Chapter 2

By midnight, I was burning with fever, drifting in and out of consciousness as I leaned against the wall. The wound on my arm had become infected, oozing pus and giving off a strange, foul smell.

I'd lost all sense of time. I didn't know how long had passed before the holding cell door finally opened.

I struggled to pry my eyes open and found Antonio walking in. When he saw the state I was in, his brow furrowed, a flicker of concern crossing his face. When he spoke, though, all I got was another lecture.

"You only got shot in the arm, but Camilla nearly died. Since you've both hurt each other, I'd say you're even now. Just try to get along from here on out.

"I really don't understand how you changed so much. You used to tolerate all the other women I saw. Now I've narrowed it down to just Camilla, and suddenly, you can't handle it?

"Why can't you be more like her? Look how understanding she is. She knows you're injured, and even though she needs care herself, she still sent me to check on you."

As he spoke, Antonio reached out to examine my wound, but I instinctively pulled away. His touch made me sick.

Back when he was cycling through lovers like they were nothing, I hadn't stayed quiet.

The first time, I caught him in bed with another woman at a hotel. I set the room on fire. Antonio called the police and had me arrested for arson.

The upper-class ladies of New Wis mocked me for a year.

The second time, he was having a candlelit dinner with another woman at a hotel where I happened to be discussing a business deal with another family Boss. I threw my wine in the mistress's face.

Antonio then had his men throw me into the aquarium nearby. My clothes were soaked through and practically see-through. The indecent photos from that night still circulated in our circles to this day.

After enough failed attempts at fighting back, I went numb. I hadn't become more tolerant. I was just exhausted and didn't want to deal with it anymore.

Mamma's health was failing. She survived on medication alone, clinging to life. All I wanted was to protect her and live quietly for whatever time she had left.

But fate had other plans. Mamma couldn't fight the cancer, and she left me.

I thought giving in would buy me some peace. Instead, it only encouraged them to take more. They wouldn't even leave Mamma's body and belongings alone.

I looked at the man in front of me with guarded eyes, my expression blank. "Fine, you scattered my mamma's ashes. But what about the necklace she always wore?

"I put it in the urn with her. You must have taken that too. Give it back."

It was the last thing Nonna had left Mamma. She'd worn it around her neck her entire life, never once taking it off.

Following her wishes, I'd planned to bury the necklace with her ashes. I never expected this to happen.

But Antonio looked completely baffled, like I was being ridiculous. "Your mother is resting comfortably at the care facility in the suburbs. As for her necklace, I've never even seen it.

"Don't tell me you're jealous because I bought Camilla that emerald necklace at the auction last week. Is that why you won't let this go?

"And since when do you talk about your own mother like that? You used to be so devoted to her. Martina, you're truly vicious."

A chill ran through me. I had no desire to argue with him anymore. "Since you don't believe me, there's nothing left to say. Let's get a divorce."

The moment the words left my mouth, Antonio grabbed my collar like a madman. "Enough, Martina. I don't want to hear that word again."

I watched the fury build in his eyes and couldn't understand it. There was clearly no love left between us. So, why wouldn't he agree to divorce me?

If it wasn't about feelings, then it had to be about money.

"Antonio, if we divorce, I'm entitled to half your assets. Are you really that worried about losing your precious fortune?

"But don't forget, without me, the Gatti family wouldn't be what it is today. How many rivals have I eliminated for you over the years? How many spies have I rooted out?"

I still remembered what Antonio told me when we first got married. He said what was his was mine, and if he ever betrayed me, I could take everything and leave him with nothing.

But clearly, once he stopped loving me, those promises meant nothing.

Antonio's face darkened. Whatever concern he'd felt for me earlier vanished completely, replaced by the familiar disgust.

Just then, a doctor appeared at the door to inform him that Camilla had woken up and was insisting on having dinner with him.

Antonio gave the doctor curt instructions to treat my wounds, then turned and left without hesitation. Before he walked out, he issued one final warning. "Play your role as Signora Gatti and stop looking for trouble."

He didn't hear what the doctor said after examining my wound.

"Good God, how did it get this bad? If we'd waited any longer to treat this, you might have lost the use of this arm entirely."