Falling for My Mafia Stepbrother

13 The Wedding Dress

Harper's POV

The next day, I went to school as usual, and everything seemed to have returned to normal. I hadn't even graduated yet, and I thought the wedding would be a long way off, but I underestimated the enthusiasm of the elders for the ceremony. My mom and Angelo's mother were busy every day preparing for it, as if they couldn't wait to hold the wedding tomorrow.

This morning at six, my mom woke me up.

"Honey, I made plans with Angelo's mother. We're going to visit the venue for your engagement party today. The holiday is coming soon, so you'll get engaged first, and then after graduation, we'll have the wedding ceremony."

"Mom, just let me sleep a little longer..."

"Sweetheart," Mom gently kissed my forehead. "Angelo's mother likes you a lot, and she’s never really had the chance to meet you."

With no choice, I got out of bed, letting my mother dress me up like a doll, before we drove to an estate in the suburbs.

From the exterior of the house, I couldn’t imagine it belonged to a mafia family; it looked too charming, completely different from what I had envisioned.

The Conti family butler opened the car door for us. "Ladies, Mrs. Conti has been expecting you both for some time."

I nodded in greeting, then followed him inside.

The decor of the Conti residence was also mostly light colors, giving it a warm feel. When we arrived at the dining room, the butler opened the door for us but did not enter. He gestured for us to enter and then closed the door behind us.

Inside, the silhouette of an elegant woman came into view. Despite being around 40, she looked youthful, like a young lady raised in a castle.

When she turned to face us, I could tell from her blue eyes—just like Angelo's and Sophia's—that this was Angelo's mother.

It was said that Mr. Conti adored his wife. He rarely allowed her to appear in public for her protection, and he had never been involved in any scandal. Many people admired their love.

Seeing Angelo's mother, I believed those rumors might be true.

When she saw us, she exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, you’re here! I thought you’d take a little longer. You must be Harper. You’re as beautiful and sweet as I’ve heard."

She took my hand, and we sat at the dining table together. Breakfast was still steaming hot.

No one spoke while we ate, and I noticed how graceful and proper her posture was—not like a mafia wife but more like a lady raised in an aristocratic family.

I held back my curiosity, finishing my breakfast before realizing why we were there. Today, I was here to try on dresses—not just the engagement gown but also the wedding dress for the ceremony.

About half an hour later, the butler opened the main hall doors to let us know that the dressmaker was waiting for us in the fitting room. Holding onto my mom's arm, I followed the guide.

The servants were already hanging sample dresses, and under the ceiling lights, the decorations on the dresses shimmered, dazzling my eyes.

Three outfits were required for the engagement—one for outdoor photos, the main ceremony dress, and a gown for the post-ceremony party.

I didn’t see Angelo’s suit anywhere. Recently, both Marco and Angelo had been quite busy, and everyone kept their schedules secret. I didn’t even know where they were.

There were seven or eight options for the outdoor photoshoot dress. After trying them all on, I chose a short-length gown, something casual in style.

It was from a Vietnamese designer brand, and seeing it in person was far more beautiful than in any video I had seen before.

It had an emerald green silk texture, with an invisible layer of tulle over it. Low-saturation macaron-colored hand-embroidered flowers adorned the dress. It was designed with a high waist to flatter the figure, and the bodice featured a crisscrossed lace-up design that revealed the back. The lace detail at the shoulders matched the sweet style. I could already imagine how beautiful it would be outdoors.

Mom thought it was a bit immature, but Mrs. Conti loved it, praising it nonstop, so Mom agreed to finalize it.

After the seamstress took my measurements, we moved on to the main dress.

The primary gown was mainly white, and after trying all of them on, we quickly decided on a white fishtail dress with a slight train. The entire dress was embellished with pearls, but it didn’t feel overly complicated because they were arranged to accentuate the curves of the body. Besides being a bit heavy, it was perfect.

After I took off the dress, we heard a noise at the fitting room door—Sophia had arrived.

She wore a purple floral dress today, looking even more lively. After greeting my mom, she naturally stood beside me.

“Harper! Long time no see! I heard you’ve been busy with schoolwork lately. I went to bed early yesterday, but I still arrived late!”

I smiled and told her it was fine, showing her the two dresses we had chosen.

“Wow, I can already imagine how gorgeous you’ll look! I’m going to wear something beautiful to your engagement too!”

Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere became cheerful. For the last dress, I took Sophia's opinion into account, selecting a burgundy velvet gown perfect for a party atmosphere.

After the seamstress recorded my measurements, she said they would adjust the fit again three days before the ceremony. Then she left.

It was almost noon, so we stayed for lunch. Sophia hugged her mother and began to pout, "Why isn’t Dad home yet?"

I was a little surprised because, although the Conti family had announced Angelo as the new leader, most of the affairs were still being handled by his father.

Perhaps my curiosity was too evident. Mrs. Conti gave me a gentle smile. “Please forgive her. Her father always comes back to have lunch with me every day.”

“Oh, I see. You and your husband have such a wonderful relationship,” I said sincerely, and my impression of Angelo improved even more. With parents like that, he was likely a loyal person too.

Maybe my married life wouldn’t be so bad after all.

When we got to the dining room, I saw Mr. Conti. Like Angelo, he had a rugged look softened by his gentle demeanor.

He exchanged polite greetings with my mother before we ate lunch. He seemed quite busy—right after the meal, he kissed his wife’s cheek and left.

After making plans for a spa day, we headed back home.

Seeing Mom lost in thought, I couldn’t help teasing her. “The Conti couple really love each other. Mom, are you jealous of their relationship?”

She playfully twisted my ear. “Oh, darling, what nonsense are you talking about? Your father and I are in love. I was just thinking… never mind, maybe I was wrong.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

She looked at me seriously. “Harper, remember, sometimes what you see isn’t necessarily the truth. There may be hidden realities beneath appearances. Like your biological father—at one point, I believed he was a good partner, but he only brought me pain. Your stepfather, on the other hand, may seem like a monster to others, but he has been kind and rational. He gave me real love and care.”

After that, she fell silent, unwilling to explain further. Her words lingered in my mind, confusing me.

The unfinished conversation with my mother troubled me.