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Chapter 8
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One Mask, No Mercy Chapter 12
I didn't touch our photographs, our couple's keepsakes, or the engagement ring he'd placed back in its jewelry box.Before I left, I set my keys in Matteo's palm.He flinched as if they'd burned him, then grabbed my hand."Elena, please don't go."What am I supposed to do without you?"I peeled his fingers from mine, one by one, until the keys lay in his open palm.I didn't turn around.The door closed behind me, cutting off the sound of his crying.Once I was discharged, I left Valmont. I put every remaining legal matter into Stefano's hands and moved to Brynhaven, a little seaside town an ocean away.It was beautiful there, with green mountains, a wild coastline, and the sea never far away.I bought a pale-gray stone cottage with a low hedge and a little garden. Then I adopted a golden retriever.Walking the dog and wandering through town became my daily routine.Life was peaceful. With every passing day, the trouble back in Valmont felt farther away.Mom and Valentina k
One Mask, No Mercy Chapter 11
I refused to see Matteo.After learning I'd begun legal proceedings against Mom and Valentina, he handed over the family's group-chat history to my lawyer.Valentina had assumed deleting the planning messages would prove the engagement prank had been spontaneous.But the chat records still existed.The group was called "Valentina's Influencer Video Plan."Its members included Valentina, Matteo, Mom, and several members of the villa staff.The earliest message was dated a full month before the engagement.Valentina had written that an ordinary prank wouldn't get enough attention. She needed viewers to watch the entire family abandon the bride in the middle of an apparent life-threatening emergency.Mom's reply read, "Elena's brave. A little scare won't hurt her."Matteo had asked, "How far am I supposed to take the act?"Valentina sent him a ."Take the mask away from her. Pick me up and run. If she follows, shove her back. The more real it looks, the better."Matteo hadn't
One Mask, No Mercy Chapter 10
In the video Valentina posted, she wore no makeup, and her eyes were swollen red from crying.She spoke straight to the camera. "What happened at the engagement party was just a joke between family members."My sister misunderstood because of some disagreements we've had in the past. None of us realized how badly she was hurt when she fell."She's out of danger now, so please stop harassing my family online."Throughout the video, she played the part of a thoughtless but kindhearted little sister who'd made an innocent mistake.There was nothing about the fake asthma attack. Nothing about trying to force my signature onto a release. Nothing about her standing outside my door, accusing me of pretending to be unconscious.Less than thirty minutes after she uploaded it, Mom called."Elena, you should post a statement, too. Tell everyone it was a misunderstanding and ask them to stop attacking Valentina."Help your sister through this crisis, and we'll forgive you."I hung up.Sh
One Mask, No Mercy Chapter 9
My father had only two daughters: Valentina and me.Our family's influence in Valmont's underworld was legally separate from its legitimate business holdings. My uncle's son had inherited the title of Don, while the controlling interests in our lawful businesses were held through an offshore trust.Originally, Mom, Valentina, and I were entitled to equal shares.But before he died, my father had included an unusual provision in the trust. If two direct family members seriously and maliciously harmed a third, the trustee could transfer control of the business assets to the victim. The other two would receive only a modest monthly living allowance.Ironically, Mom had begged Dad to add that clause to protect Valentina from me.I'd been building my own businesses since my teens, and for years I'd tried to compete with my cousin for the family's leadership. Mom knew I was ambitious. She'd always been terrified I'd hurt my sister to get a larger inheritance.Now it was Mom and Valenti
One Mask, No Mercy Chapter 8
At three in the morning, the light over the operating room finally went dark.A doctor stepped out, exhaustion etched across his face."We managed to save her life for now. But she lost a great deal of blood, and she's still in critical condition. We can't promise she'll wake up within the next seventy-two hours."Matteo's legs gave way. He dropped to his knees outside the operating room.When I finally opened my eyes, rain was falling beyond the window.The sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose. A dull ache throbbed deep in my abdomen.The first thing I saw was the monitor beside my bed.The second was Matteo, asleep with his head resting beside me.Dark stubble covered his jaw. His expensive suit was wrinkled beyond recognition.I barely moved a finger before he jolted awake."Elena?"He lunged closer, tears spilling down his face."You're awake. Oh, thank God. You're finally awake."My throat was painfully dry."The baby..."Matteo froze.I saw his expression an
One Mask, No Mercy Chapter 7
"Pregnant?"Matteo stared at the nurse."You mean Elena might be carrying my child?""When was her last period?" the nurse asked briskly. "Has she been nauseated, unusually tired, or eating differently lately?"Matteo opened his mouth, but no answer came out.We'd lived together for two years. He couldn't even remember when he'd stopped paying attention to my life.I took care of every part of his daily routine. Yet he knew nothing about what was happening to my body."She can't be pregnant," he said, almost as if he could make it true by saying it aloud.Mom shook her head, too."She's been busy with the engagement. Stress can make a woman's cycle irregular."Then she stopped.Two weeks earlier, I'd mentioned at dinner that I had no appetite. I'd even asked whether stress could explain why my period was so late.Mom hadn't looked up from her plate. She'd warned me that our engagement was approaching and I shouldn't do anything to embarrass the Vitale family.Matteo had be
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