I Divorced the Don Who Betrayed Me

Three days later, I brought a stack of transfer papers for several shops in the old quarter to Silvio's study.Bianca had just thrown a fit because the baby wouldn't stop crying.Silvio sent someone to calm her down and impatiently flipped through a few pages."Still sulking about the christening?""Didn't you say I could have whatever I wanted? They're just a few shops."He thought I was finally willing to let money settle things. His face softened, and he signed every page without reading it.He never noticed the divorce agreement tucked under the last transfer document.When I took the papers back, my hands were perfectly steady.I had the signature, but I couldn't leave yet.I still had to freeze our joint accounts, separate the Thorne businesses, secure the court ruling, and plan my escape. All of that took time. If Silvio found out, anyone who sided with me would be treated as a traitor.Until the ruling took effect, I still had to play the Donna of the Nelli family.I handed the

Zoe and I had been friends for twenty years. She was family, even if we didn't share blood.I had lost Renata. I had lost Bruno. I wouldn't lose Zoe too.By the pool, Bianca sat in a chair.Silvio crouched beside her, gently giving her water.Dozens of guards poured bottle after bottle of whiskey into the pool. The sharp smell of alcohol filled the air.Empty bottles piled up beside the pool.Zoe's hands were tied behind her, her mouth taped shut as two guards held her down."Zoe!"I ran toward her, but the guards stopped me."Silvio, let her go!"Silvio looked up and gave me a cold glance."Control yourself, Serafina.""You know what Zoe means to me!""And?"I knew I couldn't fight him right now. I forced my voice to soften."Let her go. Please."Silvio's expression started to soften, but Bianca grabbed his hand, her eyes filling with tears."Don Silvio, let Miss Fontana go. I don't want the Donna to hate you for defending me."Silvio's face darkened."Throw Zoe in."I struggled with

Silvio searched the entire estate and found only a pale mark on the wall where our wedding portrait used to hang.None of my dresses were in the closet. None of the account books I kept were in the study. Even our photo by the bed was gone.Silvio opened every door, but there was nothing left to show I'd ever lived there."Where are her things?"A servant lowered his head. "Donna took what mattered to her. Miss Russo threw out the rest.""Who gave her permission to do that?""You did. You said Miss Russo was in charge of everything."Silvio froze.Then the Marino family delivered a gold plaque with two words engraved on it: HAPPY DIVORCE.The party guests were still there. Every one of them saw the insult.Under the plaque were the divorce agreement, his notarized signature, and the court decree.Silvio tore the documents to pieces."They're fake! I never agreed to a divorce!"Lucas picked up the page with Silvio's signature."She told you clearly at the christening. You were so sure s

This was the Nelli family's secret mountain estate.My phone and jewelry were gone. Only the tracker sewn into my skirt was still working.After our engagement, Dario had ordered the tailor to put a tracker in every dress I owned.I had laughed at him for being paranoid. Now I was glad I'd let him."Zoe never went into cardiac arrest."Silvio did not deny it."You wouldn't give me a chance, so I had to invite you here."When he said "invite," he straightened my collar, deliberately avoiding the restraint marks on my wrists."You used Zoe to lure me here. Is this your idea of making things right?""Stay, and I'll explain everything to the Fontana family."He clapped his hands, and Bianca was dragged in, covered in bruises."You see? I avenged you.""You're the one who deserves the worst punishment."Silvio untied me and held out a dagger."You can punish me however you want. Just forgive me."He placed the handle in my hand, as if one stab could erase everything he'd done.Blood ran dow

Three months later, Dario and I stood before the altar in the Thorne family church.In all that time, Dario had never pressured me to marry him. He'd never touched my money or challenged my authority either.When someone suggested putting my family businesses under the Marino name, Dario refused in front of everyone."Her family name, her power, and her property are hers alone."That was when I finally understood. He wanted to stand beside me, not control me.I chose our wedding date myself.The priest had barely finished asking Dario if he would take me as his wife before Dario answered, "I do.""Serafina Thorne, do you take..."Silvio's roar came from outside the church."She doesn't!"He stormed up the steps with what remained of the Nelli family behind him.The guests did not scream. Marino and Thorne gunmen already guarded every entrance.The shooting lasted less than a minute.None of Silvio's men made it inside. When the gunfire stopped, Silvio was the only one still moving.He