The Don’s Regret

The nine hundred and ninety-ninth time I tried to get closer, I was still pushed away by his coldness.This was my second year married into the Corleone family.After hesitating for nearly half an hour, I finally called my brother, Marco Rossi. My fingers clenched around my phone until they turned pale, and my voice was stretched tight with exhaustion.“Marco, I want to end the marriage alliance.”“I told you he’s a piece of ice you can’t melt!” Marco’s sharp voice came through the line. There was a faint sound of fingers tapping against a table, unable to hide his concern. “You chased him from twenty to twenty-six, handled family affairs for him every day, and even took a bullet for him. He didn’t even say thank you. Was it worth it? Come back to Sicily. The family’s casinos and ports still need you. Isn’t that better than being wronged in Chicago?”“I’ll finish handling things here,” I said softly. Then I hung up and stood.As I passed the underground armory, the low murmur

The white lights in the underground clinic were cold and harsh, forcing the smells of disinfectant and blood into every corner.I lay on the black leather-covered examination bed. Thick gauze was wrapped around my temple. The family’s private doctor had just finished removing the last stitch. I needed thirty-two stitches, with not a single one done under anesthesia. The dull pain of the needle piercing flesh was still throbbing at my temples.“Ms. Rossi, Don Corleone instructed that the bandages shouldn’t be removed for three days. Don’t let them get wet,” the doctor said. His movements were light as he packed up his tools, but he deliberately knocked the tweezers heavily against the tray. “And you’d better stop provoking Miss Sophia. In this family, no one will offend the young lady for an outsider.”The word “outsider” felt like a needle.I didn’t respond and reached under the pillow to take out my phone.The first notification on my social feed was Sophia’s post.In the

A few days later, the Corleone family’s territory expansion banquet came to an end at the estate.Before the crystal chandeliers had fully dimmed, Vincenzo’s armored car had already driven out through the gates.I sat in the back seat. Beside me, Sophia played with her newly acquired family medal, her fingers tracing the window as she spoke with undisguised pride.“Vincenzo just took three more docks from the Valentino family. From now on, no one in Chicago will dare compete with us in smuggling.”I didn’t respond. Just as I closed my eyes, a sudden boom rang out.A black off-road vehicle from the Valentino family slammed hard into the side of our armored car. The vehicle lost control instantly, carving long skid marks across the road.When I opened my eyes again, Sophia and I were tied back-to-back against cold metal frames. Timed explosives were strapped tightly around our waists.The red countdown numbers flickered harshly.Sophia collapsed immediately, crying hysterically.

When Vincenzo returned to the Corleone family headquarters with the Princess Diana limited-edition necklace meant for Sophia, the main hall felt unusually cold and silent.In the past, whenever he came back, someone would report ahead of time. There would even be faint movement from inside the villa. However, today, even the patrolling soldati looked tense.“Don Corleone.” Michael hurried over with his head lowered, hesitation in his voice. “Ms. Rossi left three days ago. She left a withdrawal agreement for you… and left with the Rossi family.”“Left?” Vincenzo frowned. He casually handed the velvet box containing the necklace to the bodyguard behind him, his tone unconcerned.“Is she throwing a tantrum again? Where could she possibly go?”It wasn’t until Michael placed the agreement signed with the name “Ella Rossi” in front of him that something finally pierced through.The words “relinquish all Corleone interests” and “no mutual interference” stabbed into his eyes like needles

In the following days, Vincenzo moved into a hotel near the estate. Every morning, he appeared at the gates, carrying my favorite breakfast.However, each time, a soldato at the entrance blocked him, his voice cold and hard. “Mr. Rossi’s orders. Corleone personnel are not allowed near.”Undeterred, he would park his black armored car near the Rossi port by evening, waiting for me.Whenever Leonardo and I finished inspecting the containers, he could be seen leaning over the steering wheel, eyes fixed intently on us.Vincenzo would watch me get into Leonardo’s car, Leonardo handing me a bottle of warm water and fastening my seatbelt. When his fingers brushed my hair, Vincenzo’s heart felt pickled in both jealousy and pain.It was exactly how I had once been with him.Back at Villa Corleone, I woke thirty minutes early each day to make him a perfectly tempered espresso. I even left a warm lamp on while he worked on arms deals late into the night, handing him hot milk. However, he