I stared at the name of the caller, my entire body trembling, and I couldn't tell whether I was relieved or enraged because Levi's name kept popping up, and instead of answering it, I let it ring over and over. I knew I wasn't ready to talk to him because, in a way, I was blaming everything and anyone for my loss.

"Ms. Ross, please," the doctor said.

I looked him straight in the eye, and without a word, I stood and left, not caring in the world that he was calling after me. I realized that there was no point in learning the truth now because it was obvious that I wasn't in the right headspace. I could end up murdering everyone at this point, so I kept walking as fast as I could. All I knew was that I wanted to get the hell out of the hospital, and so I did. Once I was inside my car, I was catatonic for what felt like hours. Flashbacks of how I met Levi up to this point kept repeating in my head, making it harder for me to pull myself back to reality.

The first time I met Levi, it was at a bar he owned. I didn't know at the time that he was the Mafia boss; all I knew was that he was handsome, charming, and had an air of mystery about him. I had heard rumors about him being involved in some shady business, but I couldn't help being drawn to him. The moment our eyes met, there was an instant connection there, at least that was how I felt.

In the past hour, I have experienced grief, denial, anger, and numbness. I never thought I would find myself in this kind of situation. Falling in love with someone like Levi was never in my plans, but love has a funny way of turning your world upside down. Despite his cold-hearted nature and his involvement in the ruthless Mafia world, I couldn't help but love him seven years ago, so much so that I was willing to overlook everything he did as long as he came home to me.

I was so taken in by him that it did not matter if he broke the law or caused harm to others. In my mind, I loved him because of who he was behind closed doors. Levi De Luca is one of the most fiercely intelligent and handsome individuals I've ever met. His piercing gaze and confident demeanor made it impossible not to take notice of him. His fierceness was evident in the way he tackled challenges with unwavering determination. His charismatic mix of intelligence and gritty charm made it difficult to stay unenthralled with him. Most of all, he treated me right and made me feel as if I was the most important person in his life. But then Madison came into the picture. All of a sudden, Levi was all about her. I witnessed how Levi started treating her like a queen, showering her with love and trust. It was hard for me to ignore the fact that he seemed to prioritize her over me since she entered our lives. His doting on her and the way he chose to spend more time with her than with me made me question everything, and yet up until now, I couldn't walk away from our relationship.

My thoughts were interrupted when my phone started ringing again. I stared at the screen once more and let it ring three more times before finally deciding to answer the call.

Levi: I've been calling you for a while now; why weren't you answering?

Irritation took over me upon hearing the tone of his impatient voice. I had just received the most devastating news, and here he was, ready to scold me for not answering quickly enough. He knew what I was supposed to do today, but the coldness in his voice told me that he had already forgotten where I was. I slowly closed my eyes and took two deep breaths to steady my raging heart. I then tried my best to answer him calmly.

"I'm in the hospital, talking to the doctor."

My statement fell on deaf ears because instead of asking how everything went, he simply said he wasn't coming home again. I was going to ask what his excuse was this time, but the reason became loud and clear after hearing that god-awful voice in the background.

Madison: Levi, darling, who are you talking to? We're going to miss our flight. It's time to go; hang up already.

Hearing Madison's voice made my blood boil and if I was only as strong as Superman, I would've easily broken my phone with my tightened grip around it. Everything was becoming too much for me to handle, so instead of waiting for Levi to talk, I simply told him to have a safe flight and immediately hung up. I didn't care if that would piss him off. As far as I was concerned, he deserved it. No, he deserved more than just that.

Not a second later, tears started streaming down my face. It was at this moment that I finally allowed myself to scream and cry my frustrations out without giving a damn. I cried until I had no more tears left. The moment I got home in our shared penthouse suit, I made it my mission to rot in bed for days, hoping that the mattress of Levi's expensive bed would just swallow me whole and never let me see the light of day again. I simply couldn't help but think that I should've just died three months ago. As I lay in bed, I remembered those days when I was still recovering from the accident. The physical pain didn't bother me that much, but what bothered me the most was how Levi treated me the entire time.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal because I realized that Levi, who was supposed to be by my side, was always absent. He was supposed to be taking care of me, or at least checking out on me, but he just wasn't doing any of those things that normal boyfriends did. At first, I tried to rationalize his absence, attributing it to his duties as a Mafia boss. I knew for a fact that running that kind of business wasn't exactly a walk in the park.

In the Mafia world, loyalty is everything. Betrayal is not just punished; it's hunted down with a vengeance that knows no bounds. There was also the intricate web of alliances and rivalries, the constant threat of violence lurking behind every deal and every handshake. The Mafia controls everything, from the ports to the politicians. But with that power comes a price; you're never truly free. You're always looking over your shoulder, wondering if today will be the day that someone comes for you, so I understood how Levi's world worked no matter how bad it was.

But after a while, it became clear that he was spending most of his time with Madison ever since I got out of the hospital. Because Madison was a famous actress, people followed her around; naturally. And each time she was out and about with Levi, it would take long before the media would be filled with images and videos of them together, sharing almost intimate moments that should have been reserved for us.

It felt as if the universe was rubbing salt in my wounds, reminding me of how stupid the situation was. What made it ten times worse was how Madison threw sympathetic glances in my direction whenever she was around our home. It was as if she was reveling in my pain, enjoying the fact that she had somehow stolen Levi away from me.

I confided in Levi about how Madison was treating me and how much them being together was bothering me, but he didn't seem to take it seriously. He would brush it off and call me paranoid at times. I even tried to confront Madison about it, but she would deny everything and act like I was overreacting. It felt like I was fighting a losing battle, and it took a toll on my self-esteem and mental health, so for months, I pretended that everything was fine, but inside, my love for Levi was slowly fading away. The pain of seeing him with someone else was unbearable, and I began to question the foundation of our relationship. It was a difficult realization, but I knew that at some point, I needed to learn to love myself.