CHAPTER 1 : LOST
The fragrant scent of lilies and red roses drifted from outside the venue. A wedding ceremony meant to unite two souls as one was about to begin. The joyful atmosphere on that bright morning, accompanied by the gentle sound of piano music welcoming the arrival of the bride and groom, could be heard even in the makeup room—where Ashley sat, radiant in a beautiful wedding gown. The long-awaited day, after five years with her beloved, Antonio Candreva, was finally happening. Their wedding.
A joyful smile graced Ashley's face, knowing she was about to become the wife of the man she loved. The intimate ceremony, planned to take place in 30 minutes, was only attended by 50 guests—close family and dearest friends of both bride and groom. Inside the makeup room, Ashley was accompanied by her two closest friends, Nicole and Liana. Nicole, a blonde with hazel eyes, was her best friend since high school. And Liana, with her exotic skin and short black hair, was Ashley’s cousin and childhood friend.
"Ashley, you look absolutely stunning! No one could ever outshine you today~!" Nicole squealed, her bubbly and carefree nature always lighting up the room.
"Haha, thank you, Nicole..." Ashley giggled softly.
"I can't wait to see Antonio’s reaction when he sees Ashley walking down the aisle in that gorgeous dress! It’ll be like a romantic drama~" Nicole jumped slightly, clearly overly excited.
"You're so noisy, Nicole. Everyone already knows that," Liana remarked, sniffing slightly. Compared to cheerful Nicole, she was calmer and more reserved.
Nicole pouted and huffed. "I’m just excited about Ashley’s wedding and happiness! If you don’t like it, then leave!"
"Me? Leave? If anyone should leave, it's you. I'm Ashley’s cousin, so I have more right to be here." Liana sighed.
Ashley chuckled lightly, somewhat entertained by their little argument. They were always bickering. She gently shook her head.
"My daughter..." came the familiar voice of an elderly man, around 60, from the door. Ashley looked up toward the source of the voice.
“Dad!” Ashley stood from her chair and walked toward her father, Russell Blaine. “You’re here...”
Russell smiled, his eyes glistening with tears. Joy, pride, sorrow—a storm of emotions welled up in his heart. His little girl, who used to follow him everywhere, was now grown and about to start a family of her own. He cupped Ashley’s cheek and gently caressed it. “My little girl... today, you’ll have a family of your own. I’m so happy to see you in your dream wedding dress, holding the hand of the man you love. But no matter what, you’ll always be my little girl…” Russell kissed her forehead, holding back tears.
Hearing her father’s words, Ashley felt her heart tighten with emotion. Her eyes welled with unshed tears. “Dad… please, don’t make me cry…”
“Haha, sorry, sweetheart. Don’t cry or you’ll ruin your makeup,” Russell chuckled.
“Ashley,” another voice called out. A woman with curly red hair stood behind Russell, smiling warmly. Aunt Leona Morrone, Ashley’s stepmother.
“Aunt Leona…” Ashley smiled in return as Leona stepped forward to stand in front of her.
“I’m so happy for you, dear. You’ve made a life-changing decision, becoming the wife of someone you love. I hope you’re always surrounded by happiness…” Leona softly stroked Ashley’s hair, a habit she’d kept since Ashley was a little girl.
“Auntie… thank you. You’re like a second mother to me.”
The clock’s hands ticked forward. Minutes passed, bringing Ashley closer to the start of her wedding. The faint murmurs of people talking outside could be heard. With a bouquet of white lilies in hand, Ashley prepared herself to be called out, ready to walk arm-in-arm with her father... to approach Antonio, who was waiting at the altar with the officiating priest.
Until... the sudden blare of police sirens shattered the tranquil morning into confusion.
Three men entered the venue, which was already set up for the ceremony. One stood out—walking in the center, wearing a leather jacket, his neatly slicked-back brown hair, tanned skin, and piercing blue eyes. He approached the makeup room, flanked by two other officers.
"Is there someone here named Ashley Blaine?" the man asked, his eyes locking onto the bride.
"I’m Ashley Blaine. Who are you?" Ashley responded, cautious.
“I’m Inspector Lorenzo Moretti from the Sardinia Police Department.” The man pulled out a police badge from his pocket to confirm his identity. “I’m afraid... I have urgent and unfortunate news to deliver.”
Police. Ashley hated police. A nauseating unease twisted in her gut. And now they were here... bringing bad news? Her heart pounded. No… today was supposed to be her happiest day.
“Why are the police here, trying to ruin my day?! Who do you think you—”
Russell gently wrapped his arm around Ashley’s shoulder, squeezing it to calm her. He knew her hatred toward the police all too well. It involved him... and Ashley’s birth mother. “Inspector, can’t you see we’re in the middle of something? My daughter’s about to walk down the aisle. If it’s truly important, please just say it quickly.”
Lorenzo nodded, his face stoic but clearly regretful. “Very well. I’ll get straight to the point. The groom... Signore Antonio, who was supposed to marry today, was found dead at midnight.”
Ashley’s body went cold, as if doused with ice water. Her light brown eyes widened in shock. Russell and everyone around her mirrored the disbelief.
No... no way…
Ashley shook her head slowly. “No... Antonio…”
“His body has been taken to Ospedale Hospital. A forensic autopsy will be performed—” Before he could finish, Ashley bolted from the room. She lifted the hem of her wedding dress and sprinted out of the building. Voices calling her name rang behind her, but she didn’t care. She had only one thought—she had to see him with her own eyes.
“Taxi!!” Ashley flagged down a cab, ignoring the driver’s confused expression. “Ospedale Hospital. Hurry!”
…
Thud! Thud!
Footsteps echoed loudly as Ashley ran into the hospital and rushed to the front desk.
“The morgue. Where’s the morgue?!”
The nurse behind the reception desk was startled to see a woman in a wedding dress approaching her in such a panic. “Miss, are you—”
“Where is it?!” Ashley yelled. She didn’t care about the odd stares around her.
“Uh… to the right wing… near the pathology room…” the nurse stammered.
Without waiting, Ashley ran in the direction given. Her footsteps echoed through the corridor. Upon reaching the pathology department, she felt a chilling aura along the hallway, cold air biting at her skin, especially in her strapless gown. She looked at each sign: Pathology Lab, Records Room, Mortuary…
Ashley rushed toward the mortuary. Without hesitation, she opened the door. A blast of cold air hit her skin. The temperature was around -2° to 4°C, but Ashley didn’t care. She stepped in and closed the door behind her. The room was lined with steel mortuary drawers, a small desk, and two wheeled gurneys, each covered with a white sheet.
Ashley trembled as she slowly approached the gurneys. She read the identification tags.
‘Ms. Isabella Luchesse, 23, 5’2, 54 kg.’
Ashley sighed. Not Antonio.
She glanced at the second gurney.
‘Mr. Antonio Candreva, 29, 5’9, 78 kg.’
Her heart skipped a beat. Antonio’s name… Her beloved…
Holding her breath, she stepped closer. Her hand reached out, gently lifting the sheet. Bit by bit, his face was revealed—soft brown hair she used to caress, the forehead she often kissed, his closed eyes, his sharp nose, the cheek she used to touch, and lips she once kissed…
Tears that had been held back finally flowed, soaking Ashley’s cheeks and dripping onto Antonio’s pale, cold face.
“No… Toni… Toni…” she sobbed, caressing his face. “Don’t leave me…”
The quiet, melancholic morgue echoed with the heartbreaking cries of a woman who had just lost her love… her future, her soulmate. Ashley laid her head on Antonio’s shoulder, weeping. Normally, he would hold her, stroke her hair, and hug her close. But now… all she felt was icy skin against her cheek.
BANG!!
The morgue door burst open, kicked violently by a man. Ashley looked up, startled, still holding Antonio’s lifeless body. A tall, muscular man in a suit, with a thick beard and tattoos of snakes on both arms and his neck, stormed in—his face mixed with panic, grief, and fear. Behind him were several other tall men in black suits.
He rushed to the gurney beside Antonio, yanked the sheet off a pale young woman.
“Isabel!!” he cried, cradling the woman’s face. His rough hands surprisingly gentle as he touched her. “Isabel! My sister!”
Tears welled in his eyes as he stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead. His whole body trembled with emotions—grief, rage, disbelief, fear, loss. “How could this happen?! You were fine yesterday… why did you suddenly leave me?!”
It was a sorrowful sight, but Ashley was too consumed by her own grief to pay it any mind. She closed her eyes, burying her face into Antonio’s neck. Now, the room echoed not only with her sobs—but also the faint weeping of the man beside her. The man stared at his sister’s face, then suddenly, a mix of shock and anger twisted his expression.
“Marco!!” he called out.
A tall man with dark brown hair and a scar on his jaw approached.
“Yes, boss? What are your orders?”
“Bring our men. Find the forensic doctor who handled my sister. Drag him to me. now.”
“Yes, boss.” Marco nodded and left the room with the others. After a while, the noise outside quieted.
Ashley looked toward the door, still lost in her thoughts. Suddenly, the sound of a gun cocking snapped her back to reality. She turned toward the source.
The bearded man pointed a gun at her. His eyes were dark.
“Who are you?! How dare you sneak into this room?!”
Ashley frowned in disbelief. “Excuse me?! Are you blind?! I was here first before you barged in making a scene! How dare you point a gun at me?!”
Surprised by her reaction, the man raised an eyebrow. He looked… confused?
“You don’t know who I am?”
“Should I? Are you the president? A prince? A king? Whatever it is, I don’t care. Get lost!”
The man looked stunned, like he had just encountered something bizarre.
“Have you been living in a cave? In all my life, I’ve never met anyone in Italy who didn’t recognize me. Even tourists are taught to remember my face. Aleandro Luchesse.”
Luchesse. A name that surely appeared on every “wanted” or “dangerous” list—by police, even Interpol. It was the name of Italy’s most notorious mafia family, Veleno di Serpente. Ashley finally realized… she had been too caught up in her grief to notice the other corpse was also a Luchesse. And now, in front of her stood the fifth-generation mafia boss—Aleandro Luchesse.
“Luchesse... damn it. So you’re the head of Veleno di Serpente?”
“So you do know. Still, it’s strange that you didn’t recognize me right away.”
Ashley scoffed, irritated. “Doesn’t matter. I still don’t care—”
“Boss, I found the forensic doctor.” Marco returned, dragging a man in a white coat and forcing him to kneel before Aleandro. The doctor muttered under his breath.
Aleandro approached him, face cold and intimidating. “You’re the forensic doctor in charge of my sister? Then tell me… what happened to her?” He grabbed the doctor’s collar and spoke in a cold, sharp voice. “Don’t bother lying—I’ll know. And if you still dare to lie, I’ll cut your tongue out right here.”
The doctor’s eyes widened instantly, terrified and trembling. His voice stuttered, intimidated and frightened. “I-I’ll tell you... p-please don’t hurt me.”
Aleandro let go of the doctor’s collar, allowing him to explain his sister’s condition.
“A-as the police said, we found Miss Isabella’s body inside a car with a man named Antonio Candreva—”
“Wait a damn second! What did you just say?!” Ashley suddenly cut in and walked closer. “His sister’s body was found with my fiancé?! What exactly happened to them?!”
“Based on the medical examination, it’s suspected they died after having sexual intercourse, influenced by a high dose of aphrodisiacs and male enhancement drugs, which caused cardiac arrest...” the doctor continued. “It seems they were involved in an illicit relationship—”
“No way!! Antonio would never cheat!! Male enhancement drugs?! Antonio has a severe allergy to those—”
BANG!!!
The sound of a gunshot cracked through the air, piercing everyone’s ears. Aleandro, with a face full of rage, shouted furiously. “Shut your damn mouth!! How dare you slander my sister and claim she was involved with someone who already had a partner?! My sister was not a homewrecker!!”
“Aghh—p-please don’t hurt me! I’m only stating the truth... the examination results and evidence on the victims’ bodies clearly show—”
“Shut up!!!!”
Aleandro was about to pull the trigger again—this time aiming for the doctor’s head—but Ashley quickly stopped him by grabbing his arm. “Calm down!! Don’t be reckless and hurt someone innocent! He’s only explaining the medical evidence—don’t let your emotions make you harm the wrong person!”
Aleandro gritted his teeth. “Stay out of this! He insulted and slandered my sister! No one gets away with insulting the Lucesse family!”
“You're not thinking clearly right now! You’re not the only one suffering here!” Ashley looked straight into Aleandro’s dark brown eyes with her own light brown gaze. “I lost someone precious to me too, and I also can’t accept this situation! But that doesn’t mean I should hurt someone else. Do you think your sister would be happy seeing you like this?”
“Don’t bring up my sister! You don’t know anything about her!”
“You’re right, I don’t. But at least respect her! This isn’t the time to cause chaos—we should be mourning her loss!”
Aleandro growled in frustration, but her words seemed to strike a chord in his heart. He turned around and walked toward the bed where his sister’s body lay.
“You’re lucky I’m letting you go this time. I can’t promise you’ll get out alive if we meet again.”
Aleandro carried his sister’s corpse and walked out. Members of the Velento di serpente mafia who had come with him followed close behind. Ashley exhaled deeply, watching his back before shifting her gaze to Antonio.
---
“Are you jealous?”
Antonio smiled sweetly, looking at Ashley who was pouting beside him. His eyes sparkled with a teasing, playful look. Ashley, known for her blank expression and indifferent personality, was actually jealous? Antonio couldn’t help but tease her. That day, Ashley had seen him talking to a classmate who happened to be in the same group. Antonio could already guess the woman was trying to get close to him, even though she knew he’d been dating Ashley since her first year of college—when he was already in his third year. But because of Ashley’s cold demeanor, the women around him thought Antonio would grow bored of her?
Too bad, it was that cold nature that made Antonio fall in love with her. Beneath the surface of “Ashley the Ice Queen,” known for her emotionless face and serious nature, she only acted sweet and affectionate with him, when they were alone. And now… she was jealous? Antonio chuckled softly, utterly smitten.
“Emily’s just a friend. You know I’d never cheat on you, right?” Antonio poked her cheek, but Ashley kept sulking in silence, giving him the cold shoulder.
“Come on, my love… I’m not lying. To me, you’re the only one in my heart. Now and forever…”
Antonio took her hand and kissed it. His eyes full of love made Ashley’s skin crawl. She turned her face away, trying to maintain her cold expression, even though her cheeks slowly turned red. Antonio chuckled again and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly.
“I’d rather die than betray you. If anyone says I cheated, it’s a lie. I’m willing to tear my chest open and show that only your name is in my heart, in every heartbeat, in every drop of blood that flows in my body…”
---
Ashley stared at Antonio’s face intently. Wearing sterile gloves on both hands and holding a syringe, she reached for Antonio’s corpse.
—
