He Bought His Assistant a House, so I Left Him のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

Alessandro didn't come back that night.Chloe's social media, however, was a constant stream of updates, giving me a clear view of their night.She had secured the East River pier for the family. To celebrate, Alessandro took her to an underground casino, then booked a table at a private club in Manhattan.The love he had for her, and the love he lacked for me, had never been clearer.It would be a lie to say my heart didn't ache. But I would never again storm into his territory and cause a scene like I used to.I was too tired. This relationship had left me utterly exhausted.I walked into the bedroom and started to pack my art supplies and luggage.This was supposed to be our room, but since we moved in, he was rarely home more than a few nights a month.He always used the excuse of handling family business, but I knew that so-called family business was, more often than not, Chloe.I wasn't an idiot. I had noticed his attention shifting for a long time.So once, I brought him dinner

"Sienna, listen to me."Alessandro practically flew out of the room, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into his office.I could smell the cloying mix of cigar smoke and perfume in the air. My eyes scanned the room: an open bottle of Barolo on the desk, two crystal glasses still stained with wine.How sophisticated. What a carefree life.Early in the morning, in his top-floor casino office, drinking thousand-dollar wine and flirting with his assistant."It's not what you think," he said, stepping in front of me to block my view. "The deal at the docks was rough. Chloe and I were on edge all night. We came back, had a couple of drinks to unwind, and were just blowing off steam.""You know how it is in our world. She's young and ambitious. She gets carried away."A ruthless district Capo, now uncharacteristically scrambling to make excuses to me.Chloe stood up from the sofa, adjusting her collar, her face a mask of perfect apology."Sienna, please don't get the wrong idea. There's nothing

"It's nothing. Just a two-week trip to Paris for inspiration," I said, taking my phone back, my expression unchanged."You know, I wanted to visit the Louvre while I was there."In the past, I'd tried to leave him a few times after a fight, but I could never hide it from him.The moment he suspected something, his armed bodyguards would block my every move.This possessive man would never allow me to escape his grasp.It was laughable. He had betrayed our relationship long ago. Wouldn't my leaving make it easier for him to be with Chloe?But he wouldn't let go. He never allowed his possessions to leave his sight.Alessandro's brow remained furrowed, clearly still suspicious of my explanation. "But he said he rented an apartment for you.""He misunderstood. I only asked him to book a short-term rental for me. I'll be back in two weeks, after the exhibition ends."He stared at me for a long moment, his Adam's apple bobbing. Finally, he pushed the phone back across the table."When do you

"That's right. I'm breaking up with you."I looked up at him, saying each word with deliberate clarity."Sienna," he said through clenched teeth, his voice a low growl. "I'm giving you one chance. Take it back. I'll pretend this never happened.""As far as the Don and the whole Family are concerned, we're the perfect couple."I repeated, "I'm breaking up with you."A sharp crack echoed in the room. His control snapped. The force of his slap sent my head whipping to the side.My cheek burned instantly, and I tasted the metallic tang of blood in my mouth.I was stunned. In all our years together, he'd never drawn blood. He'd never so much as raised a hand to me.Even when he had nothing, when rivals were chasing him all over the city, he never laid a finger on me.Now he was a Capo, and I was the first person he hit."Sienna, what the fuck is wrong with you?"His chest heaved, his eyes bloodshot. "Have I made your life so comfortable these past few years? So easy you think you can test m

After settling in London, Marcus found me a studio in Chelsea.It was south-facing, with great light.He told me not to rush an exhibition, to focus instead on creating a new body of work.So every day, I opened the door to white walls, the smell of turpentine, and a BBC station playing cello music at a low volume.I started painting London.The rainy-day market on Portobello Road, an old man eating a sandwich on a bench in Hyde Park, and a red-haired girl holding a cat on her balcony in Notting Hill.After a month, I scanned the works into my computer and casually posted a few on Instagram.I never expected them to go viral.The first painting was of the Camden Canal at dawn. An art blogger reposted it with the caption:[This artist's paintings tell a story. You can feel the loss in the way she paints the light.]Thousands of comments poured in. By that evening, my follower count was soaring.That night, I was scrolling through the people who had liked the post. When I got to the very