Seven years ago, my mafia husband, Sergio Wexler, had me committed to a psychiatric ward.

On the day I was released, I changed my name, cut my hair short, and vanished like a ghost.

Seven years later, we meet again at the grave of my brother, Luca Lorusso.

The bouquet in his hand falls with a soft thud.

Sergio clenches his fists tightly, barely holding back emotions that threaten to break through his usual calm.

"Janella, why the short hair? I almost didn't recognize you. Where have you been all these years? After that fire at the psych ward, I pulled every string I had, but I never got any leads on you. I've been looking for you for seven years. I even thought you were… dead."

When I stay silent, he rubs his red-rimmed eyes. "You're avoiding me, aren't you? Do you still hate me for having you locked up? Believe me, I had no choice."

I let out a bitter laugh.

Sergio killed Luca to become the Don. He slept with Luca's woman and locked me in that dark, windowless "special ward", nearly erasing me from existence.

And now, here he is at Luca's grave, playing the victim.

To me, any love and hate I had for Sergio died long ago in that tiny, suffocating ward.

Now, he's just a stranger to me.

After all this time apart, I felt nothing at all.

I avoided my ex-husband, Sergio Wexler, and walked straight to the grave of my brother, Luca Lorusso.

Sergio didn't move. He just stood there like a statue, watching me.

I bent down and gently laid a lily on the stone.

In the photo, Luca looked at me with such affection. But his smile was frozen forever at 27.

If he were still here, I'd be curled up in his arms, acting like a child. No matter how hard things got, he would never let me suffer.

But he was gone.

When I ended up in the forensic psychiatric ward later on, there was no one left to protect me.

"Luca, I'm back," I whispered as I traced the cold stone's edge. "I've got some good news I want to tell you myself."

Before I could say more, footsteps sounded behind me.

Sergio came up to my side and held out a black velvet box.

"I promised you back then that I would design a piece of jewelry for you every year on your birthday. I couldn't find you, so I kept them all."

He opened the box to reveal seven carefully arranged pieces of jewelry. From diamond studs to a pearl necklace, each piece was expensive. Everything also had my name engraved, carved by his own hand.

Sergio had put a lot of thought into it, but I only glanced once, then lost interest.

His hand froze mid-air. He seemed surprised by my rejection, as a flicker of hurt crossed his face.

"You don't like them? I can make new ones. Anyway, let's have lunch. I'll book your favorite Etavian restaurant."

"No, grazie," I said flatly. "I don't like Etavian food anymore."

Sergio stiffened, as if something had stung him.

Just as he was about to say something, the phone in his pocket began to ring.

"Tesoro, when are you coming home? Today's our seventh anniversary. I put on that sexy lingerie you like."

It was Elena Lazzari's voice.

My steps faltered, and my fingers clenched my sleeve.

Elena was the "true love" Luca once risked his life to protect. And now, she was flirting with the man who killed him.

We really did have the worst taste in partners.

My chest tightened as though someone had squeezed it. I gasped for air.

On the other end, Elena cooed, "Why do I hear a woman's voice?"

Sergio gave Elena a few perfunctory words of comfort before hanging up.

Then, he casually pulled a pill bottle from his blazer pocket. "Your lungs can't handle the cold. It'll trigger your asthma. Take this."

"I don't need it," I replied coldly.

Ignoring his offer, I glanced once more at Luca's photo, then turned away.

"Janella, wait!"

From behind me came the sound of his footsteps, hurried yet restrained.

I didn't stop, nor did I look back.

Seven years ago, Sergio warned me never to show up in his life again. So why was he clinging to me now?

The rain had just stopped. My thin-soled shoes hit the cold stone, and the chill crept up my legs. My knees trembled slightly.

I glanced at my dwindling battery life and waited anxiously for the bus.

Just then, a black Maybach pulled up beside me.

"Janella, have you been with anyone else all these years?" Sergio asked.

I looked up and caught the faint glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

But his plan was about to fall through.

I came back just to tell Luca that I was getting married, but I wasn't going to share that with Sergio. I was no longer his wife, and he didn't deserve to know about my life.

I remained silent, yet Sergio read into it what he wanted to believe. He let out a breath, clearly relieved.

"Janella, you must have had it rough. If you ever need anything, just call me. I haven't changed my number all these years because I feared you wouldn't be able to find me."

My lips curled into a barely visible, sardonic smile.

The same man who mercilessly threw me into a forensic psychiatric ward and tried to cut me out of his life now stood before me, pretending he still loved me.

How pathetic.

"No, grazie. I'm not interested in being a mistress."

The bus pulled up, and I stepped on without a backward glance.

The bus rolled away from the cemetery, toward the old house Luca and I once shared.

As I gazed out the window, a vision of Luca flickered before my eyes.

We used to ride bikes down this road. I could almost feel the wind on my face and hear his voice as he looked back at me.

"Janella, when this is all over, I'll take you away to some quiet town with no blood or bullets. We can live simple, happy lives."

Now, there was no trace of Luca on this road. I was all that remained.

The bus came to a stop near our old house.

It had stood vacant ever since Luca passed away. The walls were mottled and peeling, and rainwater trickled down the cracks, dripping onto thick cobwebs.

As I pushed the door open, I held my breath.

A faded toolbox leaned against the wall, showing four rusty pistols inside. They were designed and made by me, Luca, Sergio, and Elena.

Back then, Sergio and Luca were into modifying weapons, and Elena and I just tagged along.

Elena would hand tools to Luca with admiration and trust shining in her eyes.

I couldn't help but reach out and touch one of the guns.

Luca and I came from a happy family.

Our Papà, Aldo Lorusso, was the Don of the Lorusso family. He was the one who established the massive mafia empire.

However, he was betrayed by his closest allies and killed in a planned purge.

After that, they hunted Luca and me, forcing us to stay on the run.

One night when I was 16, during our escape, we rescued a badly beaten young man in an abandoned warehouse—Sergio.

He said he was an orphan who'd been bullied his whole life.

When he found out who we were, he wasn't afraid and even hid us in the orphanage where he stayed.

Even though we were always on the run, Luca treated me with deep care, and I grew somewhat spoiled.

Sergio hated me the most. He always frowned and called me a troublemaker who just dragged Luca down. But whenever anyone dared hurt me, he was the first to protect me.

Years later, Luca quietly rebuilt his position in the Lorusso family with help from Papà's old men.

But to keep me safe, he kept many things from me.

Once, when Luca went to a private bar for business, I sneaked after him but got separated.

When I turned around, I found myself surrounded by a group of thugs. They cornered me, their eyes leering as they insisted I drink with them.

I refused, but they forced the drink on me. The harsh liquor made me cough convulsively, and tears blurred my vision instantly.

Just as I was losing hope, a dull thud sounded. One of the thugs howled in agony as he hit the floor. His head was slick with blood.

Sergio stood behind him, holding a broken bottle.

Sergio, who always wore the mask of a perfect gentleman, now had a terrifying rage seething in his eyes. He kicked the rest of the thugs aside and carried me out of the bar.

As I leaned against his chest, I heard his rapid, restrained breathing. That was the first time I felt he really didn't hate me.

I asked, "Sergio, didn't you always call me a troublemaker? Why did you save me?"

"Luca cares so much about you. Of course I can't let anything happen to you."

Sergio paused, his ears turning red before he continued, "And… I never truly thought of you as a burden."

My heart skipped a beat at that moment.

That night, something unspoken grew between us.

Worried the drink was spiked, Sergio took me to the hospital.

After the checkup showed nothing was wrong, we were about to leave when I spotted Elena huddled in a wheelchair in a corner. With her legs wrapped in thick bandages, she was weeping in silence.

Her father, Rocco Lazzari, was a loyal enforcer who stood by Papà through thick and thin.

After Papà's death, the traitors forced him to surrender. When he refused, they shot him down on the spot.

Caught in the crossfire, Elena was shot in the legs. She had to crawl out of there.

She'd been hiding ever since, scraping by on odd jobs to pay medical bills that never seemed to end.

Luca and I didn't hesitate to take her in.

To cover her medical expenses, Luca worked even harder to reconnect with Papà's old loyalists, hoping to reclaim the family as soon as possible.

He took on more dangerous jobs and was always showing fresh wounds.

Fortunately, Luca was talented and rose quickly. The first thing he did after gaining power was send Elena to the world's best orthopedic hospital.

Their bond grew in those long days and nights.

But the lingering effects of his severe injuries haunted Luca forever. On rainy days, his hand would ache so badly that he could barely pull the trigger.

That was Luca's weakness, and only the four of us knew about it. We kept it secret and shared some of the happiest times of our lives.

I truly thought we would stay this close forever.

Suddenly, footsteps outside startled me.

I turned sharply and saw Sergio and Elena standing at the door.

I forgot that they had keys to this house too.

Elena clung to Sergio's arm. The ruby necklace around her neck glowed with a blinding brilliance.

She smiled at me warmly. "Janella, Sergio said you were back, so we guessed you'd be here. Why didn't you contact us? Hearing you're okay made me so happy. This place has been empty for ages. Come back to the estate with us. The helper is on leave, and we've cleaned the spare room."

She tried to reach for my hand, but I coldly avoided her touch.

I only came here to sort through Luca's things, not to stay.

Besides, someone else was waiting for me.

I said flatly, "Give me the keys. You're not welcome here."

This house had been in my name since Luca died. It had nothing to do with them.

Sergio's complex gaze fixed upon the gun in my hand. "Janella, if Luca were here, he'd want you living with us. He wouldn't feel safe if you were alone. Come back with us."

Elena looked away, unable to look at the gun carved with Luca's name.

I replied with only one word. "Scram."

Sergio ignored my words entirely. Instead, he took off his blazer and rolled up his sleeves, preparing to clean. "Elena, open the windows. Let's get some fresh air in here."

For a moment, I felt like I was back in the old days.

Luca would be cooking in the kitchen with Elena helping by his side. Sergio would be vacuuming, and I would be standing on a chair, giving orders.

But now, the house was covered in dust. Even the echoes of our past laughter had grown dull under the layers of time.

I pulled out an old suitcase and began sorting through Luca's things—tie clips, a family badge, his diary, and a teddy bear with a voice recorder inside.

I pressed play without thinking. Luca's gentle, deep voice came through. "Happy birthday, Janella."

Tears welled in my eyes instantly.

Suddenly, Elena stormed over and slammed the teddy bear to the floor. "Why the hell did you bring that out?"

Her voice trembled.

Watching her panic, I couldn't help but sneer.

It turned out that she could feel fear after all. She was afraid of being stung by the remnants of Luca's past, and of the buried truths coming to light.

"I'm the owner of this house. I have the right to handle these things. What are you so afraid of?" I asked.

Sergio frowned. "Janella, Elena just worries about you. That teddy bear… It's been stained with blood before. It's just unsettling."

I looked up at them, a sharp chill in my gaze. "You know exactly whose blood it was."

Sergio and Elena went pale instantly.

Silence filled the room, broken only by the wind rattling the windows like a silent accusation.

This used to be the safest place for Luca and me, but everything changed in the second year after he got married.

After Luca officially became the Don, he got busier than ever. Sometimes, I wouldn't see him for weeks.

Then one night, there was a massive explosion at the harbor. Smoke and the smell of saltwater swept across the balcony.

Luca had led his men to wipe out the rival faction and seize the shipment of smuggled weapons. The haul was worth a fortune, enough to multiply the Lorusso family's profits several times over.

When Luca came home that day, he smiled for the first time in ages as he carried two gift boxes into the living room.

One was a license granting me the rights to run his chain of bars. The other was a couture dress Elena had wanted for half a year.

As we were opening the gifts, Sergio, who wasn't home, called Luca.

"Don Lorusso, the Capone family used the negotiations as a cover to set me up. They cornered me in an underground club, demanding the location of the weapons."

Luca rushed out without even putting on his coat. "Janella, take care of Elena. I'll be back soon."

That was the last thing he ever said to me.

He led his top-tier Soldati into a deadly firefight against the Capones to rescue Sergio.

Sergio broke through safely, but Luca was ambushed. Both his hands were shattered, and the back of his head was smashed bloody and raw.

When we got to the hospital, Luca was saved but slipped into a coma, never to wake up again.

My world collapsed at that moment.

I forced myself to manage the family mess during the day, but at night, I'd cry silently by Luca's bedside.

Elena never left Luca's side, rejecting both food and water.

When I saw her swollen, red eyes, my heart ached in sympathy.

I pushed her out of the ward. "Go now! Luca would never want you to waste your life waiting for him. I'm making the call for him. Get a divorce. You're still young. You shouldn't be dragged down."

Elena clung to Luca's arm, crying uncontrollably. "I'd rather die than divorce! I want to stay by his side!"

Her determination moved me.

I handed all of Luca's assets to Elena, keeping only the old house for myself.

Meanwhile, Sergio locked himself away in his apartment, drowning his pain in alcohol. He couldn't bear what happened to Luca.

One day, Elena kicked open his door and slapped him hard.

"If you really care about Luca, stop throwing your life away like this! Avenge him and protect those he cares about!"

That slap seemed to wake Sergio up.

He officially took over the family and vowed to make those who had hurt Luca pay. At the same time, he took on the responsibility of looking after me.

Back then, I was drowning in grief and confusion. Sergio became my only lifeline.

I remembered it clearly.

Sergio had dropped to one knee and proposed to me in front of Luca's hospital bed. He said he'd love me in Luca's place for the rest of my life.

Just then, Sergio's phone rang, pulling me out of my memories.

Elena quickly changed the subject. This time, her tone was lighter. "Don't blame Sergio. He's the Don of the Lorusso family now. He's busier than ever."

She flicked her hair and deliberately showed off the huge ruby necklace around her neck.

It looked similar to the jewelry pieces Sergio showed me not long ago, the ones he claimed to have designed for me.

"Sergio designed it himself for my birthday recently. The ruby alone costs eight figures."

Sergio put away his phone and walked over with a casual expression. "What are you two talking about?"

Elena shyly linked her arm with his. "I was just saying Janella dresses too plainly. I'll dig out some of my necklaces I've never worn to give her later."

I said flatly, "No, grazie. I have a low tolerance for filth."

Elena's face instantly turned pale, and she acted like she'd been slapped in public. "Janella, how can you say that? I'm only doing this for you—"

Before she could finish, I glared at her and enunciated every syllable as I asked, "Really? Do you really think everything you did was for me?"

Sergio's expression darkened. "Janella, let's not bring up the past."

I snorted.

After Luca's accident, I was deeply moved to see Elena staying by his side.

At that time, I was convinced Luca hadn't loved her in vain. He had picked someone loyal and devoted.

When I hesitated about going back to school, both Sergio and Elena supported me.

Sergio promised he'd take good care of Luca. To ease my worries, he transferred Luca to the best hospital, into a VIP ward with 24/7 care.

No matter how busy he was, he always made time to call me and update me on Luca.

"Janella, the doctor says Luca's condition has improved recently. We should have the wedding on your birthday this year. Maybe Luca will wake up and see you as the most beautiful bride."

Filled with anticipation, I secretly booked a flight home for the day before my birthday. I just wanted to see Luca and Sergio sooner.

But when I opened the door to Luca's ward, the scene hit me like a storm.

Luca was lying in bed, hooked up to all sorts of tubes. His once-strong frame had shrunk to skeletal thinness, stripped of all its former vitality.

On the nearby couch, two naked bodies were tightly entwined.

They were Sergio and Elena.