The comment section froze the moment my notification chimed—Adrian was calling.

His voice came through irritated, but kept under tight control, the way mafia heirs were trained to sound even when angry.

“Bella, you shouldn’t take my friends’ banter seriously. They were only teasing when they joked around with Veronica and me. Your remark embarrassed them. I get that you’re upset after seeing that post, but please understand—you’ve disappointed my mother again. She expected us to show up together at the Syndicate Gala, and you vanished without explanation. And yes, I missed our anniversary dinner, but unlike you, I actually have operations to oversee. You can’t keep acting out every time you get emotional.”

I stayed silent.

My silence unsettled him—Adrian wasn’t used to being ignored.

“Bella? Why aren’t you saying anything? When you get home, we need to settle this. You should apologize to my mother as soon as possible.”

“…Alright.”

The word scraped out of me like broken glass. I swallowed down the storm of emotions clawing up my throat.

The man whose neglect cost me my child was demanding that I apologize.

“Bella… why aren’t you asking about me? About how I’m doing?”

“There’s no need,” I murmured. “I already know everything I need to know.”

Before he could respond, I hung up, and the dam finally broke—sobs shaking me so hard it felt like grief itself was tearing through my ribs.

My parents—the Mafia King and Queen—had never trusted Adrian. But when they realized how deeply I loved him, they let me choose my own fate.

What a catastrophic choice it turned out to be.

I hailed a taxi and returned to the De Luca estate. Dawn was just breaking when Adrian finally stumbled in, reeking of expensive liquor and smoke from Syndicate lounges. The sound of his uneven steps woke me. He froze when he saw I was awake, scrambling for an excuse he hoped I’d accept.

Wary I might scold him for coming home drunk, he attempted to turn the blame on me.

“Bella… why weren’t you home these past three days?”

I turned my back to him.

“Oh, so now you’re pretending to be angry with me?” he asked, his voice softer, almost cajoling. “No warm soup tonight?”

“I’m exhausted,” I replied coolly.

Startled by my indifference, he sighed and tugged the duvet over me, as if that could erase the widening gulf between us.

“You should take better care of yourself. The baby will inherit my position one day. You need to rest.”

But as he sat beside me, a strong fruity perfume clung to him—Veronica’s signature scent, something every mafia socialite recognized instantly.

My stomach twisted.

Unable to bear it, I stood up, grabbed a pillow and blanket, and headed for the door, tears slipping silently down my cheeks.

“Bella?”

“I can’t sleep here,” I whispered.

I shut the door behind me, leaving him staring at the empty space beside him—confused, but not enough to chase after me.

The next morning, I left for work before he even woke.

During the staff meeting at the syndicate-affiliated corporation I worked for, my boss reviewed assignments.

“This next project is demanding. It’ll require overtime. Comes with a larger budget and a significant bonus. Anyone interested?”

“I’ll take it.”

Several colleagues stared at me, stunned.

My boss hesitated.

“Bella… what about your husband? And… you’re pregnant. We assumed—”

“I’m not expecting anymore,” I said calmly. “I had a miscarriage. So there’s no need for leave.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. The meeting ended almost immediately afterward.

My boss dismissed the others but asked me to stay.

“Bella… I hope I’m not overstepping, but is everything okay at home?”

She folded her hands, choosing her words with care—as one does when speaking about mafia families.

“You’re one of my best. I’ve been wanting to recommend you for promotion for months, but I thought you wouldn’t want to be assigned far from the De Luca territory. But… if it’s something you’d consider, I can transfer you to headquarters in the capital.”

I gave her a gentle, polite smile.

“Thank you. I’d be happy to move.”

She blinked, surprised at my swift decision.

Then her expression turned hesitant again.

“Actually… my husband was at Southwest Bar last night. He overheard Don Adrian talking with his friends.”

My breath stilled. “What did he say?”

“He… talked about the baby. He said that since you’re an orphan, you probably don’t know how to raise a child properly. He asked one of his friends—Veronica—to help him raise the baby.”

Her voice softened. “I’m sorry, Bella. But I would want to know.”

Ice water poured through my veins.

So that’s what he really thought of me.

I forced a trembling smile. “Thank you.”

Just then my phone rang—Adrian again.

“Bella, did you leave early? You shouldn’t push yourself. You’re already well into your second trimester. Didn’t I tell you to quit your job? Also… when I woke up, breakfast wasn’t prepared. Are you eating at all?”

There was concern in his tone, yes—

but it was smothered under irritation, entitlement, and expectation.

I made a noncommittal sound.

He continued, barely pausing:

“Even though I missed our dinner, I got you something.”

“Did you?” I asked flatly.

“You like heart-shaped diamond jewelry, right? I bought a pendant for you. Strange… I can’t seem to find it.”

I heard shuffling, a quiet curse, more fumbling.

“It’s not here…”

Then silence.

Then realization.

I didn’t need to say anything—he already knew I had seen the photo.

Veronica wearing a heart-shaped diamond pendant.

The same pendant he claimed he bought for me.

He cleared his throat.

“I must’ve misplaced it.”

“No need,” I replied. “I didn’t get you anything either.”

“Bella, this attitude… since you can’t do much around the estate, I at least expect you to manage the house, cook properly, and look presentable. Stop acting like this is something huge.”

“You’re right. It was never important,” I whispered, tears sliding down my cheeks.

He had bought me a gift.

He just let his childhood sweetheart wear it first.

“I guess I can’t ever meet your expectations,” I said quietly. “And Adrian? My favorite stones have always been sapphires. I’ve never worn diamonds in my life.”

I ended the call before he could speak.

After that day, I drowned myself in work so thoroughly that I barely set foot inside the De Luca estate. My absence dragged on long enough for Adrian to finally sense that something was off.

Then one afternoon, my phone lit up with a call from my mother-in-law—

a woman who had always viewed me as gutter trash, an orphan far below their Syndicate rank.

“Bella,” she snapped immediately, skipping greetings as usual. “Adrian told me you picked a fight with him. And from what I heard, you’re the one who ruined our schedule at the Royal Syndicate Banquet. Yes, you grew up without refinement or proper upbringing, but the least you can do is avoid dragging my family’s name through the mud.”

She didn’t pause before continuing sharply,

“You’ll soon be giving birth to the future Don of this family, so stop acting irrationally. People are already whispering that you and Adrian are falling apart. I have arranged a dinner tonight with Adrian’s closest associates. You will arrive with him. On time. And you better not embarrass us.”

She hung up like a general dismissing an underling.

I stared at the blank screen.

If I was leaving for the Syndicate’s capital branch soon, I wanted to look these people in the eye one last time—the ones who betrayed me, humiliated me, and treated me worse than a stray brought in from the street.

I took a taxi to the family residence.

Inside the dining hall, Adrian’s mother sat at the head of the long table, radiating the cold authority of a matriarch who believed she controlled everyone in the room.

The moment I entered, the low chatter died. Adrian’s friends exchanged disdainful looks.

“Aunt, why even invite her?” one of them muttered loudly. “She’ll just ruin the atmosphere again.”

“The witch shows up uninvited to break up the happy couple,” another added with a smirk, ensuring I heard every word.

“Bella, sit here,” Adrian’s mother ordered, pointing to the seat beside her.

I ignored her completely and sat at the far end.

Theodore, Adrian’s closest friend, immediately smirked—he had been waiting for a chance to strike.

“Bella, what was your surname again? Oh, right. My mistake. You don’t have one. Hard to remember something that never existed.”

I lifted my gaze, face expressionless, voice colder than steel.

“And remind me—who exactly are you supposed to be?”

My stare made him recoil as if slapped. The room fell silent.

A few minutes later, Adrian walked in with Veronica by his side.

He startled when he saw me sitting there early. His posture stiffened, and he subtly stepped away from her, pretending nothing was wrong.

I noticed Veronica had removed the diamond pendant—the one Adrian pretended he bought for me.

Adrian’s mother beckoned me to the kitchen. I followed without a word.

When I returned, Adrian hurried over to me, pasting on the kind of fake smile used to placate the Syndicate elders. He brushed my hair aside and—making sure everyone was watching—fastened a diamond pendant around my neck with exaggerated gentleness.

“This must be your first diamond,” he murmured loudly. “Next time, I’ll get you sapphires. I know they’re your favorite.”

He continued smoothly, still lying,

“I must’ve dropped the pendant back at the estate. The moment I realized it was missing, I rushed everywhere looking for it.”

The pendant felt suffocating.

I removed it silently and placed it on the table.

Adrian’s expression darkened instantly.

“Bella, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I knew it,” one woman whispered loudly. “She’s so ungrateful she can’t even accept a simple gift.”

Adrian’s mother glared at me. “Why did you take it off?”

“It was too tight,” I said flatly, ignoring the snickers and murmurs.

None of them knew—or cared enough to remember—that diamonds in our Syndicate tradition were symbols of disgrace.

They were given to exiled members stripped of their rank before being cast out.

I wasn’t exiled.

I was simply preparing to walk away.

From the kitchen doorway, I heard my mother-in-law’s sweetened voice as she laughed with Veronica, who clung to her arm like a perfect goddaughter.

“Auntie, you shouldn’t be working alone,” Veronica cooed. “If I had been here, I’d never have let you handle everything yourself.”

“This girl!” the matriarch chuckled. “Of course things would’ve been different if it were you.”

Then her voice sharpened.

“Oh—Veronica, let Bella help the staff with the dishes. You mustn’t get your hands dirty. Bella grew up doing manual labor. Scrubbing floors and washing plates is normal for her. Don’t you dare ruin those pretty hands of yours.”

My nails dug into my palm.

Adrian said nothing—worse, he looked approving—as if ordering his wife to scrub dishes in front of guests was perfectly reasonable.

When they returned to the dining hall, Veronica slipped neatly between Adrian and his mother, claiming her place as if she belonged there.

“Auntie, I’ve missed you these past years. Not a day went by that I didn’t miss Adrian,” she said theatrically.

Not one person flinched.

Not one questioned why a woman engaged to another man was openly professing her longing for Adrian in front of his wife.

“If things hadn’t gone wrong,” Adrian’s mother said lightly, “you’d already be my daughter-in-law.”

She glanced at me, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes, before pulling Veronica closer.

Adrian stayed silent—still angry I had rejected the pendant.

Then the matriarch turned to me with fake innocence.

“Oh dear, I must be rambling. Bella, this is Veronica—my goddaughter. I heard you’ve been making trouble at home because of her, but really, Veronica is like a sister to Adrian. You mustn’t be jealous. These two have always been close.”

“Auntie’s right,” Colin chimed in smugly. If anyone pushed the idea of a perfect match between Adrian and Veronica, it was him. He was also the one who started calling me the ‘homewrecker.’

“Bella, you keep guarding Adrian like he’s going to run away. Do you really think any of us would sabotage him? Veronica and Adrian are practically inseparable. If he wanted to dump you, he would’ve done it already.”

He leaned back confidently.

“Besides, Adrian already promised Veronica that our syndicates would unite and expand our territories. You should learn to cooperate. It’s the least you can do as the Don’s wife.”

My breath caught.

Unifying our Onyx Serpent Syndicate with another clan?

A massive political move.

And as the Don’s wife, I was kept in the dark.

Colin realized too late that he had said the quiet part out loud.

Silence swept through the room, tension crackling as uneasy glances flickered among them.

“Do you even grasp the gravity of what you’ve just said? If that rival syndicate gets caught in any criminal scandal, our Family will be dragged into the fallout—”

“Bella,” Veronica cut in with a sharp smile, “I know you dislike me, but don’t drag our Family’s name through the dirt just to win an argument.”

I turned to Adrian, searching for even the slightest support, but he was already glaring at me, jaw clenched.

“Veronica has a point,” he said coldly. “You barely finished school, Bella. You’ve never been trained in the intricacies of Syndicate alliances or the obligations of the Family. How could you possibly understand whether this partnership benefits us?”

And he didn’t stop.

“It’s better if I manage all Family responsibilities. Veronica handled the duties of a Donna for three years when my mother was ill—it’s natural that she’d understand these things better than you. I can’t bend the rules for you when you came into this household with nothing—no lineage, no reputation, no education. Just some stray orphan I married.”

Humiliation burned through me. The entire table fell silent, but no one intervened. They only watched.

The rest of dinner tasted like nothing. I pushed food around my plate while Adrian kept shooting me irritated side-glances. His mother, meanwhile, was busy laughing at everything Veronica said, pretending the earlier insult had never happened.

When I reached for an oyster—one I had brought from home because the Family’s nurse insisted it would help with my pregnancy—Adrian’s mother snapped at me.

“Bella! I understand no one taught you proper manners growing up, but are you really this foolish? Who eats rich seafood while five months pregnant? Do you have no concern for the child? Sometimes I wonder how much longer Adrian must carry the burden of protecting you.”

“Protecting me?” I said quietly, voice like ice. “Is that what you call protection? Letting you tear me down in front of everyone?”

Silence crashed over the room. Even Adrian’s mother stiffened. Adrian stared at me, startled.

“This oyster,” I said, lifting the dish a little, “is the one the nurse prepared specifically for me. I brought it because you rushed me out during lunch and ordered me to bring food for everyone here. But clearly, my presence only causes trouble. Coming here tonight was a mistake.”

“Bella—” Adrian reached for me as I stood, but I stepped away and headed for the exit.

He followed me into the corridor.

“Bella, don’t make this bigger than it is. My mother didn’t mean it the way it sounded. Come back inside.”

“To be very honest with you, Adrian,” I said, turning to face him, “my parents are alive. Very much alive. And if I had listened to them, I never would’ve walked into this house. Into this Family. Into a marriage where I have never once been wanted.”

Adrian grabbed my shoulders, forcing a gentle smile like I was a child throwing a meaningless tantrum.

“Bella, don’t say things you’ll regret. Let it go for tonight. You need to behave like a proper Mafia wife—loyal and composed.”

Before I could respond, the back door burst open and Colin stepped out, breathless.

“Adrian! Veronica can’t breathe—she needs you now.”

Adrian froze only for a moment before worry overtook his expression.

“Bella, come back inside. It’s going to pour. I need to check on Veronica—just wait for me.”

I stared at him as if he were a stranger. He held my hand briefly, searching for the right words, then released me and rushed back inside.

A moment later, my phone vibrated.

From Mother-in-law:

You may return now. I misjudged earlier. Let’s not ruin the dinner.

I stared through blurred vision. It was painfully clear—this household had never once opened its doors to me. Everything revolved around hierarchy, bloodlines, and usefulness.

Three years ago, I had been abducted by a rogue Mafia faction. My father and brothers had searched the entire region, but my identity had to be hidden for my safety. In the end, it was Adrian—then the Jade Crest Mafia’s rising heir—who led the rescue that freed me and several others. My mother offered him compensation, but I insisted I wanted to marry him.

My brothers protested. You’re our only daughter. You’ve never known brutality. A man like Adrian will crush you.

I was so naïve—so stupid—to think love could erase hierarchy.

Tonight, that same man called me worthless because I had no pedigree of my own.

The rain began pouring as I stepped into the courtyard. I ignored his mother calling after me. Shame choked me. I couldn’t bear to face my family—what would I even say? Would they still want me back after I chose this life over theirs?

Suddenly, warmth enveloped me. Adrian pulled me into his arms, both of us drenched.

“Bella, you’re freezing. Why didn’t you stay inside?” he murmured, guiding me under a small awning. “I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have left you like that. But couldn’t you just follow instructions? Veronica is very sick.”

He cupped my cheek.

“She only came tonight because I asked her to. I couldn’t abandon her when she collapsed. And even then, she kept telling me to go after you. You should learn from her kindness.”

He sighed.

“My mother has been calling you nonstop. She wants you to come back. Why do you always resist everything?”

Seeing how pale I was, he led me to a nearby convenience store so I could change into dry clothes.

“Are you alright, Bella? I’ll call a driver to take you home.”

I shook my head. “Are you not coming with me?”

“I have something to take care of—”

“Let me guess,” I said quietly. “You’re driving Veronica home.”

His eyes widened.

He dropped his voice defensively. “I’ll be home after. You know Veronica is a single mother. She’s sick and has no one else. If something happened to her—”

“No need to explain,” I cut in softly. “I understand perfectly. She needs you… and I can manage alone.”