Chapter 2

[Here she comes again. Can't she see I'm going through dirty balance sheets?]

Saturday, 2:00 PM. I walked toward the study with a crystal glass of whiskey in my hand. Those floating words slammed into my eyes out of nowhere.

Over time, this creepy mind-reading power stretched past three meters. The ruthless schemes of eight armed guards and two private doctors, even the guard's petty grudges outside—I saw them all clearly whenever they came close.

Matteo sat behind a heavy oak desk. He was scanning bills from underground casinos and gun-running laundries.

He raised his head. His face wore his usual gentle, caring smile. "Thanks for bringing me a drink, Sienna. You shouldn't have."

Then the glowing letters bounced above his head without mercy:

[She sure knows how to pick her timing. Zero common sense. Your husband is the Don, not some stray dog with nothing better to do!]

I squeezed the cold glass. My knuckles turned white.

"Get back to work then."

I set the glass down gently on the corner of the desk. I turned and walked out of the study. The heavy oak door slammed shut behind me. At that exact moment, the last door in my heart locked forever.

3:30 PM. The sharp click of high heels on granite echoed outside the estate.

Matteo's childhood friend and family legal consultant, Nicole Vance, arrived.

She wore a tight, sleek black leather jacket and held a fancy gift box. Nicole saw me in the living room. She flashed an elegant, fake smile. "Sienna. I brought Matteo a custom ivory-handled revolver from the Paris black market."

[Who is she playing the helpless trophy wife for? Does she really think that worthless title keeps her safe?]

[A useless canary with zero background. Completely worthless to the family business.]

Two lines of vicious, sarcastic text hung right above Nicole's head.

"Nicole, you're here." The study door opened. Matteo walked out. His face was stern, but the words floating above his head exposed everything:

[Sleek and capable. Now that's a woman who can stand beside me and control the board.]

The three of us sat around the table. Nicole smoothly handed over an encrypted file. She flicked a provocative glance at me.

"Matteo, I'm putting everything into this project. We're bidding for the exclusive trust rights to ‘Corvus', the top risk analyst on the Dark Web. Once we get his algorithms and hedging channels, our family's underground cash flow becomes bulletproof."

She talked business. But her mind shrieked at me:

[Once I snatch the rights to Corvus, let's see what chips you have left to stay by his side.]

[In this family, money and power are the only things that matter.]

I held my tea. I lowered my eyes to hide the cold sneer bleeding through.

Exclusive trust rights? Corvus?

The dark web legend they hunted worldwide, offering insane bounties for just a meeting—sat right across from them, quietly sipping tea.

Four years ago, Matteo frowned and told me, "Sienna, women of the D'Angelo family don't show their faces outside."

For his fragile ego, I shut down my multi-screen terminals. I hid top-tier algorithms. I willingly buried all my fire and stayed locked in this estate as his sweet, obedient wife.

They had no idea. With my dark web partner Chloe working in the shadows, the name "Corvus" already ruled the black market. My calculation fee for a single risk hedge jumped to twelve million dollars.

The dark web god all the Mafia families begged to see was right here in his living room, treated like a clueless, fragile trophy.

"Nicole, this project is crucial. The family backs you one hundred percent." Matteo nodded. Admiration dripped from his eyes.

Nicole smiled like a winner. Smugness practically burst from her face.

I set my teacup down softly. The porcelain clinked with a sharp snap.

No arguments. No screaming. Four years of fake sweetness shattered into dust right here.

"You two take your time. I'm a bit tired."

I stood up. I didn't give the two people at the table a second glance. I walked straight down the hallway.

Nicole left. Silence swallowed the empty hall whole.

I walked to the archway and leaned against the freezing marble pillar. The cold wall pressed against my back. It cleared my mind like never before.

The safe haven I once believed in was nothing but a cage built on hate and scheme.

I closed my eyes slowly. I whispered to myself:

I'm done.

Four years as a docile trophy wife. Done. Finished.