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Chapter 5

Autor: Lianne
Vittoria sent me a DM.

She persuaded, “Don’t let Juliana get to you. Starting a fight with her will make things difficult for Matteo.”

I texted back, “She’s disrespected me right to my face. Why should I play nice?”

My fingers were trembling even after the message was delivered.

The weight in my chest wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t swallow or release it.

Vittoria replied with a resigned emoji and stopped talking me out of it.

She admitted that with children in the picture, she couldn’t be bothered to argue with Luca over Juliana.

However, I had no children. All I had was myself.

Since my back was up against the wall, I might as well fight back.

With no one coming to her defense in the group, Juliana doubled down on her aggression.

She left another message in the group chat.

“Wow, Vittoria really sets the standard for a family woman. She runs the household spick and span. Look out, Matteo. Alessia is a total babe, but she doesn’t know how to stop running that mouth of hers. Since you’re always away a lot, I worry for you.”

The moment I saw the message, I fired back without hesitation.

“Your husband couldn’t keep you in check and let you slip, so you went and found someone else?”

I was ready to face whatever consequences that came my way the second I hit the send button.

Sure enough, Juliana became defensive.

“That’s nonsense, Alessia. I’m a respectable woman. You can’t just make up lies to hurt people.”

Curling my lips, I followed up with another response.

“What gave you the right to talk smack about Vittoria and me? We stay home for our families. What did we ever do to you? Is a joke enough of an excuse for you to destroy our names?”

Juliana refused to back down.

“Don’t take it seriously. I just say things without thinking for a laugh. Please don’t mind me.”

I went in for the kill.

“I can be blunt and love a good joke as well. Don’t let it get to you.”

Matteo slid into my DMs.

He urged me to let things go. Juliana was just one of the guys with no filter.

No one missed the public humiliation I inflicted on her.

Seconds later, Carlo intervened in the chat, tagging only Juliana.

“Juliana, mind your manners. Show some respect to the families of our made men.”

Juliana thought she ran the show in the group chat, only for Carlo to call her out.

With a smirk, I replied, “Mr. Tutti is right. Nothing is more important than a family coming together.”

I mentioned Carlo in the group.

“Please bring your wife along to the picnic this weekend. We’d love to meet her and have her join the group chat too.”

I was practically the only one talking in the group.

It took several seconds before Carlo responded.

“Fine.”

Sinking back into my seat, I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest.

I had never been one for confrontation. Even so, I knew not to give Juliana’s kind an inch.

Half an hour later, Juliana resurfaced in the group chat with a sad, pouty face.

“I was only kidding. Don’t take it to heart. I’ll man the grill myself this weekend to make it up to all of you.”

I texted with a smile, “Just make sure you don’t ditch Vittoria and me like last time, running off with some men over some emergency.”

Vittoria sent me a thumbs-up via DM.

I locked my screen and drew a deep breath.

This time around, it was my turn to retaliate, whether it was her game or not.
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  • The Don’s Blind Indulgence   Chapter 20

    Three months passed. My floral business was thriving. I had since opened a second location in the city and hired three employees. Vittoria would drop by to lend a hand at times. However, she was more focused on doing her own thing now. Things between Luca and her had gotten better with Juliana out of the picture. At least, Juliana couldn’t lead Luca around by the nose anymore. Filippo ran his shipping trade on track. The route to Naples became a reliable source of income, and my share of earnings was more than enough to provide me with a comfortable life. Cassandra became one of my regulars, showing up every Wednesday afternoon. She would drop in for tea and a chat. Sometimes, she would talk about the events twenty years ago, recounting the story of how the other version of Juliana disappeared. She said the woman eventually married, had a child, and settled into a normal life.“Is she happy?” I asked. “I don’t know,” Cassandra replied. “But I don’t care. My only concern

  • The Don’s Blind Indulgence   Chapter 19

    A month later, news came from Naples. Juliana set up a small consulting agency in Naples, offering business advisory services to small businesses. It was essentially a front—brokering “connections” for shady businessmen and skimming protection money.Carlo had eyes on her the whole time. By all accounts, Juliana is struggling. Her business is failing, and her rented apartment is tiny, a far cry from her life in the estate. “She’s gone to Marco several times, trying to get back in through him,” Carlo said on the phone. “Marco didn’t give her the time of day.” “Marco is smarter than I thought.” “He knows better. As part of Filippo’s crew, he knew that association with Juliana would get him killed.” After the call, I stood on the balcony and stared at the street down below. Juliana was in Naples, Matteo was in Sicily, while I was in the city. Three people in three cities were living three different lives. Yet, I was the one who took this path by choice. That afternoon

  • The Don’s Blind Indulgence   Chapter 18

    The divorce proceedings went more smoothly than expected. It took Joshua five days to sort out all the paperwork. I walked away with four of Matteo’s properties—one more than was specified in the divorce papers. Apparently, it had been Matteo’s request.We split the liquid assets sixty-forty, with the majority going to me. I also received a hefty lump sum that Joshua noted that Matteo was adamant about adding.The very first thing Filippo put into motion as the Don was to approve my divorce petition. I was in his office when Filippo signed off on the papers. He slid the document across the table and said, “You’re free, Alessia.” Freedom. I savored the sound. It was true. I was free. I could kiss all the pretentious dinner party, the snide jokes, the seat in the back of the car, and her harmless behavior goodbye. At last, I was free. A week after the divorce, I moved into the apartment in the city. It may have been the smallest place in the settlement, but the ap

  • The Don’s Blind Indulgence   Chapter 17

    Matteo came to see me three days after the council meeting. That afternoon, I was finalizing the distribution of assets with Joshua in the apartment. Then came the doorbell. I opened the door to find Matteo there. He wore an unbuttoned gray jacket, his shirt wrinkling with an open collar. “Alessia, I need a moment with you.” Joshua glanced at me, then at Matteo, before taking the hint and getting up. “I should head back, Signora. I’ll be back to go through the last of the details tomorrow.” I gave a nod. Joshua took his briefcase and paused briefly when passing Matteo. In the end, he took off without saying anything. Matteo walked in and stood in the middle of the living room, looking rather lost. “Sit,” I said, my voice flat. He settled onto the couch, his hands resting on his lap with his fingers wringing restlessly. Silence filled the room for a while. “Alessia, I’ve been removed,” he uttered at last, his voice raspy. “Filippo is taking over me. Don Colombo

  • The Don’s Blind Indulgence   Chapter 16

    Monday rolled around, and it was time for the family council meeting. The venue was the main hall of Giovanni’s estate. The room was packed by the time I arrived. The core members sat along both sides of the long table. Carlo took Giovanni’s right with the underboss sitting diagonally opposite from him. Further down were several capos and senior leaders, all dressed in dark suits and looking grim as if they were attending a funeral. Matteo was seated on the left-hand side of Giovanni. He wore a black suit and white shirt, his tie pulled tight and perfectly set.However, he looked drained and weary. Judging by his eye bags, he probably hadn’t slept in days. As I entered the room, he parted his lips but held his tongue. Filippo sat halfway down the table, nodding when spotting me. Enzo lounged next to Filippo, legs crossed, a Swiss knife flicking between his fingers. Despite his offhanded attitude, his eyes were keen. Juliana wasn’t present. Giovanni sat at the head of

  • The Don’s Blind Indulgence   Chapter 15

    Cassandra brought the news that Giovanni would like to see me. That afternoon, I was sorting out papers in the apartment when the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Cassandra there. “Don Colombo is asking for you,” she said, her voice calm as if she were talking about the weather. “Immediately. The car is right outside the building.” I grabbed my bag and went with her, no questions asked. My ride was a black Maybach. Taking her seat next to me, Cassandra simply said three things during the drive over. “Don’t be nervous. Tell the truth. Just be honest when he asks.” The forty-minute drive took us out of the city and into woodland in the suburbs. The road thinned out between the heavy trees until the car pulled to a stop in front of an iron gate. With the gate swinging open, we rolled slowly onto the grounds. The estate beyond was bigger and older than Matteo’s.Giovanni didn’t see me in his study. The place of our meeting was in the garden. He lounged on a rat

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