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All Chapters of The Donna’s Final Gift: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

18 Chapters

Chapter 1

Back at the penthouse, I froze. Cassius was personally opening a vintage bottle of Romanée-Conti.He hated the smell of liquor in the penthouse, yet here he was holding a decanter.But this wasn't for me.Just yesterday, Bianca had casually whined about "missing Burgundy wine."For that one comment, the great Don flew a private jet to a French vineyard just to bring back this rare bottle.Cassius turned and handed me a glass of the blood-red wine."It's our third anniversary. I opened it just for you." His tone sounded like charity. "Drink."I stared at the swirling wine, my stomach turning.He completely forgot that two years ago, I took a bullet to the liver saving him from an assassination. The doctor strictly forbade alcohol. It would trigger blinding pain.The one who actually loved to drink was Bianca.Swallowing the bitter chill in my chest, I kept a straight face and pushed the glass away."What?" He frowned, annoyed. Like I was being ungrateful.I didn't argue. I just pulled t

Chapter 2

The secure line clicked open after one ring."Well, well. Finally ready to ditch your precious Don?"Nikolai Costa's voice came through. Low, dangerous, with a thick Russian accent. Dripping with a gritty, obsessed kind of madness.The absolute Grim Reaper of the North American underworld. He had chased me for seven solid years.If Cassius hadn't proposed three years ago, I might have gone to this dark-eyed man who always looked at me like he owned me."He doesn't give a damn if you live or die. Are you still keeping that pathetic vow for him?" Nikolai pushed, blunt as ever.I gripped the phone, suddenly embarrassed."If you don't want to... forget it." I looked down, my voice shaking a bit. "Pretend I never called."Smack!The sharp, heavy thud of a solid gold lighter slamming against a desk echoed through the receiver."Camilla!" His voice spiked, then dropped into a deadly whisper. "What do you think I am? Some grunt you can mess with when you're bored and kick to the curb when you'

Chapter 3

"Alright." I nodded calmly, without a second of hesitation.Cassius frowned hard.He stared at me, an inexplicable sense of irritation and disappointment in his eyes.He probably thought I'd cry and throw a jealous fit. But I didn't.My compliance was like a punch landing on cotton. It bugged him.Swallowing his nameless rage, he grabbed Bianca's waist and walked toward the liquor cabinet.I went into the master bedroom and dragged out a safe full of money-laundering ledgers to move to my private study.They were the Family's deepest secrets, and proof of my blood, sweat, and tears over the past three years.The safe was heavy as hell. I hugged it with both hands, blocking my view.As I stepped out the door, a sharp pain shot through my ankle—lingering nerve damage from a gunshot wound I took covering his retreat a few months ago.I lost my balance.Crash!I hit the floor hard, pulling the safe down with me.The heavy metal corner smashed right into my ribs, while the base crushed my i

Chapter 4

The second I stumbled into the VIP lounge, I started shaking uncontrollably.The cramps got tighter and tighter, like bloody razors slicing up my insides.I leaned against the cold marble sink, gasping for air, cold sweat beading on my forehead.I needed to leave. Go to a hospital. Now.Forcing myself up, I dragged my bad leg and limped toward the door.I grabbed the handle and yanked.Locked tight.I froze, then yanked harder. The door was practically welded shut, deadbolted from the outside."Open the door!" I pounded on the heavy soundproof wood. "Is anyone out there?""Save your breath, sweetie."A sweet but venomous voice drifted through the door. It was Bianca."You could scream your lungs out in there, the Dons partying outside won't hear a damn thing. This club has top-tier soundproofing."Her voice reeked of sickening triumph and mockery."Bianca, open up. I'm sick." I ground my teeth, fighting the dragging pain."Sick? Or just hurting from what Cassius said?" She chuckled, th

Chapter 5

I stared at that aggressively bossy text, and my fingertips finally felt a trace of warmth.[Okay.]Sent. I deleted the chat and shoved the phone back in my pocket.When I pushed open the penthouse doors, it wasn't a maid waiting for me. It was Bianca, wearing my limited-edition silk nightgown.She was holding a black coffee, leaning against the master bedroom doorframe, wearing a winner's smug smile."Look who's back." She brushed her hair aside, showing off purple hickeys on her collarbone. "Cassius was so rough last night. Oh, by the way, he complained to me that in bed, you were like a dead body with zero reaction."A blind rage shot straight to my brain.I marched over and, without missing a beat, slapped her so hard it cracked like a whip.Bianca stumbled, spilling coffee everywhere. She clutched her red, swollen cheek, staring at me in disbelief."You hit me?!""Shut your disgusting mouth." My eyes were ice as I grabbed her by the collar. "Bianca, what do you think you are? I ha

Chapter 6

“Severe dehydration from four days without food or water, combined with the extreme trauma of confinement… the fetus didn't survive.”In the underground clinic, Victor, the black-market surgeon, pulled off his blood-stained gloves, his tone heavy with regret.“Mrs. Marino, you’ve had a miscarriage. Your body has been pushed beyond its absolute limit. You need at least three days of strict bed rest before you can even think about standing.”I stared numbly at the stark white ceiling.My hand slowly moved to cover my flat stomach. A silent tear slipped down my temple.Three days. Just enough time to wait for Nikolai’s men to come get me.“Seal this medical file. Keep it strictly confidential. Don’t breathe a single word of this to anyone,” I ordered. My voice was hoarse, but dripping with an icy clarity.The doctor had barely nodded and stepped back when—BANG!—the clinic door was violently shoved open.Cassius stormed in, radiating a dark, lethal fury.Bianca was clinging right behind hi

Chapter 7

Cassius’s POVIt was nine-thirty in the morning. A cold, miserable rain was coming down in New York.I’d just finished handling a botched weapons drop at the docks. I pushed open the door to the penthouse, a dark blue velvet box clutched in my hand.It was the ruby necklace I’d had made for our third anniversary.But on the day, Bianca said she was scared. I went to her and forgot all about the anniversary.Then Camilla threw a fit, so I locked her up for a few days. She got sick, ended up in the hospital. The gift had to wait until today.I figured I’d hand her this priceless necklace, say a few sweet words, and she’d forgive me. She’d blush and take my suit jacket, just like she always did for the last ten years.But the only thing that greeted me was a dead silence.“Camilla?” I frowned, yanking at my tie.Nothing.I strode into the study and saw it right away—the safe, half-open.A knot of dread tightened in my stomach.I walked over and pulled out the old, secret family ledger.I

Chapter 8

Camilla’s POVMorning light streamed through the bulletproof glass, warming the carpet.I sat on the sofa by the window, holding a steaming mug of tea Nikolai had just made for me.Even though I’d escaped that cold prison, just thinking about the past brought a wave of exhaustion to my eyes.Nikolai sat down next to me, his big frame casting a comforting shadow.His deep gaze rested on my face, as if he could see right through to the secrets I kept locked away.“Camilla,” he said, his voice low and rich. “You let Cassius break you for years because you thought you owed him your life. Didn't you?”My hand tightened around the mug.He had just touched my oldest, deepest scar.I looked down, my voice shaking. “When I was fifteen, our family was hit by a rival gang. I was bait. Left to kneel by a frozen lake in a blizzard. I was freezing to death. I thought that was it for me.”I took a shaky breath, swallowing the lump in my throat. “The second before I passed out, Cassius was the one who

Chapter 9

Cassius’s POVLate night. The wind and rain howled.The main doors of the DeLuca estate were kicked open with a violent crash.I stormed into the hall with a dozen heavily armed men, radiating fury. “Where’s Camilla?!”My voice was raw, my eyes shot with terrifying red veins from panic and rage.The entire hall went dead silent.I ignored the pale, terrified faces of the DeLucas, shoved a servant out of my way, and charged up the stairs. I kicked open the door to her old bedroom.Empty.I tore through the study, the basement. I checked everywhere. Not a trace of her. Not even her scent.A vicious, gnawing frustration ate at my heart. Where the hell did she go?I stormed back downstairs and glared at the deceitful family. “I’ll ask one more time. Where. Is. Camilla.”Bianca, wearing a thin silk nightgown, tried to look calm as she descended the stairs.“Cassius, don’t be angry,” she cooed, reaching for my arm. “Camilla told me yesterday she wasn’t feeling well. She wanted to go to the c

Chapter 10

Camilla’s POVThe next morning.Sunlight streamed through the bulletproof glass, falling on the soft bed.I was leaning against Nikolai’s broad, warm chest, breathing in his scent of cedar and gunpowder. It was the best night’s sleep I’d had in a decade.Suddenly, the secure phone on the nightstand buzzed harshly.I picked it up. It was a command from the DeLuca family’s highest channel.From my father. His tone was as arrogant as ever, ordering me back to the estate immediately.I frowned. Cassius had obviously kept our divorce quiet. My father must have heard rumors and was getting ready to lecture me about “family interests,” to force me to go back and beg.I started to get up, but a strong arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back down.Nikolai opened his piercing blue eyes, glanced at my phone screen, and let out a cold, contemptuous sneer.He knew exactly what kind of humiliation I had endured in that family.He threw back the covers and got out of bed. Bare-chested, his muscl

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