All Chapters of The Seven-Year Itch: Erasing the Donna: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

On our seventh wedding anniversary, I was straddling my Mafia husband, Lucian, kissing him deeply.My fingers fumbled in the pocket of my expensive silk dress, searching for the pregnancy test I'd hidden there.I wanted to save the news of my unexpected pregnancy for the end of the evening.Lucian's right-hand man, Marco, asked with a suggestive smile in Italian:"Don, your new little canary, Sophia. How does she taste?"Lucian's mocking laughter vibrated through my chest, sending a chill down my spine.He replied, also in Italian:"Like an unripe peach. Fresh and tender."His hand was still caressing my waist, but his gaze was distant."Just keep this between us. If my Donna finds out, I'm a dead man."His men chuckled knowingly, raising their glasses and swearing their silence.The warmth in my blood turned to ice, inch by inch.The one thing they didn’t know was that my grandmother was from Sicily, so I understood every word.I forced myself to remain calm, keeping the perfect smile

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 cours

Chapter 3

I tracked Lucian's convoy to a private club on the east side of the city.It was open only to members of the Marino Family. Thankfully, the guards at the entrance recognized my car and gave me a respectful nod.I parked across the street, observing from my car window.As soon as the car door opened, I saw Sophia in a tight red dress and ten-centimeter heels, pouncing into Lucian's arms like a cat in heat."Darling, that drone show made me so jealous."Lucian patted her back, his tone doting."Wasn't the firework show for your birthday a few days ago enough? Such a greedy little canary?""You silly girl. You'll have everything you want, but now is not the time.""I promised you, as long as you behave and don't let Nora find out about our little game, all the power and status she has will one day be yours too."Hearing this, a sharp pain shot through my heart, as if a thousand daggers were piercing my chest.I remembered the spectacular fireworks display on the west side of town a few da

Chapter 4

Lucian's face darkened instantly. He grabbed Sophia by the wrist and dragged her into the back garden."Are you trying to get yourself killed? I warned you to never show your face here! If your sister finds out about anything, you know the consequences!"I walked to the second-floor window, which gave me a perfect view of everything in the garden.Lucian was like an enraged beast, shoving Sophia away forcefully."Are you insane? Do you want to bring the entire Family down?!"Terrified by his rage, Sophia trembled, pulling a hospital report from her bag with a shaking hand.Even from that distance, I could faintly make out her words: "I know I shouldn't have come… but I'm pregnant.""The doctor said last night was too rough. I'm nine weeks along, and it's a high-risk pregnancy now.""Lucian, I know I shouldn't cause you trouble, but I'm scared. Will the baby be okay? This is your first heir, the future of your bloodline."Those words struck me like a bolt of lightning, shattering me com

Chapter 5

The next second, my phone began to vibrate wildly.The screen displayed the name "Lucian."I turned the phone off completely.Since I had accepted the highest security protocol, I had to completely cut ties with my past.The car drove through familiar streets.Every inch of this city was Marino territory, and it held all my memories with Lucian.But now, none of it had anything to do with me.I removed the SIM card from my phone and tossed it out the window without a second thought."Damn it!"At the same moment, Lucian shoved through the crowd, ignoring Sophia's cry of alarm, and lunged toward the spot where the car had just been.But it had already vanished into the traffic, leaving only the smell of exhaust in its wake."Lucian, what's wrong?" Sophia grabbed his sleeve. "Did something happen?""It's nothing. Let's go."He forced himself to calm down and got back into the car.But the knot of unease in his gut tightened.What was Nora doing there? Wasn't she at the estate?And the lo

Chapter 6

That arrogant text, I later learned, was all it took. In an instant, Lucian understood everything.He knew. It was Sophia's taunts that had driven me away.A volcanic rage erupted from his chest.My only regret was that I wasn't there to witness what happened next.Later, through various channels, I pieced together the full picture of that bloody night.They said Lucian drove like a madman to the secret estate where Sophia was staying.When Sophia opened the door and saw him, her face lit up with joy, assuming he had finally cast me aside for good.She was lost in a beautiful dream of becoming the next Donna of the Marino Family."Lucian, are you here to take me home? I'll pack my things and go with you right now.""I knew you couldn't bear to be without me and our baby."The words had barely left her mouth when a sharp slap cracked across her face, and Lucian grabbed her.His face was as dark as the depths of hell, and he radiated pure, murderous rage."Sophia, who the fuck gave you t

Chapter 7

Sophia never imagined he could be so utterly merciless. Her pleas grew more frantic and shrill.But Lucian didn't spare her a single glance.After eliminating the woman who betrayed his Family, Lucian once again threw all his energy into finding me.But whether he used his informants inside the FBI or activated the entire East Coast underworld intelligence network, he couldn't find a single trace of me.Even his contacts within the federal government said there were no records of me. It was as if I had been completely erased from the world."Impossible!"Lucian slammed his fist on the table, shattering a teacup."How can a living person just vanish into thin air?"It was then that Lucian remembered the question I had asked him on our anniversary night, when he had sworn that if he ever betrayed me, he would never be able to find me again.Now, his words had come back to haunt him, a cruel, self-fulfilling prophecy.He suddenly remembered the exquisite box I had given him before I left

Chapter 8

The lab's director seated Lucian at the head of the table, introducing the "philanthropic" investor to everyone.Only then did I learn that this Mafia Don had laundered nearly half of his family's illegal assets and poured it all into our medical research project.All for the price of admission into this top-secret program.I forced myself to remain calm, staring at the screen with a blank expression."Mr. Marino has brought our research project the largest single donation in its history."Warm applause filled the room. My colleagues were thrilled by the massive influx of capital."His funding will help us accelerate breakthroughs in cancer treatment technology.""I hope everyone can attend the welcome dinner tonight."At eight o'clock that evening, I had no choice but to attend the dinner.I wore a simple white shirt and black trousers, my hair tied back in a casual ponytail.I was a stark contrast to the other women in their evening gowns.Lucian stood in the center of the dining hal

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