"My child... how could you do something so foolish?"

My mother held me tightly, her tears soaking into my shoulder.

"Ten years, Adriana. Do you know how long ten years is? A person only gets so many years in their life."

Her voice broke as she cried.

Even after the verdict was delivered, Enzo, the family's trusted legal adviser, still couldn't accept what had happened.

He removed his glasses and slowly wiped the lenses, using the small movement to gather his thoughts.

"Adriana," he finally asked, "you were at your birthday dinner that night, weren't you?"

His eyes sharpened.

"Then why did every surveillance camera nearby lose only the footage from that exact evening?"

I fell silent.

I wasn't sure how much truth I should reveal.

Before I could answer, the sound of high heels echoed through the hallway.

Each step struck the concrete floor like a warning.

"So you're Adriana."

A sweet voice carried through the room, soft on the surface but hiding a blade underneath.

Gia appeared.

Salvatore's childhood sweetheart.

The woman who had always remained in his heart.

She wore a crimson dress that hugged her figure, walking toward us with the confidence of someone who already believed she belonged there.

Her hand was intertwined with Salvatore's.

Their eyes met with the kind of intimacy no husband should show another woman.

My father's expression darkened instantly.

"How dare you come here?"

His voice was filled with disgust.

"Did you come to watch Adriana fall?"

In our world, a man's loyalty was everything. To my father, seeing Salvatore bring another woman here while I was being taken away was an insult he could barely tolerate.

I quickly tried to stop him with my eyes.

I didn't want things to become worse.

But Gia only laughed.

A sharp, pleased laugh.

"Adriana, you really are exactly as everyone says."

She tilted her head, looking at me with fake admiration.

"The kind, gentle woman who would sacrifice everything for the man she loves."

"Ten years in prison, and you didn't even complain."

She smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of Salvatore and Matteo from now on."

Every word felt like poison.

My mother's face changed with anger.

She turned toward Salvatore.

"Adriana is still your wife. What exactly are you doing, standing here holding another woman's hand?"

But Salvatore remained calm.

Almost too calm.

"Mom, don't misunderstand."

His voice was gentle, as if he was the one being wronged.

"Gia and I grew up together. Adriana knows that. She gets nervous around too many people, and her hands shake when she's stressed."

He glanced at their joined hands.

"I was only holding her hand to help her calm down."

As he spoke, he casually wiped his palm against his trousers.

It was a small habit.

One he had never noticed.

One that always appeared whenever he was lying.

Gia leaned closer to him, wearing a fragile expression, looking like a woman who had been hurt.

My father's face turned red with anger.

My mother's hands clenched into fists.

I silently begged them not to lose control.

At that moment, the guards approached, preparing to take me away.

Gia immediately seized the opportunity.

She "accidentally" dropped a document, and the papers flew directly toward me.

The corner struck my face.

I lowered my head and picked it up.

The moment I saw the title, my expression froze.

A dissolution agreement for our blood-bound marriage.

Gia smiled.

"You should sign it while you still have the chance."

"You've occupied Salvatore's side for long enough. Now that you're a convicted criminal, you should leave the Ortega family."

I looked at Salvatore.

Waiting for him to say something.

Anything.

But he remained silent.

Instead, he tightened his grip on Gia's hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

Right in front of me.

Right in front of everyone.

My father stood frozen.

He had nothing left to say.

I lowered my eyes and prepared to sign.

Then Matteo spoke.

My son.

He had been hiding behind Gia the entire time.

"People who kill others don't deserve to be mothers."

His voice was cold and unfamiliar.

"I want Aunt Gia to be my mommy."

My mother stepped forward, wanting to pull him away.

But Matteo bit her hand and pushed her down.

Then he ran back behind Gia, laughing.

As if nothing had happened.

My mother stared at him in disbelief.

Only a few days ago, he had still been the sweet child who held onto my hand and called me Mommy.

The guards began urging me forward.

Salvatore looked impatient.

My father quietly shook his head, telling me not to sign.

But I turned away from all of them.

No one could see my expression.

No one could see my hand.

I slowly turned my wedding ring around my finger once.

Then I threw the papers aside.

The moment the documents fell, Salvatore released Gia's hand.

He rushed forward and picked them up.

For the first time, genuine panic appeared on his face.

"Don't sign it, sweetheart..."

His voice changed.

"This is all my fault. I was the one who let you marry him."

My mother cried as she chased after me down the corridor.

Her grief was so overwhelming that even the guard stopped.

The prison rules were strict, but after a moment of hesitation, he sighed.

"I need to use the restroom."

It was an obvious excuse.

But he gave us five minutes.

My mother grabbed my hands tightly.

"It's all your mother's fault."

"I'll go to Enzo. I'll tell him everything. I'll tell him Salvatore was the one who did it. You were only protecting him."

I gently pressed her hands, stopping her from saying his name.

Not here.

Not inside these walls.

In our world, some names carried consequences.

And prison walls had ears.

Even from the end of the corridor, I could feel Salvatore and Gia watching us.

A few people had gathered nearby, whispering and staring, enjoying the scene like they were watching a performance.

"Mamma, don't worry about me."

I looked into her eyes.

My voice was calm.

"I'll take care of myself."

"Before I came here, I already told Enzo everything."

"He and I studied law together. He knows what to do."

"He'll protect you and Papa for me."

The certainty in my voice made those words sound almost like a goodbye.

And perhaps they were.

Enzo and I had once walked the same path.

We met in law school, studying the same craft. We spent years buried in legal codes, analyzing loopholes, and learning how to protect the interests of powerful families without leaving a trace behind.

Enzo was disciplined and ambitious. After graduation, he passed the bar and became the kind of legal adviser that families like ours trusted with their most dangerous secrets.

I passed as well.

But instead of joining a firm, I chose another road.

I married Salvatore.

After becoming his wife, I took over the legal matters of the Ortega family and handled the countless problems that came with their world.

Enzo and I both understood what it meant to carry another person's burden.

In our world, once a verdict was finalized, escaping it was almost impossible.

Unless someone could produce undeniable evidence strong enough to overturn everything, the person who took the blame would spend the rest of their life behind bars.

Wronged.

Forgotten.

Silent.

That was the price of loyalty.

That was the meaning of omertà.

Thinking about it now, I couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh.

I had always known this path was dangerous.

I knew every step was filled with risks.

Yet I still chose to believe Salvatore.

I still chose him.

I lowered my head and said nothing.

My mother noticed the tears gathering in my eyes.

She leaned closer across the old table, her voice trembling.

"Adriana, did Salvatore threaten you?"

"Tell me the truth."

"Your father and I will stand beside you, no matter who we have to face."

She held my hand tighter.

"Or is it because you truly love him that much?"

"Do you really love him enough to sacrifice your entire life?"

I looked at her and forced a small smile.

Then I slowly shook my head.

Salvatore and I had been married for seven years.

But we had known each other for nearly ten.

He had become part of my daily life, part of my memories, part of the future I had imagined.

A future where I never considered the possibility of him not being there.

After a long silence, I finally nodded.

My mother understood she couldn't change my mind.

So she gave up trying to persuade me and turned to the things mothers always worried about.

"Adriana, when you go in there, don't trust anyone."

"Protect yourself. Protect the baby."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Even if we lose everything, your father and I will find a way to bring you home."

"You have to promise me..."

Before she could finish, the guard looked at the clock.

Then he cleared his throat several times.

The meaning was obvious.

Our time was over.

The guard stepped forward.

As they pulled me away, my mother refused to let go of my hand.

She held on with every bit of strength she had left.

But the moment my fingers slipped from hers, she lost her balance.

She fell heavily onto the cold floor.

My mother remained there, silently crying.

From the corner of the room, Gia watched everything.

She quickly pulled back when she noticed someone might see her.

A satisfied smile appeared on her face.

I still hadn't exposed Salvatore.

Not once.

Not a single word.

To Gia, that meant she had won.

My father stood nearby, his fists tightly clenched.

His anger burned so intensely that his entire body trembled, but there was nothing he could do.

Salvatore watched me being taken away from my mother.

Then his eyes fell on the dissolution papers I had thrown aside earlier.

He picked them up.

His fingers brushed over the pages, and he slowly wiped his palm against his trousers before speaking.

That habit again.

The one he had whenever he was hiding something.

He had never believed I would actually sign.

For seven years, he had seen me as the perfect wife.

Understanding.

Patient.

Quiet.

The woman who never demanded too much, never caused trouble, and always stood behind him whenever he needed someone to clean up the damage.

In his eyes, I was the person who would never leave.

The person who would always forgive him.

He never imagined that a few simple words would be enough for me to cut the bond between us.

A strange emotion rose inside him.

Relief.

Even satisfaction.

But with everyone watching, he forced himself to lower his head and maintain the appearance of a guilty husband.

Then he looked up and met my father's furious gaze.

My father walked over and took the agreement from his hands.

The moment he saw my signature, his expression changed.

He couldn't believe it was real.

"If you still have even a little conscience left, then take care of Matteo."

His voice was cold.

"And from today onward, you stay away from anything involving Adriana."

He threw the signed papers onto the floor and turned back to help my mother stand.

Gia didn't care about my father's anger.

She only smiled.

To her, everything was already decided.

She walked over and wrapped her arm around Salvatore's.

"That was easier than I expected."

Her voice was filled with excitement.

"Come on, Salvatore. You can move my things into the Ortega estate now."

Matteo stood beside Salvatore, tugging at his leg.

"Daddy, I want new toys."

He was too young to understand what had happened.

Too young to know that his family had already changed forever.

Gia crouched down and gently stroked his hair.

"Of course, sweetheart."

"Whatever you want, Mommy will buy it for you."

Matteo smiled brightly and reached for her.

He threw himself into Gia's arms.

Salvatore held her hand tightly.

Then he turned away.

Leaving with Gia.

Leaving with Matteo.

Leaving behind the woman who had once sacrificed everything for him.

His new family.

The whispers of the people around us spread through the hall like a storm.

"She just got sentenced, and they are already forcing her to dissolve the marriage?"

"That woman beside him must be the mistress. She actually stood there and watched the wife get destroyed."

"Her parents almost collapsed because of them. How cruel can they be?"

"The wife is too kind. If it were me, I would make them regret everything the moment I got out."

The voices grew louder.

In a world where people were taught to hide their emotions and swallow their opinions, the crowd no longer cared about silence.

Everyone could see what had happened.

Everyone knew who the real victim was.

My father noticed that my mother was crying uncontrollably.

Her breathing became faster and more uneven until she could no longer stand.

She collapsed.

The family's private clinic later determined that she had suffered severe hyperventilation and showed signs of possible poisoning.

The medical staff rushed in immediately and carried her away in an ambulance.

The entire hall fell into chaos.

The anger of the crowd turned directly toward Salvatore and Gia.

For the first time, Gia's expression changed.

She didn't care about the rumors themselves.

She had already gotten everything she wanted.

She had taken Salvatore.

She had forced me out of the Ortega family.

That was enough.

She grabbed Salvatore's arm and pulled him away.

Before leaving, she glanced at Enzo with a victorious smile.

Enzo said nothing.

He only removed his glasses and slowly cleaned them.

It was the gesture of a man trying to stay calm while watching something he couldn't yet fix.

Salvatore, however, had his own complicated emotions.

Part of him was touched by what I had done for him.

A part of him was relieved.

After years of hiding his feelings, he could finally bring Gia back into his life openly.

On the way home, he had already prepared flowers and gifts for her, treating it like a celebration of her long-awaited return.

Gia was overwhelmed with happiness.

She threw herself into his arms, smiling brightly.

Her joy stood in sharp contrast to the grief and anger they had left behind.

When they returned to the Ortega estate, Gia immediately began removing every trace of me.

She packed my belongings herself and ordered the servants to throw them into the dusty storage room.

The wedding portrait hanging in the center of the living room caught her attention.

To her, it was the last reminder that I had once belonged in this house.

She stared at it for several seconds.

Then she looked at Salvatore.

He said nothing.

That silence was permission.

Gia stepped forward and ripped the frame from the wall.

The photo crashed onto the floor.

The memory of seven years was treated like something worthless.

At five months pregnant, Gia had once appeared gentle and fragile.

But the moment she looked at Matteo, that kindness disappeared.

"We need space for the baby."

Her voice was cold.

"Matteo's room has to be given up."

Salvatore didn't even hesitate.

He was busy helping her organize her things.

"Do whatever you think is best."

Those simple words decided everything.

Gia gathered Matteo's belongings and dragged him toward the attic.

She threw his toys and clothes onto the damp wooden floor.

"This is your room now."

Her tone carried obvious impatience.

"Don't come downstairs unless there is something important."

Then she left without looking back.

Matteo stood alone in the dark attic.

He hugged his favorite toy tightly.

Cold air slipped through the cracks in the walls.

On the floor beside him were the broken pieces of a jade bracelet.

The bracelet I had made for him on his third birthday.

Gia had destroyed it earlier when she became annoyed.

Matteo stared at the broken pieces.

He didn't move.

Then, without noticing the sharp fragments beneath his feet, he stepped forward.

A piece of jade cut into his skin.

He fell to the ground with a cry, clutching his bleeding foot.

No one came.

Before this day, whenever he was hurt, I was always the first person beside him.

I would hold him.

Clean his wounds.

Tell him everything would be alright.

But now there was only silence.

After that first cry, Matteo stopped making a sound.

He had learned that crying did not always bring comfort.

Sometimes it only brought more anger.

So he curled up alone in the attic, letting his tears fall quietly.

Downstairs, Gia looked around the estate with satisfaction.

Finally.

She had everything she had wanted.

She turned toward Salvatore with excitement.

"She already signed the dissolution papers."

A smile appeared on her face.

"Let's complete the ceremony in a few days."

She had waited too long for this moment.

When Salvatore nodded, the last bit of anxiety in her heart disappeared.

But Salvatore was not as calm as she was.

Since returning home, his expression had remained troubled.

I had been too calm.

Too obedient.

That was what frightened him.

He couldn't understand why I had accepted everything so easily.

A thought kept returning to him.

What if one day I revealed the truth?

What if the verdict was overturned?

What if everyone discovered what he had done?

He wiped his palm against his trousers again.

The same habit.

The same sign of unease.

He forced himself to believe it was nothing.

But the fear remained.

Inside the family's private clinic, my mother finally opened her eyes after being unconscious for a long time.

"You finally woke up."

My father broke down beside the hospital bed.

His tears fell as he held his wife's hand.

The moment my mother realized I wasn't there, panic filled her eyes.

"Adri..."

That was the first word she spoke.

Enzo quickly stepped forward to calm them.

"I've already submitted the visitation request."

His voice was gentle.

"You will be able to see her tomorrow."

"Just wait one more day."

Even a short visit to the prison was enough.

That small hope was enough to keep them going.

Meanwhile, in another hospital wing...

Inside the intensive care unit, Adrian's fingers moved slightly.

Then his eyes opened.

Despite his serious injuries and the damage to his body, his mind was already working.

The doctor noticed the change immediately.

After confirming that Adrian's condition had stabilized, they transferred him to a regular ward for further observation.

But no one knew that the man who had just woken up would soon change everything.