I Was Already Gone When He Decided to Love Me

By the time I returned to my Manhattan apartment, it was already deep into the night.I booked a random hotel, washed up, and fell into a dazed sleep.In the early hours of the morning, I was jolted awake by a frantic phone call.My boss sounded both anxious and excited.“Elena, something’s happened in the East District. The Vitale and Lanza families are exchanging fire at a church on the outskirts. I know that’s your fiancé’s territory, but if you can get an exclusive shot…”She did not finish. I had already hung up.Carlo would never let me anywhere near that place.However, I had to go precisely because of that.I unlocked my phone screen.Then, I saw Sophia’s latest post on social media.It was just one photo.In it, Sophia’s hand was wrapped in Carlo’s large one, with wedding rings on both of their ring fingers.My eyes landed on the old scar on Carlo’s arm.Something in my dead, silent heart still ached violently.That scar was from when Carlo, at eighteen, protecte

Palermo, Sicily.The Lanza family estate sat by the sea. It had white walls, blue shutters, and a yard filled with lemon trees.Don Lanza came to receive me in person.He was already in his seventies. His hair was completely white, yet his posture was straight and his gaze sharp.The first thing he said when he saw me was, “You look like your mother, but your eyes are stronger than hers.”His wife had passed away years ago, and he had no children.Everyone in the family called him ‘Don’. After I arrived, they began calling me ‘Principessa’.The early days were not easy.I had nightmares almost every night of Carlo’s face, Sophia’s smile, and the harsh white light of the operating room.One night, I woke up screaming.Don Lanza was sitting by my bed and handed me a glass of warm water.He said, “Child, wounds will heal. But first, you have to let them scar over.”He taught me how to handle family affairs, how to read people, and how to protect myself.I learned how to use a

Sophia’s mother snapped completely, screaming hysterically, “Stop! Let go of my daughter, you murderers! Sophia has always been innocent! You two are ones who hurt Elena! What does it have to do with us?!”Carlo’s entire body trembled at her words. Then, he let out a bitter laugh and nodded.“Yeah, we were always the ones hurting Elena.”He thought back to that day when he pushed Elena to the ground.The bullet pierced her abdomen.She was still looking at him when she fell.However, he never once looked back.A sharp, ruthless glint suddenly surfaced in his eyes.He made a call to the family council’s encrypted line.Three days later, the Vitale family council held a closed-door meeting.Carlo submitted everything from the USB drive.There were records from the church school, fake financial documents, and recorded conversations of Sophia’s family plotting together.The council ruled that all of the Rossi family patriarch’s assets would be absorbed by the family.My father

The next day, I went out to attend my best friend’s wedding.She had been my closest friend since high school.Back then, when Sophia manipulated the whole class into isolating and bullying me, she was the only one who stayed by my side.During my two days back in the country, I also heard from various people about what had happened to Sophia and her parents.My friend told me that half a year ago, Carlo learned the truth and destroyed Sophia’s face after I left.As for Sophia’s parents, they tried to continue making a scene, but Carlo did not give them the chance. He made them disappear from New York entirely.After finishing her story, my friend heaved a sigh and said earnestly, “That’s why you can’t do bad things. Karma really does come around.”I smiled, took a bite of mousse, and replied, “Yeah, exactly.”She leaned in curiously when she saw how calm I was.“You don’t know this, but Carlo went crazy looking for you that day. He asked everyone who knew you.“When he found

Epilogue: Carlo’s Final LetterCarlo hid this letter in a file he left with his lawyer, with instructions that it be delivered to me only after he was cremated.Following his wishes, the lawyer brought me the letter one week after his funeral. It was without an envelope, tied only with a black ribbon.When I opened it, soft rain was falling outside the window, just like the night my mother died years ago.I read it word by word, my fingers brushing over the signature at the bottom—the one that had once made my heart race, and later shattered it.[Elena.][If you’re reading this, it means I’m gone.][I don’t ask for your forgiveness.][I only wanted to tell you a few things.][First, I went to visit our child. The burial plot was in my name, but I’ve transferred it to you. I’m sorry, but I wanted him to know he wasn’t unloved.][Second, I found out the truth. Your mother was driven to her death by Sophia’s family. I made them pay. Still, I know it’s not enough. It will never b