He Lost His Donna Forever

"Mamma?" Leone's soft, hesitant voice dragged me back to the present.He then lifted his head, his eyes brimming with worry while asking, "Why are you crying, Mamma?"It was only then that I noticed my tears had drenched my clothes. I kneeled before him and pulled his thin frame into a tight embrace. "I'm going to leave Papa and plan to take you with me. Do you want to come with me, Leone?" Leone's expression froze, his eyes welling up with tears in an instant. "Why? Please don't leave Papa, Mamma. He really loves us—he's just too busy for us right now…"I felt a sharp stabbing pain after hearing that. It was heartbreaking that a five-year-old had already learned to justify his father's neglect. Dante surely "loved" us—but that love couldn't buy medicine, it couldn't provide warmth, and it was utterly useless when it came to saving a life in a moment of crisis.I brushed the tears from his cheeks and said, "I'll make a wager with you, Leone—let's see whose door Papa goes to first

It was three days later when Leone finally turned a corner. I carried him back to the estate, only to find Dante pacing restlessly in the living room.He walked up to me in long strides and asked, "Where have you been, Elena? Do you realize how many of our rivals are lurking in the shadows right now? How could you take Leone out on your own?""Leone was burning up with a fever, so I took him to the hospital," I replied flatly, my voice frighteningly calm.Dante's expression shifted sharply. "Why didn't you call me then?"I gave a short, humorless laugh. "You want me to call you, huh? What is Leone's life worth when measured against Lucia, your darling 'daughter,' Dante?"Dante reached out for Leone, only for the latter to recoil into my embrace, trembling with fear. He froze for a moment and said softly, "I had no idea Leone was ill, too. Lucia's situation was just so critical then—"I cut him off, saying, "It's always about Lucia, Dante. Do you even remember Leone's birthday? Do

"Where are we going, Mamma?" Leone curled into himself in the spacious first-class seat; his knees still throbbed from the punishment, causing him to limp slightly when he walked. I pressed a kiss to his pale cheek and replied, "You see, we're going to a place with plenty of sunshine, where no one will force you to kneel or take your chocolate away, Leone."Leone watched the clouds rushing past the window and asked softly, "What about Papa?"I replied softly, "He's staying with the 'family' of his choice."…Third Person Point-of-ViewIn the meantime, over at the Moretti headquarters in Benhatten, Dante sat in his leather chair, surrounded by a stack of headache-inducing ledgers. He couldn't help but feel that his heart rate had been unusually high since morning, while a creeping dread gradually surged within him.In that instant, his trusted confidant slipped into the room and said, "Ms. Sofia's asking for you, Don Moretti, saying Ms. Lucia refuses to sleep until you read her

I immediately cut Dante off, tightening my grip on Leone's hand. "You want to make up to us, huh? Leone's knees still ache whenever the weather turns, Dante. "Where were you when he was kneeling in the scorching sun, begging you to believe him, Dante? You were busy sipping coffee with Sofia. Where were you when Leone passed out from a high fever while I was stuck in a downpour with no help in sight? You were with Sofia and Lucia."Your 'love' is built on our suffering. You weren't a fit husband, and you certainly weren't a fit father, Dante."Dante faltered, his body trembling slightly. "How could you just let go of our decade-long relationship, Elena?"I looked Dante in the eyes and stated flatly, "It wasn't love; it was just me fooling myself. If you really want to do us a favor, then please stay out of our lives for good—do not interfere with Leone's education or bring your filth to my studio, Dante." I led Leone around Dante and walked directly into the apartment building, s