Chapter 2

I picked up my wine glass and took a long drink to keep myself from crashing out.

Nico's hand found mine under the table, squeezing gently. He signed with his free hand. “Are you sure you're alright? You seem distant tonight.”

I pulled my hand away . “I'm fine. Just tired.”

His brow furrowed, but before he could respond, Isabella appeared at his other side, tugging on his sleeve.

"Papa, Aunt Valentina said she'd take me shopping tomorrow for a dress. Can I go?"

Nico smiled and ruffled Isabella's hair.

"Of course, piccola. Whatever you want."

Isabella beamed and ran back to Valentina, who pulled her onto her lap like she was the child's real mother.

I watched them together and felt the last fragile thread inside my chest snap clean in half.

I stood abruptly. The conversation around the table died.

"It’s getting late," I said. "I want to go back to the estate and rest."

Nico pushed his chair back immediately and moved to stand beside me.

I pressed my hand gently against his shoulder and eased him back down into his seat.

"There is no need," I said. "Stay and finish your business with the Family. I will be perfectly fine going back alone."

I turned and walked out before he could argue. The moment I stepped outside onto the street, I heard a group of women talking nearby.

"Did you see the Donna in there with her husband, they are absolutely perfect together."

"She is so lucky to have a man like that in our world where most men keep mistresses."

I felt bile rising in my throat listening to them praise the lie Nico had built around us.

They had no idea that the devoted husband they admired was fucking his mistress in our home.

I drove back to the estate and let my mind drift back to how everything started.

Five years ago a former soldier who had been dismissed from the family came back looking for revenge.

He had cornered Nico outside his father's restaurant with a gun already drawn and ready to fire.

Everyone else had scattered when they saw the weapon, but I threw myself in front of Nico without thinking.

The gun went off three times and I felt the bullets tear through my shoulder and graze my skull.

We both went down bleeding onto the concrete, before his men finally arrived and killed the attacker.

I woke up three days later in the hospital with my hearing damaged.

Nico sat beside my bed holding my hand with tears running down his face.

His hands moved slowly and carefully through the air spelling out words in sign language he had learned for me.

“Giulia Benedetti, marry me and become my wife, I will protect you for the rest of your life.”

I had believed him completely because I thought a man does not marry someone out of guilt alone.

Seven days ago, I traveled to Manhattan to see a specialist about experimental surgery for hearing restoration.

The procedure was dangerous, but I was desperate to hear Nico's voice again after five years.

When the doctor finally removed the bandages, he snapped his fingers next to my left ear.

The damaged nerves in my inner ear had regenerated completely and my hearing was fully restored to normal.

I left that clinic and rushed back to the estate to surprise Nico and Isabella with the news.

But the moment I walked through the front doors of our home, I heard Nico’s voice coming from upstairs.

"I cannot stop thinking about last night, you felt incredible and I need to see you again soon."

"Tonight after Giulia goes to bed, I will come to you and we can continue where we left off."

"The guest room was perfect, but next time I want to take you in the wine cellar like we talked about."

I heard footsteps and then Isabella's voice joined the conversation from somewhere near Nico's study.

"Papa, are you going to see Valentina tonight, I can help you keep Mama distracted if you want."

"I will ask her to watch that long documentary with me in the media room, she always falls asleep during those."

Nico's voice was filled with approval and warmth when he responded to our daughter's eager offer.

"You are such a smart girl Isabella, that is a perfect plan and I will be back before morning."

Tears streamed down my face as I realized my daughter was actively helping him replace me with another woman.

The car pulled up to the estate and I went straight to our bedroom before climbing into bed.

I lay there in the darkness staring at the ceiling and counting down the days until my escape.

Nearly two hours after, I heard his car pull up outside.

The door opened quietly and he slipped inside trying not to wake me from sleep.

The mattress dipped under his weight as he climbed into bed still wearing his clothes from dinner.

His hand slid across my waist and pulled my body back against his chest in the darkness.

I felt his breath hot against the back of my neck as his fingers started moving lower.

One week ago I would have turned to face him and welcomed whatever he wanted from me.

But now I felt nothing except disgust and rage burning under my skin like poison.

I shoved him away with all the strength I had in my body.

He let out a shocked cry of pain and tumbled completely off the bed onto the floor.

His hands lifted and began signing with real concern written all over his face in the dim light.

“Giulia, what is wrong with you tonight, did I do something to upset you at the restaurant?”

I kept my expression blank when I finally answered his desperate question.

"Nothing is wrong with me, I am just not feeling well enough for that right now."

Nico's eyes went wide like he suddenly remembered something.

He scrambled across the floor and grabbed his phone from the nightstand.

Then he made a video call and positioned the phone so I could see the screen clearly.

Two of his most trusted capos appeared on the screen and they both looked concerned.

“Donna, Valentina is only involved with us because her father died protecting Don Marchetti years ago.”

The second capo leaned toward the camera and began signing as well.

“There is absolutely nothing inappropriate happening between the Don and Miss Rossi at all.”

“She occasionally provides security advice for our operations but that is the extent of their relationship.”

Nico nodded frantically and made another video call to a different soldier who repeated similar reassurances.

I stared at the phone screen and realized he had prepared all of them for this exact moment.

He had coached his men on what to say and even taught them basic signs to convince me.

My voice came out tired and defeated exactly the way he expected it to sound.

"I understand now. I am just exhausted and I want to sleep through the night."

I turned onto my side facing away from him and closed my eyes.

Only after several long minutes of silence did he begin tracing words into my palm in the darkness.

"Giulia, I love you more than anything else in this entire world and I cannot live without you."

"Please never leave me because if you do, I will not survive it."

The tears slid down my face and soaked into the silk pillowcase beneath my cheek.

If you truly loved me the way you claim, you would not be fucking another woman in our home.

In seven days I will disappear from your world forever and you will finally understand what you lost.