Rosalie arrived in her hometown, Astoria Vale, with her brother. It was a city filled with beautiful trees and towering skyscrapers, a perfect blend of nature and urban sophistication.
She couldn't remember the last time she had been here. Years had passed since she decided to leave—to step out of her family's shadow, build her name, and find success without relying on their influence.
Now, she was back.
Callum, her elder brother, pulled the car to a stop in front of their family's estate.
He'd dropped everything he was doing to go back to Verdale when she called him, tearing up.
"Everyone is waiting for you," Callum said, flashing her a broad smile but Rosalie could see how tense it was. It was almost as if there was something he wanted to tell her about but he couldn't bring himself to do so.
Either way, she let it go. She wanted to see her parents after a long time of returning home.
She pushed open the car door and stepped out, her heels clicking against the polished stone driveway.
The moment her feet touched the ground, a wave of regret washed over her.
If she had never left, if she had stayed here in Astoria Vale, maybe she wouldn't have met Stephanie and William. Maybe she wouldn't have been betrayed by the two people she had trusted the most.
Rosalie clenched her jaw, forcing down the lump in her throat. She had shed enough tears over them. Now, it was time to reclaim her life.
Together, she and Callum walked through the grand entrance. Just as he had said, everyone was waiting inside.
However, the temperature in the living room was suffocating. It was obvious something was wrong.
Her mother was the first to reach her, pulling Rosalie into a tight embrace.
"I'm so glad you're back," Zara Vancourt murmured.
"Same here," Nolan, her father, added with a curt nod but something felt odd.
Rosalie glanced towards her elder sister and other brother, Sienna, and Gael. They didn't make any attempt to hug her.
"What's wrong?" She couldn't help but ask.
Nolan, her father sighed before he parted his lips to speak. "Callum already told us about what happened between you and your husband, it was terrible," he said, an edge to his tone. "But we need your help with something more important."
Rosalie only stared at him, worry and curiosity painted on her face so he just continued. "We need you to replace your sister and get married to Matteo Valtieri on her behalf."
Rosalie instantly paled as her heart skipped a beat due to several emotions.
"W-what?" She stuttered, darting her eyes towards her sister who still hadn't said a word to her yet since she arrived. Then her gaze returned to her father. "Why do I have to marry Matteo?" There was a bitter taste in her tongue when she mentioned that name because he was probably the one person she despised the most, maybe after William.
The Vancourt family weren't just wealthy—they were powerful, and feared in Astoria Vale. If not the richest, then they were certainly second to the richest. But their empire wasn't built solely on legitimate businesses like corporations and stock investments.
Their father, Nolan Vancourt, was a mafia boss, handling underground businesses that could get him killed in the blink of an eyelash, especially since his rival was Rowan Valtieri, Matteo's father.
"It's a business alliance and we have to seal it by having our children married to each other," Nolan explained as if it was that easy for Rosalie to marry right after getting a divorce just a day ago.
"Then why can't Sienna get married to him like you planned?" she asked, still confused.
"It is known that Matteo has anger issues, and Sienna is scared of getting married to such a man," her father explained so calmly as if he was talking to a five-year-old, and somehow that made Rosalie's blood boil. "you're been married for three years, and you have more experience when it comes to taking care of a home. So, I think you'll be the best candidate to marry Matteo Valtieri."
No matter what Nolan said, she still couldn't believe what her father was saying to her. She'd just divorced, maybe it was something he could take likely, but it wasn't something she liked since she wasted three years of marriage with the wrong person, just to jump into another one.
She glanced at Callum who hadn't said anything, then realized he already knew and that must have been what was making him feel uneasy when he came to pick her up from Verdale.
Rosalie took a breath to calm herself before she declared, "I'm not getting married to Matteo. You know I hate that man with every fiber in me."
"This is not the time to care about you hating him. You have to do this for your family," Nolan insisted.
"Sister, do what Father said please. You know Matteo more than I do, and you know how brutal he can be when he's enraged. Do you want me to get married to such a man?" Sienna spoke, and Rosalie could spot a grin stretched on her face before it disappeared, making her wonder if she'd seen what she thought she saw.
Nolan took a step towards her and held her shoulders, his voice soft and tender.
"I know this must be difficult for you," he started. "But you need to do this for our family. After marriage, you don't even need to share a room with him. Just appear in public events together as a couple. That's all." He made it sound so simple Rosalie wondered if he thought it was simple or to make her think it was that easy.
Now she regrets returning home. This was one of the reasons she'd left in the first place. Matteo Valtieri was her nightmare, and she couldn't imagine getting married to such a person unless it was a death wish.