Chapter 1

Natalina's POV

The sheets were a tangled mess, so it was all too easy to picture what had happened just moments before.

I took a deep breath and looked at Antonio Ragusa, doing my best to stay calm, "Didn't we have an agreement, Antonio? You can play around all you want, but you're not allowed to bring them home.

"Besides, you clearly know what day today is."

Antonio chuckled indifferently and struck a match to light a cigar. "There was a shootout downtown last night. It wasn't safe, so I brought her home to lay low."

His words startled the woman, who scrambled to throw her clothes back on, looking at me with absolute terror.

"Please don't blame me, Donna Natalina. I swear I'll never do it again, and I'll leave right now."

I helplessly looked down and noticed that her clothes were torn to shreds, so I dug out a set of my own for her.

"It's fine. You may leave, and I don't blame you."

Over the last few years, such incidents had happened far too many times to count. Antonio used to come up with believable excuses, but now, his lies were half-hearted and lazy.

Besides, this woman looked so young. She was likely the daughter of a subordinate, offered to Antonio in hopes of securing a few days of wealth and privilege. If anything, she was just another pitiable victim.

After having the butler send her away, I had the housekeepers replace all the furniture in the room. The mere thought of what they had done in here made me sick.

Standing on the balcony, I watched as the housekeepers moved in and out of the room.

Antonio walked over and wrapped his arms around me, murmuring, "You've grown so grounded lately, Natalina. Now, you're becoming more and more like the Donna I've always envisioned."

Satisfied with my compliance, he planted a kiss on my cheek and took out a necklace. "You liked this at the auction. It's a reward for being so well-behaved lately and a gift for our fifth wedding anniversary."

With that, he fastened the necklace around my neck and looked down at me with traces of gentleness in his eyes. "There, there. We've been married for years now. Don't let something so minor ruin your mood.

"Let me take you to watch the fireworks."

When I heard him say that, tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

I pulled away from his touch, reached into my bag, and took out the divorce papers I had long prepared. "Let's get a divorce, Antonio."

Antonio froze when his eyes fell on the divorce papers, then burst out laughing.

"What new stunt is this, Natalina Corradini? Our Famiglie's shipping routes and port operations have been tied together for years, so how could we possibly get divorced?

"Besides, you're pregnant with my child."

His expression darkened as he continued, "This conversation ends here, and quit causing trouble for me. You know I hate difficult women."

Back then, Papa had never approved of Antonio. He thought Antonio was cunning and treacherous, but I had been too blinded by love to listen.

To marry Antonio and convince Papa to put his objections aside—thus allowing our Famiglie to work together—I had begged on my knees. I had even sworn on my life that Antonio was a man worthy of trust.

Only then did Papa agree and sign an alliance with Antonio, binding our Famiglie closer than ever before. A strict clause in that alliance explicitly forbade me from divorcing Antonio while the treaty was active.

Back then, Antonio had showered me with endless promises to love and cherish me forever, but I caught him cheating just a month after our wedding.

When he noticed I had seen everything, he looked at me with cold indifference and said, "Stop making a scene, Natalina. Our Famiglie have signed an alliance, so even if I cheat on you, you can't divorce me. You're locked with me for the rest of your life."

I knew he was telling the truth, and there was nothing I could do. I tried staging a hunger strike for days in protest, but it was futile. Not only did it fail to earn Antonio's sympathy, but it also made him bolder, to the point where he brought his mistress home the next day.

Antonio was certain I could never leave him, but he had no idea that to protect my rights, Papa had quietly instructed his lawyers to include a clause—if one party committed a serious breach of the marriage, the alliance would only remain active for five years.

This marriage was a five-year bet between Papa and me. He had wagered five years against Antonio's sincerity.

If I won, our Famiglie could continue a long-term partnership, and he would spare no expense in helping the Ragusas expand. If I lost, I would get a divorce, return home, and submit to his arrangements.

I had been so certain I would win, but now, I realized I had completely lost.

As the thought crossed my mind, I texted Papa.

"I lost the five-year bet, Papa. I'll come home in five days and let you decide my future."