All Chapters of The Powerless Donna’s Second Life: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I woke up, and I was 28 again.I had twin heirs, and my husband was Santino, Veridia's most feared Mafia Don.He sat at the head of the Commission of the Five Families.His sharp profile was a fixture on the cover of the underworld's most exclusive magazine for several consecutive issues.Even the oldest Valerian families were lining up to offer him their daughters.All the women in Altoria envied my good fortune.But the first thing I did after waking up was pick up the divorce papers, the ink still fresh, and handed them to his childhood sweetheart, Jessy."My lawyer will handle the divorce. The properties and assets are yours. Santino is yours. The children are yours, too."Sitting across from me, Jessy couldn't believe it, her eyes wide with shock."Are you crazy, Alessia? Is this some kind of trick?""How could the woman who has been Donna for six years give it all up so easily?"I lowered my gaze, my tone calm. "Since they all prefer you, I figured it was time to step aside.""Ju

On her first day at the Genovese estate, Jessy began bossing the household staff around.She was making a grand show of redecorating the main living room."This Altorian handmade solid wood furniture is so heavy," she said, running a dismissive hand over a tabletop before turning to Santino with a seductive smile."Santino, can we replace it with those gilded imperial-style sofas? Something that suits your status as the Don of Veridia."Santino didn't even bat an eye, simply instructing the butler beside him, "Do as Jessy says."I stood there like a ghost, numbly watching as several family soldiers in black suits took down the art prints I had personally selected from the artistic capital of Solaria just six months ago.They were Renaissance-era antiques, gifts I had spent over half a month acquiring at auction to celebrate their acceptance into a top-tier private school.Leo and Sofia trailed behind her silk skirt like two loyal puppies.They pointed excitedly, "Auntie Jessy, the carp

He stared at me for a long time, as if seeing me for the first time.Since he clearly didn't realize he had already signed the actual divorce papers, and I hadn't left the estate yet.He just sneered, assuming this was another one of my pathetic bluffs."Alessia, you need to understand the situation.""Our marriage is nothing more than a contract to maintain peace between our two families. From beginning to end, it has had nothing to do with feelings.""As for what you want, I can't make you any promises.""I'm sorry, but my focus must be on the interests of the Genovese family."Hearing those words, I felt nothing. In fact, I almost felt a sense of relief.But for some reason, tears began to stream down my face uncontrollably. I tried to wipe them away, forgetting my hand was covered in blood.Blood and tears mingled, a picture of utter devastation.Yes, he was right.I was the pathetic fool, so debased that I actually tried to warm the heart of a man who belonged to someone else.I s

I left Veridia for good and moved to the distant West Coast.Lumina, a sun-drenched seaside city buzzing with artistic energy, offered a freedom and safety I had never known.I spent two full weeks exploring its neighborhoods. In the end, on a quiet street in the Old Town near the coast, I bought a storefront and named it "Dawn Gallery."It was a sanctuary for wounded souls, a place that offered an introduction to art and a path to healing through color.The gallery wasn't large, but it opened onto a charming, sun-drenched courtyard.I drew the plans myself and spent three months perfecting every detail.I transformed what had been a dilapidated warehouse into a warm, healing space.A rare winter rain fell over Lumina.I stood before the gallery's glass doors, a cup of hot black tea in hand. Watching the rain wash over the street outside, my thoughts began to drift.The door suddenly pushed open, and the brass wind chime above it jingled.A customer had come in to get out of the rain.

Santino's POVFrom that day on, Santino began to frequently use "managing family business" as an excuse.He set foot in the Genovese estate less and less often.The violence in his bones was boiling over, and only the ceaseless gang wars and power struggles offered any sort of numbness.He was never home. Jessy couldn't have been happier.She squandered her time at high-end salons on Rodeo Drive and at socialite afternoon teas.She had no idea how to be the matriarch of a vast mafia family.Leo and Sofia no longer had personal bodyguards to escort them to and from their elite private school.To win them over, Jessy had let them skip school, taking them drag racing or to wild parties on private yachts.Having had a taste of that life, the children followed her lead, eventually skipping school altogether to hang out on the streets.Their behavior grew rebellious and uncontrollable.Jessy noticed, but she didn't care."Miss Jessy, the young master and young miss have been skipping their c