Chapter 3

Eva clutched her chest, struggling to breathe.

Leo immediately noticed that something was off. He immediately steadied her by the shoulders, his voice full of panic. "Eva, what's wrong?"

The worry in his eyes didn't look fake.

But it was this same man—the mafia king who had once worshipped her like she was his entire world—who kept so many secrets buried beneath that love.

Eva forced her emotions down and managed to steady her voice. "I'm fine... Just a little tightness in my chest."

Leo gently rubbed her chest, trying to ease her discomfort. Then, he unfastened his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders, protective and firm. Once he was sure her breathing had steadied, he signaled one of his men to bring the car around and ordered them to take her home.

Eva didn't smile once on the ride back.

Leo sat beside her, cautious, tentative. "Eva… did I do something wrong?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. I just remembered a mafia drama I watched once."

"Oh? What was it about?"

She looked at him and said calmly, "It was about a mafia boss who once swore he'd love only one woman. But later… he changed. And he hid it all so well. Leo… if one day, you changed too—"

He cut her off immediately. "Never. That would never happen. Eva, my loyalty and my vows, they belong to you—only you. I could never betray you. I can't live without you."

But his words didn't soothe her anymore. They only added weight to the pain already sinking in her heart.

Before she could respond, his phone rang. He hesitated, clearly debating whether to answer.

"Go ahead," she said quietly.

The voice on the other end said something Eva couldn't hear.

At first, Leo's expression remained calm. But then, his pupils contracted sharply, and something shifted. The ease on his face vanished.

He pressed his lips together, his jaw tightening. After a pause, he ended the call and turned to face her.

"Eva, something's come up at the port. A weapons manifest got rerouted last minute. I have to handle it personally. Is that okay?"

Eva didn't ask questions. She simply nodded.

She stepped out of the backseat of Leo's Maybach and quietly watched it drive away. Then, she flagged down a yellow cab.

"Follow that black Maybach," she said to the driver.

The black Maybach came to a stop outside a secluded estate, its gates wrapped in ivy and surrounded by towering stone walls.

As soon as Leo stepped out, the front door swung open. A woman in a skimpy bunny-maid outfit appeared, her lips curling into a sultry smile. Without hesitation, she ran straight into his arms.

It was Cleo.

The second their bodies met, they kissed hungrily.

Breathless and flushed, Cleo clutched Leo's tie and giggled, her voice syrupy and teasing. "Mr. Sereno, I've got something special for you tonight. Want to see it?"

She trailed a teasing fingertip down his throat, her nails grazing his skin.

Leo's eyes darkened as he gripped her hand tightly. "I ran five red lights to get here. What do you think?"

Cleo laughed and pulled him toward the car. "Then let's open your surprise in the car."

The door slammed behind them. The city lights shimmered through the tinted glass as shadows flickered. Inside, breathless sounds began to rise.

Leo kissed her with fevered hunger. Cleo pulled at his shirt, her hands sliding under his suit. He lifted her, pinning her to the seat, trailing kisses down her face, her neck, and her collarbone.

She arched beneath him, moaning softly. "Mr. Sereno, I want more…"

Within minutes, the vehicle began to rock in rhythm.

And just a short distance away, Eva sat frozen in the back of a yellow cab, watching everything unfold.

She had long suspected that Leo was no longer her safe harbor. But despite knowing that, seeing it with her own eyes—seeing Leo and another woman tangled in the very seat she had once sat in beside him—still shattered her.

She pressed a hand against her aching chest as tears spilled down her cheeks like a broken string of pearls.

Back when they first fell in love, Leo had been disciplined to a fault. He used to hesitate for several seconds before even holding her hand.

He said a mafia king's marriage must remain sacred. He said he wanted to save his first time for their wedding night.

She remembered the way he held her that night—so carefully and reverently. His voice trembled with emotion as he whispered, "Eva, you're finally mine. I love you. I'll love you forever."

And that night, she believed him. She believed that even in a world full of bloodshed and shadows, he would still be her one true light.

He once said, "I only love you, Eva."

Now, he was the one who tore that vow apart with his own hands.

From the front seat, the female cab driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror. Seeing Eva's tear-streaked face, she sighed and passed a packet of tissues.

"Men… What man doesn't cheat? I've got three kids with my husband, and even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't. You're already married. Just turn a blind eye. Forgive him once."

Eva gripped the tissue tightly, her voice raw and steady as she replied, "No. I won't forgive him."

When she returned to the villa, she opened the safe.

Inside were the gifts Leo had once given her, from designer watches to fine jewelry. Then, there was the necklace he had designed just for her, the only one of its kind in the world—the Amoura Eva.

She picked up her phone and called a secure line.

"Is this the Asset Liquidation Bureau? I need to offload a collection immediately. Please transfer the full proceeds to the Women's and Children's Relief Foundation in Bellavia. It must be done anonymously."

Within an hour, everything was packed and shipped.

Then, she began to gather her things, ready to walk away for good.

She was halfway through when Leo suddenly burst through the door. He looked frantic, soaked in sweat, his hair and suit damp from the rush.

He rushed toward her, his voice cracking with panic. "Eva... why did you sell the Amoura Eva?"