Chapter 2 - The Whispers in the Shadows
Within forty-eight hours, the news of Vincent Moretti’s sudden wedding detonated across Chicago like a bomb. The tabloids went wild with sensational headlines: “THE BEAST FINDS A BRIDE,” “WHO IS THE MYSTERY WOMAN WHO TAMED VINCENT MORETTI?” Some vile gossip blogs even leaked candid photos of me from the courthouse, zooming in on my curvy figure and unstyled hair with vicious captions asking why the city’s most eligible, dangerous billionaire had settled for an ""ordinary, plus-sized nobody.""
I tried not to read them, but late at night, in the massive guest bedroom Vincent had prepared for me while we maintained separate rooms to allow me to adjust, the comments stung. Yet every morning, reality washed away the pain.
The twins, Mia and Chloe, were six years old with curly chestnut hair and wide, innocent hazel eyes. For fourteen months following the tragic car crash that killed their mother, Isabella, they had been completely mute. Psychologists, speech therapists, and neuro-specialists had all failed. But every day at dawn, the little girls would slip out of their nursery, tiptoe down the marble corridor, and climb into my bed, curling against my chest like two tiny kittens.
They loved the way I smelled of lavender soap. They loved that I didn’t push them to talk, but instead sang quiet lullabies my mother used to sing to me, brushing their hair until they fell back asleep.
On our third day together, Vincent had a new team of Italian designers arrive at the estate. Unlike Madame Laurent, these women bowed their heads respectfully. They brought silks, velvets, and emerald-green cashmere coats custom-designed to celebrate my curves, emphasizing my waist and the soft, radiant beauty I had hidden away under baggy rags for so long. For the first time in ten years, when I looked in the mirror wearing an emerald velvet dress, I didn't see an outcast. I saw a gorgeous, dignified woman.
Vincent stood by the doorway watching me, a rare, breathtaking smirk playing on his lips. ""You take my breath away, Evelyn,"" he whispered, sending shivers racing across my skin.
However, peace was an illusion in the Moretti empire.
That afternoon, a convoy of black luxury SUVs pulled up to the courtyard. Out stepped a woman who looked like ice personified: Victoria Sterling, the elder sister of Vincent’s deceased wife, flanked by two ruthless corporate lawyers and an entourage of bodyguards.
Victoria marched into the main drawing room, her sharp diamond jewelry glittering under the chandelier. Her cold eyes landed on me, scanning me from head to toe with unmasked disgust.
""So this is the circus act you hired to convince the family court judge you’re a stable father, Vincent?"" Victoria sneered, lighting a cigarette despite the estate’s strict rules. ""A penniless, overweight street beggar off the gutter? Do you honestly think Judge Callahan will believe this sham marriage?""
Vincent didn’t flinch. He sat behind his mahogany desk, swirling amber scotch in a crystal tumbler. ""My marriage is legally binding, Victoria. And Evelyn is a mother to my daughters in ways your self-obsessed sister never managed to be.""
Victoria slammed her manicured hands onto the desk, her face twisting in rage. ""Isabella was a high-society princess! This creature looks like she cleans bathrooms at bus stations! The Sterling family holds thirty percent of your shipping logistics. We filed for full custody this morning. In two weeks, a court evaluator is visiting this mansion. If that evaluator finds a single crack in your pathetic fairy tale, my lawyers will rip Mia and Chloe away from you forever. And you, little girl,"" she hissed, pointing a manicured nail right in my face, ""enjoy the caviar while you can. Because once the court gives me those girls and the Sterling trust fund, I’ll throw you right back into the dumpster where Vincent found you.""
She stormed out, her heels clicking angrily on the marble.
I stood there, my chest heaving with anxiety. Vincent walked over to me, placing his hands on my shoulders. ""Do you want to run away, Evelyn? I wouldn’t blame you. The Sterling family is vicious.""
May you like
I looked toward the hallway where Mia and Chloe were peeking through the banister, watching us with terrified eyes.
""No,"" I said firmly, surprising even myself with the fierce steel in my voice. ""Those little girls deserve a real home, Vincent. I’m not going anywhere. We fight.""
