Mistaken for the Last Time

Ricardo Tucci suffered from severe prosopagnosia, constantly mistaking me for my best friend, Ella Henderson. At an antique auction, he won the gem brooch I had coveted for years, only to hand the box to Ella. When I pointed out his mistake, he merely shrugged it off. "It's just a piece of jewelry. Since it suits her, she can keep it." At an exclusive gala, Ricardo walked down the red carpet with Ella on his arm, while I, his actual fiancée, was stopped at the doors, left to endure the humiliating stares of high society. Afterward, his excuse was as careless as ever. "My face blindness got in the way again. Sorry you had to deal with that." On my birthday, he promised to drive us to our dinner reservation. I waited three agonizing hours in a downpour, only to find out over the phone that he had picked up Ella instead. "Sorry, the rain was too heavy to see clearly." Time after time, I swallowed my disappointment, clinging to the hope that his condition might improve. Until a massive fire consumed the estate, trapping both Ella and me inside. Ricardo stormed through the flames with his men. In all the chaos, he scooped someone up into his arms and evacuated without a second thought. The person he carried to safety was Ella. Trapped in the blaze, I watched as his back disappeared into the thick smoke, tears of total desperation falling down my face. Ricardo, I'm done playing to your convenience. Chapter 1 Emma's POV The scorching smoke choked my lungs, making it impossible to open my eyes. In that split second, I felt pulled right back to my youth, when I was locked away in that dark tower. My family elders had thrown me in there to punish my every act of rebellion, using pitch-black isolation as a weapon. Endless, helpless stretches of solitary confinement had left me with severe claustrophobia. Years later, at a high-society gala, I found myself shoved into a corner again, forced to endure the relentless taunts of the surrounding elite. However, at my lowest, Ricardo Tucci stepped in and rescued me from the crowd. After that night, I willingly gave him my heart and became the fiancée of the Tucci cosca's Don. Now, every breath in this thick soot was pure, searing agony. By the time I finally regained consciousness, I was lying in the estate’s cold, stark recovery wing. There was only a junior doctor changing my bandages. My raw throat burned as I forced out a raspy voice, "Where's Ricardo?" The doctor paused mid-motion, hesitating. "Don Ricardo is with Signorina Ella. He had a top-tier medical team flown in for her." My heart sank into my chest. Leaning against the wall for support, I dragged my pain-racked body forward, taking one step after another toward Ella Henderson’s suite. The door was slightly ajar. Right at the threshold, I saw Ricardo sitting by her bedside, his voice dripping with gentle concern. "Emma, don't be scared. It's all over now." My entire body froze, and I almost spoke up out of sheer habit. But then I saw Ricardo’s palm was resting directly over the back of Ella’s hand. His entire gaze was fixed solely on her. Ella, who had caught sight of me standing outside, quickly tugged on Ricardo’s sleeve. "You've got the wrong person. Emma's standing right at the door." Ricardo turned abruptly, a wave of sudden realization flashing across his face as he scrambled to his feet. "Emma? How are you feeling? Do your wounds still hurt?" I stood there, staring at him in silence. Her room was packed with luxurious imported treatments, while mine offered nothing more than a hasty, crude bandage. Old memories rushed back all at once. I came from a disgraced branch of old nobility and grew up treated with cold indifference. The family's finest jewels and connections always went to my cousins, while I was left with only scraps. On the day we made our relationship public, Ricardo held my hand tightly before the elders. "From this day on, every treasure, every piece of power, and all of my devotion in the Tucci famiglia will go to you first. You will never have to pick up anyone else's scraps again. You will be my future Donna." Back then, I really believed that by his side, I wouldn't have to wait at the back of the line anymore. And at every auction afterward, he really did reserve the best gifts for me first. There was just one problem—he could never recognize me right away. Seeing my deathly pale face, Ricardo took a pained step forward, opening his arms to pull me into a hug. I swatted his arm away with all the strength I had left. Ricardo froze on the spot, his brows furrowing tightly. "Is this really necessary? I just misidentified someone in the middle of a chaotic fire. You know damn well I have prosopagnosia." I locked my gaze straight onto his. "Yes, it is." "Ricardo, why didn't you save me when the fire broke out?" He answered without missing a beat, "The smoke was too thick to see anything. I honestly thought the person I carried out was you." But I was wearing a tailored evening gown with my hair in a sleek bun. Ella wore a loose, flowy dress with her long hair left completely down. Even through thick smoke, how could anyone mix up two completely different outfits and hairstyles? "It wasn't that you couldn't tell us apart. It's that deep down, you just didn't think of me first." The words caught Ricardo off guard, making his expression stiffen instantly. His tone softened. "Emma, I was in the wrong this time..." I didn't want to waste another second arguing. I turned around, ready to leave. Panic flashed across Ricardo's face as he took a rushed step forward and grabbed my wrist. "Where are you going? Your wounds haven't even been properly treated yet—" "Ricardo... my head is starting to spin again..." Ella's weak voice cut in from behind us. Ricardo’s footsteps ground to a sudden halt. He looked back at Ella's pale face, hesitated for an agonizing beat, and finally turned back to me. "Emma, go back to your room and rest first. I'll come find you later." I scoffed, yanked my hand free, and walked out without another look. Back in my study, I sat down at my computer and clicked send. That setup document for an overseas antique firm, a project I had been quietly preparing for three whole years, was finally sent straight to my business partner's inbox. Chapter 2 That evening, a message popped up from my business partner. [Your project has been officially approved. We launch in three days.] I stared at the screen and took a deep, steady breath. I wanted to find Ricardo and finally lay everything out between us, but he was nowhere to be found in the estate. I called for a house staff member to fetch Ricardo. Just past midnight tonight would mark our third anniversary. It wasn’t long before he returned, flustered. "Don Ricardo is currently accompanying Signorina Ella. They're dining in a private suite at that premier club downtown, so he won't be able to make it back to the estate tonight." My heart sank. I pulled out my phone and dialed Ricardo's number. The moment he picked up, I forced out a voice heavy with restraint. "Where are you? Today is our anniversary. Did you forget?" Ricardo lowered his voice, offering a smooth explanation. "Ella mentioned the food at this place was great, so I just came to check it out. If it’s good, I’ll bring you here next time." "Don't be upset. I'll host a famiglia dinner tomorrow night and make it up to you properly." After hanging up, I leaned back into the couch, thinking back on my past. Nobody in my family had ever remembered my milestones, let alone prepared me a gift. It was Ricardo who had shown me, for the very first time, what it felt like to be truly cherished. For our first two anniversaries, he had stayed up until midnight just to be by my side the instant the clock struck, celebrating with total devotion. The next day, the butler, Alfred, came to inform me, "Don Ricardo has arranged the dinner. He’s invited the Tucci famiglia's inner circle to the ballroom to celebrate your anniversary." The space was dripping with opulence, and as I walked down the ballroom, I found the famiglia's most trusted allies had already gathered. Alfred stepped up beside me and murmured in a low voice, "Don Ricardo planned the entire evening himself. He just went to retrieve your gift and will be joining us shortly." A few minutes later, the heavy doors of the ballroom swung open. Ricardo walked in, sharp and commanding in a tailored black suit, carrying an exquisite velvet gift box in his hands. My heart skipped a beat, and a quiet flare of hope flickered deep inside me. Yet as he walked past the room full of guests, his eyes never once landed on me. Instead, he walked straight up to Ella and placed the heavy box directly into her hands. "Emma, I'm sorry to make you suffer through this anniversary. I got you this one-of-a-kind diamond set to make it up to you. Happy anniversary." The entire ballroom fell dead silent. The chatter evaporated instantly. A wave of panic washed over Ella's face. She quickly pointed toward me, standing just a short distance away. "You've got the wrong person! Emma's over there!" Ricardo turned his head in the direction of her finger, his gaze finally landing on me. He put on a look of forced annoyance, then casually snatched a promotional gift from a nearby table and walked over to me. "Emma, I kept this bracelet specifically for you. It suits your vibe perfectly." A suffocating silence enveloped the room. Without a single expression on my face, I reached out my hand and took the gift. Chapter 3 One of the famiglia elders was the first to react, breaking the silence. "Don Ricardo's prosopagnosia is getting out of hand if he's mistaking his own fiancée. Signorina Newton, you'd better make him sweat for a mistake like that. Don't let him off easy. "We ought to pass this around the famiglia circle so everyone can have a good laugh at Don Ricardo's expense." A few forced chuckles rippled through the room, trying to thin out the suffocating embarrassment. Ricardo raised both hands in surrender. "I'm entirely at Emma's mercy. I'll take whatever punishment she gives me." I stared down at the cheap, roughly made alloy bracelet resting in the box, finding the whole display hilarious. That set of vibrant, luxurious diamond jewelry was entirely Ella’s taste. I had never liked that style. What kind of prosopagnosia would cause that? It seemed that set of jewels was never meant for me in the first place! I slammed the box down on the table. The cheap bracelet slid out, clattering loudly against the floor. The awkward laughter in the room instantly died. "I'm going outside for some air." I turned and walked out of the hall, heading onto the open terrace. A message from Ella popped up almost immediately. [Ricardo just has face blindness. Please don't be mad at him.] I didn't bother replying, forcing myself to push down the turmoil inside me. Just as I reached to push the door open to go back in, voices from inside drifted out onto the terrace. "Signorina Newton has far too much patience. If it were me getting mistaken in front of the whole famiglia inner circle and handed a cheap freebie on my anniversary, I’d never let it go!" "What good does patience do? Look at Don Ricardo. It’s obvious who he favors." "Honestly, I noticed something was off a while back. During that ambush down at the docks, Don Ricardo shielded Ella first in all the chaos, tossing his fiancée to the side. He used face blindness as an excuse back then, too. And he's still doing it." "It's hard to imagine the fiancée of the Tucci famiglia Don having to stomach this over and over." "Maybe she's just too deep in love with him?" "Even so, you can't let someone walk all over you like that!" My hand rested against the door handle as a bitter cold seeped through my palm. Then I pushed the door open, stepped back into the hall, and sat down as if nothing had happened. Ricardo immediately leaned in close, offering a soothing tone. "If you don't like this bracelet, forget about it. I have another piece set aside for our engagement party, the day after tomorrow. It'll definitely be to your liking." The rest of the dinner was heavy and muted. No one dared to crack another joke. By the time the party ended, it was nearing midnight. We stood by the main gates of the estate, seeing off the remaining guests. Ricardo personally escorted Ella to the door, instructing her carefully. "I need to stay behind with Emma tonight. She's in a bad mood, so I need to comfort her. Make sure you change your bandages on time and be careful on the way back. Don't get the wound wet." When he walked back over, I carefully weighed my words before speaking. "Ricardo, we—" "Oh, right," he interrupted. "That antique diamond hairpiece you liked six months ago finally arrived. You can wear it to the engagement party the day after tomorrow." The words stuck in my throat. I remembered hearing that the royal antique piece had gone through multiple rounds of fierce bidding at the auction house before it was secured. I had only mentioned it in passing, never expecting he would actually win it for me. So I bit my tongue and decided to give him one last chance. However, on the day of the engagement party, an attendant led me into a bare, dreary dressing room and brought out a set of cheap, pieced-together diamond fragments. This was nowhere near my antique hairpiece! With staff outside constantly rushing me to enter, I swallowed my doubts, quickly got ready, and walked out of the room. The moment I looked up, I saw Ella. Sitting right on top of her head was the exact headpiece that belonged to me. "Why is my headpiece on your head?" I demanded. Alfred rushed forward frantically to apologize. "I am so sorry, ma'am! The attendant got the dressing rooms mixed up!" He immediately rounded on the staff nearby. "Apologize to Signorina Newton this instant!" They shifted uncomfortably, muttering in a small, aggrieved voice, "But Don Ricardo explicitly told me it was her. He was certain that was his fiancée, so I..." Ricardo hurried over to me, his face filled with regret. "Emma, I'm sorry. My face blindness got the better of me again. It's just a hairpiece. I'll find you an even more valuable treasure later, a hundred times better than this one." Ella held up the hem of her gown and stepped over as well. "I'm so sorry, Emma. I really didn't know the truth. But I prepared a surprise for you, so won't you forgive us?" My brows drew tight as a bad feeling pooled in my gut. "What surprise?" A familiar, venomous voice echoed out from right behind me. I didn't even need to turn around to know who it was—the one voice I had spent my entire life trying to escape. "Emma, just because you climbed your way up to the Tucci famiglia and became Don Ricardo's fiancée, you‌'ve forgotten where you came from? "Hosting an engagement party this big without bothering to inform your own family. It looks to me like you're planning to disown your own mother!" Chapter 4 My mother stood at the entrance of the ballroom, her head held high in smug arrogance. Instant toxic memories rushed back into my mind, completely out of my control. At seven, she locked me in the dark tower, leaving me with lifelong claustrophobia. At twelve, I saved every penny I could to buy a tiny pendant. She confiscated all my savings and used it to buy my sister a whole fine jewelry set instead. At eighteen, I worked myself to the bone to get into a top-tier university. That day, I swore deep down that I would break free from that leeching family, no matter what it took. "Who invited her?" My voice trembled, shaking with rage. Ricardo answered, completely unbothered. "Ella suggested it. She said it was only right to bring your mother to your engagement party. She thought it might help heal the rift between the two of you. Ella was only doing it for your own good." I was on the brink of a total breakdown, my knuckles turning white as I clutched my gown. "How many times have I told you how hard I fought just to escape that house?! She is the last person on earth I ever want to see!" Ricardo’s tone remained dismissive. "It’s been so many years. I really think it’s time you let it go." Before I could argue further, the master of ceremonies hurried over with a clipboard in hand. "Don Ricardo, the ceremony is about to start. We need you on stage." I bit my lip hard, forcing the rest of my words back down my throat. The hall was packed with key famiglia allies and high-society guests. The event had been in the making for months, and hundreds of eyes were pinned on us. Now was not the time to cause a scene. The attendant ushered me to the waiting area below the platform. "Signorina Newton, please wait here. Don Ricardo will come down to escort you up personally." Ricardo stepped up onto the high stage. A large screen slowly lit up, projecting photos of our years together, moments he had taken himself. "Emma and I first met years ago at an international gala..." his voice echoed softly through the speakers as he recounted our past. As his speech concluded, the announcer raised his voice into the microphone. "Now, let us welcome Don Ricardo as he personally escorts Signorina Newton to the stage!" The main hall lights cut out, leaving a single, blinding spotlight trained directly on Ricardo. He walked down the stairs, making his way past the guests straight toward the main table. And right under everyone's gaze, he leaned over and took Ella by the hand. The entire room fell silent. Ella’s face flushed bright red as she desperately mouthed warnings to him. The announcer, completely oblivious to the chaos, kept calling out my name over the speakers. "Let us welcome Don Ricardo’s fiancée, Signorina Emma Newton!" I was standing right beside Ella, draped in cheap accessories like a cruel punchline. Without uttering another word, I turned around and walked straight out of the banquet hall. "Emma!" A familiar, sharp voice quickly chased after me from behind. My mother caught up, her eyes dripping with sarcasm. "Did climbing your way up to the Tucci famiglia make you forget who you are? You haven't sent back a single cent for household expenses or your sister’s wardrobe! "And look at your man. How good can he really be if he gets his own fiancée wrong on a night like this?" A malicious smirk pulled at her lips. "Did you really think you could escape us? With your background, you were never fit to be Donna, anyway!" Suffocation seized my chest as the lingering terror of my childhood flooded back. I didn't bother arguing. I just turned and ran like hell. My heel caught on a step, my ankle twisted, and a sharp, blinding pain shot straight up to my calf. Without stopping, I bent down, kicked off both heels, and pressed my bare feet onto the cold floor. The train of my heavy gown was holding me back, so I grabbed the fabric and ripped off a massive chunk of the hem. I kept my head down and ran, leaving the voices further and further behind. Only when the world around me grew quiet did I finally stop. The night swallowed me whole, and tears spilled uncontrollably down my face. My phone vibrated in my hand with a call from my overseas partner. "Miss Newton, the project has officially launched. When are you leaving?" I looked down at my ruined dress, my bare feet, and the utter humiliation of my situation. A wave of bitter absurdity washed over me. What was I still holding on for? What was I even waiting for? I gripped the phone tightly and took a deep breath. "I can leave right now." "Great. There's a private flight leaving tonight. I'll send you the flight details immediately." "Thank you." After hanging up, I returned to the estate and quietly began packing my belongings. Ricardo’s notifications popped up one after another on my screen. [Emma, today was my fault. Don't be mad.] [I promise I won't get it wrong at the wedding.] Because of his prosopagnosia excuse, I had heard that exact apology countless times before. And every time, I'd forgiven him. This time, though, I was done. I blocked Ricardo and Ella's contacts and snapped my suitcase shut. … Third-Person POV Back at the ballroom, the chaotic farce had finally wound down. Ella sat in the car, looking nervous. "Ricardo, do you think Emma is really mad this time?" Ricardo gripped the steering wheel tightly. A flash of panic hit his chest, but he quickly forced it down. "She'll be fine. A little coaxing will fix it. It’s always worked before." He dropped Ella off at her residence, then drove straight to a luxury jeweler to pick out a high-end piece as an apology gift. In the blink of an eye, the wedding day arrived. Ricardo stood in the center of the lavishly decorated grand hall, his heart beating with anticipation as he waited for Emma to walk out in her diamond piece and bridal gown. Suddenly, the doors swung open as a subordinate rushed in, his face pale with panic. "Don Ricardo! Something's wrong. Signorina Newton is gone!"