When I pushed through the main door, covered in blood, I found my amnesiac husband right on top of my best friend.

His arm was wrapped around her waist with practiced ease, and she was passionately reciprocating his advances.

"Ada will be devastated if she finds out…" Camilla said in a sweet voice through bated breaths. "After all, she really thinks you've lost your memories."

Lucio chuckled softly and said in a mocking tone, "It's not my fault she loves me that much. Then again, it's a good thing for me since I can just let her do all the tough and dirty work."

He leaned down and planted a kiss on Camilla's lips, mumbling, "Right now, you're the only one I recognize as my wife. Just wait. Once I sign the deal with the Della Veras, I'll have her kicked out and pass everything she owns to you. After all, I no longer remember a thing."

Only then did it hit me. My husband's amnesia was all an act, a farce to fool me. Moreover, my best friend conspired with him to stab me in the back.

Too bad they didn't know that the Della Vera family, the most feared Mafia family in Ritelle, only acknowledged one person: Me, Ada Rossi.

While I was risking my life fighting for my amnesiac husband, Lucio, he was in bed with my best friend.

Turns out, his memory loss was nothing but a carefully crafted lie: One aimed at me.

Three months ago, Lucio supposedly lost his memory in an explosion. As a result, he forgot our marriage, and me.

To protect his position as the Don, I stepped up, taking on the most dangerous, most suicidal deals: the kind even his most loyal men wouldn't touch.

In the first month, I cleared out a drug lord's base in Barimo's old district.

I came home with a bullet still lodged in my shoulder blade, and what did I get? Lucio wrinkled his nose, looking at me like I was filth.

"Smells disgusting."

Camilla comforted me in private.

"He's sick right now, don't take it to heart. But you're always fighting and bleeding like this. It's no wonder he," she trailed off with a sigh.

The second month, I went to Laervo to negotiate with a volatile arms dealer. I got my thigh slashed open. I rushed home, only to find him dining with Camilla.

When Lucio saw me, his face showed nothing but irritation at being interrupted.

Camilla, however, looked concerned.

"You're hurt again! Sit down, quickly. All this blood, sigh. Next time, at least clean up before you come home."

Back then, I thought that she was concerned as my friend.

She offered to look after Lucio while I was out risking my life, so no one else could take advantage of his weakness.

Now I knew what her care meant: Warming my husband's bed.

In the third month, for the sake of a deal, Lucio sent me alone to meet Massimo Della Vera: The most unpredictable Don.

He sat at the head of the gambling table, toying with a balisong. His smile was laced with danger.

"Where's Lucio? Is he dead?"

"He can't come," I replied flatly.

"Then you," Massimo leaned forward, murder and curiosity dancing in his eyes. "What are you bringing to the table? Money? Guns? Or yourself?"

I said nothing. Instead, I pulled out my gun and slammed it down on the table with a loud clang.

The room went dead silent.

Then Massimo burst into wild laughter. "Hahaha! Wonderful! I love this! Ada, you've got guts!"

He fished out his family crest from his pocket and tossed it to me. His eyes gleamed.

"Take it! Tell that useless husband of yours that the Della Veras will only deal with you from now on!"

The meeting went far better than I expected, so I got to come home early.

On the way, I held the crest close, eager to tell Lucio the good news.

But what I walked into was nothing but betrayal.

Through the crack of the door, I saw Lucio holding Camilla close.

And the words coming out of his mouth shattered my heart, each one worse than the last.

"If it weren't for her family's resources, I'd never have married her. Now that the armory's mine, I can't keep up the act for another second!"

Camilla smiled sweetly against him.

"Oh, my Lucio. No wonder you pretended to have amnesia just to avoid her. You're a genius!"

"Of course," Lucio lit a cigar, exhaling with satisfaction, "Once the Della Vera deal is signed, she'll be useless. All the work she's done over the years will pave the way, just for you."

The blood I spilled, the wounds I endured, the loyalty I gave. All of it was nothing but a sick joke.

Hatred rose in me like a tide. I turned and left before I could hear more.

They wanted the Della Vera contract?

Perfect.

I would make sure they learned that anyone who betrays me will never live long enough to regret it.

The next day, we held a family meeting.

The moment I stepped through the door, I noticed something was off. The seating order in the conference room changed.

Before, as the family's consigliere and madre, my seat was always at Lucio's right hand.

Now, Camilla was in my place, and I was moved to the far end.

When Lucio walked in, everyone rose to greet him.

He gave me a cold glance, then announced without preamble, "From today onward, Camilla will replace Ada as consigliere of the Rossi family."

A few members exchanged uneasy looks. Some looked like they wanted to speak, but in the end, no one dared.

Lucio looked down at me from above. "You have a problem with that?"

Camilla offered me a soft, almost gentle smile. "Ada, don't be upset. I just want to help Lucio share some of the burden."

"Lucio," I said, my voice calm, "in the past five years, I secured seven shipping routes for the Rossi family. I opened the Eastern Orsia arms channels. Last year alone, our casino profits tripled."

"Ada," Lucio cut me off impatiently, "that's all in the past. I don't remember it, and I don't care."

Just like that, he erased the achievements I'd fought tooth and nail for.

"Is that so?" I gave a cold laugh, "Then do you also not remember how five years ago, when I miscalculated a profit margin by five percent during a negotiation, you dealt with me?"

Back then, he said even a Don's wife was not above the rules.

In front of everyone, he whipped me ten times and made me kneel to admit my mistake.

Lucio spoke without thinking, "Mistakes are mistakes. There's no excuse."

Halfway through the sentence, he froze.

"Interesting," I said slowly, rising to my feet, "you claim you don't remember the past, yet you remember that?"

His face shifted, then quickly smoothed back into cold indifference.

"Marcus, my underboss, told me. It's not important. The past is the past. In any case, starting today, Camilla will handle all your work."

Those eyes I once loved so deeply now held nothing but deceit and calculation.

He was thinking, 'Ada loves me. She puts the family's interests above all else. She'll give in.'

"Fine." I calmly removed my consigliere's ring and my sidearm, placing both on the table. "Give them to her. And when the negotiations turn into a gunfight the day after tomorrow, make sure she's there too."

Without another glance at his false face, I turned to leave.

Lucio's voice snapped out, suddenly tense. "Stop."

I did not look back.

Camilla panicked. She wanted the privileges, not the bullets.

She hurried after me, grabbing my arm. "Ada, you can't be so petty! If you leave now, all the projects you've worked so hard on will be gone."

Her voice dripped with fake concern, pitched louder on purpose. "And I have taken good care of the Don. Don't be so small-minded. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Get out of my way." I yanked my arm free and kept walking.

Camilla stumbled, falling onto the floor with a little gasp.

Her eyes reddened instantly as she looked up at Lucio, all wounded and pitiful.

Lucio's brows drew together. His voice dropped low.

"Ada, you're being too aggressive."

I stopped, turned my head. "I'm being aggressive?"

He stood as well, his tone growing impatient.

"Camilla is only taking over temporarily for seven days. After the Della Vera negotiations, you can have it back."

"Why seven days? You want her to take credit for my work, is that it?"

Lucio had no answer.

Camilla rushed to smooth things over.

"Ada, you're being too sensitive. The Don didn't mean that. He just thinks I've been taking such good care of him, so he wants me to help more."

"Enough," I cut her off, "I'm not stupid."

The other members could no longer sit still. They all started trying to mediate.

"Donna, the Don's just been injured. Maybe his mind's unsettled."

"Yeah, just let Camilla try for now. In seven days."

Seven days?

They thought I would hand over my position and wait quietly for Camilla to take my credit and rise to power?

I gave a sharp, humorless laugh.

"Why bother going in circles? I'm filing for a divorce right now."

Lucio's pupils contracted sharply, as if he did not understand my words.

"What did you just say?"

"Divorce. Burn the marriage contract," My voice was calm, "it's over between us."

Behind him, Camilla's lips twitched upward before she quickly schooled her expression.

"Ada must be upset," she said sweetly, "she doesn't really want to leave the family."

Lucio blinked back to himself, wearing that distant, puzzled expression he had adopted since his memory loss.

"Divorce? But, I thought Camilla was my wife."

I did not bother playing along with his act.

Turning on my heel, I headed for the family council chamber.

Behind me, Camilla tugged at Lucio's arm, whispering urgently as they followed.

Inside, the old priest was already waiting with the marriage contract and the seal, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"Ada, are you sure about this?" Lucio frowned, "As long as you take Camilla's place on the front lines, I'll let you stay."

"I'm sure," I replied evenly.

He was silent for a moment, then softened his tone.

"I just remembered something. Our wedding day, you were in a white gown, standing in the church, sunlight falling on you."

I looked up at him, smiling faintly.

"Yes. And that day, you were two hours late. Everyone thought you'd run away."

Lucio froze.

"You finally showed up, said, Sorry, I got held up, and didn't even bother to explain," I said flatly. "But I still married you. Because back then, I thought that was just how your family's rules worked."

His brow furrowed. He did not expect that response.

Camilla tugged at his sleeve, murmuring, "Lucio, she doesn't care at all about the pain you're in from losing your memory."

He glanced at her, then suddenly slipped an arm around her waist, raising his voice deliberately.

"That's right. A woman this heartless toward her husband, I wouldn't have liked her even without the memory loss."

"Heartless?" I gave a cold laugh, watching his face darken, "I thought you said she was your wife. Why do you suddenly expect me to be understanding?"

The priest gave a loud cough, his gaze sliding away.

"Burn it," I told him, not sparing either of them another look.

The parchment curled and blackened in the flames, crumbling into ash.

Camilla leaned into Lucio's arms, her voice dripping with false concern. "Ada, where will you stay tonight?"

"In my room," I said.

She blinked innocently. "But that bedroom's mine now."

I nodded. "Alright. Then I'll pack my things."

Lucio followed close behind, his voice ice-cold. "You can leave, but you're not taking a single thing from the family."

I ignored him and walked into what was once my bedroom.

The space was already remade.

My vanity was replaced with Camilla's perfume rack, and my wardrobe stuffed with her dresses.

The wedding photo that once sat on the nightstand was now a framed picture of her and Lucio.

I pulled out my suitcase and began packing.

Lucio lingered in the doorway, his gaze sweeping the room until it landed on the desk.

There, half-hidden in the corner, was an old photo of the two of us: left carelessly by Camilla.

He walked over, picked it up, his eyes flickering. "This was in Exily," he said quietly.

"Mhm. The day you left me waiting at the docks for three hours because you were helping Camilla shop for dresses."

His head snapped up. "I remember that."

"Do you?" I closed my suitcase and stood, "Then do you also remember that when you came back that night, I was burning with a high fever, and you just had the butler bring me two fever pills?"

His fingers tightened around the photo, creasing its edges.

"Ada-" His voice dropped low, as if offering me one last chance, "I remember a little. We could start over."

"No," I cut him off, picking up my suitcase, "Lucio, when you decided to fake amnesia, you should have been ready for me to leave."

He grabbed my wrist, the flicker of guilt in his eyes hardening into fury.

"And what gives you the right to assume I'm faking? Where would you even go without me? Don't forget that the Bianchi family's armory keys are still in my hands!"

I pulled my hand free.

Camilla came running in, barely hiding her excitement. "Lucio! Good news! The Della Veras just responded!"

Lucio's head snapped toward her. "What did Massimo say?"

She shot me a provocative glance, then beamed.

"Mr. Della Vera may be a little eccentric, but he was very polite to me. We just have to wait a few days to sign the deal."

Lucio's tense expression eased instantly.

He turned to me with a smug look. "You hear that, Ada? I don't need you for this. Camilla's more capable than you ever were."

Camilla clung to him, a victor's smile on her face, mouthing silently at me: "Loser."

I looked at the two of them, drowning in their false triumph, and smiled.

Of course, they didn't know that the badge Massimo gave me was the real key to the deal.

"That's great," I said calmly, pulling my suitcase handle, "I wish you both the best."

Lucio was certain I was bluffing. He gave a short, derisive laugh and tightened his hold on Camilla.

"Drop the act. I know you're losing your mind with regret. But hear me-" His voice rose, brimming with arrogant certainty. "Without the Rossi family, you are nothing. You'll come crawling back to me soon enough."

I waved a hand dismissively, leaving them behind without a backward glance, and walked out.