I spent five years by Casey Fusco's side, turning him from a beggar in the slums to a mafia Don.

On the second day he put on the family ring, his first love came knocking on our door with an ultrasound report. Casey pushed the divorce papers toward me with a sorry look on his face. "She's pregnant. I have to give her the position of Donna."

My brethren tried to talk me out of doing something foolish, since I had nearly lost my life while trying to help him climb up the ranks. But contrary to their expectations, all I did was sign the papers calmly without making a fuss.

"Congratulations on having your wish come true, Don Fusco."

When Casey Fusco pushed the divorce papers toward me, his gun was right by his hand. It was a Colt M1911. The barrel of the gun looked cold and unfeeling, much like the look in his eyes.

"Sign it."

Casey was seated in the red velvet high chair that represented the power of the family's leader. He had a cigar between his fingers. The smoke from it wisped in the air, blurring his features.

"Rowena is pregnant. It's a boy."

He flicked the ashes from his cigar and spoke to me like he was negotiating a losing deal on arms. "The family needs an heir, and you can no longer bear any children. This child is very important to me."

I looked at the ultrasound on the table. The shadowy clump in the ultrasound was like a dagger to my heart.

My name was Nicole Sabato.

I had been with Casey since he was kicked out of his family and ended up as a beggar in the slums. I had experienced numerous bloodshed by his side before I finally became the woman of Don Fusco.

Five years ago, we were sharing a piece of moldy bread while shacking up together in the slums. I helped him get rid of his family's competitors by assassinating them on a rainy night.

I served a term in federal prison for him and even helped him get a corrupt senator, who was difficult to handle, on his side. I drank so much that my stomach bled internally, and I nearly died on the negotiating table.

The incident that left me almost dead was when I took two bullets for Casey, who was already a Capo then. One bullet was lodged an inch away from my heart, while the other bullet got me in the abdomen.

Both bullets took away the first child I had with Casey and also my right to become a mother.

Casey knelt in front of my hospital bed that day and kissed the back of my hand, which was covered with needle pricks. He swore to me, "Let's not have any children, Nicole. If any of those stubborn old coots in the family dares to say a word against you, I'll kill them."

I could still hear his vow, which turned cold faster than a bullet shell.

"So?" I looked up at Casey. Even I was surprised by how calm I sounded.

Casey avoided my gaze and frowned. "I'm giving you 500 million and two vineyards from the Socario Islands. It's enough to make sure you never have to worry about money the rest of your life."

Five hundred million dollars.

That was the price he was paying for five years of my life, for the bullets I took for him, and for every drop of blood exhausted by the Sabatos to help him rise through the ranks. What a great deal for him.

The Nicole from before would have flung those papers onto his face and pulled a gun to his head while questioning why he would do something so horrible. However, all I felt now was fatigue. I had enough of the days of living by the edge of unknown danger.

I picked up the pen and signed the papers. My writing was tidy as I pressed the pen hard down on the paper. The moment the words 'Nicole Sabato' were on the paper, I could hear Casey's uptight breathing relax. He felt relieved.

He was feeling fortunate that I didn't make a scene. I was still the same cool, calm, and collected 'lethal assassin' who knew how to act according to the situation.

"Congratulations on your wish coming true, Don Fusco." I put the pen down and pushed the papers back to him while giving him the perfect smile used in social situations.

Casey was taken aback. There was a flash of astonishment in his eyes. He probably did not expect me to accept such a clean break. "Don't… Don't you hate me?"

"Hate?" I stood up and adjusted the collar of my black coat. "You must be kidding, Don Fusco. Emotions are the most useless thing for a member of the mafia or an assassin from the dark web. Don't you remember teaching me that?"

Casey choked on his words. That was the first lesson he taught me back then, when he was making his way up the ranks.

Back then, Rowena Jovine abhorred the fact that he was an illegitimate son who had nothing to his name. She took every cent he had and got together with a senator. Casey had looked at me red-eyed and told me that only those who were not affected by emotions could stand at the peak.

Those words were like a boomerang that turned to hit me.

The phone on the table vibrated as its screen lit up with the name 'Rowena'.

Casey picked up the call. I had never heard him sound so gentle before. "Yeah, I'm here. Don't be afraid. I'll head over right now." He hung up and pulled on his sleeve to hide the black smartwatch on his wrist. It was not the watch I gave him.

"Let me give you a lift, Nicole." Casey looked a little in a hurry as he stood up.

"It's fine." I picked up my sunglasses from the table and put them on to cover the slight redness in my eyes. "Ms. Jovine is still waiting at the hospital for you to fulfill your duties as her child's father. The elders of the family will be unhappy if you get there too late."

Casey's expression froze. He watched as I stood up straight. He opened his mouth to say something, but all he could say was, "Take care of yourself."

I pushed the door and left without looking back.

As I walked out of the villa with heavy security, the sun outside blinded my eyes so much that they hurt.

The villa was situated in the richest part of Litrak. We bought the villa after making our first major drug deal. I was the one who designed the security system, and I knew how many motion detectors were buried under the bed of roses in the garden. Soon, the place would welcome its new mistress.

"Donna…" I could hear a muffled choke coming from behind. I turned back to see Carlos Bianchi standing at the door. His heavily scarred face was covered in tears.

Carlos was an old Capo from the family who had retired but continued working for us for the past few years out of undying loyalty. To be exact, his loyalty was to me.

"Are you really leaving, Donna?" Carlos clenched his fists. Those hands of his, which had held numerous guns nearly all his life, were trembling. "You were the one by Don Fusco's side the past few years. You were the one who went through life and death with him! What right does that woman have to—"

"Carlos," I stopped him, softening my tone. "Be careful with your words."

In this organization with strict security measures, the Don's words were the law. One would need to pay the price for doubting the Don's decisions.

All Carlos could do was clench his teeth while handing a black briefcase to me. "Donna, these are books on strategy that have gone out of print. There's also your favorite Browning. I've packed up everything for you."

I took the briefcase from him. It felt heavy in my hands. I could not believe that the only person in this cold-blooded family who remembered what I did for them was an old subordinate who was not related to me at all.

Five years ago, Casey was badly humiliated by the family's legitimate heir. We would keep our guns underneath our pillows every night in the broken-down apartment we had in Bedlam. Despite our living conditions, we were happy.

He would come running to me while covered with blood after a fierce fight over snatching territory, just to bring me hot pizza. He told me back then, "Once I take the seat of Don, I'll make sure everyone will kneel before you and call you Donna, Nicole."

Casey successfully became the Don after that, but the conversations between us were no longer the same. We used to talk about whether we were able to survive the night to see the sun the next day, but our conversations soon became discussing which interfering cop we should get rid of or how we could take over the business of the family next to us.

I trained myself to become an emotionless weapon for him. However, this weapon had been worn down, and it was time to throw it away. I patted Carlos on the shoulder. "Take care of yourself, Carlos. If there comes a day when you're unhappy with this place, come to see me."

Carlos covered his face as his tears fell.

I turned away and opened the door to my bulletproof 4WD. The moment I got inside, I glanced at the villa one last time through the bulletproof windows.

This was my final goodbye to the five years I wasted on that bastard.

Quinn Sullivan stepped on the gas immediately after I got into the car. The engine roared like an animal.

"Is there something wrong with your brain, Nicole Sabato?" She sped crazily while playing with a butterfly knife in one hand. The blade flashed dangerously in the sunlight. "Five hundred million? Are you really allowing that little crying bitch to take the position of Donna from you for so little money?"

As the car sped on the road, Quinn started cussing in multiple languages out of anger, "Do you know what they're saying about you out there? They're saying you got dumped and kicked out of the family. They say that you're just a dumb woman who paved the way for another woman. That cheating pair must be celebrating with champagne right now!"

I watched out the window as the scenery flew past me in the car. I leaned back in my seat and laughed softly. "Do you think I could've walked out that door alive if I didn't sign those papers, Quinn?"

Quinn stopped flipping the knife, cursing louder than before, "Then we'll fight it out with him! The Sabatos might have fallen, but I still have about a dozen men under me. At worst, we'll just die together!"

"It's because I'm getting tired of everything." I closed my eyes and said softly, "Besides, that five hundred million is clean money. It's considered a good sum."

Quinn stepped hard on the brakes and stopped next to a cliff by the sea. She turned to stare at me. Her eyes suddenly turned red.

"Look at yourself, Nicole." She adjusted the rearview mirror to reflect my face. "You're only 28, but you look like you're 38! Do you remember how beautiful you used to be? You were the famous 'Black Rose' on the dark web. So many rich heirs courted you, and plenty of renowned personalities wanted to hire you.

"Look at you now. Do you know how many scars you have? Do you have any idea how badly your internal organs are damaged?"

The woman reflected in the mirror looked pale, and her eyes were empty. She was an empty shell whose soul had been sucked out of her. There was no sign of her glory days of being the top assassin on the dark web left in her.

"You nearly died trying to help that illegitimate son get up the top. Now that he has succeeded, how dare he get rid of you because of his first love? I have half a mind to get back there right now and blow up that villa!" Quinn got increasingly agitated while speaking, and tears fell from her eyes.

I looked at her and felt a crack in the strong front I was putting up. Someone in this opportunistic world was crying for me. "Stop crying, Quinn." I took a deep breath as I tried to suppress the sadness I felt inside me. "It's probably a good thing that we got divorced. I've been living in his shadows the past five years, and it's time I live in my own shoes."

Quinn sniffled and wiped her face roughly. "Alright! Getting divorced is no big deal! We'll take that five hundred million and fly to Hartford to get ourselves dozens of male models. We'll make sure to infuriate that bastard!"

I could not help bursting out with a laugh.

"By the way…" Quinn seemed to remember something as she glanced at me through the rearview mirror. There was an evasive look in her eye. "An old friend might be waiting for you tonight."

This got me curious. "Who is it?"

"You'll find out when we're there." Quinn hinted as she started the engine. "It's a phantom you thought you would never see again."

The car turned into a secret location where the safe house was. Before the car stopped, I spotted a familiar figure. He was wearing a perfectly fitted black shirt while standing under a huge tree. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal his muscular arms.

He turned to look when he heard the car coming. The face that I once remembered to have a warm smile now looked sharp with eyes that were as deep as the sea of the Socario Islands. The man smiled, but there was something dangerous about it that chilled the spine.

"It's been a long time, Nicole."

My heart skipped a beat. It was Scott Cedaro, my childhood friend who had vanished for five years. He was also the heir of the Cedaros who had been rumoured to have died in an internal family war.

He was back.