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When the Don Took a Mistress
When the Don Took a Mistress
Author: Tiptik

Chapter 1

Author: Tiptik
The hallway of the Rizzo estate stretched long before me. Caravaggio originals hung on the walls, their surfaces catching the glow from floor lamps that spilled across the oak floorboards in dappled patterns.

At the end of the hall, the study door stood slightly ajar. Laughter burst through in waves, each one louder than the last.

Today was the day my husband, Don Antonio Rizzo, handled family business. Every member of the family had come.

Outsiders were not allowed within ten feet, so they had not even bothered to close the door.

I carried my Hermès Kelly bag and was about to push the door open when my heel caught on the foreign rug. As I bent down, the diamond ring on my ring finger suddenly slipped off. The 60-carat ring tumbled onto the deep red carpet like a fallen tear.

My heart stung for no reason I could name.

I was about to crouch down to pick it up when I heard Antonio's voice.

"Come on, I'm not like you scum." His voice carried the blur of alcohol but swelled with pride. "My first love, my one true love for this lifetime is my wife."

I pressed my lips together. The cold diamond sat in my palm, but warmth spread through my chest.

"It's just a shame." Antonio suddenly sighed. "I only found out after I married her that Elena's nothing special. Women are only fun when they're young and beautiful."

My hand clenched tight. The diamond dug into my flesh as the smile froze on my lips.

"What about me, Don?" A sweet, soft voice suddenly rang out, full of wounded injustice. "You said your one true love is your wife, so what am I? Last night, you said you loved me most!"

The men all burst into laughter. "Silly girl, you actually believe what a man says in bed? Besides, it's only natural for a man to love his wife."

"You're the mistress. What are you even fighting for?"

"Don! Look at them!" The woman's voice turned tearful, sounding so delicate and soft. It really made a person's heart ache.

"Enough. Leave her alone." Antonio's voice dropped. "What mistress? This is my girlfriend. Watch your mouth."

Someone whistled. "No way, Don. Are you serious about this?"

Antonio made a low sound of agreement. "She's been with me since she was 18. I have to take responsibility."

"Don, you really know how to live."

"Haha, exactly. Aren't you afraid the Signora will make a scene?"

Antonio laughed. "Elena depends on me to survive. What's she going to make a scene with? But you all better keep your mouths shut. I love my wife very much. I don't want to make her sad."

"You love your wife very much, so what about me?" The young lady started up again, relentless.

Antonio reached out and pulled her in front of him, holding her in his arms as he coaxed her. "Sweetheart, is this really worth your tears?"

The young lady sobbed and whined. "Antonio, I want you to say you love me most. Even if you're lying."

"Alright, baby. She's not as young or beautiful or wild as you. Right now, of course, I love you most."

I stood outside the door in the shadows and suddenly smiled. The man who had once sworn he would love me for a lifetime was now coaxing a younger woman, but I did not even feel the urge to walk in and confront him.

One betrayal meant no second chances. That was the rule of the Santoro family.

I turned and walked back down that long hallway.

On our wedding day, Antonio lowered his eyes and swore before every member of the family, "Through poverty, sickness, hardship, pain, wealth, health, joy, and happiness, Elena, I will never leave you. I will love you for a lifetime."

A lifetime.

A single tear slid down my cheek.

He promised a lifetime, but a lifetime cut short by a year, a month, a day, or even an hour was not a lifetime at all.
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  • When the Don Took a Mistress   Chapter 15

    Marco's POV:I finally married Elena.On our wedding day, so many of our old classmates and friends came. Even more than when Antonio married her all those years ago.Our wedding was not as lavish or grand as his had been. There was no entire hotel booked out, no swarms of bodyguards, no rose petals dropped from helicopters. However, it was warm and blissfully happy.Everyone who came truly wanted to celebrate with us.After the wedding, Elena and I spent much of our time apart. We would go months, even half a year, without contact. It was normal.The business of the Santoro family was never easy work, but every time she came back, we would get to know each other all over again, as if meeting for the first time. We would fall in love with each other all over again.I never asked where she had been or what she had done. She never asked about my business dealings.We were simply together. In Biston's brief springs, in lazy summer days at the coast, among crimson autumn leaves in

  • When the Don Took a Mistress   Chapter 14

    After Antonio and I finished the divorce proceedings, I was waiting for the light to change when I saw the car parked by the curb.In the early spring weather, Marco wore a black trench coat and leaned against the car. Pale yellow buds had sprouted on the bare branches, but the wind still carried a chill.He stood there quietly, yet kept glancing in the direction I was coming from. The moment he saw me, he straightened up instantly.The sun broke through the clouds. A faint, bright halo of light fell into his eyes."Elena." He strode toward me.The signal turned green. The frozen crowd began to flow like a river, becoming jumping notes on the crosswalk.I stood in place without moving. I simply smiled, tilting my head slightly as I watched him. I watched him walk toward me with those long strides, like the most timeless scene from a film."Elena."He finally reached me and looked down at me. He seemed nervous. His breathing was uneven. As if the wind was too cold. The tips of h

  • When the Don Took a Mistress   Chapter 13

    Elena's POV:It was the day the divorce was finalized. As we left the courthouse, Antonio called out to me, "Honey."He looked dazed. The light had gone out of him entirely. Those eyes that had once been so passionate and unrestrained were now dull and lifeless.I said, "Call me by my name.""Elena."Antonio walked up to me and stopped. He looked at me earnestly. In those dim eyes, a faint light flickered back to life. "We can still be friends, can't we? Just like ten years ago. We can start as friends."I shook my head. "No, we can't.""But Elena—"I cut him off decisively, "Antonio, I told you when we got married three years ago. My family never forgives betrayal. Back then, I compromised against my better judgment. So three years later, I got what I deserved."He said urgently, "Then we won't be friends. We can start as strangers, okay? Just give me one more chance. Just this once. I swear."I smiled. "Antonio, do you still not understand me? The boring Elena you complaine

  • When the Don Took a Mistress   Chapter 12

    Antonio did not really take Marco's curse seriously.However, when he finally traveled a thousand miles to that desolate town in New Merico and could only watch helplessly as Marco arrived one step ahead of him and found Elena first in the desert, he suddenly understood in that instant that God's punishment had come.It came fiercely and without warning. He had no defenses and even less ability to fight back.Yellow sand roiled, blotting out the sky and sun. He did not know if Elena had seen him. He only watched helplessly as Marco carefully supported her injured form and helped her into the desert SUV.When she got in the car, she was too weak and frail. Marco lifted her up and carried her inside.He still followed the car to the hospital.The people Elena's father, Vittorio Santoro, had arranged stepped forward to block him but let Marco follow into the examination room.The wind stopped. The rolling yellow sand stopped too. He spat out a mouthful of sand and lit a cigar one a

  • When the Don Took a Mistress   Chapter 11

    Third-Person POV:The message was sent.Antonio slumped back against the couch and suddenly covered his face, laughing silently.All the family members sat to one side, exchanging glances, but no one dared to offer comfort. He had been going crazy looking for Elena these past few days. Though he had not made it public, word had gradually spread through their circle.His mistress Caterina was in a miserable state too. They said she had been sent to the hospital too late. Her uterus could not be saved.Yet Antonio still would not let her go.A few days ago, Caterina was expelled from school. Her parents thought she was a disgrace and cut ties with her. Now, she was barely surviving, walking on thin ice. She spent day and night praying desperately for Elena to come back so Antonio would spare her life.However, Elena had vanished without a trace, as if she had evaporated from the face of the earth."Don, was that a message from the Signora just now?" someone asked boldly.Antonio

  • When the Don Took a Mistress   Chapter 10

    Elena's POV:I followed the people Papa had arranged and headed straight to the desert in New Merico, a thousand miles away. Conditions were rough, and the schedule was tight.Papa had been worried my health would not hold up, but after I made it through the initial discomfort, I gradually adapted to this fast-paced life and work.I got a new phone and a new number, but I kept the old phone turned on. I did not cancel the number either. I just left it at my lodgings and did not carry it with me.Almost every day, Antonio called and texted the old phone. However, I did not answer or read any of it.After I arrived in New Merico, I called Sofia and briefly told her what had happened with Antonio.Sofia spent a full ten minutes cursing Antonio out over the phone. She said, "No wonder you ran off without saying a word."Elena, Antonio's been going crazy looking for you these past few days. He's cornered me at the hospital several times. But I really don't know where you went, so the

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