Chapter 1

★ANGELITA★

I stood, stunned in silence as I watched my older sister—Celeste—release the contents of her stomach into the toilet. I rushed to help her, holding her long hair as she threw up clear water. I knew Celeste wasn't sick; she hadn't been sick, and this act only meant one thing.

Celeste was pregnant.

"Tell me it's not true, Ces," I whispered, and she looked up at me. There was a hint of guilt on her face, but no remorse or shame.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Lita," she whispered, pulling away from the toilet and leaning against the wall beside it. I let go of her long hair, which fell to her waist.

We'd inherited that feature from our late mother.

"You... You are pregnant, Ces. Does father know?" My heart thundered against my chest as I stared at her.

It can't be real; this shouldn't be true.

"He doesn't, but I'm planning on telling him." She released a long sigh, closing her eyes.

"You're promised to De Luca, Ces! What are you trying to do?!" My face was red now, my eyes burning from the tears I was trying to hold back.

"And I met William first, Lita! I finally met a man who saw me for who I am and not for father's shell of a company. I met a man who loved me, and I loved him too, Lita. I met a man to whom I promised my life before I even knew who De Luca was!" My breath caught in my throat.

It was the first time I'd ever seen Celeste lose control, much less cry. I'd never witnessed my sister's tears; I didn't even know what she looked like when she was sad. She was always happy. Always composed. Always the perfect first daughter for cameras and galas. This must have hurt her as much as it was tearing me apart.

"Oh my God, Ces." I covered my face with my hands. "You never even told me about the man you love! Am I not your sister anymore? I thought we were close." I peeled my hands away to find her giving me a small smile.

"I'm sorry, Lita. I didn't... I didn't want to bother you since you already knew I was promised to De Luca." She said then adjusted herself and held both my hands in hers. "I love him, Lita. I really do. I've promised to spend the rest of my life with him. He's a good man."

It was the first time I'd ever seen Celeste in love. She was twenty-five but had hardly met men or had any high school or college boyfriends. The look in her eyes—the admiration she displayed while talking about her lover—was something I'd always wanted to see in the eyes of the man I love.

"What will father do now? He'll be so mad—not to mention De Luca. Ces, they have already signed the agreement." I told her, and she nodded in response, leaning back against the wall again.

"I know, Lita, I know. That'll be the biggest problem right now because he wouldn't want a disgrace for a daughter." She chuckled at the end of her statement, and I squeezed her hand that was still holding mine.

"You're not a disgrace, Ces. Don't ever think about yourself that way, okay? You're the best thing that has ever happened to me—and him too." She smiled and nodded. "Does he know? Your William, I mean—does he know you are promised to De Luca?"

"Nah," she shook her head. "He doesn't." She stood up, pulling me up in the process as well. I adjusted my Chanel skirt. "I don't plan on telling him anyway. Let's leave here."

We walked out of the toilet and into her room. I'd just come back from the spa when Celeste was watching TV; then suddenly she rushed up to her room. Shocked by her behavior, I followed her only to discover news that could potentially destroy both our lives.

"Talk about Gerard when he finds out," I said, twitching my lips at the thought of our brother who had left Italy to work in New York.

"Gerard can go fuck himself," Celeste snorted, and I chuckled. "I can't have two men breathing down my neck." We both made ourselves comfortable at the edge of her bed. "I wish Mom were here with us; she'd know how to handle these cases for us."

I chuckled and nodded in agreement. Our mother was the only person who could speak sense into Father. She had died from cancer three years ago; her death had shaken all of us—it still did—even though that time had passed.

It hurt me the most; I was closest to her compared to my other siblings, so it broke something in me that I don't think would ever be replaced.

"Yeah, so we'd have to handle it by ourselves. It's not like he's going to kill me or anything when I'm carrying a baby." She flipped her hair dramatically, and I laughed out loud.

That was Celeste—always making sure everyone around her was happy, even if it came at the expense of her own happiness.

"I'm actually happy for you, Ces—and your baby! I honestly can't believe I'm going to be an aunt soon!" I giggled, and she joined me. "You should tell William."

"I will," she smiled warmly and looked down at her tummy that was barely showing while rubbing the fabric against that spot. "He'd be so happy; he has always wanted to be a father."

"He sounds lovely. I hope I'll meet him someday."

"You will, Lita." She kissed my cheeks. "Now it's time to tell Father about his potential heir." She said so coolly that it made me wish for more courage than I felt.

"Father is home? Oh God, this is going to be crazy!"