Niccolo Rossi, my five-year-old son, accidentally wanders into the location where an underground firearms transaction between mafia forces is being conducted. He ends up dying from the gunfire there.

Upon receiving the bad news, I collapse immediately.

When I wake up, my husband, Luca Rossi, wears a guilty look. He takes my hand and comforts me, "Elena, Niccolo's death is a misunderstanding. Everyone thought he was a spy belonging to the enemy forces, so they started a crossfire with each other."

In the middle of the night, I overhear his conversation with his assistant, Marco Giordano.

"Don Rossi, Niccolo was still alive, but why did you order for the medics to stop treating him?" Marco sounds very confused.

"Niccolo's injuries are far too grave. He'll just end up being a burden to us even if he survives," Luca says sorrowfully. "Besides, I've already promised Gina that the next heir of the Rossi family can only be our illegitimate son, Lorenzo. Now's the best time to arrange for the swap. No one will ever suspect a thing."

"But… what should we do about Mrs. Rossi?" Marco sounds worried.

"I'll deal with her." Luca's voice becomes calm. "I'll bring Lorenzo over and claim that he's an orphan from the orphanage. Since Elena has just lost Niccolo, she'll definitely raise Lorenzo as her own son. It's a win-win situation for us."

As I lie on the hospital bed, I can only cover my mouth in agony to stop myself from sobbing out loud.

Niccolo's death wasn't an accident at all. He was still alive, and yet Luca allowed him to die for the sake of his own bastard son!

I dig out the high-explosive ammunition core data that my father has given to me prior to his death, which was once the most sought after item in the entire mafia underworld of the east coast. Then, I dial the hotline belonging to the Gambino family, which is the biggest mafia family in Novaro.

"I can give you the core data under one condition—I want the Rossi family to disappear from the face of Earth in three days."

Marco Giordano, Luca Rossi's assistant, spoke in a hushed voice. "Don Rossi, why did you order the doctors to stop the resuscitation? Mr. Niccolo was badly injured, but he was still breathing."

My breath caught.

Luca stayed silent for a long time before answering, his voice heavy with anguish. "I didn't want this either… Niccolo's injuries were far too severe. Even if he survived, he would only be a burden.

"Besides, I promised Gina that the heir of the Rossi famiglia could only be Lorenzo. This is the perfect opportunity. No one will suspect a thing."

Gina Romano? A sudden chill ran through me.

Gina was Luca's first love.

"But Niccolo is your own flesh and blood," Marco said.

Luca spoke in a low voice, and every syllable seemed to tremble. "I know, but Lorenzo is also my son."

My body stiffened, and my blood froze instantly.

Marco sounded hesitant. "But… What about Donna Marino?"

Luca seemed slightly relieved. "I've taken care of everything. I'll bring Lorenzo to the Rossi estate and say he is an orphan from the orphanage. Elena just lost Niccolo, so she'll surely raise him as her own child. It's the perfect solution for everyone."

At that moment, I finally snapped. I tried to rush over and demand why Luca did this to me. But as soon as I stood up, a wave of dizziness hit me, and I fell back onto the hospital bed.

Back then, in front of all the elders of his famiglia and my Papa, he kneeled and swore that he would love me for the rest of his life. Only six years had passed, and now he had killed my son for his mistress.

I finally understood that this marriage had been a lie from the beginning.

As soon as my dizziness eased, Luca walked in with a half-full bowl of soup, the rim stained with a smudge of lipstick that wasn't mine.

His blue eyes were full of warmth, and his voice sounded as affectionate as always. "Elena, are you awake?"

He scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it gently, and brought it to my lips. The scent of rosemary hit me at once—it was the smell I hated most.

I turned away to avoid the spoon, staring straight at him. "Luca, I want a divorce."

The spoon clattered to the floor, and Luca's eyes reddened in an instant. "Elena, I know that losing Niccolo has hurt you deeply. I'm devastated as well. But don't worry. We'll have another child soon."

Listening to his hollow words, my heart pounded, and my breathing grew rapid. I had suffered from this condition since childhood, and every episode was dangerous.

Luca was startled when he caught sight of my pale face. Just as he was about to call for a doctor, his bodyguard burst in and said quietly, "Don Rossi, Lorenzo is sick."

Luca's expression darkened instantly. "What? Has a doctor been called?"

He growled and rushed out, only remembering me when he reached the doorway. "Elena, something has come up with the famiglia. I have to deal with it. I'll check on you later."

He hadn't even finished speaking before his footsteps faded down the corridor.

My body was weak, and my throat felt clogged. I dragged myself to the corridor, only to find that the guards and medical staff were all gone. Luca had pulled everyone away for his illegitimate son.

Just then, my phone buzzed. I opened it to find a video.

In the video, my son, Niccolo Rossi, was lying in a pool of blood. He reached up with his tiny hands, crying out in agony, "Mamma, help me!"

I gripped my phone, my nails digging into my palm.

Below the video were messages from Gina, each word dripping with malice. "Do you know why Niccolo ended up there? I sent someone to lure him over. He was so obedient!

"Luca doesn't love you at all. You're just for show. Niccolo should die! It clears the path for my son."

My palms were soaked with sweat, and my body shook violently. I would make Luca and Gina pay for this!

I forced myself to steady my breathing. After the pain in my heart eased, I lowered my head and dialed the private line of the Gambino famiglia, the most powerful famiglia in Novaro.

"I can give you the core data on the weapons, but I have one condition—within three days, you must wipe out the Rossi famiglia."

After a few seconds, Stefano Gambino, Don of the Gambino famiglia, replied flatly, "Deal."

I only had to wait for three more days before delivering them a massive "surprise".

…

Luca never came back after he left. He sent me a text to explain, but I deleted it without a glance. When he sent someone to deliver my favorite cherry pie, I tossed it straight into the trash.

The next day, I completed my discharge paperwork and went home alone. As soon as I walked through the door, I saw Luca sitting on a garden bench in the sun with his arm around Gina and a boy.

The moment he noticed me, the smile on his face froze. He quickly let go of Gina's arm and walked toward me, holding the boy's hand.

"Elena, let me introduce you. His name is Lorenzo, and he's an orphan from the orphanage. I was thinking… maybe we could adopt him," he said.

I looked at Lorenzo. His features were an exact copy of Luca's. He acted well-behaved and greeted me with a deep bow, but his eyes were full of contempt.

Luca patted Gina on the shoulder. "This is Gina. She's been looking after Lorenzo. She was worried that he might have trouble settling in, so she offered to stay for a few days to help with the transition."

Gina bowed to me with a perfect, polite smile. "Donna Marino, I'll help you take care of Lorenzo. I promise I won't cause you any trouble," she said.

If I hadn't known the truth, I might have believed her feigned kindness.

"Papa! Does this mean I can be with you and Mamma every day now?" Lorenzo asked.

He was practically bouncing with excitement, his gaze darting between Luca and Gina.

After a moment of awkwardness, Luca regained his composure. He deliberately took my hand and Lorenzo's, his voice sweet as honey. "Of course. From now on, we'll be a famiglia."

My stomach churned as I watched Luca put on a show. "How thoughtful of you. You even brought along a nanny."

I glanced at Gina, and her expression stiffened. "Donna Marino, I know that you're in a bad mood. If my presence bothers you, I can just stay in the storage room," she said.

"That won't be necessary," I replied coldly.

This famiglia would cease to exist in two days anyway, so they could do whatever they wanted.

Seeing that I didn't object, Gina led Lorenzo upstairs, looking satisfied. Soon after, a dull thud came from upstairs.

"What is this thing? It's so ugly!" Lorenzo said.

Sensing that something was wrong, I hurried up to Niccolo's room. When I arrived, I saw Lorenzo holding a crystal elk figurine, which was Niccolo's favorite ornament.

"Stop!" I shouted.

My fingertips had barely brushed the antlers when Lorenzo released the figurine. He gave me a sly grin as it slammed to the floor and shattered.

"Such an old, ugly thing doesn't deserve to stay in a nice estate like this. This room is mine now. I can throw away any old junk I want!"

Lorenzo's words cut straight through me.

I lost control and dropped to the floor, desperately trying to put the shattered figurine back together, but it was beyond saving.

"Niccolo, I'm sorry. This is my fault. I failed to protect it…" I murmured.

Just then, footsteps echoed outside the door.

Gina suddenly shoved Lorenzo to the ground and fell beside him. "Help! Donna Marino is trying to kill us!" she screamed.

Luca burst into the room to find Gina and Lorenzo sprawled on the floor, their faces full of terror. He roared, "Elena, have you lost your mind?"

I looked up, my eyes burning with uncontrollable rage. "He broke Niccolo's figurine on purpose!"

"That's not what happened, Papa. I only touched it, and then she pushed me."

Lorenzo spoke cautiously, his flawless act making him look like a well-behaved child who had been wronged.

Anger flashed across Luca's face. "Elena, how could you be so cruel? Lorenzo is an orphan. He just arrived here and doesn't know anyone. How could you bully him?"

I argued back fiercely. "I didn't!"

But Luca didn't believe me at all. He glared at me. "Shut up! You've gone too far!"

Seeing this, Gina quickly put on a pitiful expression. "Don Rossi, this is all my fault. Please don't argue with Donna Marino over us. We'll leave right now," she said.

Luca immediately pulled her into his arms, shielding her. "You're not going anywhere. Elena is just upset. What she says doesn't count."

He looked at me lying miserably on the floor, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. He reached out to help me up, but I slapped his hand away.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his expression darkened. He pulled Gina and Lorenzo close and walked out of the room.

The sound of Gina's muffled sobbing came from outside the door. "The way she looked at Lorenzo just now… It felt like she wanted to kill our child. I'm so scared."

Luca held her gently. "No, I'll never let that happen. I promised you that the heir of the Rossi famiglia will only be Lorenzo."

In the middle of the night, a rustling sound outside the door woke me up. I realized Luca wasn't lying beside me.

At the end of the hallway, the door to Gina's room stood slightly ajar. Drawn by a strange impulse, I stepped closer and saw Gina lying naked on the bed. Luca was on top of her, thrusting wildly.

"Don Rossi, who do you like more? Me or Elena?" Gina asked.

"You, of course. Elena is too boring," Luca answered.

After he finished speaking, he thrust even harder. Gina writhed beneath him, her moans filling the room.

The sight of their debauchery stung my eyes and pierced my heart. I never knew that Luca, who was always so composed, could have such a frantic side.

In the past, every kiss he gave me had been brief and restrained. He used to say that it was because I was the Donna and had to act with propriety. Looking back now, it was laughable.

Luca didn't return for the rest of the night. The next day, he gave a half-hearted excuse, saying he had been busy all night with family matters. I didn't call him out on his lie and simply turned toward the door.

When Gina saw me, she deliberately leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Elena, you saw everything, didn't you? Did you enjoy watching how wild Luca gets with me?"

So she had left the door open on purpose.

"Your son is already dead, and your husband belongs to me in every way. What are you still doing here?" Gina said.

A glint flashed in her eyes as she continued, "I tricked Luca into signing the divorce agreement that you had hidden in your drawer. I suggest you leave the Rossi estate soon to save whatever pride you have left. Otherwise, I'll make sure that you can't even find a place to bury your son."

I reached my breaking point, raised my hand, and slapped her across the face in a swift motion.

Suddenly, tears welled in her eyes, and she sank to her knees, looking utterly terrified. "Donna Marino, I was wrong! I'll never do it again! Please forgive me!"

Only then did I realize that Luca was standing right behind me. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"She threatened me using Niccolo's burial plot!" I said.

I tried to explain, but Luca wouldn't listen. He crouched down and helped Gina up, his eyes full of concern.

"You hit her over something so trivial?" Luca asked.

Trivial? I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

"I know that Niccolo meant a lot to you, but you can't hurt Gina," he said.

He pulled a check from his pocket, scribbled a number on it, and handed it to me. "You can choose Niccolo's burial plot. How about buying him the most luxurious one in Novaro?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at me, satisfied. He thought he had compensated me, yet he didn't realize that some things lose their meaning once love is gone.

I sneered. "Then how about I beat her to death and buy her the finest grave? Would that be alright?"

He grabbed my wrist. "That's enough. Tonight is the banquet of the five major families in Novaro. The Gambinos will announce our partnership in front of everyone."

He let go of my wrist and walked over to Gina, who was standing by the stairs, and took her hand. I wiped away my tears and forced down the anger boiling inside me.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a text from Don Gambino. "Come to the banquet tonight. The terms we agreed upon will be fulfilled this evening."