เข้าสู่ระบบWhen he saw me, pure, unhidden ecstasy exploded in Jax's dead eyes.He thought I went soft. He thought the high-and-mighty Queen of Wall Street still couldn't let go of a ten-year romance.I turned around blankly and led him into an empty private lounge in the hotel. The door shut, cutting off the noise outside.Jax stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his hands."Alessia..." He looked at me carefully, his voice shaking. "Do you... do you still hate me?"I walked to the bar and poured myself a glass of ice water."When I first saw the photos of you and Bianca hooking up on that yacht, yes, I hated you." I held my glass, completely calm. "Now? I don't. To hate you, I'd have to feel something for you first. And I feel nothing."At those words, the light in Jax's eyes died, inch by inch.He closed his eyes in agony. His tall frame slumped onto the sofa like all his strength had been drained."I deserve this..." He covered his face bitterly, finally ripping off the vain mask
The Sicilian sun was as blinding as ever.Outside the VIP lane at Palermo Airport, I was waiting for an invited top-tier architecture critic.Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a desperately familiar, wretched figure.Unshaven, wearing a wrinkled, old suit, his eyes completely dead.It was Jax.I hadn't seen him in a year. But Isla gave me weekly updates on his miserable life.Under Isla's iron fist, Jax and Bianca's lives at Apex were a living hell. In just two months, Bianca couldn't take the pressure and quit.She turned totally feral, hounding Jax to cash out her shares and give her the allowance he promised. Jax, having lost all his power, refused to pay a dime.They literally fought in the office, becoming the biggest joke in Chicago's business world.Eventually, after missing targets for quarters on end, Isla used the gambling agreement to kick Jax out. He was utterly ruined.Desperate, he took his last bit of cash and Bianca into high-risk investments, losing every single p
The jet landed smoothly on a private tarmac in Sicily.The cabin doors opened, and the blazing Mediterranean sun poured in, instantly chasing away the last shadows of Chicago.Waiting at the bottom of the stairs was my father—Don Marco, the most feared Godfather in Sicily.Beside him stood a man who commanded the space around him.My rumored arranged fiancé. The youngest reigning Don of the North American Five Families—Dante.He wore a perfectly tailored midnight-black custom suit, one hand tucked into his pocket. His power wasn't forced like Jax's. It was deep. Dangerous. An elegance that was bone-deep."Welcome home, my girl." My father stepped forward and hugged me tight.Then, Dante closed the distance with long strides.He didn't look at me with the arrogant eyes of a man sizing up a trophy. Instead, his gaze was full of predatory appreciation, like he was admiring a priceless masterpiece."The Queen of Wall Street. I've heard a lot about you." Dante reached out his hand, his voic
Jax froze. Utterly thunderstruck.64%? From where?He lunged at the desk, flipping through the stamped transfer agreements with shaking hands.Bam!Isla's bodyguard stepped forward, grabbing Jax by the shoulder and forcing him back down."See it clearly now?" Isla sneered, her eyes full of contempt. "From now on, I call the shots at Apex. As for you, Jax, you are officially stripped of all management rights. Pack your shit and go home."Jax stared dead at the signatures. He snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot."Alessia! Are you out of your mind?!" he roared like a madman. "You sold everything we built for five years?!"I looked down at his pathetic, furious face and laughed coldly."Jax, if you can generously hand over 15% of your shares to your mistress as payment for her services, I can legally transfer my 49% to my best friend." I looked at him, twisting the knife. "Didn't you always say I think too small? It's just five hundred million. For a big CEO like you, it shouldn't matt
Jax frowned hard.He stared at me, looking for any sign of a bluff. But my unwavering eyes made a flash of panic strike his heart.He knew me too well. I never lose when I make up my mind.That hidden fear made him change tactics. He walked around the desk to my side, his voice softening, trying his usual manipulation."Alessia, please stop this." Jax sighed, reaching out for my shoulder. "Our ten-year anniversary is in a few days. I'll arrange the engagement party. After this quarter, I'll make time to go to Sicily with you, okay?"Back to Sicily.My nose stung as memories flooded in.Back in the day, in the crappiest apartment in this city. I huddled on a broken sofa, leaning in Jax's arms, sharing my wildest ambitions.I told him how I was killing myself to build a clean fortune, so one day I could rebuild the old district where my family started in Sicily.I wanted to turn that blood-soaked land into a thriving commercial hub. I wanted to wash the Valeriano family clean and bring b
Jax leaned over my desk, flashing that arrogant, pitying smirk."Don't look at me like that, Alessia. Even if you give up your shares, I'll still marry you. You're my wife, Alessia. The only one."He even reached out to touch my cheek, but I turned my head away.He didn’t care. He pulled his hand back and kept making empty promises: "I'll double your monthly allowance. You can shop and go to the spa all you want. Bianca knows her place. She will never challenge your position in the house."He was playing God. His sick little game.I looked at this familiar yet foreign face. Bile rose in my throat."Wipe that disgusting look off your face, Jax," I glared at him coldly. "You don't deserve me."Jax's face darkened instantly. His mask slipped as anger took over."Have it your way." He stood up straight and sneered. "Since you're so damn proud, sign it!"Bianca couldn't hold back anymore. She pulled out her phone and eagerly hit play."I bet my 49% shares in Apex... If he gives it to you, I







