The next morning, the moment I walked into my office at the hospital, I found Marco waiting.

He was sitting on the couch, his expression complicated as he watched me.

"Dalia, you know that Riccardo doesn't really love you, right?"

I paused for a beat, then said calmly, "That's none of your business."

In my past life, I'd given Marco my heart and my savings just to help him gain a foothold in the family. Yet, in the end, he and Alice had betrayed me together.

"Do you regret breaking off our engagement?" Marco pressed, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

I laughed coldly. "Regret? I only regret not seeing who you really were sooner."

Having said that, I paid Marco no further attention and walked out of the office.

That day was the hospital's community clinic day. Alice and I were on the roster.

Settling into the hospital's minivan, I leaned against the window and watched the city streets blur past.

In two months, I'd be leaving this city that brought me so much pain.

Suddenly, the driver slammed on the brakes. The minivan lurched, then spun out of control, crashing hard into the guardrail.

Metal screeched against metal. The sharp smell of gasoline flooded the air. The minivan tipped over onto its side.

I was pinned beneath the seat, blood trickling from my forehead.

Just as my consciousness began to fade, I saw a black sedan pull up on the side of the road.

Riccardo flung the car door open and anxiously rushed toward the wreckage.

"Riccardo," I called out with the last of my strength.

His gaze flickered to me just for a second, then snapped to the other side.

Alice was pinned beneath the passenger seat, groaning in pain.

I watched as Riccardo charged into the wreckage without a second thought. Then, he carefully lifted Alice into his arms and sprinted toward the ambulance without ever looking back.

In that moment, my heart froze solid, and darkness swallowed me whole.

When I woke up again, three days had passed.

Riccardo was slumped beside my hospital bed, exhaustion written all over him. His eyes were bloodshot, and dark stubble shadowed his jaw.

Seeing that I was awake, he immediately grabbed my hand.

"Dalia, you're finally awake. Are you in pain anywhere?"

I pulled my hand back, my voice cold. "How's Alice?"

Riccardo's eyes flickered.

"She's fine. The baby's safe, too. She's your cousin and pregnant, so I had to save her first," he scrambled to explain. "It's my job as the Don to protect the vulnerable."

I laughed, but the sound that came out was worse than crying.

In the moment between life and death, he'd chosen another woman. Worst still, he'd dressed it up in noble excuses.

I didn't want to wait two months anymore. I wanted to leave this hypocritical man right here and then.

When I didn't respond, Riccardo stood and said, "You must be hungry. I'll go get you something to eat."

After he left, I waited until night fell. But he never returned.

The other patients in the ward all had family members by their beds. Only I was completely alone.

When I needed to use the bathroom, I realized that my leg was injured too. I had to brace myself against the wall and shuffle slowly.

I finally made it to the bathroom door, only to find that I couldn't pull my pants down with one hand still hooked to an IV.

Helpless, I called out softly, "Is anyone there? Can someone please help me?"

A janitor heard me and hurried over to help.

She looked at me, disheveled and struggling, and couldn't help but ask, "Miss, where's your family?"

I had no answer.

In that moment, it suddenly dawned on me that love and marriage were worthless when survival was on the line.

On my way back to the ward, I heard Riccardo's voice.

I turned toward the direction it came from and saw he was carefully guiding Alice by the arm toward the examination room.

Our eyes met. For a split second, panic flashed across Riccardo's eyes.

"Dalia…"

"Dalia, don't get this the wrong way. Marco had family business to handle, so I had no choice but to ask Riccardo to escort me," Alice explained, smiling.

I stood there watching them, and for the first time, my eyes burned red.

It wasn't from heartbreak. But it was because it'd taken me two lifetimes to see people for who they really were.

"If my husband's taking you for the examination, then who's going to take me?" I asked, each word deliberate.

Patients and nurses alike glanced our way.

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Alice's face, but she quickly masked it with practiced hurt.

"Dalia, don't be so petty. I just asked Riccardo for a little help."

Riccardo frowned. "Dalia, Alice is pregnant, so don't give her a hard time."

"Answer me this. Who do you choose—her or me?" I stared into his eyes, waiting for an answer.

Three seconds passed, and Riccardo's hand stayed firmly on Alice's arm with no sign of letting go.

A self-deprecating laugh escaped my lips. "Riccardo, we're done."

I turned on my heel and walked straight to Mr. Santoro's office.

"Mr. Santoro, can I leave for Capitolium early?"

Mr. Santoro looked surprised. "It'll take at least another week to process the paperwork. Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I want to start my new life as soon as possible," I replied, my voice catching slightly.

Mr. Santoro sighed. "Alright. I'll expedite it as fast as I can. But you'd better think it over carefully. You'll be gone for at least three years, so shouldn't you at least say something to Don Corleone?"

"No. There's no need." I shook my head and walked out of his office.

The next morning, Riccardo walked into my hospital room carrying breakfast.

"Croissant and hot cocoa—your favorites."

I looked at the food in his hands and suddenly laughed.

"Riccardo, have you forgotten that I hate sweet food the most?"

In fact, the person who'd love them was Alice.

When we were kids, my nonna, Arianna Messina, always made sugary pastries for Alice. And I never liked them.

Riccardo froze for a moment, then quickly said, "I'll go get you a sandwich instead."

"Don't bother. Just take me back to the manor. I want to be discharged," I said, throwing off the covers.

My leg was only lightly injured, so I could recover just as well at the manor.

After getting into the car, I happened to spot an exquisite pearl hair clip sitting in the glove compartment.

I'd seen it at the department store last time, and Alice had loved it.

I picked it up, turning it over in my hands. "Is this Alice's?"

Riccardo quickly explained, "Marco's in Aztlan for business. Alice said it's cold out, and she doesn't have anything to wear. So, I took her to buy a few things. She probably dropped it by accident.

"Besides, she's pregnant, and it's not easy for her to be on her own. We're all family anyway, so we should help when we can."

I couldn't help but feel amused watching him trip over himself to explain.

Only someone with something to hide needed that many words to cover it up.

"Just drive." I tossed the hair clip back into the glove compartment and turned to look out the window.

Back at the manor, Madre spotted me and immediately started in again.

"You got hospitalized for a tiny injury? Talk about being pampered. Back when I was Donna, I handled family business even with a bullet in me."

I stopped walking and turned to face her. "If you want to rough it, that's up to you. But my parents didn't raise me just so I could suffer in life."

Madre froze, clearly not expecting me to talk back.

I ignored her and walked straight into the bedroom.

First, I circled a date on the calendar.

A week later, on December 15th, it would be both Riccardo's birthday and the day I'd leave.

Second, I took down the wedding photo and every picture of Riccardo and me and threw them all into the fireplace.

As I watched the photos burn, the false memories went up in smoke with them.

Third, I gathered every gift Riccardo had ever given me—gold necklaces, designer watches, custom dresses. Whatever could be thrown away, I tossed. The rest I packed up and gave to the manor staff.

When it was all done, I felt a weight lifted off my chest.

Riccardo returned in the evening. When he saw the ashes in the fireplace, his expression immediately darkened. "Dalia, you burned all our photos?"

"They were old and just taking up space," I replied calmly.

"Old?" He repeated with a hint of anger in his voice. "Those were our memories!"

"There'll be new ones." I finished washing up and lay down on the bed. "I'm tired, so I'm going to sleep now."

Riccardo looked at me, a flicker of hurt in his eyes. But in the end, he said nothing and lay down on the couch.

Late at night, I heard him whisper, "Is that circle on the calendar for my birthday surprise?"

I kept my eyes closed and didn't answer.

A surprise? All I had for him was a clean goodbye.

Early the next morning, Riccardo left to mediate a dispute in another district, whereas I headed to the hospital to complete my resignation.

The nurse looked surprised when she saw me. "Dr. Valentino, are you really leaving?"

I nodded. "Yes. To further my studies at Capitolium."

"Do come back. We'll all miss you so much," the nurse said sadly.

"I will." I smiled, though I wasn't sure myself.

My return depended on whether there was anything left here worth returning for.

As I walked out of the office, I ran straight into Alice.

"Dalia, what are you doing here?" She blocked my path, her tone laced with provocation. "You're still hung up on Marco, aren't you? That's why you've come to beg him to take you back."

I couldn't be bothered with her, so I tried to step around her to leave.

But Alice wouldn't let it go. She shoved me and barked, "Do you think marrying Riccardo makes you superior? Well, let me tell you—whether it's him or Marco, the one they truly love is me."

I lost my balance and stumbled back a couple of steps. But suddenly, Alice let out a sharp scream and fell to the ground herself.

"My stomach! Dalia, why did you push me?"

She clutched her lower abdomen, her face twisted in pain.

I was stunned. Before I could even process what had happened, I was yanked aside and thrown to the ground.

I looked up and saw Riccardo.

His face was taut with anxiety as he lifted Alice into his arms, glaring at me furiously.

"Dalia, why did you push her? She's pregnant!"

"I didn't push her. She fell on her own." I got to my feet and brushed the dust off my clothes.

Just then, Marco rushed over. When he saw the scene, his gaze turned icy.

"Dalia, if anything happens to Alice, I won't let you get away with it."

Two men, for the sake of the same woman, abandoned me once again.

I watched as they frantically rushed Alice to the emergency room, finding the whole scene both ridiculous and pathetic.

In my past life, Marco had defended Alice just like this. In this life, Riccardo was repeating the same mistake.

I turned and left the hospital, returning to the manor.

As soon as I entered, I saw Madre sitting in the living room, her face dark with anger.

"You jinx. The moment you're back, you cause trouble. Get out of this manor immediately!"

"I will," I said calmly. "I'll be out of Porthaven in a week."

Madre was taken aback, clearly not expecting me to agree so readily.

I ignored her and went straight to my room.

Just five more days and I'd be rid of this place for good.

That evening, Riccardo returned. He looked at me and said wearily, "Dalia, you need to apologize to Alice."

"Why should I? I didn't do anything wrong," I retorted, meeting his gaze.

"I saw you push her with my own eyes." Riccardo's eyes were filled with disappointment. "She's pregnant. How could you be so heartless?"

He saw it with his own eyes? A sharp pain pierced my heart. Was this really the kind of person he saw me as?

"How do you want me to apologize? Should I get down on my knees?" I asked mockingly.

Riccardo remained silent, his acquiescence serving as an answer.

In that moment, my heart died completely.

"I will not apologize for something I didn't do."

I turned and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind me.

Heavy footsteps echoed from outside the door.

Riccardo had left.

Leaning against the door, I finally let the tears fall, unable to hold them back any longer.

Two lifetimes of love, wasted on two men because of the same woman.

How pathetic.

But I wouldn't cry for long, because my future wasn't worth wasting tears on people who didn't deserve them.