Chapter 2

"Knowing you're not one for flashy presents, I had the Underboss hit up all the big luxury brands six months ago to get your anniversary present sorted.

"Do you like it?"

At a glance, I recognized the mini ear studs from the jewelry store, the ones thrown in with the purchase of that fancy green jade necklace.

I nearly burst into laughter from sheer frustration, dodging his attempt to adorn me with the studs.

I settled onto the armchair, responding to my family's messages in our group chat.

Then, my phone pinged with bank notifications, one after another.

The first was a whopping 200 million dollars from my parents' joint account, a generous token of their love.

The day's gloom lifted in an instant with a flurry of texts.

80 million dollars from my eldest brother, another 80 million dollars from the second, and 50 million dollars from the youngest. My eyes brimmed with tears, the weight of the day's worries washed away by my family's barrage of good news.

Then, came that voice, tinged with irritation and command.

"Why are you just sitting there? The laundry's piling up, and there's no dinner on the table. What's gotten into you now?

"I've been slaving away for the family all day, and I come home to no hot meal and your sour face."

I could not help but snort. "You've already eaten, haven't you? I'm not just talking about food."

Matteo frowned, puzzled. "What are you on about? I'm out there busting my back for us, to give you a better life.

"You don't care about me, always on edge," he continued, his words hitting me like a ton of bricks.

For a decade, I was the first up and the last to bed. While Matteo was lost in dreams, I was up at dawn, whipping up a hearty breakfast.

By day, I was the 'assistant' at the family firm, doing the grunt work of a Soldato. Every multimillion-dollar deal was the product of my sleepless nights and strategic thinking.

At night, as Matteo drifted off, I was still at work, laundering his shirts, ironing, cleaning up, laying out his suits and ties along with his matching cufflinks for the next day.

Ten years of that routine had truly worn me down. Had it not been for love, I would have thrown in the towel long ago.

I grabbed the Antinori Grappa from the table and took a hefty swig.

Matteo's expression darkened as he grabbed the glass from my hand and questioned, "What are you doing? You know you can't drink if we're trying for a baby, right?"

He noticed my flushed cheeks and realized something was off.

He came over and sat down next to me, gently taking my hand that felt like it was on fire.

Matteo's voice was soft as he asked, "What's going on with you? Why are you hitting the bottle so hard? Did you forget we're trying to start a family?"

I could not focus, my head was spinning, and I stayed silent.

Matteo watched me, his face a mix of frustration and forced patience. "I get that trying for a baby is stressful, but you can't just trash your health."

I did not say anything. Instead, I slid the divorce papers I had drawn up across the table to him.

"I know you're swamped, so I spared you the hassle of drafting these. Just sign at the bottom."

Matteo's face fell. "Divorce? Why? Is this because I gave Elena an extra glance at the meeting?"

I kept my voice steady.

"Yeah, because of that glance. Isn't that enough?"

"Just sign it, okay? I'm not going to squabble with your secretary over who gets what. I'm walking away empty-handed. Just sign it.

"You're worried about your secretary going hungry? Get her a nanny. Problem solved."

Matteo's hands balled into fists, and he glared at me, his voice booming.

"There's nothing going on with her! You're the one who brought her in, remember? You said she was good at her job, that she'd help me out."

"Sure, I said she'd help with the work," I replied.

"I didn't say she should help you in bed. You told me you needed to secure your spot at the helm before we could go public with us. For that, I waited in the wings for ten years. I took peanuts for pay, did the grunt work, and made you a fortune.

"How did you repay me when you finally made it? The moment you had the chance, you gave your secretary way too much power. I told you right from the start, I won't stand for any lies or deceit.

"If I'm not in your eyes, then I'd rather not be at all!"

Matteo's face darkened. "She's just my secretary. If there was anything going on, don't you think it would've happened by now? Stop causing a scene."

I massaged my aching eyes and said to him with a steady voice. "This isn't a scene. I'm calmly telling you that I'm done with you!