I turned away to brush the tears from my eyes, while Leone kept his head down in silence.

Dante marched toward us and hoisted Leone into the air with one arm, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Did you miss me, Leone?"

Leone turned as stiff as a statue in Dante's arms.

Dante nuzzled Leone's face with his stubble, teasing, "Have you gotten upset with me, Leone? You know, I've brought you a gift. Do you want it, Leone?"

I looked on, disgusted by the familiar routine. In my past life, Dante always managed to use a few cheap, affectionate gestures to manipulate Leone into forgetting every bit of mistreatment he had suffered.

In this life, Leone was no longer the same. He asked softly, "Did you bring the limited-edition model you promised me, Papa?"

Dante froze for a split second before reaching out to pat Leone's head. "I could only get Lucia's dresses since that thing got stuck at customs. I'll definitely get it for you next time, Leone."

Leone asked tentatively, "W-What about the chocolate, Papa?"

Dante fished a flattened candy out of his pocket and said, "Lucia has such a sweet tooth, so I let her have the chocolate. I kept this one aside especially for you, though, Leone."

I noticed that Leone's gaze was fixed on that crushed sweet, his lips pursed tightly together. I knew that look all too well—it was born from a disappointment so deep there were no words left to say.

Dante turned his attention to me, his eyes resting briefly on my home clothes, which had turned pale from too many washes. "I'll arrange for a collection of next season's dresses to be delivered next month—deep blue suits you."

I pulled at the corner of my mouth, the gesture devoid of any real joy. I had heard that line far too often to believe it. In my past life, those promised dresses invariably ended up hanging in Sofia's dressing room instead of mine.

It was time for dinner, and we had nothing but a humble plate of pasta, served without so much as a spoonful of sauce.

Dante furrowed his brow and asked, "Why are you guys only having these? Where's the chef?"

"Sofia sent for the chef to run a rehearsal for Lucia's birthday dinner," I replied calmly as I served the pasta to Leone.

"Didn't I just—" Dante stopped mid-sentence, his expression turning slightly awkward. "I'll make sure the accountants allocate more funds to your account tomorrow."

I remained silent, offering no reply. I knew exactly how this story ended—by tomorrow, that "allocated fund" would somehow transform into a brand-new sports car for Sofia.

Sofia's voice came through the door, punctuated by a knock. "Lucia thinks she heard something scary in her room, so she's absolutely terrified right now. Do you think you can go keep her company, Dante? You know how vulnerable she's been ever since Damiano passed away…"

Dante got to his feet without hesitation.

I grabbed his sleeve and said, "Leone is running a slight fever tonight."

Dante didn't stop, his feet already carrying him out of the room. "Leone's a boy; a fever will only toughen up his resistance. Lucia, on the other hand, is a girl; she's fragile and easily frightened."

Leone asked softly once the door closed, "Can I sleep with you tonight, Mamma?"

I held Leone's small, cold feet close to my body, listening to the rain pounding outside. I couldn't sleep all night, and as dawn broke, I noticed that Leone's temperature had spiked to a terrifying degree.

"Leone's burning up, Dante!" I cried out again and again, but the only response was a haunting silence. I threw the door open, only to find the room empty—Dante was gone.

It was then that the bodyguard stated flatly, "Don Moretti has escorted Ms. Sofia to the private hospital before dawn, Donna Moretti. Ms. Lucia felt unwell in the middle of the night, and Don Moretti was frantic with worry."

I suddenly felt my surroundings going dark for a second. "Get the car ready—I'm heading to the hospital now!"

"I'm sorry, Donna Moretti, but Don Moretti has left with all the doctors and armored cars."

I couldn't wait any longer. I had spent an entire lifetime waiting before, and it ended with Leone's cold body in my arms. I bundled Leone into a raincoat and threw myself into the Novayork storm. I ran toward the main road, stumbling as I tried to flag down a cab.

It was then that a car suddenly pulled up in front of me, and the driver, a young man wearing glasses and appearing like an ordinary office worker, asked, "Do you need help, ma'am?"

"I beg you… I need you to take me to the hospital—my son is burning up."

I arrived at the hospital and walked through the hallway that felt like a freezer before the nurse took the unconscious Leone and asked with a furrowed brow, "Do you have a medical insurance card? You can pay a five-thousand-dollar deposit first if you don't have one."

I was about to say something when I overheard other nurses walking by, talking.

"Did you hear what happened? It was said that the Don of the Moretti famiglia took over the whole VIP floor upstairs. He's got the place on total lockdown and summoned a bunch of world-class specialists—all of that just because his daughter is sick!"

"I heard it's just a minor stomach bug, but he's still pouring a fortune into her care. I'm honestly so envious of her."

I felt a sudden, heavy dread settling in my chest after hearing that. I scrambled through my pockets, coming up with nothing but a handful of small bills; after all, Dante had cut me off, freezing my accounts for my own "protection" while he poured our wealth into Sofia's endless demands.

I gritted my teeth, took off the wedding ring that symbolized my status as the Donna, and threw it onto the counter. "Is this enough to cover it?"

I heard the crisp, metallic ring echoing as the diamond hit the tray. I used to treasure that piece of jewelry above all else, but at that moment, I felt nothing for the ring—and even less for Dante. I was only focused on Leone, thinking that I would take him and leave this place for good once he had recovered.

It was three days later when Leone finally turned a corner. I carried him back to the estate, only to find Dante pacing restlessly in the living room.

He walked up to me in long strides and asked, "Where have you been, Elena? Do you realize how many of our rivals are lurking in the shadows right now? How could you take Leone out on your own?"

"Leone was burning up with a fever, so I took him to the hospital," I replied flatly, my voice frighteningly calm.

Dante's expression shifted sharply. "Why didn't you call me then?"

I gave a short, humorless laugh. "You want me to call you, huh? What is Leone's life worth when measured against Lucia, your darling 'daughter,' Dante?"

Dante reached out for Leone, only for the latter to recoil into my embrace, trembling with fear. He froze for a moment and said softly, "I had no idea Leone was ill, too. Lucia's situation was just so critical then—"

I cut him off, saying, "It's always about Lucia, Dante. Do you even remember Leone's birthday? Do you remember when he was last hospitalized? Do you even remember that Leone's allergic to peanuts?"

Dante tried to speak but found himself silent. He tried to make up for it, attempting to win Leone over with various pricey toys. "How about I take you to the famiglia's training range to play, Leone? You've always wanted to watch me use a gun, right?"

Leone's eyes shifted with a spark of interest—the innate longing for strength that all boys possessed. "Do you mean it, Papa?"

"Of course!" Dante replied, lifting Leone into his arms.

I saw the expectation in Leone's eyes and couldn't bring myself to refuse the invitation.

Dante, Leone, and I were just about to head out when Lucia burst onto the scene. "I'm coming too! I want to see Zio Dante fire the guns too!"

Sofia trailed after Lucia with a worried expression. "You ought to stop making a fuss—that's a place for boys, not girls, Lucia."

Lucia yelled, "I don't care! Zio Dante gave me his word, saying that I'm the Principessa of the Moretti famiglia and that I can go anywhere I please!"

Dante looked toward me, appearing torn.

I sneered before he could even open his mouth, saying, "Let's go together, then."

I understood him too well—in a situation where he had to choose one of two, he would always make the wrong choice.

Dante held Lucia's hand in his left hand and held Sofia in his right arm after arriving at the training grounds, introducing them to his Made Men.

I, on the other hand, held Leone's hand and followed in the back, as if we were merely two superfluous bodyguards.

It was then that one of the Made Men, brown-nosing without a clue of the situation, exclaimed, "Your daughter is the spitting image of you, Don Moretti—she's got that same ruthless edge!"

Dante's expression immediately hardened. "What the hell are you talking about? That boy behind me is my son."

In that instant, the atmosphere went dead still, and I suddenly felt Leone's hand shaking in mine.

It was then that Dante's trusted confidant came running over. "It's time to hold an emergency meeting, Don Moretti—the Illyrians have made a move!"

Dante hurriedly instructed, "You guys should wait in the lounge—and you're not allowed to wander around, Leone."

I returned from getting water only to find Sofia standing in the hallway. "You're so pitiful, Elena. You're the Donna, yet you're living like a nanny. Do you actually believe Dante loves you? He is merely going through the motions of being a husband, while his heart was given to me long ago, Elena."

I paid her no mind and walked right by.

Sofia blocked my path, unwilling to back down. "You'd better hold it right there! What makes you think someone like you—a hothouse flower—deserves to be the Donna?

"You were a mere nobody while I fought alongside Damiano to build this empire! You ought to know that I won't allow you to be the Donna if I can't have that position, Elena!"

I stopped walking and met her eyes calmly. "If you want to be the Donna that much, I'm willing to hand over the title to you, Sofia. If you are capable of bearing it, that is."

Sofia was stunned after hearing my declaration.

It was then that I heard Leone's crying echoing from the lounge. I ran over and opened the door, finding him sitting on the floor with torn paper scattered all around.

Leone's eyes brimmed with tears as he pointed a finger at Lucia, yelling, "Lucia shredded the ledger that was on the table, Mamma! I told her not to touch it, but she pushed me anyway!"

I glanced down at the pile of torn scraps; they were the famiglia's latest money laundering records—it was evidence that could bring down the entire Moretti famiglia.

It was then that the sound of heavy footsteps came from outside. Dante appeared at the entrance with a group of high-ranking members of the famiglia, his expression grim as he asked, "What's going on?"

Leone was just about to speak when Lucia suddenly started sobbing. "Leone tore your papers, Zio Dante! He tried to hit me when I tried to stop him! He told me that he's the Principe of the Don and I don't have the right to touch anything!"

Dante's trusted confidant immediately paled. "It's over for us—those were the only original copies that we hadn't had a chance to back up yet."

Dante's gaze shifted from one child to the other before settling on Leone. "I have taught you that the rules of the famiglia take precedence over all else, Leone, so you must face the consequences for touching something you shouldn't have, Leone!"

"I didn't do it—you have to believe me, Papa!" Leone sobbed, tears falling in large droplets.

Dante yanked Leone by the collar and said, "You ought to know that lying is a coward's way out and that there's no room for cowards in the Moretti famiglia, Leone!"

He dragged Leone out to the training ground's open plaza and ordered coldly, "Get on your knees!"

Dante's forehead veins stood out as he barked, "Do you think Lucia is capable of doing it? She's four years old, for goodness' sake! Do you see what kind of child you've raised, Elena Caruso? He screws up and still has the audacity to lie!"

"Leone is only five years old, Dante!" I shrieked, rushing forward.

Dante kicked the back of Leone's knee, forcing the latter to fall hard onto the concrete. "Leone's only five and he's already learned how to ruin the famiglia's lifeline! He'll be the death of us all if he isn't taught a lesson today! He'll have to kneel here until he confesses his mistakes! Get the Donna out of here!"

"Leone! Leone!" I yelled as the two muscular bodyguards grabbed me and dragged me away—the last thing I saw was Leone's small silhouette swaying unsteadily under the scorching sun.

I was trapped in the room, hammering on the door with everything I had. "You'd better let him go this instance, Dante! You're going to kill Leone!"

It was getting late, with the sun setting, and the small figure on the plaza finally fell over.

It was only at sunrise that Dante opened the door. I ran out like a madwoman, holding Leone close. I noticed that he was burning hot to the touch, and his parched lips were bleeding. "I-It really wasn't me, Mamma… I wasn't lying…"

I gently kissed his forehead as my tears fell onto his face. "I know, Leone. I just need you to hang on a bit longer; we'll be able to leave very soon."

I finally received the message I had been waiting for the following day—our identities, Leone's and mine, had been officially erased. I knew then that once we left Novayork, Dante wouldn't be able to find us, regardless of his status as the Don of the Moretti famiglia.

I left the Moretti estate with Leone as a rare spring snow fell over Novayork. I never used a single card Dante had given me; every cent on them was soaked in the blood of the Moretti famiglia—and in his indulgence toward his so-called "sister-in-law".

I sold a private property left to me by my grandmother instead—a private asset that had remained entirely unknown to Dante.

It wasn't easy to vanish under the Mafia's surveillance, but I knew the ins and outs of Dante's security better than anyone. I found my opening while Dante was busy handling a territory dispute with the Illyrians, boarding a private plane to Lansport with Leone.