Chapter 1

Maeve’s POV

My Don husband had neglected me for ten years. Before I even noticed, I’d become the invisible wife who stayed home, did the chores, while my husband took his secretary to every event—introducing her like she was his equal.

This year, on our tenth anniversary night, a stunning dress and necklace were delivered to the house. I thought, maybe Adrian finally remembered. Maybe this year, he’d take me to the annual mafia ball and introduce me as his Donna.

I tried on the dress. It was a little tight, but I didn’t care. I was happy.

Then Adrian came home. His voice cracked like a whip through the room. “The dress is not for you!”

The smile froze on my lips. “Then… whose is it?”

Adrian let out a breath—exasperated, annoyed. “It’s for Viola. Jesus, can you not start drama in the house for once?”

My throat went dry. I hadn’t started anything. I just—

“I had that tailor work on this for weeks. Now look at it—your bloated body stretched the seams. I can’t even gift it to her anymore. How the hell am I supposed to take her to the annual ball tomorrow?”

I looked down. The dress clung awkwardly to my frame. I initially thought maybe there was a mistake with the size. But no—turns out the mistake was me.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, dropping my gaze like a scolded child. “I thought… it was an anniversary gift.”

He laughed—cold, humorless. “Gift? Why would I get you a gift? What exactly have you done to deserve one? All you do is mop the floors and fold laundry.”

His words slammed into me harder than a fist ever could.

For a long moment, I just stared at him—my husband—looked exactly the same as the day we got married. Sharp jaw, cold eyes, always in control. But those eyes no longer held love in them.

I was top of my class before I married Adrian. A student with a promising future in medicine. My professor had even arranged for me to study under one of the most renowned surgeons in the country—on the condition that I transfer to Europe.

Then Adrian proposed.

He begged me not to go. Told me he couldn’t imagine a life without me. That he wanted us to build a future together. That all it would take was one small sacrifice—for the sake of our family.

Naive as I was, I believed him. I stayed and gave up everything I’d worked for.

“You’ll be my Donna,” he’d promised. “The only one.”

So when he asked me to help around the house—“Just for a little while,” he said.

I said yes, again.

I stayed home. I built a life around his needs. I kept the house spotless, cooked his meals and gave him a son—bright, charming, the kind of boy any father should’ve been proud of.

But being introduced as his Donna? That never happened.

Not once did he take me to one of those parties. We never even stepped out in public together.

When I asked Adrian, he always told me to wait—Wait for the right moment. Wait until he climbed higher. Wait until the world could see me the way he claimed he did.

So again, I trusted him. I waited.

And yet here I was. Ten years later. Reduced to nothing more than a maid in my own home. Not even worth a gift on our anniversary.

When had the man who said he will love me forever stopped seeing me?

“Adrian,” I said softly, willing my voice not to break, “Tonight’s our tenth anniversary…”

He didn’t even look at me when he replied. “And I was expecting you to have matured by now. Haven’t I told you—being married to me means supporting everything I do? I get enough stress outside these walls. I don’t need it inside my home too.”

He finally turned, gaze cutting. “If only you could be more like Viola—helpful, or at the very least, make me look good in front of the other Dons. Not stumbling around like some clumsy burden, making everything harder.”

I stood straighter. My hands were trembling, but I didn’t back down.

“I helped, Adrian. You told me not to hire a maid. You said it was too dangerous to let outsiders near your business. So I handled everything at the house. I washed…”

Adrian’s jaw tightened. His irritation flared, hot and sharp.

“Well, I didn’t mean for you to get fat and dress like someone’s grandmother,” he snapped. “Look at you. Do you even recognize yourself in the mirror anymore? Do you really think I can take you out, introduce you as my Donna?”

He let out a bitter laugh, eyes raking over me like I was something broken.

“They’d mock us both,” he said coldly. “I won’t let you bring shame to the Kane name.”