I was once Fiona's consigliere.

I put the Falcone Family in her hands，helping her become the untouchable Don.

And when a rival family put out a hit, I took the car bomb meant for her.

It cost me my eyes.

She knelt by my hospital bed and swore a blood oath. She would be my eyes. I would be her only husband.

Later, after an operation by a top surgeon, my eyes recovered.

I couldn't wait to rush home to surprise her.

But when I pushed open the door, I saw her tangled together with Leo, her bodyguard, on the desk I had custom-made for her.

Fiona was pressed against Leo in revealing clothing, her face flushed.

Crumpled white tissues littered the floor.

Between ragged breaths, she called Leo’s name repeatedly.

"Fiona, why are you still keeping that useless blind fuck around? Let me take care of him for you."

"Leo, shut up. I need more time. Now, get inside me. That's all that matters."

The Chicago winter rain was bone-chilling that night.

I completely gave up.

After walking out of the house in just my shirt, I pulled out my phone and booked a one-way ticket to Sicily.

I will cut ties completely with this family and with her.

I booked the ticket, thinking they were done with their affair.

I was wrong.

When I steadied my breath and walked back into the house, they had moved from the study to the living room.

My wife, Fiona, was straddling a man on the couch.

Her black silk shirt was torn open. A lace bra. Angry red marks covered her chest.

The man under her wasn't me. It was Leo. My wife's bodyguard.

Fiona's lips were swollen, her hair a mess. She was staring down at him, full of passion.

She was so lost in her desire, she didn't even see me.

But when Leo saw me, he deliberately ran a hand down Fiona's waist, pulling her body tighter against his.

Sophina bit her lower lip at once, holding back any sound from escaping.

"Don't be scared, Don. Javier is already blind. He can't see anything."

He whispered in Sophina's ear, his eyes sweeping over me with contempt.

"It's more exciting this way. Right in front of him."

Fiona's body trembled.

But she didn't push him away.

She softened in his arms, letting him touch her, letting his hand slide between her legs.

"Easy, Leo," she breathed. "He'll hear us."

It felt like someone was carving up my heart, piece by piece.

Three years ago, I took a car bomb meant for her. Shrapnel took my eyes. She knelt in the hospital and swore she'd be my eyes.

Now, she was with another man, right in front of me.

And I had to pretend I couldn't see. I fumbled my way to the sofa across from them and sat down.

When she was finished, she finally pretended to notice me.

Her voice trembled slightly.

"Javier? You're back?"

"The check-up finished early." I fought to keep my voice steady. "The doctor said... no progress."

Leo looked bored, tracing circles on her waist.

"Another round?"

he purred. "But my queen, we're out. Need a fresh condom."

He grinned at her, then glanced at me.

"Should he get it, or should I?"

A flicker of hesitation in Fiona's eyes，but she quickly made up her mind.

"Javier,could you get my vitamins for me? They're in the drawer in the master closet. The doctor said I need to take more."

Leo chuckled beneath her, his fingers stroking the inside of her thigh.

My heart skipped a beat.

Fiona gave in to Leo's sick game.

I looked at her, my face pale.

Her face was flushed, her eyes hazy with lust. Her arms were still wrapped tightly around Leo's neck, unwilling to let go.

I dug my nails into my palms, trying to stop the shaking.

"Of course." My voice was a choked wreck. "I'll get them."

I pretended to feel my way to my feet and headed upstairs. Every step was like walking on broken glass.

When I came back with what they needed, Leo's hands were still roaming over her body. Fiona shot him a warning glare. A look that said, Don't push it. She took the "vitamins" from my hand.

"You should go rest. I have some Family business to take care of. I don't want to disturb you."

With that, Leo scooped her into his arms, already hard again, and carried her toward the side parlor.

After they left, a bitter sting burned my eyes.

Even though I had decided to leave, to let her go, the pain was like being torn apart.

“Never betray you”, she had said. She broke her word.

I pulled out my encrypted phone and called my father.

"Dad, I'll come back to Sicily. I'll take over the family's art business."

"You're sure? Once you're back, you give up everything in Chicago. Can you leave Fiona?"

I didn't hesitate. "Yes."

My father was silent for a long time.

"Alright. Come back in a week."

Once, I gave up everything he offered me for her.

Now, she was the one who made the choice for me.

I shot a cold glance at the closed parlor door. I could hear their muffled moans and the clinking of glasses.

"For years, I've wasted my life on the Falcones. On Fiona. It's time to go home."

"Good. That's my blood. You haven't disappointed me. In eight days, I'll have men waiting for you at the estate gate."

"I'll be there."

After I hung up, Fiona walked out, wearing nothing but Leo's black silk jacket.

Her neck and collarbone were a canvas of dark bruises—his marks.

She didn't care if I "saw."

Because I was a blind man.

My stomach churned. A wave of nausea I'd never felt before.

Fiona saw the look on my face and rushed toward me, her own face a mask of worry.

The moment she got close, all I could smell was Leo's cheap perfume,made me want to vomit.

I shoved her away. Still playing the part, I fumbled my way into the bathroom.

It turns out my body has also started to reject Sophina's approach.

"Javier?" Her voice, laced with panic, came from outside the door. "What's wrong?"

I gripped the sink, trying to catch my breath.

That's when I saw it. In the trash can.

A prenatal report. Fiona's name was on it. Three months along.

The word "PREGNANT" seemed to be mocking me.

There were no tears. Just a cold, bottomless agony that hollowed me out.

Fiona and I hadn't slept together in six months.

Ever since I was injured, she always said I needed rest.

And now, she was pregnant with another man's child. That lowlife bodyguard's kid.

My heart felt like it had been smashed with a hammer, every piece bleeding.

Fiona rushed in, panicked, and wrapped her arms around me from behind.

"Javier, what is it? What hurts?"

"You pushed me away... My heart stopped."

Her arms trembled around my waist, holding me tighter, as if I might vanish.

One second, she's in bed with another man. The next, she's playing the loving wife for me.

Fiona, you're one hell of an actress.

I pried her hands off me and put some distance between us. "It's probably my stomach. I haven't had much of an appetite."

I didn't know when I'd learned to lie so easily. I used to despise people like that. Now, I'd become one of them.

My words sent Fiona into a panic.

Normally a neat freak, she didn't care that I was covered in vomit.She grabbed me again, holding me tight.

"Javier, I'm sorry. I've been so busy with the Family's art auction, I haven't been taking care of you."

Her body was pressed against my back. I could feel the softness of her breasts.

All I felt was disgust.

She turned me around, cupped my face, her brow furrowed with pain.

She led me back to the bedroom, took out a new set of pajamas, and tried to help me change into them.

But for the first time, I pulled away from her touch.

"I can do it myself."

Fiona froze.

In three years of marriage, I had never once refused her help.

"Javier... Are you angry with me? Blaming me for not being there for you?"she asked, her voice cautious.

I didn't answer.

I just mechanically stripped off the clothes tainted with her smell and threw them in the hamper.

"It's your birthday tomorrow." Fiona came to my side, tucking me in gently. "I'll clear my schedule. I'll be with you all day. We can go to that Italian place you love. I've arranged a private concert for you, with your favorite cellist."

The queen of Chicago's underworld, ruthless and feared, now so desperate and meek.

A harsh, bitter laugh escaped my lips. Was this my good fortune, or my curse?

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back tears. The exhaustion of the day pulled me toward sleep.

Just before I drifted off, Fiona's phone rang.

She answered it fast, her voice low. "What?"

"You soaked my shirt," Leo's lazy voice purred through the phone. "It smells like you."

His tone was pure seduction.

"Bring me a new set, will you? I'm waiting for you, my queen."

Fiona glanced down at me, making sure I was "asleep."

Then she leaned over, kissed my forehead, and slipped silently out of the room.

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. The tears finally broke free.

Now I understood.

Leo was living here. In the guest wing.

And I was the blind fool in the middle of their game.

I tried to calm myself.

It's okay. One more week and I'm free of all this.

Free of this place filled with lies and betrayal.

Free of the woman I once loved, and now wished I'd never see again.

The next morning, Fiona was up early, making me breakfast.

The private dining room was filled with fine Italian food.

She personally sliced my prosciutto and brought the fork to my lips.

"Open up, my love." Her voice was sweet as honey.

I played along with her little show.

But out of the corner of my eye, I saw Leo sitting at the other end of the dining room, his face dark. He clearly wasn't happy with Fiona's "performance."

"Try the cheese omelet. It's your favorite," Fiona cooed, feeding me.

Leo shot to his feet. His chair scraped loudly against the floor.

Fiona's hand trembled, but she recovered quickly.

Right in front of me, she texted him on her phone: I'll make it up to you later. Don't act out in front of Javier. That custom Ferrari SF90 is yours.

Only then did Leo's mood change. He shot me a scornful look, then got up and left the table.

As he passed Fiona, his fingers deliberately brushed her waist.

Her body flinched slightly, but she didn't pull away.

I ignored the food she offered and picked up my own utensils, pretending I couldn't see, and ate something else.

Fiona thought I was still sulking. After I finished, she insisted on taking me out.

"Tonight, I've booked the entire Art Institute of Chicago for you," she said. "There will be a grand charity gala to celebrate your birthday. I even flew in the principal cellist from the Vienna Philharmonic to play for you."

Her voice was laced with guilt, desperate to please.

"Don't you love Bach's Cello Suites?"

Yes, I used to.

Now, I had lost interest in everything.

On the way there, Fiona held my hand tight, as if afraid I'd fall. She kept bringing up our sweet memories from the past.

I said nothing. My heart was a wasteland of irony and pain.

I once thought we were the one fairy tale in this dark world. It turned out to be a joke.

Fiona liked excitement. She liked young flesh even more. She had long forgotten the blood oath we swore at our wedding.

We arrived at the museum. The main hall was dripping with gold and light.

But the first thing I saw were the black roses. Everywhere. A black so deep it was almost evil.

I'm severely allergic to black roses. Fiona knew this.

But Leo loved black roses. So tonight, for my birthday party, the hall was filled with his favorite flower.

Another lie, tailor-made for me.

The cellist came on stage, played one single Bach suite, and then left.

The "exclusive concert" was a single song. A token gesture.

"So beautiful," Fiona said, squeezing my hand. "Remember our wedding? It was right here."

Her voice started to break.

"You said we'd face whatever came our way, together. You said you'd always protect me, always love me."

As she spoke, she became emotional, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

She lifted my hand, making me touch the hot tear.

You have to love someone, really love them, to cry a tear that real.

If she hadn't betrayed me, I would have been moved enough to hold her and cry with her.

She did love me, once. But now, that was all in the past. She had split her love, and given a piece to Leo.

I pulled my hand back. My face was a calm mask.

Lost in her own emotions, Fiona looked hurt by my lack of reaction.

But just a few seconds later, her eyes lit up and a smile spread across her face as she looked toward the stage.

Leo was wearing a custom Armani suit she had bought for him.

The suit made him look refined. Almost a gentleman.

Compared to me in my simple clothes, I had already lost.

Leo smiled and waved at us. "Happy birthday, Mr. Scott."

He walked over to Fiona and, ignoring everyone, grabbed her hand.

"Fiona, all the surprises you wanted are ready.I'll do the countdown."

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

A spotlight hit the center of the stage. The curtain pulled back.

A Titian original, worth thirty million dollars, was on display.

The three of us stood there. Fiona and Leo, their fingers intertwined. They were the couple. I was the ghost.

But what truly shocked me was the plaque next to the painting.

The gold letters shone under the lights:

"To my one and only knight, Leo."

The room fell silent for a heartbeat.

Then it erupted in applause.

The guests thought it was some kind of business stunt.

But I knew what it meant.

With a thirty-million-dollar painting, Fiona had just publicly declared her feelings for Leo.

At my birthday party.

In the same place we got married.

The applause started again. Guests raised their glasses in celebration.

Suddenly, Fiona told a guard to look after me. She had urgent business to attend to.

"Javier, you be a good boy and wait for me."

She kissed my cheek, then took Leo's hand and hurried toward the museum's private lounge.