Betrayed Heart

Giulia's alarm blared to life, and she groggily reached over to silence it. Thirty minutes had passed, and she knew she had to get moving. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her long hair cascading down her back like a golden waterfall.

She stood up, stretching her tired limbs, and began to get ready for another long day at the restaurant. As she bathed and dressed in her uniform - a bright yellow jersey and black jeans - she couldn't shake off the feeling of exhaustion. Her body ached, and all she wanted to do was crawl back into bed.

But she knew she couldn't afford to be late, not again. She grabbed her bag and headed out of her room, only to be greeted by the acrid smell of burnt food. Her eyes watered as she coughed and sneezed, her gaze falling on her twin siblings, Cindy and Christian, who were standing in the kitchen, looking like guilty culprits.

The food on the stove was burnt to a crisp, and Giulia's heart sank. This was the third time this week that her siblings had tried to cook and ended up setting off the fire alarm.

"What is wrong with you two?" Giulia exclaimed, exasperation etched on her face. "Can't you see I'm running late?"

Cindy and Christian exchanged a mischievous glance, and Giulia knew she was in for a long day.

"It's not our fault," Cindy said, shrugging her shoulders. "Christian was supposed to keep an eye on the stove."

Christian shot back, "I was busy helping you with the eggs."

Giulia threw up her hands in frustration. "You're twins, for crying out loud! Can't you work together for once?"

Cindy and Christian looked at each other, then back at Giulia, their faces identical masks of innocence.

"We're sorry, Giulia," they chimed in unison.

Giulia sighed, shaking her head. "Just...just get out of my way. I need to get to work."

As she pushed past her siblings, Cindy called out, "Hey, Giulia, we made breakfast for you!"

Giulia turned around, her eyes widening in horror. "You mean that...that burnt offering on the stove?"

Christian grinned. "Yeah, that's the one."

Giulia shuddered. "You're trying to poison me, aren't you?"

Cindy and Christian burst out laughing, and Giulia couldn't help but smile. Despite their antics, she loved her siblings dearly.

"Get out of my way, you two," she said, shaking her head. "I have to get to work before I'm late."

As she rushed out the door, Cindy and Christian called out in unison, "Have a great day, Giulia!"

Giulia rushed out of the apartment, leaving Cindy and Christian to their bickering. But as soon as she was gone, the twins turned on each other.

"I told you to keep an eye on the stove," Cindy said, her voice rising.

"I did, but you were distracting me with your egg-cracking antics," Christian shot back.

Cindy's eyes flashed with anger. "My egg-cracking antics? You're the one who's always messing things up!"

Christian sneered. "Oh yeah? Well, at least I don't burn water like some people I know."

Cindy's face turned red with rage. "That was one time, okay? And it was an accident."

Christian snorted. "Sure it was. Just like it was an accident when you spilled an entire glass of juice on the carpet."

Cindy's eyes narrowed. "You're just mad because Giulia is always praising me and ignoring you."

Christian's face twisted in anger. "That's not true! And even if it was, it's not like you're perfect or anything."

The argument escalated until the twins were standing nose to nose, their faces red with anger.

Both stayed like that before Cindy bursted into a loud laughter,Christian also laughed.

"Crazy"He laughed.

************

Richard stood tall, his eyes fixed on his father, Millan. The tension in the air was palpable as they faced off in the opulent mansion.

"You're the only son of this family and the President of M•K Company," Millan yelled, his face red with rage. "You won't bring in a daughter of a nobody into this family."

Richard's expression remained calm, but his voice was laced with steel. "I'm not a child, Father. I can make my own decisions."

Millan sneered. "Decisions? You call that girl a decision? She's a waitress, for crying out loud!"

Richard's eyes flashed with anger, but he kept his cool. "Giulia is more than just a waitress. She's kind, intelligent, and beautiful. And I love her."

His mother, Liliana, stepped forward, tears streaming down her face. "Richard, please listen to us. We only want what's best for you."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "What's best for me? You mean what's best for the family's reputation?"

Liliana's face crumpled, and she sobbed uncontrollably. Millan's expression turned uglier, his eyes blazing with fury.

Sylvia, Richard's aunt, entered the room, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Son, your father is right..."

Richard cut her off, his voice firm. "I'm not a child, Aunt Sylvia. I can make my own decisions."

Sylvia's smile faltered, and she clenched her fists, but Richard didn't notice. He was too busy facing off against his parents.

"I love Giulia, and I plan to make her my wife," Richard stated, his voice firm. "No one will stop me from doing that."

Liliana wailed, and Millan's face turned purple with rage. Sylvia's eyes flashed with anger, but Richard just turned and walked away, leaving the drama behind.

As Richard walked out of the room, he could feel the weight of his family's disapproval bearing down on him. But he didn't care. He knew what he wanted, and he was determined to make it happen.

He strode through the mansion, his personal assistant, James, falling into step beside him.

"Sir, I have the file you requested," James said, holding out a slim folder.

Richard took it, scanning the contents quickly. It was the information he had requested on Giulia's family.

"Thank you, James," he said, tucking the folder into his pocket. "I'll be going out now. I have some business to attend to."

James nodded. "Very well, sir. Shall I have the car brought around?"

Richard nodded, and James quickly stepped aside to make the call.

As Richard waited for the car to arrive, he couldn't help but think about Giulia. He had been planning this surprise for weeks, and he couldn't wait to see the look on her face.

The sound of the car pulling up broke into his thoughts, and he smiled to himself as he headed outside.

It was time to make his move, and he's ready.

Meanwhile Sylvia stood at tge terrace glaring deadly at his car until she couldn't see it again.

Sylvia stormed into her room, slamming the door behind her. She was seething with anger and hurt, her eyes blazing with tears.

She strode over to her dresser, her hands shaking as she picked up the picture frame. It was a photo of her and Richard, taken when he was just a boy. She had always treasured it, but now it only served as a reminder of how much he had changed.

With a cry of rage, Sylvia slammed the picture frame down on the table lamp, shattering the glass. She felt a twisted sense of satisfaction as she stared at the broken fragments.

She hated the way Richard spoke to her, hated the way he disregarded her opinions. She felt like he was slipping further and further away from her, and it was all because of that girl, Giulia.

Sylvia's eyes raged with undefined anger as she thought about Giulia. She had warned her brother about the girl, warned him that she was trouble. But he hadn't listened.

Now, Sylvia felt like she was losing her family. Richard was slipping away from her, and her brother was too blind to see it.

She fell to her knees, her body shaking with sobs. She felt so alone, so powerless. She had always been the strong one, the one who held the family together. But now, she felt like she was crumbling.

As she cried, Sylvia's fingers dug into her skin, her nails leaving deep scratches. She didn't care. She just wanted to hurt, to feel something other than the emptiness that was consuming her.

But as she looked up, her eyes fell on the broken picture frame. And suddenly, she felt a spark of determination ignite within her. She would not let Giulia win. She would not let Richard slip away from her.

Sylvia's eyes hardened, her jaw setting in a determined line. She would fight for her family, fight for what was rightfully hers. And she would stop at nothing to win.

******

Giulia stepped out of the taxi and rushed into the restaurant, her boss's stern expression immediately catching her attention.

"Good morning, sir," she greeted, trying to sound cheerful despite the tension in the air.

Mr. Jones glared at her, his face red with anger. "Who owns this restaurant?" he thundered.

Giulia hesitated, taken aback by his tone. "You, sir...but what's wrong? What have I done this time?"

Mr. Jones slammed his hand on the table, making Giulia jump. "You dare to question me?!" he shouted.

Giulia's eyes widened as she tried to apologize, but Mr. Jones cut her off. "You're fired, effective immediately!"

Giulia's heart sank as her colleagues watched in silence. She knew how much she needed this job, and now it was being taken away from her.

Just as the security guards stepped forward to escort her out, a cold, authoritative voice rang out from behind.

"Touch her, and I'll shut down this restaurant."

Giulia turned to see Richard Millan, the famous billionaire, striding towards her. His eyes locked onto hers, and he dropped to one knee, pulling out a small box from his pocket.

Giulia's jaw dropped as Richard opened the box, revealing a stunning diamond ring that sparkled in the light.

The restaurant fell silent, with all eyes fixed on the dramatic scene unfolding before them.

Mr. Jones looked like he had been punched in the gut, his face pale with shock.

Giulia, meanwhile, was frozen in place, her mind reeling with the sudden proposal. She loved Richard, but marriage? Was she ready for that?

As the silence stretched out, Richard's eyes never left hers, his gaze burning with intensity.

"What do you say, Giulia?" he asked, his voice low and husky. "Will you marry me?"

.