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."

The banquet was held at the Obsidian Sanctum Hall in Manara, Novaro. Dons from different families moved through the hall with glasses in hand.

Luca stood there in a custom black suit embroidered with dark gold roses, his expression cool and imperious. Gina stood beside him as if she were the true Donna.

Several men drifted toward Luca, whiskey glasses in hand.

One of them clapped him on the shoulder and spoke in a low voice. "I heard that the Gambino famiglia's new partner is Don Rossi. You're truly impressive for someone your age. I'll have to rely on your help with the arms trade in southern Sicilento from now on."

Luca pressed his lips into a thin line, a cold glint of confidence in his eyes.

"Don Gambino is here," someone whispered.

The stage lights snapped on, flooding the room with a blinding glare. A moment later, Don Gambino walked in with steady, measured steps. Everyone bowed their heads in respect.

Don Gambino began speaking. "I now announce the new partner of the Gambino famiglia—"

Luca straightened his tie and prepared to step onto the stage, but he noticed that Don Gambino didn't look at him at all.

Instead, Don Gambino pointed toward the audience. Luca followed his finger and realized it was pointing at me, dressed in a black velvet rose gown.

Don Gambino continued, "It's the Marino famiglia!"

The hall immediately erupted in shock.

Luca froze mid-step, his face turning pale instantly. His voice sounded completely different as he asked, "Elena? How can it be you?"

I sneered and glanced at him. "Why? Am I not allowed?"

"Come over here right now! This isn't the place for your nonsense," Luca said.

Before he could move, Don Gambino pulled me onto the stage.

"She is the Gambino famiglia's newest ally. Anyone who dares lay a hand on her makes an enemy of the entire Gambino famiglia," Don Gambino said.

The words "newest ally" sent Gina into a fit of laughter. "She is just a washed-up, abandoned housewife. How could she possibly be an ally to the Gambinos?" she asked.

Don Gambino's expression instantly went cold. "How dare you question the word of the Gambino famiglia? It seems that you have a death wish."

Gina's body stiffened, and she went silent at once.

Then Don Gambino signaled, and two bodyguards in black stepped forward, each holding a silver tray. On the trays were two documents with gold-embossed covers, the partnership agreements that our families had finalized.

Seeing this, everyone finally believed it.

Luca's expression darkened. He stared at me, his eyes filled with disbelief. He never expected that the Marino famiglia, having lost its Don, could connect with the incredibly wealthy Gambino famiglia and become a powerful ally that he couldn't risk crossing.

Luca looked at me, his voice trembling slightly. "Elena, we are husband and wife. How could you—"

I didn't even bother to look at him and announced, "Luca Rossi and I are divorced. The Marino famiglia is formally withdrawing all technical investment in the Rossi famiglia's arms development. From now on, our technology will be shared exclusively with the Gambinos."

Then, I threw a copy of the divorce agreement at Luca. After reading it, he froze in place. He stared at me and instinctively stepped forward to reach for my hand.

Suddenly, the doors to the banquet hall slammed open. Two made men scrambled inside, practically tripping over themselves. They collapsed at Luca's feet, their faces bloody.

One of them shouted hoarsely, "Our old allies showed up with their men, returning all the weapons they had purchased. They said that without the Marino famiglia's core components, our goods were reduced to scrap. They've already taken over our armory. We can't hold them off any longer!"

Luca panicked. He staggered back several steps and fell to the ground. "No, this can't be happening!"

A moment later, he looked up at me and reached out his hands. "Elena, you can't do this to me. I love you so much. I told you that you would always be my Donna."

I looked at him and sneered, kicking his hand away. "Your Donna? Luca, from the day you betrayed me, I stopped caring about that title!"