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Chapter 4

Author: Cookie
My phone vibrated in my handbag. Carolina Rino's name lit up the screen.

She ran Southern Morfhugen's most extensive smuggling route and was my best friend from back when we struggled to survive in Borwyn.

As soon as I answered the call, her furious voice boomed through the speaker.

"Has Adriano gone nuts? He's totally disrespecting you! Word from the Famiglia says he and that brat, Viviana, are flaunting their affection for each other at the underground auction!

"You two swore your loyalty to each other. How dare he put the tiara befitting the Donna on someone else? Besides, I remember today's the day you—"

She paused abruptly.

I was momentarily dazed. Carolina was right. Seven years ago today, Adriano and I had made our way out of the Borwyn slums alive after he had taken three bullets for me. Covered in blood, he dropped to one knee and proposed to me.

But ever since Viviana joined the Famiglia, all her endless "emergencies" had ruined our wedding plans year after year. I'd grown so numb to it by now that I'd completely forgotten about it until Adriano brought it up earlier.

I calmly picked up my mug of coffee, which had gone cold by now. "Relax, Carolina."

"How am I supposed to relax?" barked Carolina, banging a fist on the table. "That ruby tiara belonged to the Ireily royal Famiglia in the 19th century. Everyone in Neother City's mafia knows that only the Donna is worthy of wearing it!

"He bid 120 million dollars for it and personally placed it on his Underboss' head! All 12 Capos were at the scene, and you're now a laughingstock!"

She breathed heavily. Then, she asked hesitantly, "Emma, be honest with me. What are you planning to do? If the Council of Elders finds out he's humiliated you like this, they will definitely take action. Do you want me to step in and demand that they put an end to your relationship?"

Staring at my reflection in the mug, I chuckled. "Carolina, there's no need for that."

The other end of the line fell silent.

Then, she asked in a trembling voice, "Why?"

"He's postponed our wedding 18 times without even asking me," I said, clutching my phone tightly. "Whether in the archbishop's records or according to Neother City's laws, I've never been Adriano's legal wife. I'm just the Consigliere who's been taking care of his accounts for seven years, nothing more.

"I submitted my resignation to Edoardo yesterday. I'll leave Neother City tomorrow."

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