Chapter 2

The picture showed an infant's tiny hand grasping Enzo's finger, his own hand, wearing the family signet ring, wrapped tightly around the small fist.

Though his face wasn't visible, I could still make out the gold script on a folder lying on a marble table: "Gallo Heir Christening & Wedding of the Century."

He had finally gotten what he wanted. He had made his sister-in-law bear him a child, fulfilled his family duty, and now he was going to give her the grandest ceremony.

How ironic.

For seven years, I had been his shadow, his doctor, his secret in the dark.

Camilla didn't just have his name; soon she would have all of him, for the whole world to see.

He had sworn to love only me, but the woman he would marry before God and present to the Five Families was someone else.

Our son's sixth birthday had become a celebration for his other child's birth.

I liked the post and locked my screen.

The last of my bitterness cooled into ash.

"Make a wish, Lucas."

The candlelight flickered.

Lucas didn't close his eyes immediately. Instead, he reached out with his small hand to gently wipe away a tear I hadn't realized had fallen.

"Mamma, don't be sad," he whispered.

"I changed my birthday wish. I don't want a Papa anymore."

"I don't care about being an heir. I have you, and that's enough."

He finally closed his eyes, his lashes casting tiny shadows on his cheeks.

"I want to be with Mamma forever."

My throat tightened. I took out my phone and captured the moment.

The idea of leaving, a seed planted long ago, had finally taken root.

"Okay, Mamma promises."

That night, neither of us mentioned Enzo again.

It was as if this family had only ever been the two of us.

After Lucas fell asleep, I pulled the formal resignation letter I'd already prepared from a drawer.

The last of my hesitation vanished.

Enzo came back at two in the morning.

He brought the sharp chill of the night in with him, mixed with gunpowder, antiseptic, the faint scent of baby formula, and Camilla's perfume.

Seeing the untouched cake on the table, his hand paused as he loosened his tie, a flicker of regret in his eyes.

"Sorry," he said. "I forgot."

He moved to kiss my forehead, but I turned away.

"Camilla has some postpartum depression, and the baby had a fever. I was with them at the safe house."

He said it so matter-of-factly, as if it were his duty and I was expected to understand.

I found it laughable. He had seen the string of reminders on his phone.

Did he truly just ignore them?

Or was the new "Gallo heir" so precious that he could forget everything else?

I pulled out the resignation letter, already turned to the signature page, and held it out to him. My hands were perfectly steady.

"Since you're back, sign this..."

Before I could finish, the encrypted phone in his pocket began to vibrate wildly.

The moment he answered, his second-in-command, Marco, was on the line, his voice panicked.

"Don! There was an incident on the north side. Donna was frightened, the heir won't stop crying..."

Enzo was on his feet in an instant, any trace of guilt he might have felt for me gone.

"Tell her not to be scared. Lock down the scene. I'm on my way."

After hanging up, he didn't even glance at the document. He just grabbed a pen and scrawled his name across the bottom.

"Camilla just had the baby, the elders are watching, and I need to handle the wedding. I'll be at the safe house for a while. I won't be coming back here."

He didn't even ask what the document was.

I took a step back into the shadows and watched his retreating figure.

Enzo, this was your choice.

And you need to remember that you're the one who pushed me away.

The next day, I returned to the estate to organize my final medical files.

To my surprise, Enzo showed up.

He handed me a heavy, black gun case. "A birthday present for Lucas. I was too busy yesterday, I forgot to give it to him."

I paused, then took the case and opened it.

Cold metal glinted inside. It was a realistic replica.

And the one thing Lucas feared more than anything was guns.

When he was four, Enzo had taken him out. They were passing by a trading dock when they were ambushed.

The gunfire and blood had terrified young Lucas so much that he had a high fever for three days.

Since then, even the sound of firecrackers would make him tremble.

And this father, who claimed to love his son, had given him a gun.

"I know he's afraid, but he's my son. A Gallo man can't be a coward."

Enzo didn't notice my stiffness. Instead, he wrapped an arm around my waist and whispered in my ear.

"Aurora, do me a favor."

"The medical facilities at the estate are the best. Camilla's condition, and the newborn's immune system, require an absolutely sterile and quiet environment."

He paused, his eyes holding the same deep affection that had once made me fall for him.

"You don't have to work today. Go home, pack your things, and take Lucas to the city apartment for a while. Okay? For me."

Even though I was prepared, his words still felt like a bullet, piercing straight through my heart.

I looked at him in disbelief.

"So, to make room for Camilla and her child, you're kicking me and our son out?"

"You can't even spare us this small attic?"

Enzo sighed, running his fingers through my hair as if calming a difficult pet.

"How can you call it kicking you out? It's just temporary."

"You know I have no feelings for that woman. But she gave birth to the family's first grandson, and the elders are watching closely. Once the baby gets a little older, I'll send her away, and this place will be yours again."

"Be good, Aurora. Don't make this difficult."

I laughed. It was all so absurd.

He always told me to be good.

Was I supposed to keep being his good little secret? The other woman, the hidden mistress standing in the shadow of his new Donna?

I pushed his hand away. "I understand," I said, looking down and continuing to organize the files on my desk.

"I'll take Lucas and leave as soon as possible. We won't get in your way."

We were leaving anyway. What difference did a little sooner or later make?

Enzo seemed taken aback by how easily I agreed.

After a moment, he leaned in and kissed the corner of my mouth.

"I knew you'd understand. Once this is all over, I'll take you to Paris."

"You know you're the only one for me."

I didn't look up. I just remained silent.

The damage was done. No amount of compensation could undo it.

As for a trip to relax, that wouldn't be necessary.

Back in the attic, I packed our bags as quickly as I could.

With no trace of sentimentality, I took Lucas's hand and walked out the door.

Just as we reached the estate gates, we ran into Enzo driving in.

He had one hand on Camilla's waist, the other carrying a baby carrier, his tenderness a sharp pain in my chest.

The moment our eyes met, I saw a clear flash of panic in his.