Chapter 3

The days that followed passed simply enough.

Serafina made a point of flaunting her relationship with Dante in front of me every day, eager to stake her claim. Dante was still angry with me, and this time I was determined not to appease him.

Life at the Ravenna estate felt calm on the surface but suffocating underneath. I spent my days secretly handling the paperwork to leave the country, terrified Dante would find out.

A month later, Serafina announced she was pregnant.

Dante excitedly shared the news with the entire Ravenna family. The old Don gave his blessing for their marriage.

Everyone in the family threw themselves into wedding preparations. From the venue to security, everything was arranged according to the highest standards.

In this life, his one true love was the one carrying his child. I decided to let them have their happiness.

The moment my paperwork cleared, I booked a flight to Cecily. The departure date fell on their wedding day.

Dante finally broke first and came looking for me. He waited until Serafina was away from the estate, then came upstairs and pushed open my bedroom door.

He pulled out his phone, opened an email, and held it in front of me.

"You touched the money your parents left you? I had the family lawyer check. You used it as a deposit for going abroad."

My pulse spiked.

The Ravenna family had connections everywhere. Tracking my finances would be child's play for them.

"What, my wedding's got you so upset you need to leave the country to clear your head?"

His next words eased my tension slightly. When I kept my head down and stayed silent, his tone grew colder and a touch helpless.

"Viviana, aren't you tired of this? If I hadn't come to you, were you planning to ignore me for the rest of your life?

"Ever since Serafina moved into the estate, you've been cold to me. But she's the woman I love. If you really loved me, you'd accept her.

"You can run for now, but you can't run forever. Are you planning to keep avoiding me even after Serafina and I get married?"

I shook my head in denial. "You've misunderstood. You raised me, so you're someone I respect. I only feel gratitude toward you."

He laughed as if I'd told the funniest joke he'd ever heard. "Viviana, ask anyone in the Ravenna family if they believe you only feel gratitude for me. Ask yourself if you believe it."

Then he glanced at my desk and smirked. "You've kept every gift I gave you all these years in perfect condition. And you still claim you don't love me?"

He walked over and picked up the items on my desk, examining each one. Then he looked at me seriously.

"Put all of this away. I'm getting married to Serafina, and she's pregnant now. If she sees these things, it might upset her.

"I don't want anything to happen to my precious wife or my precious son! This is your last warning. Give up on whatever feelings you have for me."

I hummed noncommittally and swept everything on the desk into a storage box without hesitation.

I planned to throw it all away before leaving the country anyway. I might as well deal with it now.

Dante's brow furrowed at my indifferent reaction. He stopped me.

"Viviana, can't you be more careful? You knocked the little rabbit off this hairpin!"

I glanced at the rabbit hairpin in his hand. After my parents died in a shootout, Dante, my father's closest friend, took me in. That hairpin was the first gift he ever gave me.

For years, I treasured it. I wouldn't let anyone else touch it. Now I'd just tossed it into a box of junk without a second thought.

"You're clearly so upset about my wedding that you're fleeing the country. But now you're standing here pretending you don't love me anymore?"

Dante couldn't take it anymore. "Stop this, Viviana. No matter how well you pretend not to care, I'm not canceling my wedding to Serafina."

He pulled out his phone and transferred 100 thousand dollars to my account.

"But it's probably good for you to get away and clear your head. Serafina's pregnancy is still fragile. Better if you're not around to upset her."

His gaze held mine. "Take your time abroad. Think about where we stand. I'll be a married man soon. You need to accept that.

"It'd be best if you forgot about me entirely and found yourself a real boyfriend, someone who's actually right for you."

Dante gave me a few more reminders about traveling safely. His tone carried a hint of concern he probably didn't realize was there.

But he didn't know that in this life, I'd been reborn. And this time, I was truly leaving. I would never come back.

On Dante's wedding day, everyone in the Ravenna family rushed around frantically.

Security surrounded the estate until it was airtight. The guests who came to celebrate were all high-ranking members from various mafia families.

While everyone was busy, I grabbed my suitcase and slipped out through the back door. I caught a cab straight to the airport.