Chapter 3

I turned away to brush the tears from my eyes, while Leone kept his head down in silence.

Dante marched toward us and hoisted Leone into the air with one arm, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Did you miss me, Leone?"

Leone turned as stiff as a statue in Dante's arms.

Dante nuzzled Leone's face with his stubble, teasing, "Have you gotten upset with me, Leone? You know, I've brought you a gift. Do you want it, Leone?"

I looked on, disgusted by the familiar routine. In my past life, Dante always managed to use a few cheap, affectionate gestures to manipulate Leone into forgetting every bit of mistreatment he had suffered.

In this life, Leone was no longer the same. He asked softly, "Did you bring the limited-edition model you promised me, Papa?"

Dante froze for a split second before reaching out to pat Leone's head. "I could only get Lucia's dresses since that thing got stuck at customs. I'll definitely get it for you next time, Leone."

Leone asked tentatively, "W-What about the chocolate, Papa?"

Dante fished a flattened candy out of his pocket and said, "Lucia has such a sweet tooth, so I let her have the chocolate. I kept this one aside especially for you, though, Leone."

I noticed that Leone's gaze was fixed on that crushed sweet, his lips pursed tightly together. I knew that look all too well—it was born from a disappointment so deep there were no words left to say.

Dante turned his attention to me, his eyes resting briefly on my home clothes, which had turned pale from too many washes. "I'll arrange for a collection of next season's dresses to be delivered next month—deep blue suits you."

I pulled at the corner of my mouth, the gesture devoid of any real joy. I had heard that line far too often to believe it. In my past life, those promised dresses invariably ended up hanging in Sofia's dressing room instead of mine.

It was time for dinner, and we had nothing but a humble plate of pasta, served without so much as a spoonful of sauce.

Dante furrowed his brow and asked, "Why are you guys only having these? Where's the chef?"

"Sofia sent for the chef to run a rehearsal for Lucia's birthday dinner," I replied calmly as I served the pasta to Leone.

"Didn't I just—" Dante stopped mid-sentence, his expression turning slightly awkward. "I'll make sure the accountants allocate more funds to your account tomorrow."

I remained silent, offering no reply. I knew exactly how this story ended—by tomorrow, that "allocated fund" would somehow transform into a brand-new sports car for Sofia.

Sofia's voice came through the door, punctuated by a knock. "Lucia thinks she heard something scary in her room, so she's absolutely terrified right now. Do you think you can go keep her company, Dante? You know how vulnerable she's been ever since Damiano passed away…"

Dante got to his feet without hesitation.

I grabbed his sleeve and said, "Leone is running a slight fever tonight."

Dante didn't stop, his feet already carrying him out of the room. "Leone's a boy; a fever will only toughen up his resistance. Lucia, on the other hand, is a girl; she's fragile and easily frightened."

Leone asked softly once the door closed, "Can I sleep with you tonight, Mamma?"

I held Leone's small, cold feet close to my body, listening to the rain pounding outside. I couldn't sleep all night, and as dawn broke, I noticed that Leone's temperature had spiked to a terrifying degree.

"Leone's burning up, Dante!" I cried out again and again, but the only response was a haunting silence. I threw the door open, only to find the room empty—Dante was gone.

It was then that the bodyguard stated flatly, "Don Moretti has escorted Ms. Sofia to the private hospital before dawn, Donna Moretti. Ms. Lucia felt unwell in the middle of the night, and Don Moretti was frantic with worry."

I suddenly felt my surroundings going dark for a second. "Get the car ready—I'm heading to the hospital now!"

"I'm sorry, Donna Moretti, but Don Moretti has left with all the doctors and armored cars."

I couldn't wait any longer. I had spent an entire lifetime waiting before, and it ended with Leone's cold body in my arms. I bundled Leone into a raincoat and threw myself into the Novayork storm. I ran toward the main road, stumbling as I tried to flag down a cab.

It was then that a car suddenly pulled up in front of me, and the driver, a young man wearing glasses and appearing like an ordinary office worker, asked, "Do you need help, ma'am?"

"I beg you… I need you to take me to the hospital—my son is burning up."

I arrived at the hospital and walked through the hallway that felt like a freezer before the nurse took the unconscious Leone and asked with a furrowed brow, "Do you have a medical insurance card? You can pay a five-thousand-dollar deposit first if you don't have one."

I was about to say something when I overheard other nurses walking by, talking.

"Did you hear what happened? It was said that the Don of the Moretti famiglia took over the whole VIP floor upstairs. He's got the place on total lockdown and summoned a bunch of world-class specialists—all of that just because his daughter is sick!"

"I heard it's just a minor stomach bug, but he's still pouring a fortune into her care. I'm honestly so envious of her."

I felt a sudden, heavy dread settling in my chest after hearing that. I scrambled through my pockets, coming up with nothing but a handful of small bills; after all, Dante had cut me off, freezing my accounts for my own "protection" while he poured our wealth into Sofia's endless demands.

I gritted my teeth, took off the wedding ring that symbolized my status as the Donna, and threw it onto the counter. "Is this enough to cover it?"

I heard the crisp, metallic ring echoing as the diamond hit the tray. I used to treasure that piece of jewelry above all else, but at that moment, I felt nothing for the ring—and even less for Dante. I was only focused on Leone, thinking that I would take him and leave this place for good once he had recovered.