Tanya, Mi Madre

The first time Luciano Ascrofi met Tanya Nice, it was in the study of the Don, Paolo Ascrofi.

Tanya was blindingly gorgeous. She stood behind Paolo, wearing a pink dress. Her light brown hair was gathered into a loose bun at the back, with stray strands falling softly. Glossy pearl earrings peeked out subtly.

She was strikingly young and impossible to miss as she stood beside the old man in a black suit.

Luciano withdrew his gaze and bowed deeply to Paolo in a respectful manner.

He was Paolo's perfect underboss but always overshadowed, like a sapling struggling under the shade of a towering, decaying tree.

Luciano got to his feet, while the pretty Tanya smiled at him and bowed a little, revealing her neck.

"Luciano, meet your Madre, Tanya Nice."

Paolo was already in his 50s, but this young lady…

Luciano almost felt as if Paolo wanted to draw the excess energy and vitality from the young girl beside him just to sustain his own aging life.

Yet, Luciano merely flashed a calm smile and held back the urge to sneer. "Madre."

Tanya looked gentle and composed. There was a kind appearance about her.

Her stepson's gaze made her uneasy. She took a step backward, as if to reach for her husband's sleeve, but she held herself back.

"Don Ascrofi, the dock's problem has been solved."

The three moved toward the desk. Quietly, she began pouring coffee for the men with smooth, effortless grace.

When Tanya poured coffee for Luciano, the fitted sleeves of her dress revealed her slender wrists.

Surprisingly, between her beautiful hands and wrists, there was nothing but the wedding ring Paolo gave her. Faint red marks spiraled across her skin, making her hands look fragile.

In fact, the Don of the Ascrofi family wasn't the kind of man to marry just anyone he was madly in love with.

Marrying Tanya, who worked at the red-light district in Jarland, brought him a great deal of criticism. The criticism came not only from his own family but also from other families and even the public.

No one could have imagined that after the Don's previous wife's passing, they would welcome such a replacement.

When that news first broke, Tanya sat in the car as the window slowly rolled up. She wore a pale dress, the flowers at her temples accentuating her delicate features.

Under the paparazzi's cameras, her eyes and brows appeared through the narrow gap as the car window was about to close, soft and luminous like the pearls dangling from her ears.

Like a movie star, she dominated the headlines and trending news for days.

This decision shook the family's business and reputation for a few days. Yet, Paolo wasn't about to let the situation last for long.

After a few days of silence, Tanya reappeared at carefully orchestrated promotional and charity events. The gorgeous Donna had transformed from a courtesan into a high-society woman, poor in background but kind at heart.

At the same time, the headlines were filled with media coverage of the gifts Paolo had bought for her and their wedding.

A display of wealth worth billions of dollars, covering companies, land, and every romantic detail a young girl could imagine at a wedding, all taken to the extreme.

In this way, amid everyone's criticism, Paolo created a new identity for Tanya, who was gentle and sweet like a lark.

His wife was the new Donna.

No one dared to raise any objections.

Tanya was at the center of attention, but she was now standing by Paolo's side, listening to Luciano's report quietly and refilling their coffee elegantly.

There was a kind of magic about her, obedient yet strangely alluring.

Luciano guessed that it was an illusion that Paolo had bestowed upon her.

Perhaps it was that old man's twilight love that had granted her an excess of charm, making it impossible for Luciano to forget her.

He couldn't forget the faint pink marks on her pale wrists or the soft, lustrous glow of the pearl dangling near her face.

Honestly, Tanya shouldn't even be appearing in Luciano's dreams.

After all, she was his stepmother.