"I agree to the divorce," I said as I dialed my mother-in-law's number. "Matteo Bellandi will never agree to divorce me, so you need to arrange a new identity for me. I need to disappear completely. He must never find me."

Despite six years of marriage, I never conceived a child.

In the Mafia world, how many men remarried for the sake of an heir? Yet Matteo always stood firmly at my side.

To have a child, we tried everything—ninety-nine rounds of IVF that resulted in ninety-eight failures. The final pregnancy ended in fetal demise.

Matteo held me and said, "Whether we have a child or not, I will always love you."

Everyone said he was deeply devoted and that I was fortunate.

Even I believed it. I believed it was my body that was defective. I believed I was the one holding him back.

Until that day, when I went to the hospital for a follow-up exam.

I saw him with my own eyes, pushing a mobile hospital bed into a VIP suite. On the bed lay a young woman named Sienna Vale, who had just given birth, holding a pair of twins—a boy and a girl.

The congratulations inside the room were sharp and piercing. They praised his good fortune and Sienna's superior genes. They said the children were born to inherit the Bellandi empire.

They mocked my education and my background and said I could not produce a "high-quality" heir.

"Who do you think you are, daring to speak about her? My wife is not someone you get to judge. If I hear one more word of disrespect toward my Donna, you'd better weigh the consequences yourself," Matteo rebuked them coldly, preserving my dignity as Donna.

In that moment, I finally understood that the marriage I had been so proud of was nothing more than a joke in everyone else's eyes.

If that was the case, I would end this love story everyone envied with my own hands.

The moment I opened my eyes, my head felt like it was splitting apart.

Matteo Bellandi was sitting at the edge of my hospital bed. His suit was wrinkled beyond recognition, and his eyes were bloodshot, veins webbing through the whites.

When he saw that I was awake, his whole body seemed to loosen in relief. He tightened his grip around my hand.

"Giana, you're awake."

I tried to speak, but my throat burned with sharp pain.

He immediately reached for the glass of water on the nightstand, carefully guiding the straw to my lips.

"Slowly. The doctor said your emotions spiked too hard. When you fainted, you hit your head and suffered a mild concussion."

"When... did you get back?" I asked.

"Last night. The second I got the call, I flew back from New York." He reached out and brushed his fingers across my forehead. "I handed that deal off to my team. Nothing is more important than you."

I knew which deal he meant. It was worth a billion dollars and had been negotiated over three months. The signing had been scheduled for today.

A man who would not even blink in the face of a gun barrel had thrown aside a billion-dollar deal and flown overnight because his wife fainted.

How devoted.

If I had not seen the children he had with his secretary, Sienna Vale.

At that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open.

"Mr. Bellandi, the doctor said—"

I lifted my head.

Sienna stood in the doorway, a baby in her arms. Behind her, a nanny carried another one.

She walked in, followed by the nanny. The two babies swayed before my eyes.

"The Donna is awake? That's wonderful." She stood behind Matteo, her tone gentle, but her eyes carried open provocation. "Mr. Bellandi stayed by your side for two days and two nights. He didn't even stop to drink water."

As she spoke, she looked down at the two babies, her eyes glowing with maternal warmth. "I brought them for their physical evaluation. I heard you were hospitalized, so I came to check on you..."

"Where is their father?" I asked.

I looked at her. Then I looked at Matteo. I knew that expression too well. Every time he lied to me, his Adam's apple would move.

Matteo's throat shifted again. He answered vaguely, "Their father is busy. He doesn't have time for now."

Sienna looked down at me from above, holding the baby as she let out a theatrical sigh. "Yes, their father is busy earning money. So I have to raise both children on my own. Unlike you, Donna. You truly are fortunate, having such a considerate husband."

I saw the mockery in the bottom of her eyes.

"Then again... since you don't have children, you probably wouldn't understand this kind of trouble."

Matteo abruptly stood up and slapped her across the face. "Who do you think you are, daring to speak to my wife like that?"

Sienna covered her face. Tears spilled from her eyes. "Matteo, how can you treat me like this? You promised you would protect me!"

"Have you forgotten? I saved your life!"

I had heard that story too. Supposedly, when Matteo was young, he had been kidnapped by a rival family. Sienna had risked her life to save him.

A year ago, when she returned to the country with no support and nowhere to go, he brought her into the company because of that debt.

Grateful to her, I treated her like a younger sister. I bought her a new apartment and even helped decorate it.

I never expected betrayal in return.

I looked at Matteo.

He gripped my hand tightly and turned his head, his voice low and sharp as he warned her, "Sienna, do you expect one life-saving favor to feed off me for the rest of your life? I'm telling you, Giana is my wife. No one gets to disrespect her."

His phone rang. He looked at me. "Something at the office. I need to handle it. I'll be right back."

He left the hospital room.

The grievance on Sienna's face vanished instantly.

"You saw it that day, didn't you?" She lowered her head and smiled at me viciously. "You saw Matteo holding the baby."

As she spoke, she took out her phone. "Look. Don't the two of them look exactly like him? Anyone can tell they're father and son.

"Giana, don't you think you're pathetic? A hen that can't lay eggs, and you still think you deserve to be Donna? You should hurry and leave on your own. Otherwise, when you're thrown out of the family, it'll be far more humiliating."

She turned and walked out.

I wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes. My departure would not be because I feared humiliation.

It would be because when faced with a man who betrayed me and a marriage polluted by lies, I chose abandonment over begging.

I picked up my phone and dialed a number I had never once initiated before.

"Mother, I need to speak with you."

My mother-in-law, Madre Isabella Bellandi's voice was as cold as ever. "What is it?"

"I agree to give up the title of Donna."

There was silence on the other end for several seconds, then surprise, and finally, unmistakable delight.

"What did you say?"

"Matteo will never agree to divorce me," I said. "So you need to arrange a new identity for me. I want to disappear completely. He must never find me."

She was silent for a few seconds more. Then she laughed. There was a satisfaction in that laugh I had never heard before.

"Giana, you've finally grown wise for once."

She hung up.

Ten minutes later, my phone vibrated.

Only one sentence appeared on the screen: "Three days from now, the private jet will be waiting at the airport at 3:00 p.m. Your new identity has been prepared."

The next day, when I was discharged, Matteo came personally to pick me up.

He helped me into the car, his movements gentle, as though I were fragile porcelain. The entire drive, he held my hand, asking every so often whether my head still hurt, whether I felt unwell anywhere.

"Did you finish handling the company matters?" I asked.

"Mm. I left the rest to them." He turned to look at me. "For the next few days, you focus on resting. I'll stay with you."

I looked out the window and said nothing.

The car stopped in front of the villa. I stepped inside. As I passed the nursery, my footsteps faltered.

The door was open. A baby's cry drifted out.

I pushed it open.

The nursery that had sat empty for six years was now filled with baby supplies. A pink mobile hung above the crib. A crawling mat covered the floor. Bottles, diapers, and tiny clothes were scattered everywhere.

Sienna was pacing back and forth, holding a crying baby. When she saw me, she froze for a second, then immediately offered an apologetic smile.

"Donna, I'm so sorry. Did we wake you? The babies haven't been feeling well these past two days..."

The nanny stood by the window holding the other child. Both babies were crying in unison.

Matteo stepped up behind me. After several seconds of silence, he explained, "There's a leak in her upstairs apartment that's being repaired. She has nowhere to stay for now, so I told them to move in here for a few days."

I did not turn around. I stared at the carefully arranged nursery.

Back then, he had said that when we had a child, this room would become the nursery. He said we would paint it light blue. Whether it was a boy or a girl, they would love the color of the sky.

For six years, the room had remained empty. Now it was finally occupied by children, except they were not mine.

"It's fine," I said. "Empty is empty anyway."

Sienna carried the baby over, her face filled with guilt. "Donna, I'm truly sorry for troubling you. Once my apartment is fixed, I'll move out. We won't stay long."

I said nothing more and turned upstairs.

That night at dinner, Matteo suddenly brought it up. "Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary.

"Seven beautiful years," he said. "I've arranged for dinner to be prepared at the seaside villa. We'll stay there for a few days. Just the two of us."

He looked at me, his eyes gentle. "I'll transfer that villa to your name. It's yours from now on."

Sienna was feeding the baby. At his words, she looked up and smiled. "Mr. Bellandi, you're so good to Donna. Seven years of marriage and still this loving. It's enviable."

She looked at me, mockery glinting in her eyes.

I smiled too and said nothing.

After dinner, I returned to the bedroom. When I came out of the shower, there was a new message on my phone.

It was a photo from Sienna.

In the photo was the living room of the seaside villa. On the coffee table lay a document. The words "Property Ownership: Sienna Vale" were clearly visible.

There was only one caption beneath it: "The house he promised you doesn't necessarily belong to you."

I stared at the photo for several seconds. Then I turned off my phone and lay down to sleep.

The next morning, before Matteo left, he kissed my forehead. "Wait for me."

I nodded and watched him walk away.

The next morning, Matteo answered a phone call. His expression shifted. He hung up and walked toward me, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Giana... about the seaside villa. There's an issue with the developer. The construction quality is shabby. I've had them choose another property for you."

I set down the cup in my hand and looked at him.

"The Forest Castle. Do you like it? I remember you once said you liked walking in the woods, picking mushrooms. That estate is located in the perfect place." There was a note of compensation in his voice, as if he were trying to soothe me.

I smiled slightly. "Anything is fine. So long as it's from you, I like it."

He visibly relaxed. He sat beside me and took my hand. "For the anniversary dinner, I've had them prepare a forest theme. Just the two of us. Marco Santini, the driver will take you there first. Once I'm done handling matters at the office, I'll come straight over."

I looked at him and nodded. "Okay."

That afternoon, Marco was waiting at the door on time.

I changed into a dress and put on light makeup. Before getting into the car, I turned back to look at the house.

Laughter drifted from the nursery on the second floor.

Marco drove for a long time before arriving at the Forest Castle.

A white dining table had been set up on the lawn. Flowers, candles, champagne—everything was perfectly arranged.

Carlo Vitelli, the butler, led me to my seat and asked if I would like dessert served first.

"No. I'll wait until Matteo arrives."

I sat there, watching the sun slowly sink behind the trees.

The sky shifted from orange-red to deep blue. Four candles had already burned out and been replaced.

My phone remained silent.

I sent him a message: "Are you done?"

No reply.

Eight o'clock. Nine. Ten.

Carlo approached cautiously and asked whether he should serve the dinner first. I shook my head and said no.

At ten-thirty, my phone finally rang.

It was not a message from Matteo.

It was anonymous, but who could it be other than Sienna?

"Still thinking about your anniversary?"

I opened the video she sent.

On the screen, Matteo stood in a brightly lit hall. The room was filled with people. I recognized the faces. They were all core members of the Bellandi family.

He was holding a child in his arms. Sienna stood beside him, holding the other.

Someone was reading aloud, "Eldest son, Luca Bellandi. Eldest daughter, Aria Bellandi. Effective immediately, their names are entered into the family registry as legitimate heirs of the Bellandi bloodline."

In the video, Matteo lifted the two children high. Applause and cheers erupted around him.

He was smiling.

He exchanged a look with Sienna, his eyes full of affection.

Once, he had only looked at me that way. Now that look no longer belonged to me.

Another message appeared beneath the video: "He said once the children are formally acknowledged by the Family, he'll give you a sum of money and send you away. The position of Donna belongs to the children's real mother.

"Surely the Bellandi heirs can't be illegitimate."

I stared at the screen for a long time.

Then my phone vibrated again.

A single-sentence message from Matteo's mother: "The plane is ready. 1:00 a.m."

I turned off my phone and stood.

I left.

His mother's soldati were waiting at the boarding gate. They handed me new identification and a passport.

"Ms. Bellandi, this way."

I accepted the passport. The photograph was mine, but the name was not.

Beyond the boarding gate, the night was thick and endless.

I did not look back.