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Chapter 2

Author: Liora Z
In the darkness, the phone screen lit up.

It was an encrypted message from my brother Matteo.

"Elite team arrives in Chicago in three days. Wait for me, Arabella.The Falcone family owes you.I will make them pay back tenfold, a hundredfold.

I stared at this message,my eyes burned with unshed tears.

The next second, the door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

Santino strode in, his fierce eyes locking onto the phone in my hand.

He crossed the room in three long strides and snatched it from me.

The screen went dark at that exact moment.

He didn't try to unlock it. He just tossed it onto the expensive Persian rug.

He reached out, his fingers digging into my chin, forcing me to look up at him.

“Why did you stop making a scene downstairs just now?” Santino’s tone carried a scrutinizing edge.

I looked him straight in the eye, my voice completely flat.

“Didn’t you always complain that I had a bad temper and tell me to be more generous? I gave her both the ring and the bracelet. Isn’t this what you wanted?”

A flicker of complex emotion crossed Santino’s eyes.

He released my chin, wrapped his arms around my waist, and pulled me into his embrace.

He smelled faintly of tobacco and Fiora’s perfume.The mixture of the two scents made my stomach churn.

Santino lowered his head, his lips brushing against my ear.

"Arabella,I know you were wronged today.Fiora's brother, Carlo, died saving my life. He was my most loyal man. I have to take care of her."

"As long as you behave yourself, you will always have a place in the Falcone family. You are still the woman I, Santino, love the most."

He was making me a promise, in a condescending, charitable manner.

He thought I would be grateful for these words.

I looked at his confident face and felt a wave of sorrow.

Seven years.

He never knew me at all.

Just then,A rapid knock sounded on the door.

Fiora's delicate voice came through the door.

Santino, I'm having a panic attack! I saw Carlo—he's bleeding! Can you come stay with me?”

Without the slightest hesitation, Santino turned to leave the room.Just as he reached the door, he paused and looked back at me.

"There's a joint dinner with the Five Families tomorrow night. I'm taking Fiora," he said. "She's new to the city. She doesn't have anything that commands the room. That haute couture gown in your closet—have the tailor alter it for her tomorrow."

I stared at him in disbelief.

Five years ago, when he crowned me his Donna, he had a master tailor in Milan make that dress just for me.

The Falcone eagle crest was hand-embroidered into the black velvet skirt using pure gold thread and nine hundred and ninety-nine crushed diamonds.

It was my greatest honor, my absolute treasure. I never even let the maids touch it.

Once, a maid in the villa sneaked in to try it on. I put a bullet in her leg and had her thrown out of Chicago.

Santino even praised me for doing the right thing back then.

He said anyone who touched what was mine would die.

And now, he himself was asking me to give this dress to Fiora.

My nails dug into my palms until they almost bled.

I looked at his self-righteous expression and nodded slowly.

"Fine. I'll have it sent over tomorrow."

Santino gave me a long look, pushed the door open, and left.

Down the hall, I heard his soft whispers comforting Fiora. Then came the heavy thud of the door closing next door.

I picked up my phone, glanced at the date on it, and let out a deep breath.

Two more days until I was gone.

Santino, seven years ago you pulled me out of a gang shootout and gave me a second life.

Over these seven years, I’ve taken bullets for you, eliminated traitors for you. With my talent for forgery, I built your entire underground art empire for you.

Santino, we don't owe each other a thing anymore.
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  • The Don’s Wife Was Never His to Keep   Chapter 9

    ARABELLA'S POVTwo weeks later, our business in Chicago was finished.I sat at my desk, looking over the final report from my assistant."Miss, this is the update you requested on Fiora and Santino."I took the file and scanned it.Fiora had tried to steal Santino's last emergency funds and flee to Mexico. She was caught at the border by some of Santino's old enemies.They remembered her, parading around with the Falcone family ring.Her fate was worse than death.As for Santino... the man who craved absolute control had lost it completely. He was a slave to opioids, chasing a high to escape the migraines that now ruled his life.The report said he was barely coherent, lost in hallucinations most of the time.From the King of Chicago to a junkie on the street. It took less than a month."Get the car ready," I said, closing the file. "We're going to the airport.""Yes, Miss."I took one last look around the temporary office.Chicago. The city that had been my prison for seven years. I c

  • The Don’s Wife Was Never His to Keep   Chapter 8

    ARABELLA'S POVThe day after the Commission dinner, my brother Matteo issued a full sanction against the Falcone family.I sat in the penthouse suite of the Four Seasons, sipping coffee and looking out over the Chicago skyline.Half of this city once belonged to Santino Falcone.Now, it was all crumbling."Miss, the latest update," my assistant said, knocking and entering with a file. "Falcone family stock has been in freefall for twelve straight days. All banks have refused to extend them any credit."I opened the file and scanned the shocking numbers.Assets down ninety-five percent.Partners had pulled all their investments.Former allies had turned on him."Also, the FBI has issued a warrant for Santino Falcone's arrest," my assistant continued. "Though it seems he has no intention of running."I put the file down and walked to the window.On the street below, I saw a familiar figure.Santino.He had been standing there for seven days straight.Ever since the night of the dinner, h

  • The Don’s Wife Was Never His to Keep   Chapter 7

    SANTINO'S POVAt eight o'clock sharp, the ballroom lights dimmed.A single spotlight hit the top of the grand marble staircase.Everyone fell silent. All eyes turned.And then I saw him.Matteo Moretti.The head of New York's Five Families, dressed in a custom-tailored black tuxedo, descending the stairs.And on his arm was a woman.My heart stopped.She wore a Schiaparelli couture gown. The deep blue silk shimmered under the light.On her head was a diamond tiara—the legendary "Star of Moretti," a priceless family heirloom.Her every move radiated a chilling elegance. The kind of grace that's born, not made. A true princess.But that face...It was Arabella's face.No, that wasn't right.This woman looked exactly like Arabella, but her entire presence was different.She was cold, confident. Her eyes held an innate nobility, as if she were born to be worshipped under a spotlight.This wasn't the Arabella I knew."Ladies and gentlemen," Matteo's voice boomed through the ballroom. "Tonig

  • The Don’s Wife Was Never His to Keep   Chapter 6

    SANTINO'S POVI clutched my stomach, my face turning pale in an instant.Over these seven years, Arabella's special herbal tea had spoiled my stomach completely.Nothing else I ate or drank ever agreed with me—I felt nauseated at everything except the tea she brewed.I muttered, rubbing my temples. I grabbed my phone and dialed her number."The number you have dialed is no longer in service."No longer in service?I dialed again."The number you have dialed is no longer in service."I threw the phone against the wall. The screen exploded."Marco!Run a check on Arabella," I snarled. "Every cent she's ever spent. Every place she's ever stayed. Then find her. "Marco nodded frantically. "Yes, Boss."Half an hour later, Marco returned, the blood drained from his face. He was holding a stack of papers as if they were venomous snakes."Boss..." he whispered. "You need to see this."I snatched the files and flipped through them.The first was bank records.The Swiss accounts I had opened for A

  • The Don’s Wife Was Never His to Keep   Chapter 5

    SANTINO'S POVI sat on the leather sofa, holding a glass of cold whiskey.I loosened my tie and stared fixedly at the antique wall clock.The hour hand pointed to eleven o’clock at night.It had been exactly three hours since I’d thrown Arabella out.Fiora walked over to me with a plate of sliced fruit, trying to lean into my arms.“Santino, Miss Arabella is far too stubborn. It’s snowing so heavily outside—she must be hiding somewhere, waiting for you to go get her.”I roughly pushed Fiora’s hand away.The fruit plate crashed to the floor, fruit rolling everywhere.I stood up and strode to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the white snow-covered night.In the past seven years, Arabella had never left me for more than a day.No matter how coldly I treated her after a fight, she would always bring hot soup to my study the next morning.I was certain she wouldn’t dare leave for real, certain she would be frozen senseless in the snow and kneel outside the gate, begging me to open it.

  • The Don’s Wife Was Never His to Keep   Chapter 4

    As evening fell, it started to snow in Chicago.The flakes grew bigger, quickly turning into a blizzard.Santino finished the family business meeting and returned to the villa, cold and weary.Santino walked into the hall, swept his gaze across the crowd, and immediately frowned."Where is she?""Boss, the Miss... she moved into the most secluded storage room.”the butler,Leo, answered, his voice trembling."The most secluded storage room?" Santino's face darkened instantly.He strode over and kicked open the door of the storage room.BAM!The door was kicked open, slamming against the wall.Santino strode up to me, his gaze sweeping over the shabby room, finally resting on the withered canvas bag I had placed by the bedside."What game are you playing now?" "Fiora merely said she wanted the master bedroom. Who told you to move to a place like this? Are you deliberately giving me the cold shoulder?"I stood up and looked him straight in the eye."All the other guest rooms are filled w

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