Chapter 2

I turned to meet Lucian's dark green eyes, which had sharpened with suspicion, and put on my usual gentle smile.

"Oh, I was just chatting with a friend about one of the West Coast families. The Don betrayed his wife, and now she's filing for divorce and a share of the assets."

If he loved acting so much, I would play along.

Lucian's gaze was sharp as he scanned my face, searching for any telltale micro-expression.

Only after confirming there was nothing amiss did his tense shoulders slowly relax.

His large, scarred hand slid down my waist as he placed a light kiss on my temple.

"What an idiot. To betray your woman is to betray your own throne."

"My queen, that kind of thing will never happen in our Family."

I stared into his eyes, as deep as an abyss, and smiled softly.

"But what if it did happen?"

"For example…"

"Eleonora, there is no 'what if.'"

Lucian cut me off immediately. "I, Lucian Marino, swear on the honor and bloodline of the Marino Family, I will never betray you."

"Of course. I was just speaking hypothetically."

Lucian fell silent for a moment, then gently rubbed his slightly rough jaw against my cheek.

It was strange.

While carrying on an affair with my sister, he also displayed an intense, suffocating possessiveness towards me.

"Then let my punishment be that I can never find you again."

"You know, Eleonora, you are my life. Without you, I'd go to hell anyway."

I didn't respond, only gently wriggled free from his embrace.

In three days, I would leave this embrace I once craved.

Lucian, the punishment you just promised is about to come true.

He was about to say something more when a voice interrupted.

"Don, everything is ready."

Lucian nodded, a mysterious smile playing on his lips as he took my hand and led me toward the edge of the terrace.

He suddenly covered my eyes and whispered in my ear, "My baby, I have a special gift for you."

"Five, four, three…"

The moment the countdown finished, he removed his hands from my eyes.

The sight before me was breathtaking.

He had booked the entire private port, where hundreds of drones danced in the night sky.

The twinkling drones eventually formed my name.

"Eleonora."

Lucian embraced me from behind, his voice as gentle as ever.

"My sweetheart, we've been married for seven years. But every day with you feels as wonderful as the day we first met."

I looked at the sparkling letters in the night sky, feeling as if I were in a different lifetime.

Yes, seven years.

From the innocent princess of the Vettori family to the Donna of the Marino Family.

These seven years had changed me so much.

Enough to turn deep love into betrayal, and vows into lies.

Lucian turned me to face him, his dark green eyes so focused they seemed to melt me.

"Seven years, and every year I've wanted to give you the best."

He slowly leaned in to kiss me.

If I hadn't heard him and Sophia moaning in his office yesterday, I might have been fooled by this Oscar-worthy performance until the day I died.

Just as his lips were about to touch mine, his phone vibrated.

A flicker of annoyance at being interrupted crossed his face, an expression I knew all too well.

Good. I wouldn't have to think of a way to dodge him.

"Damn it. I gave explicit orders that no one was to disturb us tonight. I want to know which idiot dared to ignore them."

But when he saw the caller ID, his expression changed instantly.

I glanced at the screen and saw "My Little Canary."

I knew it was Sophia.

Lucian cleared his throat, subtly turning the phone away as his long fingers quickly swiped across the screen.

I clearly saw a flash of panic and raw desire in his eyes.

Sure enough, the next second he turned to me, a perfectly feigned look of guilt on his face.

"What is it?" I asked casually, my nails digging deep into my palms.

The truth was obvious, but I still hoped that this time, he would choose me.

"There's some urgent Family business I need to handle." He put his phone away, his eyes full of apology. "Darling, I might have to leave for a bit."

"Now?"

"I'm sorry. I know tonight is important, but this really can't wait."

He kissed my forehead.

"You go back to the room and rest. I'll be back to join you as soon as I'm done."

"I understand. Family business always comes first."

I nodded, acting like an obedient wife.

Hearing my response, Lucian was visibly relieved.

He gave me a quick hug before turning and leaving in a hurry.

I stood on the terrace, watching his convoy of cars drive out of the estate gates.

Once their taillights had completely disappeared, I turned and walked toward the parking garage.

Since he had "urgent business" to attend to, I decided I should go see for myself just how urgent it was.

I started the engine and quietly followed his convoy.