All Chapters of Married to the Don, Replaced by His First Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

He was obsessively disciplined, hit the gym every single morning without fail. But not today.He propped himself up against the headboard, staring at his phone, typing out a reply. It wasn’t until 8 a.m. that he finally tossed the covers aside.“Rico.” I spoke up. “Are you going to the Rossi charity gala?”We never had much to say to each other, anyway. Even though we shared a bed every night, I’d only heard about the gala from my friends.Rico hesitated. “Yeah. You going?”I shook my head. I knew Seraphina was my rival, in every way that mattered. Showing up at her family’s gala would only mean humiliation for me.Rico didn’t say another word. He probably didn’t want me there, anyway.I checked my phone. The forum thread had already hit thousands of replies. Together, Rico and Seraphina’s names were the stuff of legend in New York’s underworld circles.Seraphina had made another post: “This weekend’s Rossi Charity Gala. All friends are welcome.”Replies flooded in instantly:“Thank

Once I had the divorce papers in hand, I planned to head straight to Valentino family headquarters. I’d come up with some excuse to get Rico to sign it without him reading it first. That way, I’d be the bigger person, and save him all the messy, unnecessary drama.The whole drive over, I ran through a million different scenarios in my head. Would he notice what it was? Would he fly off the handle if he did?But the second I stepped into the ground-floor lobby, armed bodyguards stepped in front of me, blocking my path.“Sorry, ma’am. No entry.”For three years, Rico had never once publicly acknowledged who I was to him. I wasn’t about to announce it now, either. I just pulled out my phone and called him.The line rang once before I heard his ringtone echoing from the elevators. Rico was walking out, leading a group of his men.He glanced at his screen, his brow furrowing slightly, like he was debating whether to answer. I hung up on instinct.He didn’t seem to think much of it, just ke

This time, I figured a casual heads-up would be enough, that I’d be on the plane before he even thought twice about it.But I never expected that the second I cleared security, my phone would blow up with a call from him.On the other end, his voice was raw, laced with a panic I’d never heard from him before.“Layla. Where the hell are you?!”I gripped my phone so tight my knuckles went white, unable to get a single word out.“Layla. Where the hell are you?” he roared again.“JFK Airport,” I finally managed to say. “I booked a flight to London. I’m leaving.”“You are not getting on that plane.” His voice went ice-cold in an instant. “Either you turn around and come home right now, or I’m on my way over there to get you myself.”He slammed the phone down in my ear.He’d definitely had his men watching the airport. There was no way I’d be boarding that flight now.I’d thought he wouldn’t care. That he’d be begging for me to disappear, to get out of his way so he and Seraphina could

That night, Seraphina sent me a friend request on social media, and asked to meet me the next day.She greeted me with a bright smile when I arrived, said it had been too long. The second we sat down, she didn’t beat around the bush. “I know about you and Rico.”The coffee cup in my hand froze halfway to my lips. I didn’t say a word.She kept going, her voice soft and sweet. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”Loving Rico wasn’t a crime, but it made me feel humiliated all the same. He’d never once told the world who I was to him.So I lifted my chin, and said it out loud. “He’s my husband. Why wouldn’t I love him?”She froze for a split second, then forced a smile. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean anything by it. I remember you. Back when your coworkers accused you of stealing from a client, he stepped in to defend you, and even covered the customer’s losses. I was surprised, honestly, that it’s you he ended up with in his bed.”She leaned in a little, her voice dropping. “I

I left the estate and headed straight back to the Valentino manor on Long Island. But for the next few days, Rico was gone before I woke up and home long after I’d fallen asleep. I never got the chance to ask him about any of it.Until the day of the Rossi family charity gala.It was 7 a.m., and Rico was in the bathroom washing up. I slipped on my nightgown and walked to the door, took a deep breath, and was just about to speak when he heard me. He stepped out, drying his face with a towel.“I know you have questions for me.” He spoke before I could. “When I get home tonight, I’ll tell you everything. Every last detail.”The words I’d been ready to say died in my throat. I just nodded.After he left for the family headquarters, I couldn’t stop replaying everything Vincent had told me. Before, I’d avoided this gala like the plague, convinced it was Rico and Seraphina’s night, that I’d only humiliate myself by showing up. But now, knowing the truth behind it all, I was burning wi