No Longer Your Rose Chapter 02
I remembered the first time I came back to the Santoro family. Sophia had called out “Isabella” in that same way.
Sophia linked her arm through mine, her voice full of guilt. “Isabella, I’m truly sorry I lived eighteen years of the life that was meant for you.”
Valentina looked at both of us with tears in her eyes. “You are both my daughters. Both Principessas of the Santoro family.”
Everyone gave me gifts.
I opened each one, happy at the time, thinking the Santoro family was wonderful.
Three months later, I won first place at an international piano competition.
On the podium, holding my trophy, I spotted Theo in the crowd.
He walked toward me through the audience holding a bouquet of flowers, smiling even wider than I was.
“Isabella, you’re the best.”
Sophia ran over and took my arm, glancing at Theo. “Who is that?”
“He’s my boyfriend, Theo,” I introduced him happily.
Sophia held out her hand politely. “Nice to meet you, Theo. I’m Isabella’s younger sister, Sophia.”
Theo shook her hand politely.
After that, the three of us spent a lot of time together.
At first, Theo would joke about our dates always had an unwanted third wheel tagging along.
One time, the three of us had dinner together. Theo ordered Mediterranean Baked Sea Bass.
I asked casually, “I thought you didn’t like fish?”
“Sophia likes it,” he said.
I just smiled at the time and didn’t think much of it.
But after that, Theo started bringing up Sophia more and more.
I hadn’t paid it much attention back then. I thought Theo just saw Sophia as a younger sister.
Looking back now, it was all a joke.
One day, I received an email. A talent agency was offering me a national concert tour. My hands were shaking with excitement. I wanted to tell everyone.
Sophia took my hand. “Isabella, why don’t you let me go with you to meet them first? You can surprise everyone at Valentina’s birthday banquet the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Sophia and I went to the hotel room where the agent wanted to meet.
Standing outside the door, I suddenly felt uneasy.
“Sophia, maybe we should forget it.”
“Don’t be scared, Isabella. I’ve got your back.”
She rang the doorbell.
The door opened.
A sleazy, middle-aged man stood there.
“Come in.”
He sat on the couch and patted the spot next to him. “Have a seat.”
I didn’t move.
His voice was smug. “Cooperate with me, and the tour deal is yours.”
My face fell. I grabbed Sophia’s hand. “Let’s go.”
She didn’t move. She looked at me and said, “Isabella, not yet.”
Before I could respond, there was a loud crash from outside the door.
Sophia jumped up. She messed up her hair, ripped open her collar, popped loose her shirt buttons, and stumbled toward the door.
The door burst open.
Theo, Dario, and several Santoro family enforcers rushed in.
Sophia threw herself sobbing into Theo’s arms, shaking all over, her voice breaking. “Theo, Dario… I can’t go on living… Don’t blame Isabella…”
Before she finished speaking, she passed out in his arms.
Dario crossed the room in two steps and slapped me across the face.
I fell to the floor, my ears ringing. “How could a Santoro daughter be so cruel? You tried to sell your own sister to a stranger just to get a concert tour!”
I covered my cheek, unable to believe what was happening. “I didn’t! That’s not true! She tore her own clothes—”
“Enough!”
Dario cut me off. His eyes were like ice.
The man on the floor suddenly raised his hand and pointed at me. “She paid me to do it! This is the money she gave me!”
He pulled out his phone and showed chat histories and payment records.
The profile picture and ID all looked like mine.
I had never added him as a contact, much less messaged or paid him.
Theo stood to the side the whole time. He didn’t say a single word.
He only stared at me, his gaze brimming with nothing but disappointment.
Back at the Santoro estate, I was locked in a storage room.
On the day of Valentina’s birthday banquet, I finally came out.
Sophia was waiting by the door. She lowered her voice and smiled.
“Isabella, you should never have tried to take what was mine.”