In my fifth year of marriage to the Don of a powerful mafia family, I find out that the protection charm he gave me causes me headaches whenever I bring it with me. As a surgeon, this raised my alarm.

I retrieved the small sachets I had found inside the amulet and brought them to the toxicology lab at Kosley Hospital.. The doctor inspects the sachet and tells me that it contains a type of slow-acting poison that doesn't just cause harm to the victim's body but also renders them infertile after a while.

I cry and exclaim, "But that's impossible! My husband gave this to me! His name is Vincenzo Cursley. He's also the person who owns this hospital!"

The doctor looks at me in confusion. "Miss, please stop the nonsense. I know Mr. Cursley and his wife. They're very close and intimate with each other. Also, Mrs. Cursley just gave birth to a baby boy not too long ago. They're both now in the VIP ward, looking at their baby."

Then, the doctor shows me a photo on his phone.

Vincenzo was wearing his usual black suit with the Cursley family emblem embroidered on it. He was holding a baby in his arms, and as for the woman standing next to him…

I know her. Her name is Claudia Henderson.

And Vincenzo has always referred to her as his adoptive sister.

[Isabella's POV]

After coming out of the doctor's office, I immediately rushed into the elevator and went all the way to the VIP ward on the top floor of the hospital. I needed Vincenzo Cursley to explain himself to me.

The elevator reached the top floor. Just as I was about to head out, I heard two familiar voices coming from the end of the corridor.

Vincenzo, you've got some nerve hiding Claudia and your child right under Isabella's nose. I was just wondering - what if she finds out?

To be honest, I'm really not sure what you're thinking. When we were kids, you were crazy about Claudia. Then, as an adult, you suddenly fell for Isabella, even though that meant driving Claudia away. But later, you went to great lengths to bring Claudia back, and ended up having a child with her... So, Vincenzo, who do you actually love?

In that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine and my body suddenly froze.

That was Fabian Granger's voice. He had known Vincenzo since they were kids.

Vincenzo went silent for a long while. Finally, he said, “I love Isabella, but I also can't just give up on Claudia. I feel bad after knowing that she hadn't been having a good life in Chemora.”

"Isabella has become my wife, The only way I can protect Claudia… is to let her carry my blood.“

Fabian sighed. "But what if Isabella gets pregnant? Claudia is my cousin. I don't want to see her child live without a father, left to live in misery for the rest of their lives."

The elevator doors creaked shut. Just as they closed, I heard Vincenzo whisper, “Don't worry, it won't happen.”

Fabian seemed slow to react: “What?”

But I got it. I understood everything now.

He meant I wouldn't be carrying his child.

Because he has already given me a slow-acting poison that will render me infertile, I cannot bear children for him.

I didn't go out to confront them; their conversation had already given me the answer.

The phone vibrated in his pocket.The screen lit up, showing that I had just received a text message from Vincenzo.

"Isabella, I'll meet you at the port tomorrow. Don't forget to bring along the protection charm I gave you.It will keep my princess safe on her journey."

I could feel my emotions about to explode. Huge tears began rolling down my cheeks.

Vincenzo was the head of the mafia, the Don, and he was always very busy. However, ever since we got married, he would insist on waiting for me at the port every time I came back from my business trips overseas.

He would also always book a restaurant in advance, give me a bouquet of flowers, and welcome me back home. It had always been that way every time.

His friends once told me that I was Vincenzo's first love, and he had gone out on a limb, maybe even two, to pursue me until I finally accepted him back then.

He also spent a lot of money hiring the best medical team to run the hospital my parents left me in on the West Dock, and helped me improve its medical services – all so that he could be with me.

Vincenzo spoiled me even more after we got married.

Once, I had just mentioned to him that I missed Mom, and he had immediately gotten to work in the middle of the night, calling up every contact he had and locating the heirlooms that Mom left for me before the sun even rose the next day.

However, it was also precisely a man as romantic as him who had secretly formed another family behind my back.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

No wonder Claudia Henderson was more familiar with Cursley Mansion's ins and outs than I was. No wonder someone who had supposedly spent the better part of her life in Chemora could still refer to Vincenzo's friends by their nicknames.

No wonder an "adoptive sister" like her could make him set his work aside and accompany her on a trip around the world.

Claudia wasn't his adoptive sister at all. She was obviously someone who had already been betrothed to Vincenzo at a young age. She was his fiancee.

And I had been the third wheel in their relationship the entire time.

My phone buzzed again. This time, it was a family photo from Claudia.

Accompanying the photo was a text message that said, "Bella, stop hoarding the spot that has never belonged to you. I thought that you'd know better, but I guess you're a lot more stubborn than I expected.

"Vincenzo said that the kid looks a lot like him. What do you think?"

I just glanced briefly at the text message before exiting the chat window. If she wanted him so badly, then I would let her have him.

I opened up my contact list and tapped on the number that I'd nearly forgotten by now. "Alexander... I lost our bet. I'll go with you, but there's one thing I need. Help me to pretend that I have died."

[Isabella's POV]

There was a long bout of breathing on the other end of the line. Then, Alexander Marino's low voice sounded.

"In two weeks, I'll have everything ready."

I was frozen. I hadn't even explained why, but he seemed to have known this day would come.

"OK," I replied, trying not to show the strong feelings I had.

Because of what Alexander Marino could do and his family's power, I knew that Vincenzo would never find my trail again – even if he searched the whole world – if Alexander wanted to.

That day, my phone kept buzzing with text messages from Vincenzo, but I never responded to any of them.

Late at night, I heard his hurried footsteps as he rushed home.

He burst into the living room and saw me sitting on the sofa reading a medical journal, instantly letting out a sigh of relief.

"Isabella? Why did you come back earlier than before?"I sent you so many text messages too!"

He pulled me into his arms and held me tight, rubbing his chin on the top of my head."I'm so glad that nothing terrible happened to you. I was so scared… Isabella, I could never live without you."

The loving look in his eyes didn't look fake. I knew that he was sincerely in love with me. However, I knew for a fact that I wasn't the sole receiver of his love.

I struggled away from his embrace and said in a calm voice, "The workshop finished early., and I turned my phone off. I didn't see your texts."

Vincenzo smiled and gently touched the tip of my nose. "It's okay if you didn't see my text messages. It's not like I'd ever blame you for it."

He then shook the car keys in his hand and asked, "Are you hungry? I made a reservation at the restaurant you've been dying to go to for ages. Let's go, Princess. You can order anything you want tonight."

He then reached out toward me with his palm facing up.

I looked at his outstretched hand and suddenly fell into a daze.

I was 18 years old back then, and Vincenzo had also reached his hand out to me like this with a smile even wider than the one he was wearing now. "Let's go, Princess. You can order anything you want tonight. My treat!"

The Vincenzo back then had only loved me and me alone.

Still, I didn't want to stay hungry, so I went with him to the restaurant.

He was his same old self. He was a mafia don and never had to serve anyone else—and yet, he would roll up his sleeves like it was the most natural thing to do and serve me. He'd cut my steak, pour my wine, and also let me have the first bite of his food.

My plate was filled to the brim with food when his phone suddenly rang, and I snapped back to the present.

"Answer it," I said, looking down at the food on my plate.

Vincenzo glanced quickly at his phone, apologized, and got up to take the call outside the restaurant. When he came back afterward, he looked anxious and apologetic.

"Isabella, I suddenly have an important meeting to attend, and I need to hurry over. I'm sorry that I won't be able to finish dinner with you. I'll take the day off tomorrow and accompany you the whole day instead."

I'd already caught sight of the caller ID on his phone screen earlier. It had been a call from Claudia.

I nodded and said, "Okay. Go."

After getting my permission, Vincenzo didn't waste another second and turned immediately, leaving the restaurant. I stared at the empty space opposite me and felt as though there was a needle stabbing into my chest. The pain was numbing.

After I had eaten my meal on my own, I went back home, but then I got a video call from Claudia.

She smiled innocently at the camera and said, "Bella, did you enjoy your dinner by yourself? Vincenzo is at my place right now. Want to know what we'll do next?"

My face went blank. Claudia quickly said, "Don't hang up, Bella. Do you want to know who does Vincenzo loves more? me or you?"

My eyes blinked quickly. Claudia smiled in a playful way.

The video background changed suddenly, showing Vincenzo on the screen.

Claudia put her phone behind her back and spoke in a sexy voice.

"Vincenzo, are you still mad at me for running away with someone else back then? If I hadn't left you, you wouldn't have found Bella, right? You would've married me, right?"

Vincenzo frowned. "What's with all these 'what ifs'?"

"I was just asking for fun," Claudia said, her eyes turning red. She then asked in a softer voice, "I didn't mean anything bad…"

A few seconds of silence later, I saw Vincenzo open his mouth, his voice dry and hoarse. "Yes."

A single "yes" from him was more than enough to hollow out my chest.

So, I hadn't been the only one in his heart from the very start.

I suddenly recalled the day of our wedding.

Vincenzo had held my hand while facing the rest of our wedding guests. Then, he swore on his title as Don that he would only love me for the rest of my life.

I had cried so hard back then, thinking that I'd finally found true love.

But as it turned out, the vows he said at our wedding had been a lie too. I had never been his only love.

I had just been a convenient distraction while he and Claudia were at odds with each other. He was probably just reluctant to let me go because we'd been together for a while, and he'd finally started harboring some feelings for me. That was all.

At that thought, an ugly grin graced my lips. I began to laugh, but I also felt tears falling down my face uncontrollably.

I thought that I had at least possessed some of Vincenzo's love and affection for a short period of time, but I never had. Instead, I was a thief who took what had never been mine.

That night, Vincenzo never came home.

Yet, I received a photo of him sleeping soundly in bed. Claudia sent it to me.

I stared at his face on the screen for a very long time. Finally, sometime around dawn, my heart went numb, and I finally managed to calm down.

I called my friend, Sophia Tanner, who was a divorce attorney.

"Sophia, I need your help to draft out a divorce agreement."

[Isabella's POV]

The house was still empty when I woke up.

There was a text message from Vincenzo. "Babe, I'm a little too busy today and can't take the day off. But don't be mad. I'll come home and accompany you tomorrow no matter how busy it gets. I also got you a present. Just wait for me to come home, alright?"

Right under his text message notification was another one from Claudia. She had sent a photo an hour ago. It was a selfie of them both at the hot springs, looking like they were having the time of their life. The smiles on their faces were exceptionally eye-piercing.

I gripped my phone harder, almost unable to stop myself from calling him right then and there and asking him if he was busy closing a business deal or having fun with his "adoptive sister".

However, when I thought about my plan, I suppressed the anger and replied to him with an "Okay."

It was fine that he wasn't coming back today. I could start packing up without worrying about him.

I packed up all the clothes Vincenzo had ever given me and put them into a box, ready to donate them to a shelter.

I removed our portraits from the wall and fed them into the paper shredder. I had once written him a hundred well-wishes too, and I took them all out and burned them in a fire on the balcony.

The next day, Vincenzo finally came home.

As soon as he caught sight of me, he immediately set down the cake in his hands and threw his arms wide open as he hurried toward me. "I'm so tired, Isabella! Can I recharge with a hug?"

I took a step back, neatly avoiding his hug.

Vincenzo cocked an eyebrow. "Are you still mad at me? Don't be mad. Come, I prepared a surprise for you."

He didn't say anything, he just pulled me into the car and drove off really fast.

The vehicle finally stopped in front of a new building that looked very modern.

"Do you like it?" he asked, pointing at the building. "This is my gift to you—the Isabella Wright Microsurgery Research Center. It has the most advanced equipment and laboratories in the world. I know you've always wanted a place where you could focus on surgical research."

He lifted the silk cloth, and a bronze plaque with my name on it was revealed. Everyone gasped in amazement.

"Wow, Mr. Cosley has been so kind! I hear the cost of this centre is extremely high!"

"It's not just about the money! Many of the precision instruments here are only available in a few other places in the world. Mr. Tang pulled in his entire network to secure them!"

"Dr. Wright! You are so lucky! Don Cosley has spoiled you!"

The corners of my lips tugged upward in a self-deprecating chuckle.

Everyone knew Vincenzo as someone who loved spoiling his wife to the moon and back, but nobody knew who he was really treating as his "wife". It was true that he wore his heart on his sleeve, but that love had never been solely just for me.

The opening ceremony featured a demonstration of a nerve bundle anastomosis surgery, which I found easy.

I looked closely at the microscope, thinking hard about the pain and sadness of the past. I used all of this to make the surgical stitches, which were as fine as a strand of hair.

Vincenzo stood outside the glass, smiling when he looking at me. He never took his eyes off me.

As the surgery reached its most critical stage, I saw him make a big heart gesture through the glass. I felt my heart race, my hand shook, and the sharp blade cut my hand.

But even before the pain started, I felt sick. I breathed evenly, concentrated, and did the last steps well.

As soon as I put the instruments down, Vincenzo came in, grabbed my arm, and took me to the recovery room without saying anything. He treated my wound with iodine.

"Are you tired? I shouldn't have had you perform such a challenging surgery just after your arrive."

He held my hand very carefully, as if it was made of glass.

The pitying look in his eyes looked genuine too. However, I only felt shivers all over my body, and I felt the urge to throw up.

I never thought that he could make it seem as though he really loved me for real.

Seeing that I was a little out of it, Vincenzo grabbed me by the hand and leaned down to kiss me.

Just then, the door was suddenly thrown wide open.

Vincenzo didn't even look up. He grabbed a bottle from the table and immediately threw it at the door.

"Get out!"

I turned to look and saw Claudia standing at the door.

It was only then that Vincenzo realized it was her. His expression changed. "Claudia? What are you doing here?"

She held a hand to the red mark on her forehead and bit her lip, looking like a pitiful creature. There was also some mud on her clothes, and she looked rather disheveled as well.

"I came nearby to buy baby supplies for my little one. I heard you were here, so I thought I should stop by... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you!"

She then turned and ran off with a sob.

Vincenzo went quiet for a few seconds. Then, he quickly pecked me on the cheek and said, "I'll go and take a look at her injury and be back in a few minutes. We'll just be at the door. Call me if you need anything."

He then grabbed the first-aid kit and ran out the door, not even bothering to leave me with a band-aid.

A few minutes later, I slowly opened the door. It was empty. They certainly weren't "at the door" as he had claimed.

I suddenly felt a flash of disappointment. However, I quickly suppressed the feeling as soon as I realized it. I should have expected it anyway.

I walked alone toward the research center's garage, planned to go home first.

However, just as I reached the car, I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

I could hear faint voices coming from the car where the windows hadn't been tightly shut.

I then caught sight of two overlapping figures from the window of the car. Vincenzo was frowning as he carefully treated Claudia's wound.

The car then shook a little, and I saw that Claudia had climbed onto his lap.

Vincenzo stopped her wandering hands and said patiently, "Stop making a scene, Claudia. You just gave birth a while ago. Also, this car belongs to Isabella—"

"It's fine. I've already fully recovered. It's been two months since then… Don't you want to know how I feel down there now?"

A short while later, Vincenzo's breathing became shallow and erratic. Their hums and moans kept drifting out from the car. I stood frozen to the ground, my blood curdling on the spot.

The keys in my hand fell to the ground with a clang.

I immediately snapped out of it and wanted to make a run for it. However, I quickly realized that nobody inside the car had even heard a thing.

I laughed. I laughed so hard that I began to cry.

The car continued shaking. I bent down to pick up the keys and returned to the lounge.

When Vincenzo finally pushed open the door to the observation room again, I was still sitting in my seat in the exact same position where he had left me.

He sighed in relief and straightened his collar before coming up to me. "Let's go, Isabella. We're going home."

I caught sight of the fresh bite mark on the side of his neck. Surprisingly, I didn't feel anything in my chest this time.

I refused the hand he reached out to help me with and walked to the car on my own. When I pulled the door to the front passenger seat open, though, I saw that Claudia was in the driver's seat.

Vincenzo hurriedly explained, "Claudia wants to go back with us. She just got her driver's license, so she could use some practice. You're a lot better at driving than she is, so you can help navigate the road. Alright?"

Before I could protest, Vincenzo had already pushed me into the front passenger seat.

If I had known then that Claudia's license was fake, I would never have gotten into the car in the first place.