Chapter 2

After dawn, I went to Vance Group.

Seven years ago, Nathaniel was only running underground business in a few small southern cities. After he married me, with my father's resources as the old Don and the backing of an enormous underground money chain, he grew into the underground king of New York.

Those years, to help him secure his position, he'd be so exhausted he'd fall asleep at his desk. I'd quietly stick a yellow Post-it over the glaring lamp in front of him.

On that Post-it was one sentence.

Nathaniel will stand at the top of the pyramid.

When he woke, he carefully tucked it into the notebook he carried everywhere, looked at me with all the tenderness in the world, and said he'd keep it for life.

As his underworld career soared, to protect his dignity as the sole reigning Don, I willingly followed clan tradition, stepped back into the shadows, and played the low-key Donna behind him.

The front desk recognized me and bowed respectfully.

"Donna, the Don is in the executive conference room."

"I'm here to return something."

I set the black access card, the highest clearance in the Vance empire, gently on the counter.

Just then, an argument broke out from the conference room.

A channel Victoria was handling had hit a legal snag, and the other side was ready to tear up the agreement and walk.

Nathaniel spotted me through the blinds and yanked the door open.

He strode over, wrapped an arm around my shoulder, bent down to kiss my cheek, and murmured:

"Audrey, baby, perfect timing. Help me save this. This deal decides next quarter's profit split across the families. It cannot fall apart."

He steered me toward the podium.

I looked down at the proposal on the table.

It was my project.

But on the signature page, the name read "Victoria Lane."

Victoria stood in front of the projection screen, dabbing at her tears with a tissue, all fragile.

"I didn't know that supply chain would clash with the South American syndicate—"

Nathaniel hurriedly pressed the documents into my hands, gave my cold fingers a quick squeeze, and coaxed in a voice only the two of us could hear.

"Audrey, sweetheart, just keep them at the table first. Once we're past this, wherever you want to go on vacation, I'll take you."

He was trying to use that cheap tenderness to soothe away all my temper.

I didn't even lift my eyes. I flipped to the last page, pulled out a black pen, and drew two dark lines across the South America border on the map.

"This is the route jointly guaranteed by the Miller family and the Vance family."

At the words "Miller family," the other side straightened their suits, their expressions softening.

"Audrey, of course we'll always trust your proposal."

Victoria went pale, her long nails digging deep into her palm.

And Nathaniel held me close, like holding up a beautiful crown.

The moment the contract was signed, he immediately had his assistant escort the other side downstairs.

I sat back down at the computer, expression calm, and pressed the keys, permanently deleting every trace of the Miller family business dealings from the system.

Victoria walked up beside me with a cold smirk.

When I looked up, she turned wounded.

"I'm sorry, Donna. I really didn't know this proposal was yours. If I had, I never would've dared take credit for your work—"

"Doesn't matter."

I didn't even look up.

"How could it not matter?"

She turned, her big watery eyes full of apology as she looked at Nathaniel.

"Nathaniel, maybe we should send a company-wide email to clarify, tell the board and the clients that Donna saved the day."

"No need."

Nathaniel refused fast, without a flicker of hesitation.

He walked slowly to my side, his voice soft enough to wring water from, even considerately pressing his hand to my shoulder, bending down to murmur by my ear.

"She's the Donna. She doesn't need achievements."

He lifted his head to look at me, a certainty in his eyes like he controlled everything.

"Baby, you already have me. You're the only Don's wife. Let her have this one, okay? Victoria just joined the core circle. She needs this win to prove herself."

The first year of our marriage, I used my family's influence to secure Vance Tech's first hundred-million-yuan round of financing.

At the celebration, in front of every partner, every Don, every investor, he raised his glass high and said with deep feeling that Vance Tech was the most dazzling diamond ring he'd ever given me.

But ever since Victoria appeared, my diamond got cut, and cut, and cut again.

Until all that was left was that offhand line from his mouth: "She doesn't care."

I nodded, calm.

"Okay."

Nathaniel let out a breath of pure relief, and turned to give Victoria a small smile, as if everything had gone exactly according to his script.

Then Victoria's gaze landed on the black swan figurine on my desk, the one that symbolized the Donna's power and status. Her eyes were full of wanting.

"Don, that figurine is so pretty—"

Nathaniel didn't even look.

"Then take it."

I saw it clearly. Stuck to the bottom of the figurine was that faded scrap of Post-it.

Victoria made a show of declining, but her eyes were glued to the notebook and the figurine.

"This is something Donna treasured, isn't it? Is it really okay to give it to me?"

"She barely comes to the office anymore."

Nathaniel was scanning a report, not even looking up.

"She won't mind."

Victoria stole a glance at me and covered a dry laugh with her hand.

All these years, Nathaniel always stressed the Donna's duties to me. But the things that belonged to the Donna, he could hand to Victoria without a second thought.

Because he was certain my things would never be reclaimed.

And I would never truly get angry.

I picked up the executive access card I'd just set down and tossed it straight into the card shredder beside me.

The card was cut to pieces in an instant, a harsh grinding sound filling the air.

Nathaniel flinched, shot to his feet, and stared at me.

"Audrey, what the hell are you doing?!"

"Won't be needing it anymore."

He drew a deep breath, forcing down his temper.

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Nothing."

I picked up the briefcase and coat from the chair and turned.

"I've returned what I came to return. You two carry on."

Nathaniel, face dark, chased me out of the conference room and shot a hand out to block the elevator doors just as they were closing.

He sighed, lowered his stance.

"Baby bear, tonight is the top mafia gala in New York. Don't be late."

As if the fight just now had been a hallucination.

I held the open button quietly and looked at him.

"I have other things to do. I'm not going."

"What other things could you possibly have?"

His face dropped in an instant.

"Tonight Victoria just 'landed' the company this big client. Everyone in the core circle wants to meet this new face. You're my wife, and you're the Donna of the Vance family. You have to be there."

Through the narrowing gap, I looked at Victoria behind the glass door.

She was taking a selfie with the black swan figurine.

I pulled my gaze back and nodded.

"Fine. I'll go."

Only then did Nathaniel let go of the elevator door, satisfied, and patted my forehead lightly.

"That's my girl. Be a little more mature."

The elevator doors slid shut in front of me.

In the mirrored elevator, he straightened his suit, convinced I'd caved again because I loved him. Just like every time before.

Out of the company building, I got into the car, pulled out my phone without a flicker of expression, and booked a one-way ticket for the morning after next.