Chapter 3 Nothing but a fucking lie

Serena hurried downstairs, knowing Lorenzo hated delays. The last thing she wanted was to give him another reason to be angry with her.

Halfway down the staircase, dizziness suddenly washed over her. She grabbed the railing, closing her eyes until the feeling passed. The pregnancy was already affecting her more than she had expected.

After taking a deep breath, she continued to the kitchen and began preparing Lorenzo's breakfast herself. The mansion was filled with servants, but few showed her any respect. They took their cue from their master, who had never treated her like his wife.

Serena endured it all in silence but now, however, she had someone to protect. Resting a hand on her stomach, she smiled faintly. Perhaps this little miracle would become the reason Lorenzo finally opened his heart and gave their family a chance.

She was lost in her thoughts and cooking breakfast when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, startling her. The hot pan dropped from her hand, and she winced as the hot oil burned her soft skin, quickly turning it red but she cared more about pushing away the disgusting touch that made her nauseous.

“What the hell are you doing, Damiano? I am your sister-in-law,” she spat out with disgust as she pushed the man violently.

Damiano Russo was Lorenzo’s stepbrother, and he didn’t miss a chance to assault Serena whenever he found her alone.

“Don’t be so rude, Sister-in-law!” Damiano smirked as he stepped closer, making Serena take a step back instinctively. “My brother can’t appreciate a beautiful woman like you, but I can. Give me a chance, and I will fulfill all your desires,” he whispered, licking his lips while his dirty gaze roamed over Serena’s body, making her grimace with disgust.

“Go away, or I will scream,” she threatened, gazing at him with hatred and anger.

Damiano  laughed.

“And who is going to believe you?”

She shrieked with fear as Damiano rushed her, trapping her between the kitchen island and his body, trying to kiss her forcefully. Serena pushed him, thrashing her body and trying to hit him, but he didn’t budge. Her eyes widened as he grabbed her hair to steady her face but a deep voice made him step back with extreme fear.

"What the hell is going on here?"

The icy voice echoed through the kitchen.

Damiano immediately released Serena and took several hurried steps back, his face draining of color.

"L-Lorenzo..."

The moment Serena saw her husband standing at the entrance, she rushed behind him without thinking. Her trembling hands instinctively clutched the back of his shirt, desperate to put as much distance as possible between herself and Damiano.

Seeing that, Damiano's eyes flickered before he quickly put on an injured expression.

"Lorenzo, you've got it all wrong."

He sighed dramatically and ran a hand through his hair. "I came here because I caught Serena behaving inappropriately."

Serena stared at him in disbelief.

"What?"

Damiano pointed accusingly at her.

"I tried to remind her that she's a married woman, but she... she started throwing herself at me."

"That's a lie!" Serena exclaimed, unable to contain her anger.

Damiano shook his head, pretending to be disappointed.

"Why would I make something like that up? You're my brother's wife. Why would I betray my own family?"

Stepbrother, Serena corrected silently, rage burning inside her. She couldn't believe how effortlessly he twisted the truth. Every word that left his mouth was nothing but another fucking lie.

She wanted nothing more than to slap the smug look off his face but before she could say another word, Lorenzo suddenly seized her wrist.

His grip was painfully tight as he pulled her around to face him.

Serena looked up at him, her heart pounding wildly. She had to make him understand. She had to tell him that Damiano had been the one who cornered her but she knew it was useless.

Whenever it came to his family, Lorenzo never questioned a single word they said.

He trusted them blindly and he distrusted her just as completely.

The moment their eyes met, Serena's heart sank. The fury blazing in Lorenzo's gaze stole every word from her lips.

Without a word, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her upstairs.

"Mr. Russo ... please, you're hurting me."

He ignored her pleas. The bedroom door slammed shut behind them and before Serena could steady herself, he shoved her onto the bed.

"So this is what you've been doing behind my back?" he said, his voice dangerously low. "The moment I look away, you're already entertaining another man."

Serena stared at him in disbelief.

"No... that's not what happened."

"I saw enough."

"He forced himself on me!" she cried. "I never…"

"Enough! I don't want to hear any other of your lies."

Each accusation struck her like a knife.

How could the man she loved think so little of her?

In four years of marriage, she had never looked at another man. Her entire world had revolved around Lorenzo, yet he refused to believe even a single word she said.

Tears blurred her vision.

"I've never betrayed you," she whispered brokenly. "Never."

Lorenzo's jaw tightened, but his anger refused to fade. To him, everyone else's words carried more weight than his own wife's.

Serena closed her eyes, feeling utterly defeated. She no longer had the strength to defend herself.

As another storm of accusations rained down on her, silent tears slipped down her cheeks.

Deep inside, only one question remained.

How much longer could her heart endure loving a man who never trusted her?