It was late when I returned to the estate, but I had no desire to sleep.

I started to methodically erase any trace of myself.

Santino's custom tailored suits I had meticulously designed, the plush dolls I had hand sewn for the children, the family portraits I had painted with my own hands…

I threw them, one by one, into black trash bags.

At the same time, I informed the butler to cancel all the charity galas and social events for the following month.

"Alessia, what the hell are you doing?" Santino's deep, cold voice came from the doorway.

I turned around. He was loosening his tie with one hand, the children trailing closely behind him.

His dark eyes were filled with open impatience, his brow tightly furrowed.

"Why is Mother stealing my things!" Sofia cried, running over.

When she saw her favorite stuffed bunny, the one I had stitched together by hand, being shoved into a cardboard box, her face flushed with anger and she let out a piercing shriek.

Leo also shot me a hostile look and demanded loudly, "Do you have to defy Papa with this ridiculous stunt?"

Santino's sharp, cold gaze fell on my face, as if he were looking at some hysterical woman making a scene.

"As the Donna of the Genovese family, are you really going to throw a tantrum over something so trivial and make us a laughingstock?"

"I'm not throwing a tantrum," I said, meeting his eyes, my voice devoid of emotion.

"You're lying!" Sofia pointed at me. "You're just jealous that Auntie Jessy gets all of Papa's affection! That's why you're stealing our things, just to get us to notice you! You're so mean!"

"When I'm a little older, I'm moving into Auntie Jessy's apartment," Leo said, holding his sister's hand tightly and yelling at me. "And I'll never come back to see you again!"

Santino did nothing to stop their cruel words, merely watching me with a cold expression.

"Enough." He spoke coolly, his long fingers idly turning the blood-stained signet ring on his hand.

"I have turf disputes to settle. Throw away whatever you want. Just don't make a scene. Act with the dignity a Donna should have."

The moment the door closed, my tears finally hit the carpet.

My heart felt as if it had been crushed, and every breath was a stab of pain.

How could they not know the devotion I had poured into those gifts?

I had pricked my fingers countless times making that bunny and spent three sleepless nights agonizing over every detail of those clothes and paintings.

I wiped away my tears messily and looked at the chaos around me.

Suddenly, a desolate laugh escaped my lips.

Don't worry, I would never maintain that ridiculous dignity again.

Not in this lifetime.

Ever since Santino signed the divorce papers, I had stopped managing the household.

I no longer woke before dawn to iron Santino's shirts, nor did I spend hours in the kitchen perfecting his morning espresso.

I no longer wasted my energy hand crafting the children's organic lunches, nor did I bother with Sofia's complex allergy friendly diets or Leo's extracurricular schedules.

All those duties of a devoted wife and mother, once my sole mission, were now abandoned.

At first, no one at the estate even noticed anything was wrong.

After all, I was dispensable in most situations.

It wasn't until Santino's routine fell into disarray, his tailored shirts emerging as a wrinkled mess, and his meals becoming entirely unsuited to his tastes.

It wasn't until Leo threw a tantrum because his school project had been left untouched.

It wasn't until Sofia couldn't find her custom matched hair ribbons for a classmate's birthday party.

The staff ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, utterly incapable of replicating the meticulous care the Donna had always seamlessly provided.

The estate was in chaos, inside and out.

When Santino pushed open my bedroom door, I was leaning against the window, reading an old art history book.

The light from the hallway silhouetted his form.

"How long are you going to keep up this farce?" He stood at the door, not entering.

I closed the book and looked up at him, my gaze calm and empty.

"This isn't a farce."

"Then why have you abandoned all your duties as Donna?"

The masculine scent of cigars and cordite that clung to him, a scent I once craved, now only made me sick.

"Still throwing a fit over Jessy?"

"I'm not throwing a fit." I set the book aside. "I'm simply not going to do it anymore."

Santino strode forward, his large hand slamming down on the back of my chair. "Give me a reason."

"I'm tired."

"The family has plenty of people. Let one of the women eager to take my place do it."

I vividly remembered how, in my last life, I had poured every ounce of my being into this family.

The menus for his sensitive stomach had to be personally cooked by me. The mud and stains on his coats, crafted from delicate materials that strictly forbade machine washing, had to be painstakingly scrubbed and treated by my own hands.

I took pains to hire the best tutors for their etiquette lessons. I even personally sanitized every corner of their playroom so they wouldn't get sick.

And what did I get in return? Santino saved all his tenderness for Jessy.

The children became completely dependent on "Auntie Jessy's" sweet smiles.

And me? I was left to burn to death in the cold ruins.

"Alessia." His voice dropped, turning icy. "If you have a problem with me, say it to my face. Don't play these games like some classless woman."

I gave a self-deprecating smirk. "I've told you, I'm not playing games. I just..."

Before I could finish, the study door was pushed open.

Leo and Sofia stormed in, their small faces twisted in anger.

"It's because Mother doesn't want to do any work, right?" Sofia's voice cut in.

"We want Auntie Jessy to be our new mother! She plays all sorts of new and exciting games with us!"

Leo chimed in loudly, "Auntie Jessy is prettier than you, smarter than you, and a million times better than you! She's the one who deserves Papa. She should be the real Donna!"

Santino just stared at me, as if waiting for me to surrender, to beg for his forgiveness like I always had.

But I just took a deep breath and said softly, "If you all think she's so wonderful, then bring her to the estate. I have no objection."

The air in the study instantly froze.

His expression darkened.

"Are you sure?" he asked, enunciating every word as he grabbed my wrist.

It hurt, but I pulled away, my own words clear and firm. "Absolutely."

"Papa, let's go!" Sofia tugged at Santino's clothes impatiently.

"I want Auntie Jessy to move in right now! I bet she'll buy me the most expensive things!"

"Once Auntie Jessy is here, we won't need you anymore! You can go wherever you want. The Genovese family doesn't need you!"

Santino gave me one last, deep look. Seeing that I remained completely still, not even a flicker of an eyelash, he let out a cold snort and turned, leading the two triumphant children away.

I sat frozen, listening to their fading footsteps, before slumping against the door and sliding down to the cold floor.

Soon, they would get exactly what they wanted.

And I would finally be free of this Don, his family, and the life that was burying me.

On her first day at the Genovese estate, Jessy began bossing the household staff around.

She was making a grand show of redecorating the main living room.

"This Altorian handmade solid wood furniture is so heavy," she said, running a dismissive hand over a tabletop before turning to Santino with a seductive smile.

"Santino, can we replace it with those gilded imperial-style sofas? Something that suits your status as the Don of Veridia."

Santino didn't even bat an eye, simply instructing the butler beside him, "Do as Jessy says."

I stood there like a ghost, numbly watching as several family soldiers in black suits took down the art prints I had personally selected from the artistic capital of Solaria just six months ago.

They were Renaissance-era antiques, gifts I had spent over half a month acquiring at auction to celebrate their acceptance into a top-tier private school.

Leo and Sofia trailed behind her silk skirt like two loyal puppies.

They pointed excitedly, "Auntie Jessy, the carpets and curtains have to go too! The things Mother picked are so old-fashioned and boring, it's like living in a museum!"

Jessy bent down and kissed their foreheads gently. "Of course, darlings. We'll change everything to be just the way you like it."

My hands gripped the cold marble banister so tightly my nails threatened to snap, but just as quickly, my grip went slack.

Those prints and art pieces were things I had scoured galleries across the continent for, things I had chosen for them by hand. Some I had even designed myself, brushstroke by brushstroke.

While I was pregnant, I endured the discomforts of carrying them, wanting only to give them a home filled with culture and taste.

The pieces were made with the most expensive pigments and infused with calming lavender oil, because when they were little, they were allergic to many common decorative materials.

And now, they were being tossed into a junk truck in the courtyard like cheap trash.

Over the next few days, the once tranquil estate was transformed into something unrecognizable.

Santino and the children indulged Jessy's every whim, as if she were the true Donna of the family.

"Jessy, put that down." Santino caught her wrist as she made a show of directing the workers moving a vase.

His long fingers rested lightly on her delicate skin. "Your hands are for playing the piano and caressing the children, not for this."

"Auntie Jessy, I'll get your bag for you!" Leo scurried over, taking her handbag like a little gentleman.

I had never seen such a fawning expression on the face of this spoiled Mafia heir.

"Miss Jessy just needs to relax and take care of herself, to prepare for the family's future," the butler said obsequiously, handing her a freshly poured glass of champagne.

"Leave the heavy lifting to us."

The irony was laughable. I once thought I was the rightful mistress of this family, so I had always treated them with the utmost respect, conducting myself with grace.

But the moment I was out of favor, they seamlessly moved on to a new Donna, rendering all my efforts worthless.

Jessy had simply walked in, done nothing, and become the pampered princess everyone doted on and protected.

Their hushed whispers were not as quiet as they thought.

"The Don is so generous with Miss Jessy. Look at the way he looks at her, like he could eat her alive. He barely even spares a glance for the Donna."

"Tell me about it. And look at the young master and young miss, always clinging to her. I bet we'll be calling her the new Donna soon enough."

The last flicker of feeling in my heart died.

I retreated to my bedroom, quietly packing the few old clothes I had left, and waited for the right moment to leave for good.

That afternoon, my phone buzzed incessantly with messages from Jessy.

It was a series of photos and short videos documenting her and the children's "family time" at the equestrian club.

She had shamelessly paraded them around the parents' lounge at the club.

In the video, Leo and Sofia were surrounded by the children of other mob bosses and wealthy businessmen.

They proudly held Jessy's hand, boasting, "This is our... new mom! She's the hottest woman in all of Veridia!"

The other children let out feigned gasps of awe. "Wow! Your new mom looks like a silver-screen movie star! Her perfume smells amazing!"

"Your Papa is the Don, and your new mom is so beautiful and stylish. Your family is so cool!"

"So, does your new mom cook for you and help with your homework?" another wealthy kid asked, clearly not understanding the situation.

In the video, Leo and Sofia froze for a second.

Then they mumbled, "Oh, that's all our nanny's job. You guys have seen her before, she's the one who used to come pick us up."

My fingers trembled violently. The cup slipped from my trembling hands, shattering on the floor and splashing black coffee across the expensive carpet.

I slowly knelt, picking up the shards with my bare hands, and suddenly, I laughed. It was a laugh filled with nothing but sorrow.

So, all these years, in the hearts of my own flesh and blood, I was never a mother. I was never worthy of being the Donna.

I was nothing more than a glorified nanny.

But it didn't matter anymore.

This "cheap nanny" was about to resign, permanently.

From now on, their charming, beautiful "real mom" could deal with their tantrums and homework.

A week later, the family bodyguards brought Leo and Sofia back to the estate from the equestrian club.

The two children burst into the hall and ran straight for the study, eager to stir up drama.

"Mother!" Sofia gasped, out of breath. "Auntie Jessy hurt her wrist while she was riding with us, and Papa was so worried!"

Leo chimed in, "Papa immediately called the entire family's private medical team. He bandaged Auntie Jessy's wound himself and fired her top-tier instructor on the spot."

"He even postponed an urgent meeting with the Commission and stayed by her side to comfort her!"

I sat at my desk, silently listening to my children's grating boasts, calmly working on a drawing.

Seeing no reaction from me, Sofia grew impatient and kicked the leg of the desk. "Mother, are you even listening to us?"

"Papa is so much nicer to Auntie Jessy than he is to you—"

My paintbrush paused, interrupting her endless complaints.

A rich, sweet scent of paint and paper filled the study.

The children's attention was immediately drawn to it.

They craned their necks, peering at the desk.

"It's our custom storybook!" Leo stood on his tiptoes, trying to see the images on the paper. "It's the exclusive gift for the Genovese heirs! I want to see!"

I picked up the stack of drawings.

They were a series of exquisite watercolor paintings documenting their childhood, but the ink on one of the pages had smeared, and the edges were blurred.

I frowned, tore out the imperfect page, and tossed it into the nearby trash can.

"Ah!" Sofia lunged forward. "Why did you throw that away! That's our story!"

"The ink smudged, and the lines blurred. It isn't fit to be a gift from this family, so it can't be kept," I explained calmly, my usual practice when I painted.

"You did it on purpose!" Leo shouted angrily, reaching for the trash can.

The sharp edge of the paper cut his hand, and he snatched it back, glaring at me with even more venom.

"You're jealous that we like Auntie Jessy more, so you won't give us the book! Your drawings are ugly, and we don't want them anyway! You're a bad mother!"

Sofia's face was flushed crimson. "I don't have a mother like you! You can't even do your job right, let alone have any artistic talent!"

I put down my paintbrush.

Though I had tried to prepare myself, I still couldn't accept what was happening.

The two children I had carried for ten months, who had my blood running through their veins, now seemed so strange and cruel.

"Fine," I said softly. "Then I don't have children like you."

"From now on, go find your perfect Auntie Jessy. Let her draw you a storybook you'll be happy with."

Without another glance at them, I turned and walked toward the study door.

Behind me, I heard their childish shouts. "You're so mean! We're going to tell Papa you went crazy and ruined our gift!"

My steps faltered for a moment, but I didn't stop.

Just as I was about to leave the study, Leo charged at me from behind in a fit of rage. "You're not allowed to leave! You have to replace our storybook!"

He tried to stop me, grabbing the hem of my skirt with both hands and yanking it backward with all his might.

Caught off guard, I twisted instinctively, but his reckless pull threw me off balance. I stumbled sideways, slamming hard into the enormous, floor-to-ceiling mirror beside me.

The deafening crash brought Santino rushing in.

A sharp shard of glass sliced deeply into my arm, and blood gushed out, instantly staining my sleeve.

Blood gushed from the wound, covering me before I could even react.

The excruciating pain sent me collapsing into the pile of broken glass, warm blood dripping from my fingertips onto the cold, expensive wood floor.

Leo clearly hadn't expected such a serious accident. He was terrified, standing frozen as he stared at the gruesome gash on my arm. His face went pale, and he stumbled backward.

Behind him, Sofia bit her lip, still defiant. "Serves you right! You ruined our things first! This is your punishment!"

The deafening crash brought Santino rushing in.

"What's going on? What's all the shouting?"

He wasn't alone. Jessy was with him, a perfect smile on her face.

They both froze when they saw the scene before them.

"Papa!" The children, as if they'd found their savior, immediately dropped their panic and put on expressions of pure innocence, running to Santino in tears.

"Mother... Mother went crazy! She tore up our storybook, then broke the mirror on purpose to scare us! And she said... she said she doesn't want us anymore, boohoo!"

Santino's gaze fell first on the smeared drawing in the trash can, then shifted to me, covered in blood and looking utterly wretched.

"Alessia, have you no decency? They're just children!"

"To say that to your own children, then resort to this... this pathetic act to frighten them? Are you even fit to be a mother?"

Leaning against the cold wall, I slowly, painfully, pulled myself to my feet.

The blood had completely soaked through my white dress, and he hadn't even asked if I was alright.

I looked at Santino, at the face that had once so thoroughly captivated me, and suddenly, I wanted to laugh.

"In your eyes, I've never been fit for anything."

My voice trembled with pain, but I enunciated every single word.

"I see it all clearly now. I understand my place in this family."

Santino's dark eyes narrowed, surprised that his normally submissive wife was talking back to him.

"Since Jessy is the only Donna in your heart," I said, wiping away the blood that trickled down my arm.

With every word, the knife in my heart twisted deeper.

"And the children only want her as their mother. Then I will give her everything. I will grant you your perfect family of four."

"The divorce papers have already been finalized. Let's get a divorce."

The air in the study went cold.

Santino's face grew darker and darker.