All Chapters of A Don's Tale: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Elena's POVIn the first year of our marriage, Lorenzo Moretti publicly announced that I wouldn't be the Donna of the Moretti family. Instead, he made me do the work of a maid for a dollar per task.I worked myself to the bone, injuring my back. On rainy days, I would shake from the pain.In the second year of our marriage, the Moretti family's casino in Lavergo opened, and I was called in to work as a dealer. I was paid five dollars a night.I worked there for six months, enduring harassment from gamblers every day, and my voice went hoarse.In the third year of our marriage, my father jumped from a building and needed emergency surgery.I had no choice but to beg Lorenzo. What he did was make me drink high-concentration whiskey in a smoke-filled private club.It was a hundred dollars per glass in exchange for the surgery fee.Lorenzo wore a mocking expression, his sculpted features blurred slightly by the smoke.I broke into a coughing fit, my voice rough and strained. "Lore

Elena's POVWhen I woke up again, my hands were tied behind my back, and I had been thrown onto the floor. Across from me stood Lorenzo and Sofia, their expressions calm.My eyes reddened, and I shot them a confused look. "Lorenzo, why am I here?""Sofia wants an authentic Monelle painting, and only the collector Vito Abela has it. He said he would trade it for you," Lorenzo explained.The dim light cast a cold sheen over Lorenzo's refined features. He simply looked at me as if I were a commodity to be traded.I was beyond stunned.Vito was the mastermind behind the scenes who had caused the Bianchi family's finances to collapse, leading to our eventual bankruptcy.My voice trembled as I asked, "Lorenzo, is a painting worth more than my life?""Elena, you can't say that." Sofia's expression was disapproving. "A person's reputation is nothing more than money and power. It means nothing in the face of art."Hearing that, I couldn't help but laugh bitterly.Everything Sofia wore

Elena's POVI checked myself out of the hospital, then went to the police station to report on my injury and Vito's crimes.After doing all that, I was exhausted, so I dragged my tired body home.However, after entering the passcode several times, I kept getting an error message. I had no choice but to knock and call out.The next second, a bucket of ice water poured down from above, drenching me completely.I cried out from the cold, and my body was trembling uncontrollably.Lorenzo, having heard the noise, quickly walked out of the villa. He frowned as he took in the chaotic sight in the yard. When he looked at me, his eyes showed a rare glimmer of concern.Then, he looked up at the bodyguards on the second floor, his tone unusually angry."What's going on here? What have you done?"It was the first time Lorenzo had been this angry about something involving me.The bodyguards weren't sure what to do, so they looked at Sofia, who had followed Lorenzo out.I frowned and look

Elena's POVI returned to the Bianchi residence to pack up Dad's belongings. The house would be left in the care of the family elders. But for the memories with my parents inside, I would take those with me and cherish them for the rest of my life.As I stared at the cold and empty house, I felt a mix of emotions.Ever since the Bianchi family went bankrupt, this was the first time I had entered Dad's study. While packing, I would think of his disfigured body when he died.So, I packed on and off for two full days.At the very end, as I was wiping down a decorative piece on Dad's desk, a click sounded. A hidden compartment appeared on the bookshelf behind me, revealing a locked box.I froze for a second, then pried the box open with a hammer. Inside was a document I had never seen before.I read through it, noting that the contents seemed to relate to the Bianchi family's bankruptcy.I steadied my racing heart and hired a trusted private investigator to look into the matter.J

Elena's POV"How much ransom do you want? I can pay it. I want both of them." Lorenzo tried to sound calm, but the tremor at the end of his words betrayed his panic.The kidnapper laughed heartily. "Lorenzo, we don't want a ransom. We just want you to understand what it's like to lose someone you love."One is your new flame, while the other is an old love. Make your choice quickly, or both will die."As he spoke, he tore the tape off my mouth and Sofia's.Sofia could no longer keep her composure and screamed out in terror, "Lorenzo, save me! I don't want to die!"Lorenzo stopped hesitating and said, "Let Sofia go."My hands, sawing through the rope, paused for a moment before I sped up. Even though I had never expected anything from Lorenzo, his cold-bloodedness toward me still made me feel despair.Fortunately, I had never intended to rely on him.While the kidnapper was still talking to Lorenzo, I opened the door, jumped out, and rolled down the mountainside.Amid Sofia's