Chapter 4

I could clearly see Tony freeze the moment he heard the words "late-stage leukemia”.

He snatched the diagnosis report from her hands. After reading it, the anger in his eyes instantly dissolved into shock, pain, and regret.

"How did this happen? When did it start?

"Don't cry. I’ll contact the best doctors in the world. No matter how much it costs, we’ll get you cured!"

Sasha shook her head and cried, then collapsed weakly into his arms.

"It's useless... The doctors said there's no saving me. Tony, I don't want treatment. I just want you to stay with me and accompany me through the last part of my life. Please?"

Tony's eyes turned red. He held Sasha tightly, his voice hoarse.

"Okay. I’ll stay with you. Whatever you want to do, I’ll be there."

Sasha stopped crying, lifted her face, and kissed him.

Tony didn't push her away. Instead, he pulled her in and kissed her harder, more desperately than he had in the car.

He didn’t let go until Sasha was almost out of breath.

When I saw he was about to head back inside, I immediately went downstairs and sat at the dining table, drinking milk as if I had been there the whole time.

My heart felt complicated at that moment. It was hard to name the feeling.

When Tony entered, his expression was something I'd never seen before, with sorrow and guilt all over his face.

"Claire, I need to go abroad. I might be gone for some time. There’s serious family business that I have to handle personally. Take care of yourself while I’m away."

I nodded. “Okay."

Seeing that I took the news well, he relaxed. He quickly packed a bag and left.

I watched his figure disappear, then glanced at the calendar.

Maybe this would be the last time I ever saw him.

That afternoon, I received a multimedia message from Sasha.

It showed her in a hospital gown, lying in a bed. Tony sat beside her, holding her hand, his gaze full of tenderness.

[Claire, did you see? I only had to pretend to be sick, and Tony was ready to give his life for me. And I'm pregnant. When I tell him the diagnosis was a mistake, he’ll probably be thrilled. You, the decorative wife, should step aside. Don't get in the way!]

So his business trip was just to accompany another woman.

The heir of the Gambinos being led around by a woman this way was ridiculous.

Fortunately, I had no children. That meant I could leave cleanly, without anything tying me down.

For the next two days, Tony didn't call or even leave a message.

I used the time to remove everything of mine from the villa, leaving only a small suitcase.

On the day I was to leave, Curtis was already waiting outside at dawn.

As the car drove onto the highway, the morning news played on the radio.

"The city's two largest mafia families, the Rizzos and the Gambinos, broke into violent conflict last night, with heavy casualties on both sides. The Rizzos’ leader was killed on the scene..."

My heart skipped.

The Rizzos were who Sasha used to work under, back when she was in the nightclub.

Just then, I got another message from Sasha. This time, it was a video.

Tony was covered in blood, yet he was smiling at her.

"Sasha, didn't you hate the Rizzos for how they treated you? I took care of all of them. No one will ever hurt you again. This is my first gift to you."

Then another message followed.

[See that, Claire? For me, he’d start a war! What about you? What do you have to compare to me?

[Oh, and he already proposed to me. We're getting married today at the Sacred Heart Chapel on the outskirts. He said he wants the whole world to know I’m the one he truly loves.]

This time, I replied.

[Congratulations. I wish you a lifetime of happiness together.]

Then I removed my SIM card, snapped it in half, and threw it out the window.

"Proceed as planned, Curtis,” I said to him in the front seat.

At the same time, at the Sacred Heart Chapel.

The wedding march played as Sasha, in a wedding dress, held Tony’s arm as they walked toward the altar. Her face was glowing with pride.

Just as the priest lifted the Bible to begin the vows, the large display screen for the ceremony flickered, interrupted by a breaking news broadcast.

"Breaking news. Ten minutes ago, a woman jumped from the Cross-Sea Bridge. Her condition is currently unknown. Initial identification confirms she is Claire Vega, wife of Tony Gambino, heir of the Gambinos..."

The reporter's calm voice echoed through the chapel, and the color instantly drained from Tony’s face.

The diamond ring in his hand slipped and hit the marble floor with a sharp clang, rolling down the cold marble floor.