Chapter 11

[Third-Person POV]When Vito opened the box, it felt like an invisible hand had clamped around his heart and squeezed hard. He could barely breathe from the agony.There were no valuables inside, just a handful of random things.There was a neat stack of newspaper clippings. They were all of him being mentioned or photographed, each edge worn soft from being handled over and over.There were several candid photos of him, clearly taken in secret. The angles were odd, but he was captured sharply in every one.There was also a half-finished sweater. The yarn was the dark gray he often wore; the stitches were crooked, with plenty of dropped loops.Beneath the sweater lay a small card. On it was Alessia's handwriting, carrying a hint of playful arrogance. "Gonna knit a sweater for this walking iceberg so he'll stop looking so cold all the time. Even if he doesn't like it, he still has to wear it! —Alessia."Vito squeezed his eyes shut. His tall frame swayed, and for a moment, he almo

Chapter 12

[Third-Person POV]Vito listened in silence, his face completely unreadable.When the elders were done speaking, he slowly lifted his head. The obsession and madness in his eyes made even these battle-hardened men feel a chill run down their spines.He suddenly pulled out the knife he always carried. Under everyone's horrified gaze, he swung it down hard at his left pinky, not even hesitating for a second.Blood spurted instantly as a severed finger fell onto the polished floor with a soft, sickening thump. Vito's face went deathly pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. However, he didn't even flinch.He raised his blood-soaked left hand and spoke, each word hoarse but carrying an ironclad finality. "I, Vito Luca, will have only one wife in this life, and that's Alessia Moretti. Anyone who dares mention me taking another woman—this finger is their warning!"With the most extreme, brutal gesture, he sealed off every escape route for himself and declared his belated, crazed d

Chapter 13

[Alessia's POV]I was trapped between the wall and Vito's body, forced to listen to this belated, overwhelming confession of his. My face didn't show a flicker of emotion, only a deeper, sharper sneer.When he finally finished, he breathed hard and looked at me with a kind of desperate hope. I slowly lifted my eyes, stabbing him with my ice-cold gaze. "Vito, your apology and this so-called love of yours… All they do is make me feel utterly disgusted. Don't ever show your face in front of me again."I shoved him away, straightened my rumpled dress, and spoke with a finality that left no room for negotiation. "Otherwise, I won't hesitate to have the local police escort you out."With that, I didn't spare his suddenly bloodless face another glance. I turned on my heel and walked away, disappearing into the gallery's glittering lights and crowd. I didn't show the slightest hint of reluctance.Vito stood frozen in place, as if every last trace of warmth and soul had been sucked out of

Chapter 14

[Alessia's POV]Every word was like a knife that stabbed straight into Vito's heart.Rain slid down the sharp lines of his face, mixing with the sting of the slap and the taste of humiliation, leaving him looking more wretched and defeated than I'd ever seen him.He parted his lips to say something, only to find something lodged in his throat. No sound came out. All he could do was watch as I turned away without hesitation and vanished into the curtain of rain after I was done yelling at him.Vito stood downstairs outside my apartment building the entire night. He stayed there until dawn started to break, when one of his bodyguards came to pick him up. He said an urgent order had come in from Nuvak and that Vito had to return immediately to handle family business.Only then did he finally move, albeit like a living corpse. He was half-dragged, half-carried into the car.Back in Nuvak, Vito turned himself into a cold, unfeeling machine. When handling family affairs, he was harsher

All Chapters of The Lover Who Never Came Back: Chapter 11 - Chapter 14

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14