𝗝𝗜𝗡𝗫

FOUR

GIA POV:

"Your brother is a dick," Lucia's voice crackled through the phone, laced with a mixture of frustration and annoyance.

I pulled the phone away from my ear, wincing slightly at her outburst. "Wait, what happened?" I asked, trying to keep my tone level despite the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line, and I could imagine Lucia pacing agitatedly, her stilettos clicking against the floor.

"I was at that charity gala, trying to get close to him like we discussed," she began, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Everything was going smoothly at first. I played the part of the charming, sophisticated socialite to perfection, and Marco seemed to be eating it up."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me, encouraging her to continue.

"We were... flirting, I guess you could call it," Lucia admitted, a hint of reluctance in her voice. "Nothing too overt, but there was definitely a charged undercurrent between us. I thought I was making progress, getting him to let his guard down around me."

"But then Isabella showed up," Lucia spat out the name like a curse.

My stomach clenched at the mention of Isabella Moretti, Marco's on-again, off-again girlfriend. I knew all too well how possessive and vindictive she could be, especially when it came to perceived threats to her relationship with my brother.

"She took one look at Marco and me together, and it was like a switch flipped," Lucia continued, her voice rising in frustration. "Suddenly, she was all over him, marking her territory like some kind of deranged animal. And Marco, being the spineless idiot that he is when it comes to her, just went along with it."

"It was humiliating," Lucia seethed. "She made a point of insulting me, belittling me in front of him, and Marco just stood there like a useless lump, letting her do it."

A wave of anger washed over me, not only at Isabella's predictably toxic behavior but also at Marco's apparent complacency in the face of it. How could he allow someone to treat Lucia – my closest friend, the person risking everything to help me – with such blatant disrespect?

Plus, I was so sure he had a soft spot for her.

"I'm so sorry, Lucia," I murmured, my heart aching for her. "That must have been incredibly difficult to endure, especially after all the effort you've put into getting close to Marco."

here was a long pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I wondered if the call had been disconnected. But then Lucia's voice came through again, slightly muffled as if she were speaking through gritted teeth.

"It's not over," she declared, a steely edge creeping into her tone. "Your brother might be a spineless coward when it comes to that harpy, but I'm not giving up that easily."

"What's your plan?"

"You know, I don't really care if he has a soft spot for me or anything, I honeslty don't give a fuck about him." She spat, "Sorry, I know he is your brother but that's the truth."

I could almost see her running a frustrated hand through her sleek dark hair as she reined in her trademark fiery temper. When Lucia spoke again, her voice had regained its usual smooth, calculated cadence.

"Okay, let's regroup. Getting under Marco's skin is clearly a non-starter for now. But you know your brother - he's arrogant enough to think he can easily charm and manipulate any woman who catches his roving eye."

She gave a derisive snort. "Idiot never could resist trying to prove his irresistible machismo. So maybe I need to lean into that angle instead of the faux romance."