

他眯起了眼睛。他一直都是个热情奔放的男人，但现在……现在他看起来就像要毁了我一样，光是那纯粹的愤怒眼神就足以让我崩溃。

“那你告诉我这到底是什么意思？”他的声音如同雷霆般震耳欲聋，仿佛要将我击垮。

“我什么都不知道，有人陷害了我。我从来没背叛过你。从来没有。请相信我！我明明知道公司对你来说就是一切，为什么要这样毁了你？告诉我，这到底是什么逻辑？”

洛伦佐笑了。他的笑容毫无幽默感。

“闭嘴，伊莎贝拉。我不想再听你说话了，你说的每一句话都是谎话。”

世界在我周围旋转，我感觉一切都崩塌了。

“洛伦佐，求你了……”我的声音很虚弱。

他用手捋了捋头发，努力抑制住怒火，但我太了解他了。洛伦佐不是那种感觉被背叛时能控制住自己的人。而他确信是我背叛了他。

他向前迈了一步，又迈了一步，直到离我太近。他身上的木质气息，混合着他可能刚喝完的威士忌，占据了我的整个感官。

他的下巴紧闭。

“对我来说你已经死了，明白吗？我希望你的背叛是值得的。”

我的眼睛里充满了泪水。

洛伦佐最后看了我一眼，眼神里充满了仇恨和苦涩。然后，他转过身，把我丢在了那里。

“我爱你……”我低声说道，但已经太晚了。

那天晚上，我知道我再也得不到他的原谅了。有人结束了我们的关系，毁了我们俩，而他却浑然不觉。

...（⁠๑⁠˙⁠❥⁠˙⁠๑⁠）0.1（⁠๑⁠˙⁠❥⁠˙⁠๑⁠）...

伊莎贝拉

都说时间能治愈一切伤口。这话是假的。有些伤痛只是我们自身的一部分而已。

我的名字是伊莎贝拉·巴斯克斯，五年前我的生活在我眼前崩溃了。

我记得那个晚上，仿佛就在昨天。大雨滂沱，城市灯光昏暗，匆忙的脚步声在湿漉漉的人行道上回响，我努力忍住泪水。我去找洛伦佐解释了一切，但他根本不听。在他眼里，我是个叛徒，是个骗子。是个欺骗他的女人。

然后他就离开了我。

但洛伦佐从来不知道，我也不知道，我怀了他的孩子。

那天晚上我终于明白了，因为我的身体无法承受情感上的冲击，无法承受看到他鄙视我、抛弃我们拥有的一切的痛苦。我失去了我们的孩子。

我在医院醒来，周围都是陌生人，他们发现我昏倒在街上。我的生命就此终结。

我逃走了。我抛下一切，断绝与过去的一切联系，在邻近的城市重新开始。但重新开始从来都不容易，尤其是对于一个失去了一切的人来说。

五年后的今天，我拥有了一家小型室内设计公司。我白手起家，辛辛苦苦地把积攒的每一分钱都投入其中。我的薪水还算可以，生活也不需要太多奢侈，但事实是，我正濒临破产。

我的公司正面临严重的危机。如果我得不到紧急资金，就只能关门大吉了。维护成本、供应商成本和员工工资都在不断上涨，而客户也不再像以前那样频繁地完成交易。

每过一天，我都感到责任越来越重。如果失去公司，我多年的奉献和牺牲就化为乌有。但当我的选择越来越少时，我又能做什么呢？

这就是为什么我花了一整天时间开会，拼命想获得贷款。但答案都一样：

“遗憾的是，目前我们无法提供信用。”

我试过联系银行、投资者，甚至是欠我人情的前客户，但没有人愿意冒这个险。

现在，我坐在办公桌前，看着那堆账单，绝望感越来越强烈。我的手机在键盘旁震动起来。我叹了口气，拿起手机，准备忽略任何新的账单。但是，当我看到屏幕上的名字时，我的心跳停止了。

埃莉诺拉·莫雷蒂女士。

这么多年过去了，她到底想从我这里得到什么？

我盯着屏幕才回答。

“你好？”

“伊莎贝拉，亲爱的……好久不见了。”

我闭上眼睛。她的声音依旧，充满爱意，又带着一种自然的权威。和洛伦佐不同，他的祖母一直对我很温柔。

“是的，很久了……”我低声说道。

“我们需要谈谈。我想你。”

我喉咙发干。她为什么现在要见我？

“我……我不知道这是不是个好主意，埃莉诺拉夫人。我……”

“伊莎贝拉，求你了。至少给我一杯茶。别的什么都不要。”

我叹了口气。我一方面知道我应该拒绝。但另一方面……我又感到好奇。

说实话，我没什么可失去的。

“好的。在哪里，什么时候？”

她给了我市中心一家高档咖啡馆的地址，并安排我们在同一天见面。

挂断电话后，我的手很冷。

我等了一会儿，希望焦虑感能过去，然后抓起钱包，上车，朝着埃莉诺拉夫人发来的地址驶去。我的心跳加速，我不知道究竟是为什么。

也许是因为我即将见到我曾经爱过的那个男人的祖母。

或者也许是害怕这么长时间之后她又想从我这里得到什么。

路况还好，但我的心思却飘到了别的地方。我的手在方向盘上冒汗，每开过一个街区，我的呼吸就变得急促起来。

当我终于把车停在市中心那家高档咖啡馆前时，我在车里待了几秒钟。我的手指紧紧地攥着方向盘冰冷的皮革，努力理清思绪。

我为什么在这里？

我本该拒绝的。但我内心深处有个声音告诉我，我应该继续下去。我已经到了那里，继续下去又有什么意义呢？

我深吸一口气，解开安全带，下了车。

一进咖啡馆，清新咖啡的香气和淡淡的香草味便扑面而来。我的目光扫过房间，终于找到了坐在角落一张预留桌旁的埃莉诺拉·莫雷蒂女士。

年龄似乎并未对她造成任何负担。她灰白的头发盘成优雅的发髻，一如我记忆中那般锐利，当我走近时，她从头到脚打量着我。

“伊莎贝拉……”她微笑着，微微从椅子上站起身。“你看起来真漂亮。”

我胸口一阵紧缩，不知道该笑还是该保持冷静。

“下午好，埃莉诺拉女士。”

“亲爱的，请坐。”

我照她说的做了，很快服务员就过来点菜了。我只点了一杯简单的咖啡，她点了一杯甘菊茶。

接下来的沉默很奇怪。我感觉她叫我过来并不只是为了聊聊近况。

埃莉诺拉女士首先发言。

“亲爱的，听说你这几年过得不错。”

我毫无幽默感地笑了。

“如果‘好吧’意味着拼命挽救我的公司，那么是的，我做得很好。”

她观察了我一会儿，似乎在分析我说的每一个字。

“你还是心怀怨恨，不是吗？”

我的双手紧紧地放在膝盖上，不想谈论过去的事情。

“我已经放下了，埃莉诺拉夫人。我和你孙子之间的事已经过去了。”

她轻轻点头，平静地搅拌着茶。

“我知道他不想听你说话……”她叹了口气，“而且我也知道你承受的痛苦远比他想象的要多。”

我的背脊一僵。她知道了？

我眨了几下眼睛，努力回想。但我还没来得及开口，她就继续说道：

“洛伦佐对你做的事真是个大错特错，伊莎贝拉。但我了解我的孙子。他太骄傲太固执，不愿承认自己错了。尽管你们彼此都心怀怨恨，但内心深处，你们仍然爱着彼此。”

我没有回答。我的喉咙哽咽得厉害。

“这就是我今天来这里的原因，”她继续说道，把杯子放在桌上，十指交叉放在膝盖上。“我需要你的帮助。”

“我的帮助？”我扬了扬眉毛。这倒是出乎意料。“我帮什么忙？”我壮着胆子又问了一遍。

她在椅子上直起身子，锐利的目光注视着我。

“我要你嫁给我的孙子。”

我的心跳停止了。

我眨了眨眼，希望她会笑着说这只是个玩笑。但她的表情依然严肃，足以让我知道她不是在开玩笑。

我发出一声毫无幽默感的笑声。

“你一定是在开玩笑吧。”

“我很认真。”

这太疯狂了。

“我到底为什么要这么做？”

“因为你需要钱。”

我的肌肉僵住了。

她身体前倾，表情依然平静，但却充满决心。

“正如你所说，你的公司陷入了困境。我知道你正在努力维持运营。而且我知道到目前为止，你还没有找到其他解决办法。”

我咽了口唾沫。她很了解我，知道我为了让公司重新站起来而付出了巨大的努力。

“那我能得到什么呢？洛伦佐只会更加恨我。”

她微微一笑。

“你会赚到足够的钱来解决你的财务问题，而且你的账户里还会有不少钱。你今年剩下的时间都不用担心偿还任何债务了。除了洛伦佐支付的合同费外，我还会额外给你一笔。”

我的心猛地一跳。

她确切地知道如何找到我。

“洛伦佐需要这场婚姻。媒体一直在猜测他的私生活，他承受不起形象和性取向受到质疑。他只需要一场民事婚姻，这能提升公众的可信度。而你需要钱。再说，除了你，我不想让任何人跟我们姓。”她抓住我的手。“我非常爱你，亲爱的，我不会撒谎，我希望你们俩能和好如初。”

我的胃翻江倒海。

“他……知道是我吗？”

埃莉诺拉女士否定地摇了摇头。

“不会。而且他不在乎谁是妻子，只要合同履行就行。从某种程度上来说，这对你有好处，他不可能知道你是妻子。”

我眯起了眼睛。这太疯狂了。他什么时候才能发现？

但事实是……我陷入困境了。我需要钱，而莫雷蒂家族是当时唯一的出路。或许这也是我唯一的机会，一条摆脱困境的出路。

我深吸一口气，思绪飞向各个可能的方向。

与洛伦佐·莫雷蒂结婚。

一个恨我的男人。

一个根本不知道我是契约新娘的男人。

然而，我内心的一切都在尖叫着我应该答应，并一劳永逸地解决我的问题。

我抬起头，看着眼前的莫雷蒂夫人。

“这什么时候需要发生？”

她笑了。

“一周后。”

“好的，我嫁给洛伦佐。”

...(⁠๑⁠˙⁠❥⁠˙⁠๑⁠) *Lorenzo Moretti* (⁠๑⁠˙⁠❥⁠˙⁠๑⁠)...

My name is Lorenzo Moretti, CEO of the Moretti Group, one of the largest business conglomerates in Italy. To the world, I am a ruthless, cold, and calculating businessman. To the press, I am mysterious and unreachable. To my enemies, I am an impossible problem to solve.

And to Isabella Vasquez, I am the man who hates her.

Five years ago, she was the only woman for whom I was able to lower my guard. The only one for whom I truly allowed myself to feel something. And it was a mistake. When I saw her get into my enemy Ernandes' car, on the day my projects disappeared, I knew it wasn't a coincidence. She was with him, the photos I received, the evidence I received, everything led me to her.

She destroyed me.

Looking back, I still wonder how I was so foolish. Me, Lorenzo Moretti, believing in love. It sounds like a joke.

The problem is that Isabella was good at it. She knew exactly how to make a man fall in love. Her innocent smile, her light laughter, her furtive glances... Everything about her seemed real. Until one day, I discovered her betrayal, and it destroyed me.

The image of her getting into that scoundrel's car was etched in my mind like a damn tattoo.

She tried to deny it. Tried to justify herself. But I didn't want to listen. I didn't need to. I had already seen enough.

And then, I let her go.

She died to me that night.

Since then, I have never trusted anyone again. I have never allowed myself to feel anything beyond what is necessary. Women? Just distractions that I have been avoiding. Relationships? An unnecessary risk.

My focus was only one thing: my business.

I built an unshakeable empire, expanded my investments, increased my fortune. And now, years later, there was nothing I couldn't have.

Nothing but peace.

The sound of ice clinking against the glass brought me back to the present.

I held the glass of whiskey firmly, swirling the amber liquid inside. The drink went down hot through my throat as I leaned against the office table, watching the city through the huge glass wall.

The lights of Milan shone in the distance, but everything seemed monotonous. As always.

I was about to pour myself another drink when I heard the office door open.

"You shouldn't drink so much, Lorenzo."

The soft, yet firm, voice of Dona Eleonora Moretti filled the room. I sighed and turned slowly, facing my grandmother.

She was a woman of presence. Even with her advanced age, she still exuded elegance and authority. Her impeccable bun and the astute glint in her eyes made it clear that she hadn't come here by chance.

"To what do I owe the honor of the visit, nonna?" I asked, raising the glass in a sarcastic toast.

She entered the office without caring about my irony and sat in the armchair in front of me, calmly crossing her legs.

"I want to talk about something very important."

I huffed and took another sip.

"Since when do you make unexpected visits to talk about something important?" I am surprised now.

She looked at me without showing emotions.

"Since your reputation is at stake, and you don't seem to care."

Here we go.

"My reputation?" I gave a half-smile. "My empire is growing. My investments have doubled in the last quarter. My name remains intact. What else matters?"

She gave me a sharp look.

"Your image."

I remained silent. I knew exactly what she was talking about.

In recent months, rumors have begun to circulate in the press. Speculation about my sexuality. First, it was a bad taste joke in some tabloid. Then, an article insinuating that I was never seen with women. Then, the comments on social media questioning my sexual orientation.

And now, according to my grandmother, this was affecting my business.

Luxury magazines were already starting to say that I was "too mysterious", that my lack of love scandals was "suspicious", and that "perhaps Lorenzo Moretti was not interested in women." In other words, to many I am Gay.

In the business world, perception is everything.

My jaw clenched, but I remained calm.

"They are just rumors."

My grandmother smiled.

"And you know that rumors can become truths if they are repeated many times."

I crossed my arms.

"Where are you going with this, nonna?"

She leaned forward, with a cunning look.

"I want you to get married."

I blinked slowly, absorbing what she had just said. Then, I let out a dry laugh.

"You're joking."

"I am not."

My smile disappeared.

"Nonna, I'm not going to get married because of gossip. That's ridiculous. If my grandfather were alive, you wouldn't even dare to mention this subject."

She remained impassive.

"He's not here to protect you, that's why you don't mature. Let your grandfather rest in peace," she rebuked me. "I'm not suggesting a real marriage. Just a contract. A temporary wife to shut the press up. You won't have to live with her."

I closed my eyes for a second.

"I don't need this."

"Yes, you do. Or do you want your investors to start hesitating to close deals with you because your image is tarnished, and bankrupt our family's company?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. Damn it, she knew how to get to me.

She realized she had shaken me and continued:

"It won't be a real marriage, Lorenzo. Only civil, no ceremony. Just some basic interviews for the press, and then, everyone goes their own way."

My mind was spinning. A contract. Just a contract.

It would be a nuisance, but... it would be an effective solution.

"And who will be the lucky "wife"? I asked, mocking.

"Don't worry about that. I've already chosen someone appropriate. Just worry about showing up on the day of the civil wedding to sign."

I raised an eyebrow.

"And this woman agreed to this?"

Dona Eleonora smiled.

"She needs the money. You need the intact reputation. Sounds like a great deal, don't you think?"

I sighed, swirling the whiskey in the glass.

This was a game I didn't want to play. But I knew that, in the business world, what matters is not what we want, but what we need to do. And at the moment, I needed to put an end to these rumors.

"Only civil. No involvement. No contact?"

She nodded.

"Exactly."

I narrowed my eyes. What kind of woman would accept this?

But, in the end, it didn't matter. I didn't care to know her name. It was a win-win deal. If I didn't need to interact with this woman, everything would be simpler.

But I still had conditions to impose.

"If I accept this, there will be some rules," I said, staring at my grandmother.

She raised her eyebrows, waiting.

"The wedding will be only civil. No party, no ceremony, no guests. All this is necessary to validate the document. This was your rule number one!" I asked, trying to understand.

"That was already planned," she confirmed.

"Then rule number 2 is no photos together, no aspect. The only thing that will come out in the newspapers will be a formal announcement informing that I got married. I will wear a ring on my finger, that's enough."

She narrowed her eyes.

"The newspapers will want more, you know that."

"Fuck the newspapers. I don't want my personal life exposed."

Dona Eleonora sighed.

"Okay. No photos. But you will need to be present at the registry office to sign the papers. And the photographers will be there to take the photos, and of course, some reporters with basic questions about you two. And after that, you will be responsible for attracting all of them away from there, so they don't know who your bride is."

"Obviously. I don't even want to see her!"

She tilted her head, a calm smile playing on her lips.

"Deal." She stood up and adjusted her coat. "In a week, it will be the wedding."

I nodded and turned my chair to the city view, and she left.

...(⁠๑⁠˙⁠❥⁠˙⁠๑⁠) *Isabella* (⁠๑⁠˙⁠❥⁠˙⁠๑⁠)...

The cell phone vibrated on my desk and my heart skipped a beat, even though I already knew who it was.

Dona Eleonora Moretti.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what I would hear. It was already decided. I accepted this deal knowing exactly what I was getting into. But now, hearing the confirmation that I was about to become Lorenzo Moretti's wife still made my stomach churn with nerves.

I answered almost on the last ring.

"Isabella, dear, it's done. The wedding will be in a week," her voice sounded calm, as always.

I bit my lips.

Even expecting this answer, hearing the words come out of her mouth made it all more real.

"Okay…" my voice came out a little weaker than I would have liked.

"Don't worry, my dear. Everything is already planned. The wedding will be discreet, as Lorenzo demanded. Just a signature, no ceremony, nothing. And as soon as you comply with the agreement, I'll send you the promised amount."

He really had no idea.

He would sign those papers without even caring who was on the other side. For him, it didn't matter who his wife would be, as long as the media believed it.

But for me… it did.

"Are you okay, Isabella?" Dona Eleonora asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Yes, I'm just processing everything," I lie.

"It's understandable. But trust me, dear, this will be good for you."

I bit my lip again. Good?

Marrying a man who hates me and has no idea he's marrying me? That wouldn't be good at all.

"Tomorrow, the lawyer will take the documents for you to sign before the wedding," she continued. "Don't worry about anything. I've provided what's needed."

There was no need to worry.

Fate was already sealed.

When the call ended, I stared at the black screen of the cell phone.

In a week, I would be Isabella Moretti.

I didn't sleep well that night.

The memories haunted me, as they always did when Lorenzo's name came back to my mind.

The man who loved me, and then threw me away, without giving me the opportunity to tell him the whole truth.

He didn't even want to hear me. He never tried to understand what really happened. He simply discarded me as if I had never meant anything.

But now? In a few weeks, he would be tied to me.

If he had given me the chance to speak, if he had listened, maybe none of this would be happening.

But he made his choice. And I made mine.

The next day, a man in an impeccable suit appeared at the reception of my company.

"Miss Vasquez?"

I nodded.

"I am Dona Eleonora's lawyer. I've come to bring the contract for you to sign."

He opened a leather folder and slid the papers onto the table.

My heart raced when I saw the name Lorenzo Moretti printed there.

So many years had passed and, yet, my name would again be next to his.

"If you could sign here…" he pointed to the last line of the document.

I held the pen firmly, although my fingers trembled slightly.

Lorenzo signed without even knowing who the woman was who would be carrying his last name.

How ironic.

I swallowed hard and, without thinking further, signed my name.

"Great," said the lawyer, collecting the papers. "The wedding will take place in a few days, but, as requested by Mr. Moretti, you will not need to see each other before the ceremony."

Of course not.

He didn't want to know who the wife was. He didn't want to meet, or see, or waste a minute thinking about her.

If he knew it was me.

Would he have torn up that contract right then and there?

...(⁠๑⁠˙⁠❥⁠˙⁠๑⁠) One week later (⁠๑⁠˙⁠❥⁠˙⁠๑⁠)...

On the day of the wedding, I woke up early. The air was cold, the sky cloudy. A perfect day for a loveless wedding.

I dressed slowly, analyzing my reflection in the mirror.

Dona Eleonora sent the dress for me. Something elegant, but discreet. It wasn't a traditional wedding dress, because this wasn't a real wedding.

My only function was to sign a paper and become Lorenzo Moretti's invisible wife. I knew that this agreement would benefit me financially.

My hair was loose, as Lorenzo always liked.

Funny.

I knew he wouldn't see me today, but, somehow, I still wanted him to see me as I always was.

I got into my car and drove to the registry office.

When I arrived, an assistant of Dona Eleonora was already waiting for me.

"Good morning, Miss...."

"Isabella!"

"Miss Isabella. Come with me."

He led me to a private room. On the table were the final documents.

My gaze was drawn to his name once again.

Lorenzo Moretti.

"Has he already signed?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

"Yes, earlier. He just came to sign, and left."

My breath caught in my throat.

Of course. Because for him, it didn't matter.

I signed my name.

With a single stroke of the pen, I became the wife of the man who hated me.

When I left the registry office, the cold wind hit my skin. The world continued as normal, as if nothing had changed. But for me, everything was different.

I took out my cell phone and sent a short message to Dona Eleonora:

It's done.

Seconds later, she replied:

"Welcome to the family, Isabella."

My fingers tightened on the phone.

"What have I done?" I asked myself, looking at the ring on my finger. A ring that I myself had put on.

I walked to my car, got in, and drove straight to the apartment where I live.

When I parked in front of the building, a black car stopped and a security guard got out before me. I opened the door of my car, he greeted me and extended his arm handing me a black briefcase.

"Here it is, Mrs. Moretti."

My hands trembled slightly as I took it. I already knew what was inside.

Money.

The payment for my wedding.

I swallowed hard and just nodded, squeezing the handle of the briefcase tightly. Without saying anything else, I went to my apartment, feeling each step weighing more than ever.