Wanna Die for Love? Go

I sneered inside.

So this was the stunt they didn't get to pull in my last life. And now I got front-row seats.

Blood didn't mean a thing. Twenty years of raising Serena made her their real daughter. Me? Just the backup plan.

And with someone propping her up, Serena dove right in. Tears pouring. "Mr. and Mrs. Morello, Dario and I really love each other. Vanessa didn't want the wedding, so I—"

Beatrice shut her down. "So what? You don't even have the gene. You think love makes you enough? With your background? You're not fit to be his wife. You'll get him killed."

Dario jumped in front of her like he was protecting some helpless baby deer, eyes full of fire. "Vanessa Venier, that whole gene thing? Total scam. You bought it from some rando scammers! I'd never marry someone that toxic."

Serena clung to him, all shaky and fake-innocent. "Vanessa, you said you were letting us be together. Why are you blowing things up now?"

The crowd started murmuring, their looks slicing right through me.

I just smiled, pulled out my phone, and opened the receipts.

"Serena. Mom. Dad. Last night, you all said the wedding got moved to tonight. So why's it happening now?"

The wedding videographer zoomed in, and boom—my texts hit the big screen behind me.

[Mom: Vanessa, the wedding was moved to 8 p.m. Don't rush over.]

[Serena: Vanessa, the Morellos said it's delayed. Just wait at home for updates.]

[Dad: Wedding postponed. No need to come early.]

The room exploded.

"Oh my God, they totally set her up!"

"They tricked her so she couldn't stop the wedding!"

"Are Sebastian and Rosalia even her real parents? That's messed up."

Mom went ghost white and scrambled to save face. "No, no—it's not like that! Serena said Vanessa didn't want to go through with it, so we—"

"So what?" I cut in, ice-cold. "So you tried to hand my wedding to your favorite daughter behind my back?"

Dad, who'd been quiet this whole time, suddenly snapped. He stormed over and slapped me—hard.

"Shameless girl! You run off, then show up with fake texts and humiliate us? You think this marriage is some kind of game?"

I wiped the blood from my lip, smiled wider, and said, "Who said I'm not getting married? I'm here, aren't I?"

Beatrice's eyes lit up. "Yes! Our family only recognizes Vanessa as Dario's bride. We'll redo the ceremony—tonight!"

Serena went ghost-pale and grabbed Mom's sleeve, full panic mode.

Mom caught on fast and screamed, "No! She can't marry him! I need to tell the truth!"

She pointed at me, voice shaking. "Vanessa's been sleeping around for years. She caught something—something incurable!"

Gasps rippled through the room. People backed away like I was radioactive.

"That stuff's contagious!"

"The Morellos better run!"

"No wonder she bailed on the wedding—she's used up!"

I stood dead center while their lies circled like sharks, heat boiling in my chest.

Last time, I kept quiet to protect Serena's reputation. Not this time.

I reached into my bag, pulled out the photos, and held them up one by one.