Five years ago, I became the wife of Cesare Fontana, the most powerful mafia don in Navarino. However, he didn't make our relationship public.

Cesare has always been cold and unfeeling toward everyone. I assumed that's just the way he is.

One day, I get to see the way he interacts with Sonia Moretti, his childhood friend. When I see the bright smile on his face and notice the attentive care he shows her, I finally realize that there is someone in this world whom he treats with gentleness and warmth.

Alas, I'm not the lucky woman.

I hand over the divorce papers. Cesare remains as impassive as ever. He signs the paperwork without even knowing that it will mark the end of our marriage.

When he finally finds out that I've left, weirdly enough, he immediately panics.

He does everything in his power to find me and bring me back. By then, I've already left the country.

I make my way to a country beyond his reach and carve out a fulfilling life for myself.

Cesare becomes the one who pines for me instead.

Cesare Fontana was the most powerful Don in Navarino. My father, his most loyal subordinate, died six years ago after taking a bullet for him.

As the daughter of the man who saved his life, it was only natural that I entered his world. I was even granted the privilege of living with him.

At first, I never even dared to wish for our relationship to grow beyond that. Yet, everything changed after an ordinary family dinner.

Cesare got drunk and pulled me into his room. His lips pressed against mine fiercely. With a fiery passion, he claimed every inch of me. But once he put his clothes back on, he went back to being the cold, emotionless Don he usually was.

I thought what we did was simply one night of passion. Once it was over, everything would go back to the way it was. However, soon after that, Cesare rejected the marriage alliance his parents arranged for him.

I was there at the estate when it happened. I heard him coldly inform his father, "I don't need to resort to a marriage alliance to secure my power over Navarino. I will choose my own bride, and the only person who will be my Donna is Rosalia Valente!"

Thus, when he officially announced to the family elders that he wanted to marry me—and that I was the only wife he'd accept—I accepted his proposal without any hesitation.

All along, I thought that, as the Don, he was cold by nature, and no one could ever move him. I never imagined his heart could soften for someone else.

When he left an important meeting midway to rush to the airport, an uneasy feeling rose in my chest.

Then, he came back with a woman in his arms, her entire body drenched. His typically immaculate outfit was now completely soiled and disheveled.

Cesare was a clean freak. He couldn't stand even the slightest speck of dust.

I always kept every inch of the house spotless. I handwashed all of his clothes and folded them neatly before putting them away in a pristine closet.

Throughout our five years of marriage, not once did I ever let him feel any discomfort. But now, he had no qualms using the cuff of his clean sleeve to wipe that woman's dirt-stained face.

"Rosalia, prepare one of the guest bedrooms… On second thought, just tidy up your room instead. Sonia prefers a room with a balcony."

My heart slowly started sinking. Cesare had specifically reserved that room for me. He'd put in a lot of effort into renovating it back then.

Once, as we were making love, I asked him why he had gone to such lengths for me. Breathing heavily, he murmured into my ear, "You deserve the best things this world has to offer."

Those were the most moving and romantic words I'd ever heard.

But now, he was nonchalantly telling me to give that room to this woman, Sonia Moretti.

When Cesare noticed that I hadn't moved, the familiar coldness returned to his expression. "Don't make me repeat myself."

I hummed in acknowledgment, my head slightly bowed. I let my tears slide down my cheeks, dripping onto the white woolen carpet.

As I walked away, I heard Sonia chiding him reproachfully, "Even after all these years, you're still as fierce as ever. You need to learn to be more gentle. Don't scare people into tears, okay?"

Hearing Cesare's gentle response to Sonia broke my heart into a million pieces.

Before Sonia appeared, I could still deceive myself. I could tell myself that Cesare, the most powerful Don in Navarino, was just naturally domineering and unfeeling. I could be satisfied with just knowing that he'd made me his wife.

It was only now that I realized how laughable my assumptions were.

As I tidied up my room, I stuffed my belongings inside a suitcase and dumped it in one of the unoccupied guest bedrooms. It was just as well. I needed to pack up my things anyway. It was time for me to leave.

…

In the afternoon, I brought the paperwork I needed for the divorce to the courthouse in the city.

The clerk was so busy with his work that he didn't even look up when I entered. I had to call out to him to get his attention before saying, "I'm here to file for divorce."

At last, he looked at me. After preparing the necessary paperwork and handing it to me, he said with a serious expression, "Divorce is a major decision, signora. You need to think it through carefully."

I took a deep breath. Looking him in the eye, I said earnestly, "I've already given this a lot of thought. I've prepared all the required documents as well. I can sign the paperwork right away."

For a moment, he didn't speak. Eventually, he tapped on the form and said, "Fill in all the details and get it signed by both parties. Once the paperwork has been filed and approved, your marriage will officially come to an end."

Nodding, I filled in the paperwork and left the courthouse with it still unsigned.

My relationship with Cesare had been a mistake from the start, hadn't it?

Well, it was time to correct that mistake.

When I returned to Fontana Estate, I was stunned to hear loud music.

Cesare liked peace and quiet. Even the guards moved around in silence. But now, I could hear the music even from the front gate. It grew clearer as I stepped into the house.

As jazz music played from the speaker in the corner of the living room, Sonia held Cesare's hands while twisting her body around sensually. He was clumsily trying to keep up. Even though he was frowning, he readily accompanied her in her dance.

I startled them when I opened the door. Upon seeing me, Cesare stopped dancing, but Sonia continued to hold his hands tightly.

"Hi, Rosalia! We're just reenacting a classic scene from a movie. You should join us!" Sonia made a graceful twirl, her crimson dress swirling in the air.

My hands tightened around the documents I was holding. Mixed among the stack of documents that needed to be signed was the divorce paperwork.

The scene I stumbled upon made my eyes prickle. I couldn't even offer a single polite remark.

I now knew that Cesare was capable of doing things he didn't enjoy for someone else's sake. He was willing to compromise for the sake of the woman he loved.

Noticing the stack of papers I had with me, Sonia came over and asked curiously, "What are those? Are they for Cesare?"

I tensed up, the courage I'd only just mustered swiftly crumbling again. "It's nothing. These are just some documents that needed to be signed. It can wait. I'll—"

"What documents? Give them to me."

Cesare's voice rang out above my head, his tone firm and commanding.

Gulping, I flipped open all the documents to the last page, where they needed to be signed.

"These are just the purchase agreements for some items bought at an auction."

With his brows slightly creased, Cesare took the documents and started signing them. And when his signature fell on the divorce paperwork, I felt the tension melting away from me.

Everything was over now, right?

After taking back the stack of documents, I turned to leave without hesitation.

"Wait a minute!" Cesare called out.

I stiffened, my hands trembled as I clutched the documents. Did he notice something?

Cesare walked up to me. His fingers brushed over my palm as they reached for the documents I was holding. My fingers tightened around them.

Just as he was about to take them from me, Sonia grabbed his hand and said, "We haven't finished our dance, Cesare. Don't waste your time on unimportant things."

Cesare didn't refute Sonia's remark about "unimportant things". He simply lowered his head, allowing her to grip his hand. He wasn't the least bit cold toward her. He was nothing like the husband I'd been married to for five years.

This realization stabbed me in the heart, making it hurt even more.

Sonia's eyes flickered toward me, her gaze visibly taunting. "Do you want to join us, Rosalia?"

Shaking my head lightly, I declined in a voice so soft that I could barely hear it myself. "No thanks. I don't know how to dance."

I had none of the skills and etiquette that were expected of young ladies from distinguished families.

During my time with Cesare, what I learned was how to manage an estate and settle financial accounts. With all my time spent on doing my best to be a good donna, I had no time to pick up other frivolous skills.

Now that I thought about it, I realized how useful it was for me to have learned the things I did. Even after leaving Cesare, I could still support myself.

Sonia's eyes flashed with contempt. "That's such a shame. How can a Donna not even know how to dance? You're woefully unfit for the role."

Her words felt like a slap in the face, making me turn red with mortification.

"Do you want to learn? I'll hire you a teacher," Cesare abruptly said.

"N-No. It's fine," I said before rushing off, as if I were fleeing.

I hurried up to my room on the second floor, feeling both humiliated and relieved. I was leaving anyway, so why should I bother learning how to dance?

As I stared at the signed divorce paperwork, my eyes misted over. The unequal marriage had resulted in the end of our relationship.

As I was packing my things in the guest bedroom, Cesare came in and casually sat on the bed. When he drew closer, I held my breath. Sonia's perfume was mixed in with his scent, and it made my head spin.

"Why did you move into this room? Are you upset because you had to give up your room?"

Cesare stared probingly at me. It was as if nothing could escape his gaze. I looked down to avoid his eyes, but my body was screaming to move closer to him. I fought hard to suppress the love I felt for him, which still came so naturally to me. I pushed it down, burying it deep inside my heart.

As I tried my best to contain my sadness as well, I replied with a slight tremble in my voice, "This room seems like a good one to me."

I forced myself to keep my tone light and unaffected.

A helpless sigh came from above my head. I felt a warm breath washing over my neck.

"Don't get upset because of this. Once Sonia leaves, that room will still be yours."

I didn't say anything. For some reason, my senses were exceptionally sharp right now. I could see the way his warm body slowly approached mine. His lips grazed the top of my head. His hands glided across my skin, making me shiver.

I closed my eyes and forced down the moan that had almost escaped my lips. I loathed myself for reacting this way.

Even though I had given up on our relationship, my body was still instinctively responding to his touch.

Cesare had only just begun unbuttoning my blouse when his phone started ringing, instantly snapping him back to his senses. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the name on the screen.

Sonia was calling.

Expression impassive, he turned and left my room at once, as if everything that just happened between us had been an illusion of mine.

I vaguely overheard some of their conversation. The words "pregnancy" and "feeling unwell" hit me like a bucket of cold water.

That night, I sat stiffly in my room without going to bed. Cesare never came back.

I should've seen that coming, no?

Sonia, Cesare's true love, was back. They were even about to have a child together.

Perhaps I could regain some of my pathetic dignity by voluntarily walking away from everything.

…

The next morning, I took the divorce paperwork, which now had both our signatures, to the courthouse. Once it was approved, the divorce was filed.

Right after that, I went to the embassy and completed more paperwork to confirm my migration to Ressonia. I kept myself busy by completing all of the necessary procedures, giving myself no time to pause and dwell on the situation.

When I went to the hospital to complete the health check I needed before I could move, I caught a familiar scent in the hospital corridor—Sonia's distinctive perfume.

I had to grab the wall to stay on my feet.

Cesare and Sonia stood close together in front of an examination room at the end of the corridor. They were both reading a report together.

A nurse patiently explained, "Since you're only four weeks pregnant, and the fetus is also in an unstable condition, you'll need to prioritize rest above all else. You mustn't engage in any intercourse either."

Four weeks? Wasn't that around the time when Sonia just returned to the country?

Smiling, Sonia gave Cesare a light smack on the back of his hand. He simply gave her a gentle reminder to get plenty of rest.

It was a warm, cozy scene, but it made my heart feel as cold as ice.

I was about to leave with renewed determination when Cesare happened to look up. The moment our eyes met, all the color drained from his face.

"Rosalia! What are you doing here?"

I took a step back, hiding my equally pale face in the shadows.

Sonia abruptly let out a cry. Clutching her abdomen, she collapsed into Cesare's arms.

My eyes started to water, but I forced down those tears. As I turned, I heard Cesare calling out anxiously, "On our anniversary tomorrow, I'll wait for you at our usual spot. I'll explain everything to you then!"

But I didn't respond. I was flying off tomorrow. We wouldn't be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary.

I staggered back to Fontana Estate. After leaving the divorce papers in a drawer in the guest bedroom I'd used, I grabbed my suitcase and walked off without looking back.