That day, while sorting through intelligence reports, a tabloid headline caught my eye and pierced straight through me.

It read, "Don Salvatore Russo and His Wife Rumored to Be Separating."

Beneath it was a photo of him and Rosa walking side by side into a hotel.

The tabloids spun wild stories about why our marriage was falling apart. Everyone believed I was too proud, too cold, and too difficult to love. That was why Salvatore couldn't take it anymore.

They were wrong. In truth, I was the one who couldn't let go.

In a fit of rage, I ripped the newspaper to shreds.

…

That same day, I auctioned off the yacht Salvatore had given me. It was a luxury vessel named The Arianna.

Everyone stared at each other in disbelief. They knew how much I adored that yacht, so how could I possibly sell it?

Just then, someone called out jokingly, "I'll bid a dollar!"

With every eye on me, I brought the gavel down with a soft tap. "Sold. It's yours."

I had barely stepped backstage when my phone rang. It was Salvatore.

"Principessa, I heard you sold the yacht. Who upset you this time? Don't be angry. It's not worth it. Tell me. Do you want a seaside villa, or that showstopper diamond necklace?"

His tone was as gentle as ever. "Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Even if it were the moon, I'd find a way to reach it."

There was a time when his sweet talk could sweep me off my feet. But now, even his sweetest words tasted like poison.

I let out a chuckle before hanging up. Then, I sent him a message. "I don't want anything. Just come back and play a game with me."

Without a moment's hesitation, he replied, "Alright."

…

A few days later, I stood on the deck of The Arianna, just before it was handed over to its new owner.

The breeze ruffled Salvatore's hair as he stepped aboard. His gaze held the same softness until he saw Rosa tied up beside me.

"Arianna, what the hell is this?" he asked sharply.

Before I could say a word, Rosa screamed, "Salvatore, help me! She's going to toss me into the sea and feed me to the sharks!"

All at once, Salvatore lost his mind.

"Arianna, is that true? Are you really going to throw her overboard?" he demanded.

He didn't bother to hide his concern for another woman, not even when I was standing right there.

I let out a wry chuckle. There weren't any sharks in these waters, but his fear was real.

I clenched my jaw, fixed my gaze on him, and spat, "I know everything about the two of you. Salvatore Russo, I'm giving you two choices. Either you throw her overboard yourself and maybe I'll forgive you, or I'll do it for you."

There was no room for betrayal in my life, and even less in my bed.

Now, Salvatore owed me an answer.

"Arianna! Why are you doing this?" he roared, fury blazing in his eyes. "This is between us. Leave Rosa out of it!"

In the next instant, I lifted a hand.

A loud thud echoed as one of the soldati slammed Rosa against the railing. She let out a piercing scream.

As Salvatore heard that, his fists clenched tight, and his eyes burned red. "What if I refuse to choose? Arianna, are you really going to make yourself my enemy?"

I stood frozen, staring at him in disbelief. He knew better than anyone that I could never go against him. After all, he was the only one who had ever pulled me back from the edge.

The night my father died, I smashed everything in the house, shards flying everywhere.

When Salvatore heard of it, he dropped a multimillion-dollar deal and rushed home. I was still gripping a shard of glass when he walked in, but he didn't flinch.

He strode toward me, and in the next second, pulled me into his arms. The shard sliced across his face, blood running down from his jaw to his collar.

It wasn't until the metallic tang hit me that I finally snapped out of my haze.

I dropped the shard and broke down crying, telling him I never meant to hurt him.

Yet, Salvatore smiled faintly and whispered, "It's alright, principessa. I'm yours. You can do whatever you want to me."

After that, a faint scar remained on his face. Every time I saw it, I swore I'd never hurt him again.

But now, he was asking if I was going to turn against him.

I stared at Salvatore, and for the first time, he felt like a stranger. My throat tightened as I said, "There's no point anymore. If you won't choose, I will."

One soldato had already pushed Rosa halfway over the rail, her body dangling above the water. Her face went pale before she passed out.

"I'll give you three seconds," I told Salvatore.

I bet he'd give in first, just like he always did.

"Three…"

"Two…"

Before I even reached one, a deafening blast tore through the air. Salvatore had ordered his men to fire a torpedo at The Arianna just to save Rosa.

Flames consumed the deck as thick smoke filled the sky. Within moments, the yacht split in two.

Just like that, the vessel once envied by countless women was destroyed in a blaze.

A violent jolt threw both Rosa and me into the sea. The icy water burned against my skin as I broke the surface, gasping for air.

"Salvatore…" I choked out. "You'd go this far for a spy?"

He sighed, his voice strangely distant amid the chaos. "This is the second time, Arianna. No matter how much I've spoiled you, I won't let Rosa suffer for my sake again."

Then, at his command, every rescue boat headed straight for Rosa. He, too, swam toward her.

"Principessa, I know you can swim," Salvatore called over his shoulder. "You'll hold on a little longer. Just wait for me."

Even then, he still had the nerve to call me principessa. I chuckled bitterly, the taste of blood spreading across my tongue.

Yes, I could swim, but not when I was carrying his child.

Through the blur, I saw Salvatore lift Rosa onto a rescue boat, gently pat her back, and wrap my blanket around her.

With that, he sped away with her, leaving me adrift in the open sea.

At that moment, a sharp pain ripped through my abdomen, and a sudden warmth spread beneath me.

The waves rocked me, as if the sea itself were a cradle. At the same time, the world slowly faded into darkness.

I remembered all those nights when I nestled against Salvatore—how he'd rest his hand on my stomach and pray for a little angel of our own.

But now, he had left his principessa to drown and harmed the angel he once prayed for.

I had known Salvatore for nearly 20 years. It didn't matter anymore whether I loved or hated him. There would be no future for us.

When I finally came to, a group of private doctors was gathered around my bed. I tried to sit up, but one of them pushed me back onto the bed, saying, "You need to rest, Donna Russo."

Then, she moved deftly as she examined me. "If you had stayed in the water for another hour, you would have frozen to death. You're running a high fever. Do you feel any other pain or discomfort?"

"What about my baby?" I rasped.

The doctor's hands froze. "Your baby… didn't make it."

In a flash, my mind went blank. Her lips moved, but I couldn't hear a single thing. The words "didn't make it" echoed in my mind, each time hitting harder than before.

I threw the blanket aside and stumbled toward the door. The IV tore from my arm, blood streaming down the back of my hand.

"Donna Russo, you can't leave yet!"

Almost immediately, the soldati blocked the door and refused to budge. One of them said, "Don Russo ordered that you can't leave the estate until Ms. Conti's surgery is over."

I stared at the same soldati who once took orders only from me. Yet, now, they were standing in my way.

I let out a bitter chuckle. To protect Rosa, Salvatore didn't even know he had a child.

I dug my nails into my palms. A beat later, I dialed his number in front of everyone.

"Salvatore, I'm going to buy a burial plot for our child."

There was a brief silence on the line before he finally spoke, his voice soft. "Don't do this, principessa. We don't have a child. If you want me to believe you, at least come up with a more convincing lie.

"I can't let you go. We both know that the moment you walk out that door, Rosa won't live to see another day."

Everyone in the underworld knew I always settled the score.

At the door, the soldati's expressions hardened. They even leveled their guns at me. "Donna Russo, don't make this harder than it has to be."

I trembled as I yanked the heavy family signet ring from around my neck. I held it high and barked, "You all recognize this, don't you? Stand down!"

Small as it was, the signet ring carried the authority of generations of Dons. To see it was to face the Don himself. Hence, no one dared disobey.

Clutching the ring tightly, I walked toward the door, step by step.

Uncertainty flickered across the soldati's faces before they finally lowered their weapons and stepped aside.

…

At the gates of the estate, a black SUV stopped in front of me. The window rolled down, and the moment I saw it was one of my men, every ounce of strength drained from me. I collapsed onto the seat.

My assistant, Carlo Rossi, helped me into the backseat. Then, he tucked a blanket over me and asked, "Are we going to San Lorenzo Cemetery?"

That was where my father was buried. Over the years, I'd go there to talk to him whenever I was upset. And Salvatore always came to be with me.

But I never imagined that same cemetery would soon hold a headstone for my unborn child.

Before I could answer, a black armored vehicle swerved out from the side, cutting us off and forcing our car to stop. In an instant, black smoke billowed from under the hood.

Just then, Salvatore opened his car door and strode toward us.

"Principessa, get out of the car."

His voice came muffled through the glass, faint and distant. "You're still burning up. You need treatment. I've arranged for the best hospital. Come with me now. But your man stays here."

My head pounded. He was the one who had chosen to save Rosa and leave me in that freezing sea. He was the one who refused to believe I had carried his child. And now, he wanted to put on this show of affection in front of me?

Did he think I'd forgive him no matter what just because I loved him too openly?

"He's wrecked the car," Carlo said with a frown. "But Donna Russo, if you want to leave, I'll protect you with my life."

"Don't." I shook my head and opened the door.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I wiped them away with the back of my hand. "I'll go. I want to see just how far he's willing to go for Rosa."

…

Even after we arrived at the new hospital, it still felt like I was trapped in a nightmare.

Several attendants stood watch by my bed. The equipment was all state-of-the-art, and the blanket was impossibly soft.

But through the thin wall, Salvatore's gentle voice drifted in.

"Rosa, the doctor said your old wounds were properly treated. There's no risk of infection. You're going to be fine."

Rosa's voice choked with sobs as she replied, "Salvatore, Arianna only has a fever. But I was whipped until my body was covered in scars, and I nearly died. All because of you."

Salvatore was silent for a moment, then sighed. "You've suffered enough. Once you've recovered, I'll take you home.

"The Moretti family is under my control now. If Arianna behaves and doesn't come after you, she can still keep her title."

His voice dropped lower. "But if she doesn't…"

I couldn't hear the rest, but I didn't have to. I knew exactly what he meant.

I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, tears soaking my pillow. It was almost laughable. Bullets had never made me cry, but Salvatore did.

As the tears dried on my skin, I swore it would be the last time I ever cried for him.

Two weeks later, I was discharged from the hospital and came home to find the house completely redone by Rosa.

The soldati shadowed her everywhere, while Carlo had to request permission multiple times just to get past the gates.

The moment I walked through the door, Salvatore came toward me with his arms open. It was as if nothing had changed.

"Arianna, Rosa's injuries were too serious. I can't trust anyone else to take care of her," he began. "But don't worry. You'll take the third floor, and she'll stay on the second. It's quieter up there. I won't let her bother you."

He said it so nicely, yet my clothes had already been packed and dumped at the foot of the stairs.

Clearly, this wasn't a discussion. It was an order.

I stepped out of his reach and took out the finalized divorce agreement from my bag. "Sign them, Salvatore. After that, you can let Rosa live wherever you want."

He didn't even glance at it. Without a word, he tore the papers in half.

Moments later, a few of his men came in and hung a new wedding photo on the wall.

Salvatore stepped forward and wrapped me in a firm embrace, saying, "Arianna, get mad all you want, but didn't we agree? No threats of breaking up or divorce. As long as I'm breathing, that's never happening."

I stared at him in disbelief. From the corner of my eye, I caught Rosa glaring at me with hatred on the second-floor landing.

"You want me to be your wife in name only and turn a blind eye to the mistress you've brought into our home?" I questioned. "You always said no one knew me better than you. So, tell me. Do you really think I'd accept that?"

Still, Salvatore looked at me with the same helpless, doting gaze I knew so well. "Principessa, you don't understand now. When the time comes, I'll explain everything."

Having said that, he led me to the dining table, his arm still around me. All my favorite dishes were laid out, and he had even lit candles.

"You've always complained about restaurant food. So, I cooked these myself. Go on. Try them. I made sure to use the healthiest ingredients since you just got discharged."

The food smelled wonderful, but my stomach churned.

Without warning, I flipped the table over. Plates shattered across the floor, and the candlesticks clattered as they rolled away.

Salvatore's eyes widened with anger before he grabbed my wrist. "Arianna Moretti! Do you have to be this stubborn?"

I yanked my hand free and pointed at Rosa, still standing on the stairs.

"Get the hell out of my house, both of you! The Morettis don't shelter traitors!"

Salvatore looked at me and let out a chuckle. "Calm down, Arianna. I'm the Don now. Anyone who goes against me is a traitor. You don't want to find out what happens to traitors in the dungeon, do you?"

I clenched my teeth as a chill ran through me.

"Behave." He dragged me up to the third floor as he spoke. "Get some rest. If you're not hungry now, you can eat later tonight."

The small room on the top floor had always borne a mocking name—the mistress's room. It was where unfaithful Dons kept their lovers out of sight.

Now, Salvatore had sent me to that room, while the real mistress was given the master bedroom downstairs.

I sat on the narrow bed, staring at the dust-coated pillow. A beat later, I pulled out my phone. It was already on the line.

"You heard everything, didn't you? I wasn't lying. We want the same thing. That's why you're going to help me," I said through gritted teeth.

When I hung up, exhaustion finally caught up with me, and I collapsed onto the bed.

From downstairs came Rosa's sweet voice as she coaxed Salvatore into taking her out for a candlelit dinner at an award-winning restaurant.

After hurting for so long, numbness was all that remained.

Once I saw Salvatore drive away with Rosa, I sent him the report confirming my miscarriage. Then, I locked the door.

After that, I took out a lighter and set the bed on fire. Flames roared to life, crackling through the room.

I lay back and closed my eyes, strangely at peace.

…

Meanwhile, at an award-winning restaurant, Rosa was tugging at Salvatore's arm.

"Why did you order everything I don't like? I don't want that. Let's get something else," she whined.

Salvatore shook his head. "Not today. Arianna has no appetite. So, I need to bring these back for her before she makes herself sick again."

Ignoring Rosa's tearful gaze, he picked up the bag of food and turned to leave.

Just as he reached the door, a soldato rushed up to him, panic written all over his face.

"Don Russo! Something's happened! Donna Russo set fire to the manor!"

Yet, Salvatore let out a dismissive laugh. "It's just a house. Let her burn it if it makes her happy. Is anyone hurt?"

Sweat glistened on the soldato's forehead, and his voice shook as he stammered, "B-But Donna Russo locked herself in the attic. We couldn't… save her."

In an instant, Salvatore froze mid-step.