Om Tom, Kekasih Gelapku

In the Corvona underworld, there is one unspoken rule.

When a Don keeps a new woman by his side for three consecutive months, the Donna must personally remove the signet ring symbolizing her power and place it on the new woman's finger before the entire family.

When my husband, Luca, the Don of the Bellini family, announced he would take Mia alone on a three-month business trip, the entire Corvona underworld waited for me to have a meltdown.

I had been with Luca Bellini for seven years.

I followed him everywhere, refusing to leave his side. I would even wake up in the middle of the night to touch him, needing to know he was there to feel secure.

They were all aware of my clinginess and were betting I would never let go.

But when Mia extended her hand to me, her voice dripping with saccharine, I didn't shed a single tear.

I calmly removed the signet ring engraved with the family crest and slid it onto her ring finger.

Luca, lounging in the leather chair at the head of the table, swirled the whiskey in his glass, satisfaction gleaming in his cold blue eyes. "Elara, you've finally learned your place."

I lowered my gaze to my bare finger, saying nothing in return.

What Luca didn't know was that a month ago, I had recovered all seven years of my lost memories.

I wasn't some street orphan at all, but the long-lost Principessa of the Rossi family, the most powerful of the Old World families.

In three days, my brother's armed convoy would roll into Corvona to take me home.

...

The air in the Bellini estate's annual banquet was thick with the scent of cigars and expensive perfume.

Mia held up the hand now bearing the signet ring, twirling for the small circle of family members gathered around her.

A chorus of forced gasps rose around her, followed by countless mocking glances cast my way from the corner.

Luca sat at the head of the long table, his gaze drifting over my profile from across the crowd, casual and detached.

After basking in their compliments, Mia sauntered over to me, clutching a wine glass.

Her eyes landed on the ruby bracelet on my wrist. It was called "Cuore Eterno," the Eternal Heart.

Three years ago, on our anniversary, Luca had paid a fortune for it at an underground auction to please me.

Mia let out a delicate laugh and leaned in close to my ear. "Elara, you've already handed over the ring. Don't you think it's a little graceless to keep clinging to things that belong to the Donna?"

She reached out, intending to touch the bracelet. I took half a step back.

The main event of the evening was about to begin. According to family tradition, it was now time for the Donna to light the sacred candle.

But Mia reached for it first, her voice soft and cloying. "Luca said I should do it tonight."

Before I could react, she took hold of the antique silver candlestick, a family heirloom passed down for four generations, and with a deliberate tilt of her wrist, let it slip from her grasp.

With a harsh CLANG, the candlestick hit the marble floor. Its heavy metal base rolled onto the carpet, and the glass chimney shattered instantly.

Hot wax splattered across the floor. She immediately clutched her wrist, her eyes turning red as tears welled.

"Elara, I was just trying to help. If you didn't want me to, you could have just said so. Why did you have to push me…"

The jazz music from the record player screeched to a halt.

Every eye in the grand hall snapped to us.

For the past seven years, any woman who dared get close to Luca or challenge me had been swept out of this estate.

I used to be so insecure that if another woman even looked at Luca, I would hide in his arms and cry until he promised to send her away.

But this time, it was different.

Luca strode over, pulling Mia behind him with a long arm.

His eyes fell upon a faint scratch on Mia's fair skin, and his handsome brow immediately furrowed.

"Are you playing the victim again, Elara? Mia just arrived at the estate. Did you have to embarrass her in front of the old guard?"

His favoritism was blatant, his tone heavy with accusation.

I looked at the face I had once loved with everything I had, and a sharp pain tore through my heart.

I took a deep breath, forcing back the tears welling in my eyes.

I didn't offer a single word of defense, nor did I grab his sleeve to explain myself like I used to.

I simply raised my head and coolly unfastened the clasp of the "Cuore Eterno" on my wrist.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, I held the bracelet out to Mia.

"If you like it, take it. I'm sorry, I lost my footing and startled you."