My Mafia husband, Alessio, was sleeping with his stepsister, Sophia.

In the car, the study, the bathroom, even on the dining table, they left evidence of their affair everywhere.

"Sophia, don't worry. Once I solidify my position in the family, I'll give you everything."

"Blair… she's just a tool to secure my position."

In our eight years of marriage, he had whispered the sweetest words in the world to me.

Now, his devotion was worthless.

I didn't cry or cause a scene. Instead, I made a deal on the black market. In two weeks, Blair Greco would disappear from this world for good.

Alessio believed his power was enough to fuel his arrogant fantasy of having Sophia get his preference.

So be it. I'm gone. It means nothing to me. But as for my daughter's blood and for everything I had lost, I swore I would make them pay.

In the house of God, I heard their blasphemy with my own ears.

From the family church's confessional, Sophia's soft voice slithered into my ears like a venomous snake.

"Alessio, when are you going to tell everyone? You promised me."

"Soon, my baby, Just waiting for her to recover from the grief of losing our daughter. It's not the right time."

"Poor girl. The child's true misfortune was having a mother as weak as her. But don't worry, I'll give you a real heir."

"She's my wife, isn't she?" His voice held for a moment, a perfect non-answer. "But I'd much rather be with you right now, baby."

My husband, the new Don of the Greco family, could talk about his wife without so much as flinching, all while his hands were on another woman.

This time, I wouldn't stand for it.

I made an encrypted call to a black market contact.

"Hello, I need a complete set of identity documents," I said in the dim corner of a bar, pushing a stack of cash across the table.

The contact glanced at me, fanned the bills to count them, then slid a small note across the table.

"Ma'am, pick it up at the designated location in two weeks. The identity will go live once the funds clear."

Two weeks. Fourteen days. Enough time for me to erase everything here.

On the way back, the sound of the church choir was ethereal and ironic.

Everyone knew how "deeply" Alessio loved me. In the eyes of the world, I was the only one he cherished.

He was ruthless and bloodthirsty to everyone else, saving his only tenderness and sweetness for me.

On our first night together, he'd seared my name onto the inside of his arm with a tattoo needle.

Our wedding eight years ago stunned all of New York, with the whole of Manhattan lit up by fireworks for me. Even last year, when my phone died and I disappeared for half a day, he mobilized all Five Families to find me.

When my parents died in that accident, he abandoned a multi-hundred-million-dollar arms deal in Chicago and rushed to my side. He found me on the verge of collapse.

He pulled me tightly into his arms and whispered in my ear, "Blair, I'm here. I will never leave you."

Back then, I thought he was my savior, so I offered him my shattered heart, piece by piece.

Everyone in the underworld would say, "Don Alessio is a man in love. Blair is his life."

At the thought, I forced a faint smile. So, was he ready to give up his life for her?

And this person just had to be his so-called stepsister.

Sophia was ten when Alessio picked her up off the streets and brought her home to be raised as a Greco. I always thought he saw her as his dearest sister.

Until six months ago, when Alessio brought her into our villa, and I found a piece of women's lingerie that wasn't mine on my art studio sofa.

At that time, I had just buried the ashes of our two-year-old daughter in the family cemetery.

As I pieced together the contradictory lies, I knew it was all over.

Alessio could play his games and weave a thousand sweet lies for me. But this time, I wouldn't stay.

I tucked the contact's note into my clutch, hailed a cab, and returned to the Greco family estate.

The moment I stepped through the villa's doors, I smelled a strange, cloying scent hanging in the air.

In my art studio, Alessio was standing before an easel, with Sophia clinging to his arm, smiling like the true lady of the manor.

The heavy door clicked shut behind me, and Alessio spun around.

His expression froze for a second when he saw me, but his eyes instantly softened, his lips curling into that practiced, false smile I knew so well.

"Blair, why are you out dressed so lightly? Weren't you going to the gallery with a friend? Why are you back so soon? I was about to give you a surprise."

The fresh love bite on his neck was impossible to miss. Was this the surprise he had for me?

An invisible hand squeezed my heart, but I forced myself to look away, feigning indifference.

Sophia's soft laugh broke the silence. She toyed with her long hair, her voice sickly sweet.

"Blair, our Don cares so much about you. He said he hopes I can become a painter just like you, so he brought me to your studio to soak in the artistic atmosphere."

My gaze followed hers to the sofa, where the expensive velvet fabric was now a wrinkled mess.

My studio was my sanctuary. Alessio knew how important it was to me, yet he let them desecrate my oldest dream right here.

The pain in my chest blazed like a wildfire, my nails digging deep into my palms.

As usual, Alessio was oblivious to my silence. He walked over and pulled me to the easel like he was presenting a treasure. "Look, Blair. I painted this for you. I was hoping… Sophia could learn too."

"No, I don't want to see it." I instinctively stepped back. "I don't feel well." I felt so sick that another second in this room felt like it would kill me.

His brow furrowed immediately, his face etched with concern. He summoned one private doctor after another until they confirmed I was fine.

Alessio placed his hands on my shoulders with a force that permitted no resistance. He leaned in, his hot breath brushing my ear as he whispered, "Be good, Blair. Don't make me worry."

That night, I woke up to a burning sensation in my throat and went downstairs for water. The screen of the villa's central surveillance system was glowing faintly.

Then, I froze.

On one of the screens, the feed from the private study was crystal clear. Two figures were tangled together.

In the study, Sophia's legs were wrapped around Alessio's waist, her nails scratching bloody marks onto his back.

"You owe me an explanation," Sophia's voice came through the speaker. "That antique pistol you gave Blair is a Greco family heirloom, right? She didn't even have to ask, and you gave her your most precious possession. What happened to 'you like me more'?"

"Blair?" Alessio panted heavily as he pushed her legs off his waist. "She's key to my position as Don. I've already explained this. I need a respectable wife for the other families. It solidifies my status."

"But I don't want to share, Alessio." Sophia bit his lower lip. "I can't help but be jealous of everything she has."

My fingers dug into the armrest of the sofa.

"Be patient, baby." Alessio pushed her down onto the desk. "Once I get the inheritance my grandfather left her, Blair will be useless to me."

He took a black velvet box from a drawer and opened it to reveal a custom, diamond-encrusted pistol.

He dangled it in front of her, as if pacifying a child. "Don't throw a tantrum. I had one made for you, too. Just don't let Blair see it, or we're both finished."

"Alessio, why are you so scared of her leaving you?"

"I'm not afraid of her. But Blair was my grandfather's favorite. Once I get my hands on the billions he left her... I can finally get rid of her for good." Alessio's answer came without a hint of hesitation.

Sophia's face lit up. She smiled and pressed the gun to his temple.

"If you dare to lie to me, I'll use this to kill you."

"Then kill me." He kissed her. "I'm yours."

I turned off the monitor, my eyes landing on our wedding photo hanging nearby. Then I rushed to the bathroom, dry-heaving until my throat was raw.

"Two weeks, Alessio," I whispered through my tears. "I'll be gone. Let's see just how crazy you go."

The next morning, three gunshots jolted me from a nightmare.

I rushed to the window and saw three men on their knees in the estate's backyard, collapsing into pools of their own blood.

Alessio stood behind them, smoke still curling from the barrel of his gun.

"I gave you ten years of loyalty. I even took a bullet for you," one of the men cried out. "We swore a blood oath to be loyal to the family forever. Now, just a few months later, you're executing me?"

Alessio turned and walked toward the ancestral hall. I saw him kneel before the ancient Greco family crest.

His voice was low and devout. "I swear in the name of the Greco family, if I betray it, may I be burned by the fires of hell for eternity."

He was making empty vows again. After all, I too had once been deceived by his promises. "Blair, I will pledge my loyalty only to you for the rest of my life."

Back then, I had studied his face. "To me? But a lifetime is so long."

He pulled me closer. "A lifetime is indeed long, and I only want you to fill it."

Now, I almost laughed out loud. Hearing a similar oath from his lips again felt cheaper than trash.

"Darling, you're up early."

I turned to see Sophia in a tight, hip-hugging dress with a low-cut neckline that revealed fresh love bites on her neck.

"Looks like… you two were busy last night?" My voice was surprisingly calm.

She licked her lips. "Alessio was teaching me how to shoot. You know, a woman has to learn to protect herself."

She deliberately stepped in front of me, letting me smell Alessio's scent all over her.

"By the way, Blair. I'm going to a club tonight with some friends. Do you mind if I borrow your red Valentino?"

"Use whatever you want." I turned to leave.

"Wait." She grabbed my wrist. "Are you sure you're okay? You look… exhausted."

I shook her hand off. "I'm fine. Thanks for your concern."

Just as I was about to leave, Alessio walked over.

He glanced at me, then turned to Sophia, his brow furrowed. "It's only eight in the morning. Where are you going dressed like that?"

It wasn't the tone of a brother, but one laced with a possessive, intimate undertone.

"To the club, I told you. Tommy and the others are waiting for me."

"I'm going to find a man there." She spun around. "How do I look?"

I saw the veins bulge on Alessio's clenched fist. Tommy was a young Capo in the family, tall and handsome.

Alessio was silent for a moment before speaking. "I'm taking Blair to my parents' place today," he said, his voice cold. "And change your clothes before you go."

Sophia didn't answer. She just clicked away on her high heels, leaving a cloud of cloying perfume in her wake. Alessio, however, still held my hand tightly.

We were practically pushed into his stretch Lincoln. Alessio sat beside me, stroking my hand constantly, perhaps trying to soothe me.

His parents had never liked me.

They had always looked down on me, believing I was a "bad omen" who brought death to her own daughter. They thought the air of misfortune I carried would bring disaster to the family.

During a stop, Alessio gently squeezed my shoulder. "Listen, Blair, my parents can be harsh sometimes. Don't take what they say to heart."

"If anything they say upsets you, tell me. I'll handle it."

The sweeter the words, the deeper they cut. He had always been good at that.

I stared into his eyes. Once, they had held only me. Now, they seemed no different.

But everything was different.

"It's nothing." I shook my head. "I just miss our daughter."

The car passed through the iron gates, and I saw the imposing stone manor.

Raul and Margaret were there, smiling and talking intimately.

The moment their eyes fell on me, their faces turned to stone.

A knot formed in my chest. I kept my head down, pretending not to notice, but Alessio did.

"Father, Mother." Alessio's expression was grave, his voice carrying the authority of the Don. "If you show my wife any more disrespect, don't blame me for returning the favor."

After a dead silence, Raul slammed his hand on the table, making me jump.

"Watch your tone. Are you really going to betray your own blood for this woman?"

Alessio gripped my hand, giving me no room to move, and calmly retorted, "Father, she is the love of my life."

"Harming her is the same as harming me."

"If it happens again, don't blame me for turning on you."

His acting was always so flawless, so seamless. Anyone witnessing this scene would say he truly loved me.

Too bad he didn't know my fingers were cold not because of his parents, but because of him.

Alessio stood before me, a perfect protector, but I felt no safety from him.

Sensing the tension, Margaret instantly shed her cold demeanor and put on a fake smile.

"Alessio, you've misunderstood." She stepped forward, reaching to embrace me. "Blair is like a daughter to me."

I stiffly allowed her to touch my shoulder. There was no warmth. "Dinner is ready. Let's go inside."

In the dining room, the crystal chandelier cast a dim glow, the only sounds the crisp clinking of silverware against porcelain.

Margaret kept making those grating little noises with her silverware, and my hand tightened around my fork.

"Blair, dear," she said, cutting her steak. "How are you feeling now? Are you recovering well?"

I knew what she was referring to. It had been six months since we lost our daughter.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking." I picked up a piece of carrot.

"That's good." She set down her knife and fork. "The family needs an heir, Blair. You know the Greco bloodline cannot be broken."

Alessio's hand tightened on his wine glass. "Mother, we just lost our child."

"Precisely because of that," Margaret's voice grew sharp. "You must have another one as soon as possible. Blair, as the Donna of the Greco family, this is your duty."

She paused. "Besides, if you had taken better care of our daughter, she wouldn't have died."

The air at the table instantly froze. Her words stabbed at my heart like daggers, but before I could speak, Alessio shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.

"Enough!" His voice was thick with suppressed fury. "We're eating. Don't talk about such nonsense."

Raul sneered. "Alessio, you call this nonsense? You've disrespected your parents time and again for an outsider."

"Outsider?" Alessio's eyes blazed with anger. "How many times do I have to say it? Blair is my wife, the Donna of this family!"

"I've already told you both, Blair is afraid of the pain. I won't put her through that again until I'm absolutely sure she has recovered. If we never have children, then so be it."

My hands were trembling, but I forced myself to remain calm.

Suddenly, I spoke. "Don't worry. You will all get what you want soon enough."

Everyone froze, three pairs of eyes fixed on me. Alessio turned his head, his eyes filled with confusion. "Blair?"

I didn't look at him, continuing on my own. "I promise." I took a sip of red wine. "In two weeks, the Greco family will have a new heir."

Alessio was about to say more when his phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, and his expression changed.

I knew who it was. And I knew he would be gone in three seconds.

Three, two, one. Just as I expected.

Alessio stood up right on cue. "Blair, I have to handle some family business. You stay and finish dinner. I'll be back to pick you up later."

He kissed my forehead and, without waiting for a reply, grabbed his coat and left.

The moment the door closed, Margaret and Raul's masks fell away.

"Now you can drop the act," Margaret sneered. "Can you really have another child? Or was that just another lie?"

"I have no reason to lie to you." I stood up. "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."

"Wait." Raul blocked my path. "Blair, you'd better understand your place."

"When Alessio isn't here, you're nothing in this family," Margaret said, stepping in front of me. "Just a pathetic outsider."

"If it weren't for Alessio protecting you, do you think you'd still be alive today?" Raul's voice was filled with threat. "The Greco family cemetery is filled with women who didn't know their place."

I fought back the nausea and pushed past them.

An hour later, the driver dropped me back at the villa.

As the car stopped, I opened the door to get out, and my hand brushed against something in the seat crevice.

I pulled it out. It was a used condom wrapper, not a brand we ever used. The implication was obvious.

To be more accurate, it was a fact that no longer needed proving.

I was just now learning that Alessio was into this sort of thing.

In the eight years we'd been married, I had always been the conservative one. The king-sized bed in our master bedroom was my only domain.

I once asked him if we should try more things, worried he might find it dull.

At the time, this was his answer: "Baby, don't force yourself to do things you don't like. All I want is you, no matter where."

And now, the car, the sofa, the dining table, the study… they had all become his battlegrounds with Sophia.

My husband of eight years, and I had never truly known him.

It was late when Alessio returned home.

He saw me sitting on the living room sofa and immediately came over.

"Baby, I'm sorry." He sat down beside me. "I shouldn't have left you there alone."

He pulled me into his arms, holding me tight. "Did my parents say anything?"

"Nothing." My voice was hollow.

"Blair, you know I'm always on your side," he kissed my hair. "You're the most important person in the world to me."

His embrace should have been warm, should have been safe.

But all I felt was a chilling cold, like the bars of a cage slowly closing in, about to suffocate me.