The art gallery account under my name was flagged for laundering money for the Valeriano family, and federal agents showed up at my door.

And the anonymous tip pointed directly to my husband.

I tried to plead my case, telling them I was Alessio Valeriano's wife, but the agent simply shook his head.

"Ma'am, the system shows your marital status as unmarried."

In disbelief, I demanded he check again. He offered a sympathetic look, but the information on the computer screen was cold and unmistakable: "The records show that Alessio Valeriano's legal spouse is Bianca De Luca, and they have a three-year-old son. Ma'am, if you can't provide evidence to clear your name, you will be facing felony charges."

In that instant, my world fell apart.

My mind flashed back six years to Bianca—the orphan daughter of one of Alessio’s late, loyal soldati, a girl who had been hopelessly in love with him.

On the day of our secret wedding, she made a spectacle of herself, even threatening suicide. He had to leave for three days to deal with her before he finally returned home.

And his so-called solution was to marry Bianca.

————————

1

The family lawyer secured my release on bail. I decided to confront Alessio face-to-face.

I remembered that day six years ago when Bianca De Luca threatened to take her own life. Alessio Valeriano had adamantly refused to see her, insisting on completing our wedding.

I can still hear his bone-chilling tone. "If she wants to die, let her. Who does she think she is? Is she really worth me abandoning you?"

No matter how many of the family elders tried to persuade him, he didn't budge. It was only when I said I didn't want our wedding stained with blood that he reluctantly left.

Alessio was gone for three days. I was naive enough to believe he was just comforting a desperate girl.

But now, that jarring photo of a family of three from the FBI file showed me just how foolish I had been.

The way his eyes reddened when I had my miscarriage, those pained embraces... were they all lies, too?

Once the Valeriano family lawyer finalized the terms of my release, I walked out of the federal building in a daze, feeling the agents' suspicious eyes on my back.

I wouldn't believe it until I heard the words from his own lips. The man I had shared my life with for six years couldn't have married someone else.

The car that picked me up stopped at the Valeriano estate. Tonight was the family's Saint's Day feast, and I arrived as planned.

The moment I stepped into the foyer, something cold and hard pressed against my side. I suppressed a shudder and glanced down.

A little boy I'd never seen before was waving a realistic-looking toy gun at me. "You bad woman!" he chirped triumphantly. "I'm gonna get rid of you for my Mamma!"

He aimed the gun at me again, but I was in a hurry to find Alessio for answers, so I brushed him off. I scanned the living room, found it empty, and headed deeper into the estate.

As I passed a study on the second floor, I heard the voice of Alessio's sister, Giuliana Valeriano.

I froze, instinctively holding my breath as I pressed my ear to the door. The answer from within made my nails dig deep into my palms.

"In Seraphina's eyes, there will always be a piece of art more important than me."

Alessio's voice was laced with self-mockery. "But Bianca is different. She's so fragile she'd even kill herself for me."

"Giuliana, I can't betray the woman who gave me an heir. She's not calm and strong like Seraphina. She can't live without me."

The voice that once whispered sweet nothings in the dark was now a blade twisting in my heart.

"Seraphina had a miscarriage because a rival family attacked her while she was protecting you. How could you betray her like this? You ran off to be with Bianca when she needed you most!"

So that was it. My miscarriage had just given him an excuse to spend more time with Bianca. I fought back tears, forcing myself to keep listening.

Giuliana's voice grew sharp with accusation.

"If she hadn't forged those photos of Seraphina talking to a rival at an art exhibit and sent them to Seraphina's mother, Elena Rossi, calling it 'proof' of collaboration... how could her mother have..."

Before she could finish, Alessio cut her off.

His tone was impatient, utterly unconcerned.

"How many times do I have to explain this? Bianca is an orphan; she never knew a mother's love. She just thought that if Seraphina were gone, Elena would treat her like a daughter."

"I've already been giving her the cold shoulder for two months, and her anxiety is getting worse. What more do you want? For me to drive her to suicide?"

In that instant, my legs gave out, and I crumpled to the floor.

I had always believed my mother's death was my fault, a consequence of my own negligence. My art restoration project was at a critical stage, and I had spent nearly all my time in the studio.

I lived with that guilt for four long years, and for those same four years, the man by my side watched me suffer. All while he secretly had a child with the person who had driven my mother to her death.

Like a walking corpse, I staggered out of the Valeriano estate.

After my mother passed away, it was Alessio who stayed by my side day and night, helping me piece myself back together.

But our six years of marriage had been nothing more than an elaborate scam, and I had been played for a fool.

What did he even take me for?

The weight of his betrayal blurred my vision, making it impossible to see the road ahead. The screech of brakes tore through the air, and before I could react, a massive force slammed me to the ground.

I fought to stay conscious, but the darkness swallowed me whole.

When I opened my eyes again, Alessio's haggard face was the first thing I saw. Seeing me awake, a wave of relief and joy washed over his features.

He held me tightly, kissing my forehead and murmuring in a choked voice, "I almost lost you."

I felt a dampness on my shoulder. This man who held New York in an iron grip was crying, and for a fleeting moment, my resolve wavered.

Maybe everything I'd heard was just a nightmare?

So when he gently stroked my cheek, I didn't pull away. But that fragile hope was shattered by an unexpected visitor.

Alessio's consigliere, Marco, burst through the hospital room door.

"Don Valeriano, Bianca's been taken by a rival family! Our men lost them!"

Alessio shot up from the bedside, his expression hardening. "Something's come up with the family. I have to take care of it."

He offered a perfunctory excuse, grabbed his coat from the foot of the bed, and hurried out. As he did, the fabric swept a tray of surgical tools from the bedside table. A sharp blade sliced across the back of my hand.

The sting made me cry out. His footsteps paused for a second, but then he was gone, disappearing through the doorway.

Our tender moment was just a foolish fantasy. The pain in my hand was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. I wearily closed my eyes.

"Your tendon was almost severed. Where's your family?" the doctor asked as he stitched and bandaged my hand.

I thanked the doctor and then called my assistant, Camila Rizzo.

"Get me a new identity. I need to disappear."

The line was silent for a few seconds before she replied, "Sera, forging a new identity is complicated and irreversible. Are you sure?"

I gave a bitter laugh. "I'm sure."

I'm not just changing my identity. I'm erasing myself so he can never find me.

Not long after I hung up, Camila sent a text. "It will take about a week."

I didn't reply. After changing into my clothes, I went downstairs to sign my discharge papers.

I hadn't gotten far after settling the bill when I spotted Alessio in the hospital's chapel garden. I was about to confront him when I saw him suddenly open his arms.

Only then did I notice a girl in the distance, flitting toward him like a butterfly and throwing herself into his embrace. The look of pure relief on his face was something I had never seen in our six years together.

The force of the impact made them both stumble, but he wasn't angry.

Instead, he cupped Bianca's face, holding her tightly in that secluded corner.

"Alessio, I was so scared. Please don't abandon me."

"I won't," Alessio promised, steadying her in his arms.

"I'll make them pay."

Bianca's tears turned into a smile. She wrapped her arms around him, and her gaze flickered toward my hiding place. "Can you promise to destroy everyone who hurts me?"

His tightening embrace was her answer. "I promise. For you, I'll burn their world to the ground."

A sharp pain lanced through my chest, and I took a trembling step back.

It's okay, I told myself. Just one more week, and I'll never have to see this disgusting spectacle again.

As soon as I got home, I had Camila start liquidating all the assets in my name that tied me to Alessio. The art, the jewelry, the properties he had given me—I put it all up for sale.

On Saturday, I attended a grand charity auction. As the host gave the opening remarks, I saw Alessio, who hadn't been home all week.

He was holding Bianca intimately, the expensive gold watch on his wrist replaced by a cheap, braided bracelet she had made for him.

I had once lovingly woven a watchband for him, but he had dismissed it as "childish" and "unbecoming of my status." Yet now, he proudly showed off that crooked bracelet to others, his face beaming.

Bianca nestled contentedly in his arms, looking every bit the part of a Donna Valeriano.

Someone nearby commented, "Mrs. Valeriano's haute couture gown is stunning. I couldn't even get an appointment a month in advance. Don Valeriano must have pulled a lot of strings to get it for her."

My friend gave me a strange look. "Sera, isn't that your husband?"

I took a deep breath and forced a serene smile. "We separated a long time ago."

"What!" The woman who had just spoken turned around in shock. The commotion drew the attention of others nearby.

"Seraphina?"

Seeing me, a flash of panic crossed Alessio's face.

Before he could speak, Bianca cut in. "Seraphina, long time no see. What are you donating to the auction tonight?"

She took a velvet jewelry box from her purse and slowly opened it. "I'm planning to donate this holy medal that Ms. Elena Rossi gave me. After all, she loved charity work when she was alive."

"Now that she's gone, I'm sure she'd want her belongings to continue helping the world, right?"

Her tone was so matter-of-fact, as if she were my mother's real daughter.

Seeing the familiar Virgin Mary medal in Bianca's hand, the last thread of my composure finally snapped. That medal was part of the dowry my mother had prepared for me.

She had hoped I would keep it safe after she passed, and that I would have a happy marriage. It seemed I had failed at both.

"How do you have my mother's medal?" I reached out to snatch it, but a large hand stopped me.

I looked up into Alessio's face, and my eyes immediately reddened. "Did you give it to her? You were the only one who helped me sort through her belongings! Say something!"

Alessio loosened his grip slightly. "Seraphina, stop making a scene. I'll explain everything when we get home."

He reached out, as if to wipe away my tears. Just then, Bianca peeked out timidly from behind him.

"Seraphina, you wouldn't want to go against your mother's wishes, would you?"

Seeing their united front, I understood everything. "You're right," I said, letting out a cold laugh and shaking my head. "You two disgust me. You're not worth my time."

Hearing my sarcasm, Alessio's expression hardened. He pulled me away from the crowd, his eyes urgent.

"Seraphina, you've misunderstood…"

Before he could finish, his phone rang.

Seeing "Bianca" on the screen, he repeatedly declined the call, but it kept buzzing. Finally, with an apologetic look, he answered.

"Alessio, help me!" Bianca's terrified sobs echoed through the phone. "Someone's kidnapped me! They're going to... they're going to hurt me!"

The moment she finished, Alessio's face transformed. His guilt vanished, replaced by a crushing grip on my arm.

"You hired people to go after Bianca?"