Chapter 3

I tucked my phone away, crouched down, and resumed packing.

The disposal crew arrived quickly. A worker picked up one of the black bags and asked, "Miss, are you sure you want to get rid of all of this?"

"Yes. Get rid of everything."

The house was slowly emptying out. I was bending down to pack the last pair of shoes into my suitcase when I heard the lock turn.

Salvatore pushed the door open, two soldiers behind him, each wheeling three pink suitcases. He scanned the living room, and his brow immediately furrowed. "What are you doing? Why is the place so empty?"

Before I could reply, Linsey peeked out from behind Salvatore, a hesitant smile on her face. "Chiara, I hope I'm not intruding…"

Salvatore shoved the suitcases forward, his tone matter‑of‑fact. "Linsey's landlord kicked her out. It's not safe for her to stay alone in a hotel. She'll be staying here for a while."

Instead of being upset or arguing with him, I nodded, my voice flat. "Which room?"

Salvatore pushed the suitcases toward the master bedroom. "Linsey's a light sleeper—she needs the master. You’ll take the guest room."

Linsey tugged at Salvatore’s sleeve. "Salvatore, don't be like that. Chiara will get upset. I'll just sleep on the couch—really, I don't mind."

Salvatore looked down at her, his voice softening instantly. "You have poor sleep. Don't be stubborn about this."

He lifted his gaze to me, and the warmth drained from his face. "You're going to be the donna of the Lucciano family anyway. Be generous. Can you do that?"

I nodded. "Fine."

His brow relaxed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "There. That wasn't so hard."

I reached up and unhooked the key to the townhouse from the hook by the door. I held it out to him.

He stared at the keys dangling from my fingers, and frowned. "Here we go again. Chiara, every time you get upset, you threaten to leave. Don't you get tired of this game?"

Linsey murmured softly, "Chiara, please don't misunderstand. Salvatore is only worried about my safety. That’s why he asked me to live with you for a while. You're the one he truly cares about."

Ignoring them, I pulled out the black suitcase I'd already packed. The wheels hummed against the floor as I dragged it toward the door.

Salvatore's smile faded. "Where are you going?"

I slipped on my shoes at the entrance. "Don't bother preparing the guest room. You can have this house to yourselves. Salvatore, we're done."

Linsey's eyes immediately went red. "Chiara, this is all my fault. I'll leave right now. Please don't go."

But Salvatore reached out and held her back, his gaze turning cold. "Let her go."

He leaned against the doorframe, his voice tight with restrained fury. "If you walk out that door, don't expect me to come after you."

I felt nothing about his threat and pulled the door open.

Linsey delivered the final blow, soft and venomous. "Chiara, don't you think you're being a little dramatic?"

I ignored her and turned to looked at Salvatore. "I told you, we're done."

His face went dark. "Chiara. You're really doing this? You think this will make me bend? In your dreams! I would never—"

I didn't wait for him to finish. I stepped out into the cold, dragging my suitcase behind me.

Behind me, Salvatore's voice carried through the night. "Chiara! I'll be waiting for you to crawl back and beg me to take you back. Without me, you won't survive a week in this city."

I didn't slow down. I didn't look back.