All Chapters of He Strayed, I Slayed: Don Husband's Downfall: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Giovanni Santoro, Don of the Santoro family, had reserved the entire banquet hall at Skyline Convention Center for a university student named Valentina Conti. Every major figure in the city had gathered—all to celebrate the 19th birthday of Giovanni's new mistress. Everyone said he had genuinely fallen in love with Valentina. Yet, as Donna Santoro, I was the last to know. That morning, the news was on television. The reporter, clearly with ill intent, asked, "Ms. Conti, with an event this grand, aren't you worried Donna Santoro will hear about it?"Valentina smiled, innocent yet bold. She pulled Giovanni close and planted her red lips on his cheek. Then, she winked at the camera. "Who will be Donna Santoro in the future? That's anyone's guess."Silence fell over the room as the camera shifted to Giovanni. He showed no anger and made no move to stop her. Instead, he let out a low chuckle, raised his hand, and slowly rubbed the lipstick mark on his cheek. It looked as though

Chapter 2

Giovanni returned shortly after leaving. He looked far more haggard and disheveled than he had earlier in the day. His wool coat was creased, and his eyes were bloodshot. Even his usually immaculate hair was in disarray.He stood rooted to the spot, as if weighing his options. After a long moment, he finally spoke, "Even after we agreed to the Messina family's ceasefire, Don Messina still refused to release Valentina. They said they'd let her go only if they could have you in return."At that, I looked up at him. Giovanni met my gaze. His voice was devoid of warmth as he continued, "Chiara, you've been kidnapped before, so you know what it's like. But Valentina is just a college student. I'm afraid she won't be able to handle it."For a moment, it felt like something kept piercing my heart, the pain stealing my breath.Giovanni seemed to have completely forgotten that I, too, had once lived a happy life. Growing up, my biggest worry had been dodging ants on the sidewalk. It w

Chapter 3

Ten years ago, my mother died in a gunfight. Amid the hail of gunfire, she threw herself over a nine-year-old girl who had no blood relation to us at all. My mother, however, never woke up again.…After Franco finished tending to my gunshot wound, I spoke up, "Let me go back to the Santoro residence."Without warning, he leaned in so close there was nowhere for me to retreat."You belong to me now. If you want to leave, you'll have to leave something behind as collateral," he said. …Back at the Santoro residence, I pushed open the door to the master bedroom. An unfamiliar scent hung thick in the air, and Valentina's presence was everywhere—the bedside table, the wardrobe, and even the vanity.Her perfume and her pajamas were all there, while her lingerie lay draped carelessly over the back of a chair. Every detail silently declared that the room's owner had changed.I turned and went upstairs instead. The door to Giovanni's study was slightly ajar. Through the gap, I

Chapter 4

Silence enveloped the room once more. At that moment, something inside me snapped. It was like a cord stretched tight for years finally giving way and could never be fixed. I stared at Giovanni. This was the man who had once sat at my family's dining table, smiling as he praised my mother's tiramisu. He was the same man whose eyes were red with grief at her funeral, vowing to avenge her.But now, he defended another woman before me. He acted self-righteously and even went so far as to insult my mother.Trembling with fury, I stormed into the study and grabbed him by the collar. "Why are you protecting her? Why are you covering for her? She was the one who killed my mother! How can you do this?"Giovanni's gaze darkened slightly. His movements remained steady as he held Valentina behind him with one hand. "What are you so worked up about? Who do you think you are to question me?" he snapped. "Don't forget. You cheated on me with Franco and even conspired with him to hurt Valent

Chapter 5

Though part of me still resisted, the matter was far from settled. If I let my guard down, it would only create problems down the line. I stepped into the familiar yet suffocating hall, where a faint trace of incense lingered in the air. It felt like a reminder that I had never truly belonged here. Then, I pulled out my phone and called Valentina. "Want to step out? Let's talk. I'll take you somewhere nice."Her wary voice came through the receiver, "Since when are you this kind?"I let out a soft laugh. "Come on, you're the apple of Giovanni's eye. What is there to fear?" I countered in a mischievous tone. Valentina fell silent for a moment and then agreed.…I led Valentina past layers of security to the Santoro family's inner sanctum. Each step on the polished marble echoed through the empty corridors, like a low, ominous warning.At every checkpoint, I raised the badge that marked me as the Donna. The guards immediately stepped aside, their gazes filled with reverence.

Chapter 6

Valentina shifted in her seat. Her fingers trembled slightly as she asked, "Are you sure?"I smiled faintly and answered decisively, "I'm sure."…Before long, Valentina carefully handed the divorce papers back to me. Sure enough, Giovanni's steady, familiar signature sat at the bottom. I exhaled in relief. This major chapter in my life was finally brought to a close.Right then, Valentina glared at me and warned, "From now on, you're not allowed to go near Giovanni again."I nodded without hesitation. "Don't worry. I won't."…After packing up everything at the Santoro residence, I called Franco and told him to pick me up.Neon lights flickered past the car window as I leaned back in my seat, my fingertips drumming lightly against the armrest.My gaze was cold and steady. "It's time to make our move," I uttered slowly, each word sharp with intent. In an instant, the air was heavy with an unspoken threat. At last, my plan could begin. …A few days later, the Santoro f

Chapter 7

Giovanni's expression changed as soon as he heard what I said. "If you don't want to help, fine. But there's no need to make up this kind of bullshit. Do you really think a lie like that is funny?" he replied with a sneer. Even now, his voice still held that familiar air of superiority.I raised a brow. "We really are divorced."My tone was calm, almost gentle. I then slowly took out my phone, pulled up the scanned copy of the divorce papers, and slid the device toward him. "See here? That's your signature."In an instant, the tension in the air was palpable. The color slowly drained from Giovanni's face, and his fingers trembled slightly."W-When did I sign this?" he asked.I let out a soft chuckle."Well, you'd have to ask your lover, Valentina," I answered casually, as if I were talking about the weather.The words hit him like a punch to the gut.In the next second, Giovanni seized my wrist with brutal force. Then, with everyone in the patisserie watching, he fell to

Chapter 8

Valentina didn't hesitate, her tone matter-of-fact as she answered, "Yes. I slipped the divorce papers in with the contracts you usually sign and had you sign them along with everything else."The words struck Giovanni like a cold needle, piercing his mind. He froze as memories slowly surfaced. During that time, he had been swamped with work at the company, closing deals one after another.He really had been signing countless documents every day. Since he had never been on guard around Valentina, he hadn't even glanced at what he was signing. So, that was it. "Why would you do that?" Giovanni asked, his voice low and hoarse. Valentina frowned like he had asked something stupid. "If you divorce her, you can marry me."She stepped closer. Her voice was edged with expectation as she pressed, "Don't you want to marry me?"For the first time, Giovanni felt a twinge of regret.It wasn't the kind of overwhelming remorse. Rather, it was a delayed, inescapable fatigue that weighed

Chapter 9

This wasn't a party, and there were no guests—only a vast, emptied stretch of coastline. The distant lighthouse beam turned slowly, as if counting down to a ritual.Franco stood beside me, the wind tossing his dark coat. This was a man who had once decided life and death with a single word, but now, he lingered in near-reverent silence.Suddenly, he got down on one knee. However, this wasn't an act of weakness but one of submission. He looked up at me, his gaze intense and burning. Then, Franco reached inside his coat and produced a ring. It wasn't a traditional diamond ring but a band engraved with the Messina family crest, with my name etched on the inside. "Chiara… From this moment on, every asset, every influence, every shred of power, and every connection of the Messina family is yours."His voice was low, yet it carried cleanly through the night. He held the ring in his palm, as though presenting an entire kingdom. "You may command them, purge them, and rebuild them. M

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