All Chapters of After Tonight, Never Again: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Dad, happy birthday. To a long and prosperous life." Marco raised his glass of whiskey toward Salvatore with a smooth smile. "By the way, this is my new assistant, Sophie. She’s incredibly sharp, so I brought her along tonight to celebrate your birthday." Sophie stood up somewhat timidly, raising her glass. "Wishing you good health, Mr. Moretti." Salvatore’s expression remained utterly stone-faced. "You absolute fool. Are you trying to infuriate me to death? Who gave you permission to bring an outsider into our family home? You show zero care for your own fiancée, yet you pour all your attention into a mere assistant." Sophie’s eyes instantly welled with tears, and she turned to Marco with a helpless, pleading look. The hand Marco was using to swirl his whiskey paused. His sharp gaze shot directly toward me. "Did Elena complain to you about me again?" "Hmph! She wouldn't even waste her breath on you," Salvatore snapped. "I’m neither blind nor deaf. Do you honestly think I don't k

Chapter 2

Perhaps realizing his reaction had been far too aggressive, Marco walked over to my side and rested his hands heavily on my shoulders. He leaned down, whispering softly against my ear: "It's Dad's birthday today. Can we please stop making a scene? Come upstairs with me. Let me show you the gift I brought back for you from Monaco." I stood up, cleanly stepping away from his touch. "No one is making a scene. Whatever you do has absolutely nothing to do with me anymore." Turning to Salvatore, I gave him a respectful, gentle nod. "Salvatore, I'll be leaving now." He looked at me with deep reluctance and sorrow. "Alright, child. If you ever need anything, you can always come find me." My eyes stung with unshed tears, and I nodded. Watching this interaction, Marco frowned in confusion. But soon, he seemed to convince himself of a different narrative and laughed. "Dad, you really spoil her too much. With you constantly backing her up, she's going to watch me like a hawk every single day.

Chapter 3

After returning home, I grabbed my packed suitcase and headed straight for the airport. My phone vibrated. 【Elena, let's push back the wedding dress fitting by a few days. Ricky and the guys put together a gathering, and they want me over there.】【Be a good girl and stop throwing tantrums. Once things quiet down, we'll go to Amalfi for our wedding photos.】 I switched off the screen and leaned my head against the car window, watching the city lights blur past. Amalfi... That trip was supposed to happen two months ago. I had spent two whole weeks meticulously planning the itinerary. Checking the weather, the destinations, the lighting, matching different photography styles to specific photographers... But Sophie's arrival had shattered all of it. Everywhere Marco went, he dragged her along. He claimed it was to give her professional experience. Yet, the frequency of his replies to my texts dropped drastically. During the blocks of time he claimed to be swamped with work, Sophie's s

Chapter 4

The moment I touched down, my parents were already waiting to welcome me. But they weren't alone. "Elena, long time no see." I froze, failing to process the sight immediately as ancient memories flooded back into my mind. "Are you... Luca?" He offered a warm, gentle smile. "It’s been nearly ten years. I’m honored you still remember me." Luca naturally reached out and took over my suitcase. "Elena, how did you lose so much weight? Come, let's get you home so Mom can cook you some proper meals," my mother said softly. I gently pulled her hand down from my cheek, trying my best to suppress the sudden wave of vulnerability crashing over me. "I didn't lose weight, Mom. You just haven't seen me in forever." My father spoke up next: "Luca has a massive collaborative project with us recently. You aren't allowed to slack off anymore, Elena. Pour your heart into this so your mother and I can retire early." "Dad! I literally just landed and you’re already dumping work on me? At least give

Chapter 5

(Third-person POV)Staring at the call that had been abruptly cut off, Marco felt an inexplicable surge of irritation wash over his chest. He had gotten completely wasted the night before. When he woke up, he found Sophie lying right beside him. "Don, I’m so sorry... Last night you were so drunk and kept squeezing my hand, refusing to let me leave, so I stayed to... wipe your body down..." Her deeply blushing, bashful demeanor triggered a flash of memory in Marco's mind. But the images that flashed weren't of her—they were of Elena. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, and cleared his throat. "If there’s nothing else, leave." Last night, he had genuinely believed the person by his side was Elena. That was the only reason he had held on so tightly. Sophie bit her lip, clearly wanting to say more, but seeing Marco pull out his phone to make a call, she could only leave the room in silence. He opened his chat history with Elena. It dawned on him that starting from a w

Chapter 6

A voice of utter confusion came from the other end of the line. "Don, hasn't the wedding dress order already been canceled? Ms. Elena paid the contract termination fee in full." "What?! When did this happen?!" Marco’s voice shook with a tremor he didn't even register. The person on the other end panicked. "Thr—three days ago." Three days ago... Salvatore’s birthday banquet. He slammed the phone down, grabbed his car keys, and bolted out the door. His car screeched to a halt outside the family estate. "Dad!" The moment he burst into the living room, he was greeted by Salvatore's cane flying through the air. "You wretched bastard! Why have you even crawled back here?! Are you trying to put me in an early grave?!" Marco didn't dare retaliate, using his arms purely to shield his face. "Dad... please stop first. I have something to ask you..." Once Salvatore had vented enough rage, he collapsed onto the sofa, panting heavily. "Dad, what did Elena say to you on your birthday? She...

Chapter 7

Marco stared directly into her eyes, his voice dripping with ice. Sophie flinched instinctively. "N—no, I didn't." He saw right through her lie, his gaze turning instantly predatory and dark. "You'd better tell me the absolute truth right now, or I have plenty of ways to make you speak. Don't force my hand." Sophie was fresh out of college, and encountering a man of Marco's immense power had swept her off her feet. He had treated her so well, allowing her to bask in the envious eyes of her social circle. She had never seen him look this terrifying. "I... I just shared some bits of my daily life, but I never showed your face..." "Give it to me!" he roared violently. Choking back her tears, Sophie trembling unlocked her phone and handed it over. Marco scrolled through post after post, his face growing progressively darker as he read the comments underneath. "Who gave you permission to broadcast this garbage? Where did you get the delusion that someone like me would ever look at you

Chapter 8

(Elena’s POV)I officially integrated into our family firm, taking charge of the massive collaborative project with Luca’s family. To make things easier, Luca moved his workspace to the office right next to mine. During a lunch break, a thought suddenly struck me. "Oh right, the day after I landed, didn't you pick up a call on my phone? Who was it?" Luca narrowed his eyes, thinking back. "Oh, the other end hung up the moment I answered. I assumed it was a wrong number, so I didn't think to mention it." I nodded, figuring that made sense. All my actual friends in the US were saved under contacts anyway. "Elena, tomorrow is our day off. Where would you like to go?" Through our close interactions over this period, I could clearly perceive the deep affection Luca held for me. "Luca, I know how you feel about me... but I've only just walked out of a long-term relationship, and my emotions are still messy. I refuse to use you as a rebound or a tool to escape the shadows of my past. It

Chapter 9

At closing time, Luca and I walked out of the corporate building side by side. "Are we heading back for your mother's cooking tonight, or dining out?" I looked up at the breathtaking expanse of the sunset, unwilling to waste such a beautiful evening. "Let's go to that restaurant by the sea." "Sounds perfect." The moment we stepped into the parking lot, a figure suddenly lunged out from the shadows. Startled, I stumbled backward. "Careful!" Luca instantly caught my arm with one hand while securing his other arm firmly around my waist to steady me. "Take your hands off her!" Hearing the vicious snarl, I focused my vision. Marco stood there, looking absolutely unhinged, and violently shoved Luca backward. "Have you lost your mind?!" I snapped, finding my balance and glaring at Marco. "Elena, you’re yelling at me? You're actually defending this man over me?" The look of deep betrayal and utter disbelief on his face struck me as thoroughly farcical. "Compared to you parading your

Chapter 10

The moment we pulled into the seaside restaurant’s parking lot, Luca turned to me, his voice laced with careful hope. "Elena, what you said back there... was it just a ruse to get rid of him?" I shook my head softly. "I told you, I would never use you as a shield. Every word I said was the absolute truth. I had already planned to tell you tonight that my heart has been thoroughly swept clean." A brilliant, breathless smile broke across Luca’s face, his eyes shining with pure disbelief. "Really? Elena, do you truly mean..." I leaned across the center console, wrapping my arms around his neck, and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss against his sharp jawline. "Alright, I'm starving. Let's go eat first." Marco didn't fly back to New York. Instead, he lingered around the edges of my life like an inescapable ghost. Out of respect for Salvatore's frantic requests, I forced myself to summon the patience to confront him one last time. "Go home, Marco. The family empire needs its Don. Don't

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