I secretly sent Lena Parker, my husband Dominic Caballero's mistress, away to Sicara. I'm defying his authority as the Don of Coastwick, New Hudson.

That very night, he abducts my parents and younger brother, using their lives to force me to reveal Lena's whereabouts.

Dominic pushes his phone in front of me.

On the screen, I see my family tied to chairs, the timer of the bombs ticking down.

00:59:59

00:59:58

He sits across from me and taps his fingers softly against the table, like he's closing a business deal.

"Alyssa, you have 59 minutes," Dominic says in a calm, almost gentle voice. "Where's Lena?"

I freeze, my throat tightening as if strangled. I can't get a word out.

This is the third time he's pressed me.

The first time, he asked where Lena had gone, but I stayed silent. The second time, he grabbed my chin and said in a low voice, "Alyssa, don't play games."

Now, for the third time, he's threatening my family's lives.

"Dominic…" I call out, my voice trembling. "They're my family. They're the most important people to me."

He chuckles. "Is that so? Then why didn't you think about how important Lena is to me when you sent her away?"

I stare at him, feeling how utterly absurd it all is.

Important?

He told me before that other women were just playthings. Once he got bored, he'd dump them. He swore I was the only one he loved.

But now, for Lena, he's willing to kill my family.

"Dominic…" I croaked. "If I don't tell you where Lena is, will you actually let my family die?"

Dominic Caballero leaned in, then said, "You can try."

I trembled uncontrollably as my tears splattered onto the table. How did it come to this?

Dominic—the Don of Coastwick, New Hudson—had once loved me so deeply.

Back then, I was just a woman of Ivalorian descent from Bridgemont. He, on the other hand, was the heir to the Caballero family and was born to rule.

Yet somehow, he fell for me at first sight. He had pursued me relentlessly and had professed his love 99 times, each time making headlines across the city.

One time, helicopters dropped giant bouquets of roses all over the pier. Another time, he rented every LED billboard in Centrum Square to display my name. On my birthday, he lit up the entire city with fireworks just for me.

Just like that, I fell hard.

However, my parents were dead set against it. They knew exactly what life in the mafia meant. It was full of bloodshed, betrayal, and endless danger.

Therefore, they wanted me to marry a normal man.

Even so, Dominic knelt outside our door for a full day and night. He cast aside all pride just to beg for a chance to marry me. In the end, my parents gave in.

After we got married, Dominic spoiled me and indulged my every whim.

When I had cramps, he flew back from Miramar overnight just to make me chamomile tea. When I casually said I wanted a cheese bagel from Parkridge, he drove there himself to get one.

I thought I had married the right man. That was until the first time I heard the name "Lena Parker".

His assistant mentioned it casually during a chat that a young woman had purposely tripped during one of Dominic's speeches.

It was a cliched move, so I didn't think much of it. After all, plenty of women tried to get close to Dominic, but he had always remained faithful.

However, the second time I heard the name was in bed. He was on top of me, and in the heat of the moment, he called out, "Lena."

Right then and there, it felt like I had been drenched in ice-cold water.

When I confronted Dominic, he held me close and admitted he had some interest in Lena. Still, he insisted she was just someone he saw on the side.

"That's how things work in our world, Alyssa. But my one true love is always you. That will never change," he had said.

But then, he grew bolder.

He gave Lena jewelry, paid for her apartment on the east side of town, and even took her to private dinners. By then, the gossip had spread across the whole city.

I cried and threw tantrums, but he never comforted me like before. Instead, he coldly warned, "Stop making a scene."

Finally, I'd had enough and sent Lena away to Sicara.

Yet, I didn't anticipate such an extreme reaction from Dominic. He abducted my family and strapped bombs to them, all to force me to reveal Lena's whereabouts.

My voice shook uncontrollably as I said, "She's in Bellermo, Sicara, in the seaside villa under my name."

Dominic stared at me for a long moment, as if weighing whether I was telling the truth. Then, he grabbed his phone and called someone.

After verifying my words, he grabbed his coat and rushed off to pick Lena up.

"What about my family? You promised you'd let them go!" I cried, grabbing his sleeve.

He turned back with an icy gaze. "They're at an abandoned warehouse in Bridgemont. Go find them yourself."

With that, I ran out the door. The engine roared as the car sped toward the warehouse.

When I found my family, less than ten minutes remained on the bomb timer. They were tied to chairs, and their mouths were taped shut.

As soon as they saw me, they shook their heads frantically, begging me to run.

But I rushed over, my hands trembling as I tried to untie them. All the while, the countdown ticked like the grim reaper whispering in my ear.

With only three minutes and 20 seconds left, I still couldn't loosen the ropes.

Suddenly, my dad hurled himself forward, knocking me aside.

I staggered back as he lunged toward the bomb.

"Dad!" I screamed.

In the next second, the explosion tore through my eardrums, and a blast of heat threw me across the room.

I crashed heavily onto the ground, and my vision blurred to red.

When I woke up, I was already in the hospital. My parents were severely injured, but thankfully, they were alive.

Meanwhile, my little brother lay on the bed beside my mom. His temples were wrapped in bandages, and his face was pale.

I fell to my knees beside my mom's bed, tears streaming down my cheeks as I whispered, "I'm sorry… I chose the wrong man."

My mom weakly reached out and ran her fingers through my hair. "It's never too late to start over."

I shook my head. "He won't let me go."

After I found out about Lena, I tried to leave. But every time I drew up a divorce agreement, Dominic tore it up.

He claimed he was just playing around with her. Once he got bored, he'd leave her. He insisted that I was his true love and that he would never let me go.

Right then, my dad held my hand and said, "Alyssa, there's something you don't know—something even he's probably forgotten.

"On the night we gave him our blessing to marry you, I made him sign a contract. If he ever betrayed you, it would take effect immediately. You could divorce him right away, but… our entire family would vanish."

I froze, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face. It turned out my parents had already prepared a way out for me.

…

The next day, I did two things.

First, my parents and I brought the signed contract to a law firm.

After reviewing it, the lawyer nodded. "The contract is valid. The divorce takes effect immediately."

Second, we began the paperwork to erase ourselves legally. Once that was done, Alyssa Todd would no longer exist in any record, and Dominic would never be able to find me.

The process would take about two weeks. After discussing it with my parents, we agreed I should return to the Caballero residence in the meantime.

During those two weeks, I had to stay close to Dominic, making sure he didn't suspect a thing. Otherwise, with how ruthless he was, none of us would be able to escape.

…

Back in the master bedroom, I began packing.

I threw every photo, all the love letters Dominic had written, and the souvenirs from our trips into the fireplace.

The flames consumed it all, burning everything like a cruel joke.

…

The next day, I went out to the backyard, where a grove of sycamore trees stood. Dominic had planted them with his own hands. He had said the sycamore symbolized loyalty, just as his love for me would never fade.

I raised a fireman's axe and began chopping down the trees one by one. The dull, harsh crack of splitting trunks echoed through the yard.

As I chopped, the maids stood at a distance, too afraid to come any closer.

On the third day, I went to St. John's Chapel, where a love lock engraved with our names hung. Years ago, Dominic had held me close and tossed the key into the river, saying we'd stay together forever.

Now, I used a pair of bolt cutters to sever the lock.

It clattered sharply to the ground, but I simply turned and walked away without a backward glance.

…

When I entered the living room, I saw two people on the couch. Dominic sat there with Lena leaning against him, her face pale.

I walked past them, expressionless, and headed upstairs.

"Stop," Dominic said coldly.

I halted but didn't look back.

"Do you know why I brought her back?" he asked.

"I don't care."

His tone was heavy with blame as he spat, "You sent Lena abroad, and she had a hard time adjusting. She hasn't slept well in days! Alyssa, apologize to her."

At last, I turned to face them.

Lena nervously clutched Dominic's sleeve, but a hint of triumph flickered in her eyes.

"And what if I don't?" I asked calmly.

"Never mind. It's fine," Lena chimed in softly. "I don't mind a little suffering. After all, you're the wife."

Dominic immediately held her tight. "I told you not to be so sensible."

Then, he kissed the top of her head before adding, "From now on, I'll spoil you. You can do whatever you want."

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. I felt nothing but irony.

Just then, a maid brought over a cup of hot chamomile tea, saying it was for Lena.

At the same time, Dominic's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and said gently to Lena, "You always get headaches when I talk about work. I'll take this outside. Drink your tea, okay?"

With that, he rose and left, leaving only Lena and me in the living room.

The fragile look on Lena's face vanished instantly, replaced by the smugness of a victor.

"See?" She chuckled. "So what if you're the Don's wife? So what if you sent me away? Dominic's heart and mind belong to me."

I shot her a cold look. "If you want him, then he's yours."

Lena froze momentarily, then her anger flared. "I don't need you to hand him over! Sooner or later, he'll be mine alone. Your place will be mine too!"

When I didn't react, her fury only grew.

Suddenly, Dominic's footsteps came from outside.

A vicious gleam flickered in Lena's eyes. Without warning, she grabbed the steaming cup of chamomile tea and poured it over herself. She screamed in pain, tears streaming down her face.

Upon hearing her, Dominic rushed in and saw what had happened.

Lena was a mess. Tea soaked her clothes as she cried uncontrollably.

"Alyssa!" Dominic roared. "It's bad enough that you refuse to apologize! How dare you do this to her?"

"It wasn't me. Check the surveillance footage," I replied calmly.

He sneered. "Fine. Let's check."

In an instant, Lena grabbed his arm, her voice choking with sobs as she said, "Dominic, it's not Mrs. Caballero's fault. I should never have hoped I could stay by your side. I'll leave right now."

She had barely taken a step when Dominic yanked her back.

"I just got you back, and now you want to walk out on me again? Are you trying to break me?"

Having said that, he wrapped his arms around her. It was as if he were afraid to ever lose her again.

Dominic then turned to me, his icy gaze sending a shiver down my spine. "I'll see that she gets justice for this."

The next moment, a bodyguard began dragging me toward the underground cold storage.

I struggled with all my might, yelling, "Dominic! It wasn't me! Check the cameras!"

Without so much as a glance at me, he shot back coldly, "No need. I believe her."

…

The heavy iron door slammed shut in my face. In an instant, darkness and cold swallowed me whole.

I curled up in a corner, trembling. Yet, the chill in my chest cut deeper than the cold around me. So, this was what Dominic meant when he said I was the one he loved most?

The Don of Coastwick, New Hudson, had once loved me with all his heart.

Knowing I was afraid of the cold, Dominic had spent a fortune installing a temperature control system throughout the house after we married. Even the courtyard stayed like spring all year round.

During winter, he'd cup my icy hands and pull my cold feet into his embrace, smiling as he promised to keep me warm for the rest of my life.

Looking back now, I realized promises were only real at the moment they were spoken.

…

The next day, when I was on the verge of passing out from the cold, the door finally opened.

A bodyguard stood there, expressionless. "Don Caballero says if there's a next time, the punishment won't be this light."

I leaned against the wall for support, shivering as I staggered out.

There wouldn't be a next time. Soon, I'd make sure Dominic was gone from my world for good.

…

That evening, Dominic's assistant arrived with a gown and a set of jewelry, saying I was expected at a charity auction gala.

So, I went. But at the entrance to the ballroom, I saw Lena.

She wore a couture gown and a diamond necklace. It was the very one Dominic had bid eight figures for at last month's auction.

I stopped in my tracks, looked at Dominic, and asked, "If she's here, why bother having me come?"

"I hadn't planned on bringing her, but she's never been to an event like this. She wanted to come, so I brought her," he replied with an indifferent expression.

After a pause, he added lightly, "Alyssa, don't be so petty."

I trembled slightly. I wasn't being petty. He just hadn't thought about how having the Don's wife and his mistress appear together would make me the subject of gossip and ridicule.

Without another word, Dominic led Lena into the ballroom. She slipped her arm through his, a sweet smile playing on her lips.

Nearby, people began whispering.

"Don Caballero and his wife look so perfect together!" one commented.

Another quickly said, "You've got it wrong. That's Donna Caballero. The one beside him is just the mistress."

The first person cast me an awkward glance before muttering, "But he treats that woman so well. She gets the designer gown, while his wife is wearing the gifted one. No wonder I mistook them."

At that, I clenched my fists until my nails bit into my palms.

…

Once the auction began, I raised my paddle to bid on a few pieces. But whatever I bid on, Lena would simply add a dollar on top.

Low chuckles rippled across the room at the sight.

"It's my first time seeing the mistress best the man's own wife," said one.

With a straight face, I made the "all in" gesture. "All in" meant I'd take that item no matter how high the bidding went, with no cap.

All at once, Lena's face turned pale. She tugged on Dominic's sleeve and whined, "I really like this one!"

He looked at me, frowning. "Alyssa, let her have it."

"No. She can't go 'all in,' but I can. That's because I'm your wife and the lady of the Caballero family. What's yours is mine."

After saying that, I turned to Lena with a mocking smile. "No matter how much you give her, she'll never measure up to me."

Tears instantly welled up in Lena's eyes, and she shot to her feet. "You!"

The next second, she buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

"Yes, you're his wife. I'm just a disgraceful mistress. I never should've foolishly believed I could have it all. Dominic, let's end this."

With that, she spun around and bolted.

Dominic's expression changed drastically. He seized my wrist and snapped, "I told you. I'd get tired of her after a while. Why must you drive her away?"

"Whether she stays or leaves is none of my concern," I retorted, coolly meeting his gaze.

His gaze darkened. Without saying another word, he flung my hand aside and strode out after Lena.

Meanwhile, I stood rooted to the spot. Everyone in the room stared at me, their eyes filled with mockery and pity.

But I didn't care. After all, I'd be gone soon.

…

The next morning, a news alert on my phone jolted me awake.

The headline read, "999 Intimate Photos of Don Caballero's Wife to Be Auctioned on the Black Market!"

A chill shot through me the moment I saw it. Only Dominic had those photos.