Chapter 2

It took me three whole days to finally move all my things out of Cicio’s house. I was in the middle of packing into the car when he suddenly came home.

The housekeeper was a very sweet woman called Anna. Seeing Cicio's appearance, she hurried to him.

“Don Russo, please, will you talk some sense into our Dani! Couples fight and cold-shoulder each other all the time, and it's supposed to be temporary! I mean, it’s not like you're really breaking up!”

Cicio stood towering over me, saying nothing. The only sound in the house was the ripping of tape under my hands for my cardboard boxes.

A prolonged silence. So long that I thought he was forming speeches to ask me to stay. To stop this nonsense. But Cicio said, “No rush. You don’t have to leave all at once.”

Goddamn him. How could he say it so matter-of-factly, as if nothing had ever happened?

I paused and looked up at the handsome man I had fallen in love with for eight years, and I hated the fact that even now, he still captivated me.

“Cicio, don’t you have anything else to say to me?”

He lowered his head, deep in thought.

“Well, I didn’t know she was pregnant.”

Meaning if he had known, he would never have chosen me back then.

I gave him a small chuckle. Danielle Genarro, you’ve made a fool of yourself once again.

Snap out of it! You are about to be the mother figure of his Mafia!

There was a pang of injustice surging inside me.

WHY? It was him who got someone pregnant, and it was him who ran from the wedding, then why? Why should I be the one who had to slink away like a rat hiding from the light?

I threw down the cardboard box that I was packing, stood up, and charged at him. I slapped him, which triggered something in me, and I just kept at it.

I couldn't stop skapping his face. The slaps landed continuously on his face, and my palm hurt from the force, but the man just tilted his head, staring at me in all my pitiful, messy glory.

“Did that make you happy? Huh?” When I was too overwhelmed to give him a proper answer, he literally turned the other cheek.“Just let it all out. Here, this side of the cheek is yours too.”

Fuck him. Before he could finish the last word, I pressed my lips hard against his.

Cicio stopped for a moment, then cupped the back of my head and returned the force of my greedy lips. The long-Principessaed contact made our eyes blood-stained, as well as our lips. The taste of something metallic filled my mouth.

After we finally managed to part ourselves from each other, I bit my lips, holding back the tears.

“Cicio, what you've done to me, you know, it'd come with a price.”

He stared into my eyes for a long while before saying, “Fine. Whatever you want.”

Whatever I want. Got it.

Ever since that day, Jessica Kolt and her son had officially moved in with Cicio Russo.

She excelled at playing the role of the housewife he had always admired. A good spouse. A good mother. She took her kid to school every single day without ever complaining or bothering Cicio. She did all the house chores and made everything spotless.

After all this, she still had time to prepare for Cicio his favorite homemade snacks and carried them personally to Cicio to where he worked.

Cicio accepted all this silently. It could be for his son’s sake, who knows, that he never even raised his voice in front of Jessica.

Back when we were together, Cicio’s study was strictly forbidden territory for me.

But now Jessica has somehow been granted a special pass there. She would stay there, with her meek smile and snacks, for about two hours every day. That gave people a lot to gossip about.

“I think this might be the one for Mr. Russo.”

“I agree. True love can melt a heart made of stone.”

“I wonder where Danielle Genarro is right now.”

“She was never meant to be with Mr. Russo. It’s all about money and power. She’s her family’s pawn. Mr. Russo should’ve been with Principessa Kolt all along if the Genarro girl hadn’t shown up and made all this mess.”

One day, I was sent by my family for some important errands at the Russo residence, and I accidentally ran into Jessica. She just came out of that once forbidden study to me.

The door was ajar, and through the crack I saw Cicio. He was half-naked and flushed all over his skin. His eyes met mine and dropped. I saw something like ashamed panic flicker in there for a moment.

It occurred to me that Cicio never touched me that way at all. I always thought that it’s his nature. That he just couldn’t let himself be touched with that level of steaming lust.

Turned out that he just couldn’t be touched by me. He’s waiting for someone other than me.

Jessica stepped in my way and blocked the view into Cicio’s study.

“Principessa Genarro, I’m sorry but you can’t go in there.” She said, “To be honest, it’s very rude of you to barge in like this, at a moment like this. Cicio is with me now. I don’t know what you want, but Cicio isn’t yours to take now. Please leave.”

She got some nerve. I chuckled.

“Cicio was going to marry me. We were literally having a wedding before you came and ruined it. To me, you are nothing but a cheap homewrecker who got knocked up.”

Jessica tried to suppress her emotion, but she was tearing up all right. “You were the one who wrecked our home! You ruined my love with Cicio!”

“Keep telling yourself that.” I sneered. She was so delusional.

“I don’t have to tell myself that. I can see that.” A color of triumph tinged her cheeks. “I have a son to prove my love for Cicio. He loved me enough to let me keep his son and to be the father of my son. ”

Cicio came out properly dressed. He was once again the cool and controlled himself. He strolled into the heated confrontation, then he took side.

“Dani, please leave. And don’t come back here again.”

I was flabbergasted.

“There’s no us anymore. I won’t take you back ever again.”

To me, this was like a loud and clear declaration of war. All the old sympathy and compassion were blown away by the cold wind of his words. I could see it now: he was not worth it.

I straightened my face and cleared my throat, trying to keep the sadness out, and dropped the bomb.

“It has nothing to do with us. I am here to represent my family. We want to cut ties with you. We are not partners anymore, and we will stop offering you any protection all at once.”

Dead silence.

“By the way, stop with the midnight slot porno. It sucks.” On my way out, I turned around and took a glimpse at Cicio. The dark shade in his eyes and the white knuckles on his fists satisfied me.