On my birthday, one of my husband’s subordinates leaned close to him and whispered in Russian, “Sasha has a surprise prepared for you tonight.”

My husband smiled at me as he finished cutting my cake. Then, in the same language, he replied, “She has quite a few tricks in bed. I’ll see her later.

“Just don’t let Madam find out, or I’m afraid I’ll get thrown out.”

Everyone around laughed and assured keep it quiet.

None of them knew that I’d been fluent in multiple languages since I was a child.

What they also didn’t know was that I’d found the hidden phone he kept in the false drawer, where all the filthy videos of him and Sasha were saved.

I didn’t confront him. Instead, I contacted a few remaining connections in the Vegas and had them prepare a new identity for me.

In three days, Claire Vega would no longer exist, and he would never have me again.

At my birthday party, a subordinate chuckled and said in Russian to my husband, Tony Gambino, heir to a mafia family.

“Sir, Sasha has a surprise for you tonight. You’re in for a good time!”

Tony handed me the piece of cake he had just cut and wished me a happy birthday before replying to him in Russian.

“That girl always has her tricks in bed. Makes it hard to resist. I’ll see her tonight.

“Just don’t let Madam find out, or I’m afraid I’ll get thrown out.”

The subordinate assured Tony that I would never discover anything.

My appetite vanished then, and I set the cake aside.

Noticing I hadn’t eaten, Tony leaned in slightly, his warm breath brushing my ear.

“Why aren’t you eating? Don’t like it?”

His eyes showed concern, but all I felt was nausea.

The same man who had just been discussing another woman’s bedroom skills with his men was now acting gentle and devoted. It was almost surreal.

I wanted to peel off the many layers of his mask just to know how dishonest he was.

“It’s nothing. I was just curious about what got you two talking so seriously.”

Tony lightly tapped the tip of my nose, smiling dotingly.

“We were talking about the shipment at the docks. I didn’t want to scare you with the details, so we switched languages.”

He seemed to forget that before my family, the Vegas, fell, our business was international. So, I grew up surrounded by multiple languages.

Russian wasn’t just something I understood. I was fluent.

I didn’t want to stay there any longer and pushed his hand off my waist.

“You all continue. I’m going to get some air in the garden.”

Then, I walked away without waiting for him to respond.

Along the way, guests and servants greeted me politely. Their voices lowered as soon as I passed.

“That’s Mrs. Gambino. What a life she lives. Their wedding back then was one for the century, with every major mafia family in Europe attending.”

“Her birthday parties are always so grand. So many years, and they still act like they’re in love. I’m so jealous.”

“Isn’t it? What woman would not want to live like her?”

In the past, hearing this would have felt sweet.

Now, each word felt sharp instead.

No one knew that the man who supposedly loved me the most had already betrayed me.

Last month, I accidentally discovered a hidden phone in the secret compartment of his study.

Since it had no password, I opened it, only to find the gallery full of photos and videos of a woman named Sasha Arden.

It was her and Tony, all in intimate photos at different angles, rooms, and hotels from around the world. I couldn’t bear it.

In one video, Tony held her chin and laughed, “You’re more exciting, much better than that stiff doll at home.”

Stiff doll.

So that was all I was to him.

I didn’t move anything and put the phone back exactly where it was.

Then, using the few remaining contacts of the Vegas, I began preparing my exit.

My phone vibrated, pulling me back to the present.

“Miss, your new identity and Swiss accounts have been activated. Your flight information three days from now has been sent to your email.”

“About my family…” I began, but the words stopped.

Five years ago, after my family was massacred, Tony saved me and became my only family.

Now, he was personally erasing me from his life.

“…Erase every trace of me here.”

There was a brief pause of hesitation on the other end.

“Miss, are you sure? Once we wipe it, there will be no trace of a person named Claire Vega. If Mr. Gambino loses control and tries to find you—”

I let out a quiet, dry laugh.

“He won’t look for me.”

After all, he was already tired of me.

“Understood. I’ll take care of it. Please take care of yourself.”

The call had just ended when a shadow fell over me.

“Who won’t look for you?”

I turned to meet Tony’s searching gaze and calmly lowered my phone.

“A distant niece got betrayed by her boyfriend.”

Tony studied my face closely.

Only when he confirmed there was nothing unusual did he relax. Then, he pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on the top of my head.

“Claire, don’t worry. I’ll be the best husband. I’ll never let you down.”

I leaned against his solid chest, listening to the heartbeat I knew so well yet felt so unfamiliar.

My voice was quiet as I asked, “What if? What if one day you do betray me?”

Tony’s arms tightened instantly, almost enough to break bones.

“There is no if.” His voice was firm. “You’re the only one I love.”

“I’m saying if,” I repeated, unwilling to drop it.

He fell silent. His warm breath brushed against my ear, carrying a gentle cruelty.

“Then punish me. Make me search to the ends of the earth for you, and still never find you.

“Claire, you are my only weakness. My lifeline. Without you, how am I supposed to live?”

I smiled, though it didn’t reach my eyes.

Well, Tony's punishment was already on its way.

In three days, I would make him beg for mercy, and he would lose his life completely.

Just then, a clear, sweet female voice sounded, “Mr. Gambino, what you requested is ready.”

It was Sasha, my so-called personal assistant, and Tony’s new favorite toy.

She was wearing a server’s uniform and holding a tray, standing respectfully a short distance away. Her posture was modest and professional, completely different from the “wild in bed” charm Tony had spoken of earlier.

Tony only gave her a brief nod and waved her off.

Watching how seamlessly they coordinated, I felt only disgust.

A mafia heir and his kept mistress. With such excellent acting skills as theirs, it was a pity they didn’t break into the entertainment industry.

If not for that hidden phone, I might have believed I was living in a fairy tale until the day I died.

Tony suddenly covered my eyes with his palm, his voice low and coaxing.

“Claire, close your eyes. Your birthday surprise is here.”

“Five… four… three…”

When the last number fell, he removed his hand.

There were no fireworks or roses.

Instead, one of his most trusted men was kneeling on one knee, holding out a velvet box with both hands.

Inside was a silver Browning handgun, inlaid with small diamonds, glittering cold and bright under the light.

Tony wrapped his arms around me from behind and guided my hand to lift the gun.

“Claire, from today on, you share my power. This gun is your scepter. If anyone disrespects you, kill them with this.”

I lowered my eyes to the gun, slightly dazed.

Five years ago, he held me the same way while giving me a cup of warm milk, saying he would protect me forever.

Now, here he was giving me a gun, saying we would share his power.

Tony turned me around and looked at me with deep affection. Just as he was about to kiss me, his phone rang.

He frowned, irritation flashing in his eyes.

“I told them no interruptions tonight.”

However, the moment he saw the screen, his expression froze for a split second.

From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed the caller ID. There was no name, just a bright, conspicuous heart symbol.

Tony cleared his throat lightly and turned off the screen without a word, but his fingers were tapping something inside his pocket.

I clearly saw the brief spark of desire in his eyes.

How expected.

When he looked up again, his expression was full of guilt.

“Claire, I’m sorry. I know it’s your birthday, and I should stay with you. But something urgent came up with the family…”

Not wanting to hear his clumsy excuses, I cut him off.

“Go. Business is important.”

Tony clearly felt relieved. Usually, he would kiss me deeply before leaving. This time, he only brushed a quick kiss against my forehead before striding away.

I stood where I was, watching his back disappear down the hallway. Then I turned and walked toward the villa’s surveillance room.

Inside the surveillance room, dozens of screens displayed every part of the villa.

I quickly pulled up the feed from the underground garage.

Tony’s car had never left the estate. Instead, it was parked in the most hidden corner.

The car door opened, and Sasha’s figure slipped inside.

She straddled Tony’s lap directly, arms around his neck, and leaned in for her red lips to whisper something against his ear.

There was undeniable desire on Tony’s face as he gripped her jaw and kissed her hard.

Though I couldn’t hear anything, the intensity of their movements said enough.

The car window slowly rolled up, blocking my view, but the subtle, rhythmic rocking of the car began soon after.

I leaned back in the cold chair. My heart felt as if it was squeezed tight, the pain sharp enough to leave me breathless.

I’d already known, of course, but seeing it with my own eyes felt like having flesh peeled away.

When we first met, Tony had a severe cleanliness obsession and never let anyone touch his car.

He said the front passenger seat would only ever belong to me.

Now, he allowed another woman to climb into his lap in his car without restraint.

Did he love her that much? Enough to break every rule he once swore by?

I closed my eyes and forced myself to calm down.

“Three more days, Claire. Just endure three more days, and then you’re free.”

I didn’t return to the party. I went straight to the bedroom.

In the middle of the night, the sound of the door opening woke me.

Tony entered with the smell of alcohol and cold air still clinging to him. When he saw me in bed, the tension in his shoulders loosened.

“Claire, why did you come back so early? I went back to the hall after attending to business and couldn’t find you. I almost turned the whole estate upside down.”

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand—4 a.m.

He and Sasha were together in that car for seven hours before he finally remembered me.

It was ridiculous.

“I was tired, so I went to bed. Forgot to tell you.”

A lie spoken enough times eventually sounded natural.

Tony looked shaken. He shrugged off his coat, got into bed, and pulled me tightly into his arms, as if trying to fuse me into him.

“Don’t do that again, Claire. If you ever disappear without a word, I’ll turn the world over to find you and lock you by my side. You won’t go anywhere ever again.”

I kept my eyes closed and didn’t move.

In three days, even if he overturned the world, he would still never find me.

The next morning, Tony woke early and made me an elaborate breakfast.

“Claire, yesterday was my fault. Don’t be mad at me, okay?”

So now he felt guilty?

I watched as he tried to please me, feeling nothing. Then, I picked up the small box already prepared on the table and handed it to him.

“I’m not angry. This is a return gift for you. Open it two days from now.”

It was a gold coin with the Gambinos' crest, a token passed down from wife to wife. I had once inscribed my name on it.

The day I discovered his affair, I scratched out my name cleanly, leaving only the coin inside the box.

This would be the last thing I left for him.

Tony accepted it, curious.

“Why in two days? Is there some special meaning?”

I smiled. “Yes. It only has meaning if you open it in two days.”

The expectation in his eyes grew as he thought it was a surprise.

“Alright. I’ll wait. I promise I’ll open it in two days.”

Just then, Sasha walked in with a coffee.

As she set it on the table, the sleeve of her uniform shifted, revealing a man’s watch on her wrist.

It was the watch I gave Tony for his birthday last year.

Tony followed my line of sight. His expression changed instantly, panic and anger flashing in his eyes.

He stood up abruptly, grabbed Sasha by the wrist, and practically dragged her out of the dining room.

“Claire, something urgent came up with family business. Eat while I handle it.”

I went to the second-floor terrace, where the entire garden was visible.

Tony was gripping Sasha’s wrist so tightly, her body shaking as if she were crying.

However, Tony shoved her away, his face suppressing fury.

“Are you crazy?! Who told you to wear that? I warned you to behave! If Claire notices anything, I’ll make sure you disappear from this world!”

Sasha flinched, tears falling even harder. Her hands shook as she took ‌a document from her coat.

“I know I shouldn’t have come. But… I was diagnosed with leukemia. It’s late stage.

“The doctor said I might not live more than three months… Tony, I just wanted to see you more before I die… I’m scared. I don’t want to die…”

The breath caught in my throat.

Sasha… had a terminal illness? But she looked perfectly healthy yesterday.