I completely lost it and rushed forward but before I could reach it, his guards grabbed me roughly from behind.

“Let me go!” I screamed, fighting so hard my wrists burned in their hands. “You can’t do this! Those are Kyle and Cora!”

Xander’s face darkened slightly from my screaming. He lifted a hand impatiently. “Hold her still.”

The guards tightened their grip immediately.

I looked at him in disbelief. Was this really the same man who once cried while holding our children in the hospital nursery?

“Xander! If she burns their ashes, I swear to God, I’ll hate you for the rest of my life.”

For one second, something shifted in his eyes but quickly disappeared. “Lory, stop fucking making this harder than it needs to be.” Then he turned away from me completely like I wasn’t even worth looking at anymore. He walked back to Claudia’s side and gently fixed the sleeve of her coat because she said she felt cold.

Meanwhile I was on the ground breaking apart.

Claudia smiled excitedly and carefully poured Kyle and Cora’s ashes into the custom fireworks tubes. “Xander, look! I think it’s gonna work.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Good girl.”

Then the fireworks exploded.

The night sky lit up in bright colors, gold, blue, red, purple. The entire Moretti estate glowed under the lights while everyone stared upward in shock.

Claudia clapped happily like a little kid. She quickly pulled out her phone and went live on TikTok, holding it up toward the sky. “Oh my God! Watch this fireworks! Is it colorful?! It’s Cora and Kyle Moretti’s ashes inside… so beautiful.”

She turned the camera towards me, grinning maniacally. “I know those kids are happy now watching their ashes turn into colorful lights in the sky. Am I right, Lorraine?”

The lens focused directly on me, capturing my face streaked with tears as I sobbed uncontrollably on the grass.

“Beautiful?”

I collapsed onto the ground completely. My chest hurt so badly I thought I was dying, and all I could do was stare at the fireworks exploding above me while tears blurred my vision.

“Kyle...” I sobbed brokenly. “Cora...”

My babies.

Those were my babies... Now they were nothing but colors in the sky for someone else’s entertainment.

I covered my mouth and cried so hard I couldn’t breathe. How did we end up here? How did Xander become this person?

We grew up together. Everybody in the city knew Xander Moretti was obsessed with me long before he became the mafia boss of the Golden Lion Empire and CEO of Moretti Global Properties.

When we were kids, he followed me everywhere like a shadow.

“Lory, wait for me.”

“Lory, look what I got you.”

“Lory, don’t cry.”

Back then, if I even frowned, he’d panic.

I was scared of thunderstorms as a teenager, so he sat outside my bedroom door the entire night with a gun in his lap just to make me feel safe. I once mentioned liking white roses, and a week later every garden in our estate was filled with them. When I got sick during winter, he shut down an entire business meeting in Hong Kong just to fly home because I told him I missed him.

That was Xander; cold to the world and gentle only to me.

Everyone feared him. Mafia bosses, politicians, CEOs. Nobody dared cross him. But he’d kneel in front of me to tie my heels if I got tired.

When he proposed to me, he got down on one knee in front of the entire Moretti family and said, “I don’t give a damn who disagrees. Lorraine’s the only woman I’ll ever have.”

And for years... he really did love me.

Or maybe I was stupid enough to believe he did.

Then Claudia appeared three months ago.

A twenty two year old secretary he hired after she accidentally slapped him during one of his drunken nights. He told me later he thought she was me at first, but when he tried touching her, she shoved him away and slapped him across the face.

Nobody had ever done that to Xander before.

Instead of getting angry, he became obsessed.

He searched the entire city to find her again.

Turns out she was a girl I once helped. Some poor college dropout being harassed outside one of Moretti Global’s buildings.

I saved her because I felt bad for her.

God, what a joke.

Xander moved her into headquarters after that, then beside his office, then beside his bed.

“I’m not interested in rich men,” she used to tell him proudly and Xander loved hearing that shit.

She acted like she was different from every woman around him and he got addicted to chasing her.

“She’s interesting, Lory,” he told me once while adjusting his cufflinks casually. “Nobody says no to me. I wanna see how long she lasts.”

I remember staring at him in disbelief. “You’re humiliating me.”

He walked over and held my face gently back then. “The woman I love is still you.”

Those words ruined me because I believed them.

“She’s temporary,” he whispered. “Once I’m bored, I’ll come back to you fully. Just tolerate her for now, baby.”

So I endured everything. Claudia wearing my clothes. Sitting in his lap at public events. Mocking me inside my own house. Sleeping in his mansion while I cried alone in our bedroom.

And now? Now she burned my children’s ashes while he stood beside her smiling.

The fireworks slowly disappeared from the sky and darkness returned to the estate. My ears rang loudly and my body suddenly felt numb.

I looked at Xander one last time. He was still standing beside Claudia while she laughed happily in his arms.

And I realized something terrifying. The man I loved was gone. My vision suddenly turned black and everything disappeared.

….

I had a long dream.

In the dream, Xander was still mine. Not this cold monster standing beside another woman while my world burned around me.

No.

He was still the boy who used to sneak into my room during thunderstorms because I couldn’t sleep alone. Still the reckless teenager who drove across the entire city at two in the morning because I casually said I wanted strawberry pastries. Still the man who held my hands after Kyle and Cora were born and cried harder than I did. Still the man who promised me forever.

“Lory,” he whispered in that dream while kissing my forehead softly, “I’ll never let anyone hurt you. Never.”

Then why did you become the person who destroyed me the most?

“Mrs. Moretti! You’re awake!”

My eyes slowly opened.

My personal maid was kneeling beside the bed crying so hard her shoulders shook.

“Oh my God! Thank God...” she sobbed. “How could Mr. Moretti treat you this way after everything? After Kyle and Cora...”

I turned my face away quietly. My head hurt. My chest hurt worse.

The entire mansion felt empty even though it was worth hundreds of millions.

My maid kept talking angrily through tears. “He’s gone too far this time. Burning their ashes? Letting that woman humiliate you? If your mother was alive, she’d be heartbroken seeing this...”

“Enough,” I whispered weakly. “Please. I just wanna be alone.”

She hesitated before finally leaving.

The room turned silent, and the second the door closed, tears started falling again. I cried quietly into my pillow because I was too exhausted to even make a sound anymore.

How pathetic had I become?

I used to be Lorraine Sinclair. Daughter of one of the most powerful families in the country. Now I was just the wife everybody pitied. The wife whose husband openly paraded his mistress around like a prize.

After a while, I slowly reached for my phone on the bedside table and stared at one particular number saved there. The emergency number my father gave me years ago.

He once told me quietly, “No matter how many decades pass, if you call this number, someone from the Sinclair family will answer.”

My fingers trembled as I pressed dial it. The call connected almost instantly.

“Miss Lorraine.”

Just hearing that voice shattered something inside me all over again.

“I wanna leave,” I whispered. My voice trembled violently. “I wanna disappear from this place.”

The man on the other end immediately went silent.

I wiped my tears slowly and forced the words out.

“Help me fake my death.”

The line became completely still for two seconds then his voice came calm and firm.

“It’ll be done.”

“How long?”

“eleven days,” he answered quietly. “Give me eleven days and everything will be ready.”

I looked toward the giant glass windows overlooking the city skyline. The moonlight looked so cold tonight just like Xander.

A broken laugh escaped my lips.

“Xander,” I whispered softly to myself, “if you stopped loving me... then I’ll leave you first.”

Because I couldn’t survive this anymore. I couldn’t survive watching him destroy me piece by piece.

...

The next morning, Xander came to my room like nothing had happened.

Several staff members followed behind him carrying expensive gift boxes from luxury brands. Diamonds. Rare jewelry. Designer bags. Limited edition watches.

The usual things he threw at me whenever he wanted to shut me up.

“Lory,” he said calmly while loosening his tie, “about yesterday... yeah, shit got messy.”

Messy? Was that what he called it now?

He waved a hand toward the gifts. “I had the guys bring you some things. Pick whatever you want.”

I stared at him silently. There was nothing left inside me anymore.

“I don’t want any of it.”

His brows pulled together immediately. “Don’t fucking start acting difficult again.”

Again?

That word hurt.

Xander sighed heavily and sat down on the couch.

“I’m busy as hell, Lorraine. I don’t have time to keep calming you down every five fucking minutes.”

My chest tightened painfully.

I remembered years ago when he canceled a billion dollar meeting in Tokyo because I got upset he came home late for our anniversary dinner.

Back then he held me all night and said, “Baby, nothing matters more than you.”

Now he couldn’t even pretend to care.

I opened my mouth to speak but suddenly loud footsteps interrupted us.

“I don’t want this crap! Xander! I hate these!”

Claudia stormed into the room carrying several expensive boxes before throwing them onto the floor dramatically.

The staff looked terrified but Xander just smiled.

“What now?” he asked gently. “You don’t like those either?”

“No,” Claudia huffed while crossing her arms. “You can’t just buy me off every time.”

There was teasing in her voice. Xander chuckled softly under his breath.

“Alright then, baby. Tell me what you want and I’ll get it.”

I stared at him quietly. So he still knew how to be patient. Still knew how to spoil someone gently.

It just wasn’t me anymore.

Then Claudia’s eyes suddenly landed on my wrist.

“Oh.” Her face lit up instantly. “That bracelet’s pretty.”

My entire body stiffened. Instinctively, I covered it with my hand.

“No.” My voice came out too fast. Too desperate.

“You can’t have this.”

The silver bracelet around my wrist was old and delicate, engraved with tiny family initials.

My mother gave it to me before she died. Before Kyle and Cora were even born. It had been passed down from mother to daughter in my family for generations. It was the only thing left that still made me feel connected to home.

Xander frowned immediately. “It’s just a bracelet.”

“No... It’s not just a bracelet.”

Claudia pouted dramatically. “But I like it. Xander, do something!”

Xander looked annoyed now. “For fuck’s sake, Lorraine. Just give it to her.”

I stared at him like he slapped me.

“I’ll buy you ten better ones,” he continued impatiently. “Custom made if you want. Diamonds, platinum, whatever.”

Tears filled my eyes instantly. He didn’t remember. Of course he didn’t.

“Do you even know what this bracelet is?” I whispered.

Xander answered casually, “Your mother gave it to you before she died. Some old family heirloom shit.”

That was it.

Not the bracelet my mother kissed onto my wrist while telling me to stay strong no matter what happened. Not the bracelet she wore while raising me. Not the bracelet meant to be passed down to my daughter someday.

Just some old family heirloom shit.

Something inside me went cold. Didn’t he once hold this bracelet in his hands and tell me he’d protect it forever because it was part of me? How could someone forget love this easily?

“It’s been years, Lory,” Xander said flatly. “You need to let go of the past. Lol.”

Then before I could react, he grabbed my wrist hard and ripped the bracelet off.

“Ah!” The sharp metal scraped my skin painfully. A red mark instantly appeared around my wrist.

I gasped and clutched my arm while tears burned my eyes. “Xander!” My voice shook. “Please...”

But he already handed it to Claudia. She held the bracelet up under the light, smiling happily. “It’s actually really pretty, baby! I like it.”

Xander leaned closer to her with that low dangerous voice that used to belong only to me. “If we ever have a daughter,” he murmured softly, “I’ll buy you something even better.”

My heart stopped. For a second, I genuinely thought I heard wrong.

A daughter?

Claudia’s face turned red instantly.

“Who said I wanna have your babies?” she laughed while lightly hitting his chest.

Xander smirked and grabbed her waist. “Yeah? Keep talking shit.”

She squealed and ran out of the room laughing while he followed after her like nothing else in the world mattered.

I forced myself off the bed and stumbled after him weakly.

“Xander... you promised me.” Tears finally spilled uncontrollably down my face. “You said you’d love me forever...”

But he was already gone and I collapsed onto the floor shaking.

The next few days passed in a blur. I barely ate, barely slept and most of the time I just stared out the window feeling numb, looking at my twins album while Anna cried behind my back because she thought I couldn’t hear her.

By the fourth day, she finally forced me out of bed.

“You can’t keep rotting in this room, Mrs. Moretti,” she whispered gently while helping me walk. “Please... just get some fresh air.”

As if air could fix any of this. Still, I let her guide me outside into the private gardens behind the estate.

The Golden Lion estate was massive. Bigger than some luxury resorts. Artificial waterfalls. Imported flowers. Private roads. Everything built by Xander for me once upon a time.

Now it felt like a prison.

As we walked behind one of the stone walls near the lower gardens, I suddenly heard several maids gossiping nearby.

“I swear Mr. Moretti’s completely obsessed with Miss Claudia.”

“Obviously. Did you see the new Ducati motorcycles he bought for her? Over twenty custom bikes just because she said she wanted to learn riding.”

“That’s nothing. Mr. Moretti personally taught her himself yesterday. They were riding together all night.”

“The last woman he treated like that was Mrs. Moretti.”

My chest tightened painfully.

“I still can’t believe he let Miss Claudia burn Kyle and Cora’s ashes into fireworks. That’s actually insane.”

I gripped my sleeve tightly. So everyone was talking about it now. Everyone knew how pathetic I was. Before I could move, the loud roar of a motorcycle echoed through the garden.

My head lifted automatically… And there they were. Xander and Claudia.

She was sitting in front of him on a black Ducati, laughing loudly while the wind blew through her hair. She wore some tiny off shoulder crop top and ripped shorts that barely covered anything. The second Xander noticed it, his face darkened immediately.

“Baby,” he muttered irritably, “can you stop wearing shit like this outside?”

Claudia laughed. “Why? You jealous?”

“Damn right I am.”

She grinned teasingly. “In my hometown girls wear this all the time.”

Xander looked around coldly at the nearby staff then his voice turned deadly.

“All of you. Eyes down. Now.” Everyone instantly lowered their heads. “If I catch anyone staring at her tits again,” he said calmly, “I’ll fucking blind you.”

The maids trembled in fear.

Claudia burst out laughing. “You’re fucking insane.”

Xander pulled her closer against him and kissed her temple. “Only with you.”

My chest hurt so badly I thought I might collapse again. Because years ago, a bodyguard once looked at me for too long during a party.

Xander broke the man’s jaw with his bare hands.

Back then he told me, “Nobody looks at what belongs to me.”

Now all that possessiveness belonged to Claudia instead.

Anna squeezed my hand sadly. “Mrs. Moretti... let’s go.”

I nodded weakly and turned away.

But suddenly Claudia shouted excitedly, “Wait! I wanna try riding by myself!”

Xander sighed. “You sure?”

“Yes!”

He finally got off the Ducati reluctantly while still holding onto the handlebars.

“Fine. Slow down on the turns and don’t panic.”

Claudia rolled her eyes playfully. “I’m not a baby.”

The next second, the motorcycle suddenly jerked violently. Her hand twisted the throttle too hard. Everything happened too fast. The Ducati shot forward out of control straight toward me.

“Mrs. Moretti!”

Anna screamed and tried pulling me away but my body was still too weak. The motorcycle slammed into me hard and pain exploded through my stomach as I crashed onto the pavement.

I heard Anna screaming. Heard brakes screeching then another crushing pain hit my abdomen.

And everything went black.

…

I don’t know how long I was unconscious.

Everything felt blurry and far away, like I was trapped underwater while voices echoed around me. I heard Anna crying somewhere near me.

“Please do something! She’s bleeding so much and nobody’s helping her!” she sobbed desperately. “Call another doctor! Please!”

Another nurse answered nervously, “I’m sorry, but Mr. Moretti already called all the specialists upstairs for Miss Claudia’s checkup. There’s nobody available right now.”

My heart shattered quietly inside my chest. Even after I got hit by a motorcycle. Even after I was bleeding on the ground, he still chose her first.

Tears slid silently down my face into the pillow.

Part of me wished I’d never wake up again.

Maybe dying would hurt less than loving Xander now.

When I finally opened my eyes again, I found myself inside a small hospital room at Golden Lion Hospital. Not the luxury VIP floors owned by the Moretti family. Just an ordinary room with white walls, cheap curtains, and basic machines beside the bed.

My stomach hurt so badly I could barely breathe. Every tiny movement felt like something was tearing inside me but honestly, my heart hurt worse. Before I could even sit up properly, the hospital room door suddenly slammed open so hard it hit the wall.

Xander walked straight to my bed and ripped the blanket off me roughly.

“Get the hell up,” he ordered coldly. “You’re coming with me.”

I stared at him weakly, confused. “Xander...?”

His jaw tightened impatiently. “Go apologize to Claudia.”

I actually thought I misheard him.

“What...?”

He grabbed my arm harshly and forced me upright. Pain exploded through my stomach instantly and I cried out, almost collapsing right there.

“Xander, stop...” Tears filled my eyes immediately. “Please, it hurts... I can’t walk properly...”

But he didn’t loosen his grip. Not even a little.

His face stayed completely emotionless.

“She got scared because of you,” he said sharply. “Do you even realize what kind of panic attack she had after the accident? She’s still shaking upstairs.”

I looked at him in disbelief.

“She hit me with the motorcycle...”

“She lost control because you suddenly appeared there!” he snapped back. “Fuck, Lorraine, do you have to make everything about yourself?”

Something inside me went silent after hearing that.

I stared at the man I once loved more than my own life and suddenly started laughing softly. Not because anything was funny. Because I think my heart finally broke completely.

Xander frowned. “What the hell are you laughing at?”

Tears rolled down my cheeks while I looked at him.

“What if I don’t apologize?” I whispered painfully. “What then? Are you gonna kill me too?”

His expression changed slightly. “Stop talking crazy,” he muttered. “You know damn well I still care about you.”

Care?

What a cruel word.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead like I was exhausting him. “My feelings for you never changed, alright? Claudia’s just something new. Something exciting. Don’t force me to keep explaining the same shit over and over!” Then he grabbed my wrist again and dragged me off the bed.