All Chapters of I Left the Don and Became Sicily's Queen: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

A single tear slid down my cheek and disappeared into the white pillow."Congratulations, Arthur. You're the true king of the East Coast underworld now."Arthur frowned down at me, then turned to the men in black outside the door. "Keep a close eye on my wife. If this happens again, I'll ship every one of you off to Siberia to feed the wolves."The bodyguards and nurses lowered their heads and barely dared to breathe.Arthur picked up a wet wipe and gently wiped the tears from my face."I'll pretend today never happened.""Just be a good Donna and stay out of trouble. Once you're better, I'll take you to see your father in prison."Father.That one word cut deep, leaving me struggling to breathe.Half an hour earlier, I'd gotten a call from the prison. My father had suffered a sudden heart attack, and they hadn't been able to save him.He died never knowing that his most trusted heir, his own son-in-law, had risen to power by destroying the Corsica family.Arthur had once knelt before

Chapter 2

Late that night, when everything was quiet, I went to pray for my father in the back garden of the estate.I knelt on the cold stone floor before the wooden box my father had carved when I was born. My voice was barely a whisper. "Dad, I failed you. I loved the wrong man and put my trust in him. In the end, you lost everything because of me.""Just wait a little longer. I'll get justice for you. Someday, I'll make Arthur pay in blood.""Forgive me. I can't even get your ashes back right now, but someday I'll give you the funeral you deserve."Behind me, I heard soft footsteps.Lilith walked over, wrapped in an expensive Hermès cashmere shawl. Two maids trailed behind her, and a faint smile played on her lips."What are you doing out here so late? It's pitch-dark. It's so creepy."I looked up, my eyes as cold as ice. "Get out. You're not welcome here."Instead of leaving, Lilith came even closer. She looked down at the Bible in my arms and suddenly laughed."Oh, praying for that old tra

Chapter 3

Mandy immediately rushed to complain. "Don Valenti, you're just in time! Lilith was kind enough to give me this pocket watch, but your wife snatched it right out of my hand. Then she tried to hit me!"Arthur walked up to me, and his eyes fell on the jewelry box in my hands.For a second, he froze."Lilith, this pocket watch is..."Before Arthur could finish, Lilith put on a pitiful expression."Don, this pocket watch looks so much like my mother's favorite one.""After my mother died saving yours, that watch was never found...""I just wanted something to remember my mother by."He glanced back at me, and something flickered in his eyes too quickly for me to read.Hurt? Or guilt?"Give it back to Ms. Gambrelli."I gripped the jewelry box tighter, my voice shaking. "This belonged to my father! Arthur, why does Lilith have it?"Arthur hesitated, then said quietly, "After your father was arrested, everything he owned was seized and sold at auction. Lilith bought the watch there."He pause

Chapter 4

"Don't worry, Mr. Valenti. With some rest, your wife will recover."When I woke up, I felt weak and completely drained.Arthur was sitting by the bed. He held a glass of warm water to my lips. "Cecilia, how do you feel? Does anything hurt?"I turned my head away from his touch and laughed coldly."Arthur, aren't you disgusted with yourself?"He set the glass down and was about to say something when one of his men hurried in."Don, Ms. Hayes is in bad shape. She keeps calling your name."Arthur stood up and looked at me, a hint of apology in his voice. "I'm going to check on her. I'll be right back."I closed my eyes and ignored him.The whole night passed, and he never came back.I started running a high fever. I drifted in and out, seeing things, and all my dreams were of my father.In my dreams, my father stood in front of me covered in blood, calling my name over and over and asking me why I hadn't saved him.I couldn't wait any longer.Early the next morning, Arthur pushed the door

Chapter 5

Marco's words hit Arthur like a bolt out of the blue.The blood drained from his face in an instant."What the hell are you talking about?"He grabbed Marco by the collar, his voice shaking badly. "How dare you lie to me about something like this?"Marco went weak with fear and dropped to his knees. "Don, I'm not lying! This is the death certificate from the warden... The old Don... he really has been gone for over a week..."Arthur let go and stumbled back a few steps.Several capos and bodyguards rushed over to steady him. "Don, are you okay?!"He didn't seem to hear a thing. He shoved everyone away, grabbed the high-pressure hose they used to water the lawn, and charged toward the fire.Water blasted out.Like a madman, he charged at the sea of flames again and again, screaming Cecilia's name, never once stopping.The fire wasn't completely put out until dawn.Lilith stood beside Arthur and gave his arm a little tug, her voice choked. "Arthur, I'm so sorry for your loss. Cecilia...

Chapter 6

Lilith, who'd always acted sweet and fragile around him, now sat on the couch with an arrogant look on her face.A row of trembling nurses and maids knelt on the floor.One of the maids had handprints all over her face, and she was begging for mercy, her voice cracking. "Ms. Hayes, I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"The next second, Lilith stood up and ground her heel into the maid's fingers.The sickening crack of bone and the maid's bloodcurdling scream echoed through the room.Lilith's cold gaze swept over the kneeling staff. "Listen up, all of you! That bitch is dead. Soon, I'll be the new Donna. If any of you ever slack off again, I'll have Arthur skin you alive and throw you in the Hudson!"Lilith smirked at the staff. "I don't mind telling you. I'm the one who drove that bitch to set herself on fire. All it took was a few tricks. And her old man? I paid the drug lords in prison to take care of him. So you lowlifes had better watch yourselves!"Standing outside the door, Arthur's expr

Chapter 7

Meanwhile, I was starting over. It began with an old brass key.That fire was the end of my plan and the beginning of my new life.After faking my death and slipping away, I followed the instructions in my father's secret letter and flew to Sicily, my family's ancestral home.In an old bank in Palermo, I used the key to open an underground vault.There were no piles of cash inside. Just a yellowed parchment document and a black iron emblem that stood for Sicily's ancient glory.The document described the Corsica Network, a hidden line of defense that stretched across Europe and America, combining secret smuggling operations with legitimate trade.My heart jolted.It was the shadow network my father had helped me build, step by step, when I was a teenager, to teach me the mafia's rules of survival.We used to study shipping routes together, and we'd raised a glass together when our first shipment of duty-free goods arrived safely.It was the Corsica family's last trump card and it carri

Chapter 8

And it was that very photo that brought an unwelcome visitor.With my bag on my arm, I walked out of my company's building in Rome, on my way to an international business dinner.I wasn't a New York mob princess anymore, and I wasn't Arthur's wife.I lived for myself now. My head was clearer, and I was stronger than I'd ever been."Excuse me, how much are these white roses?""You have great taste. These just flew in from Bulgaria. Nine euros a stem."A sudden commotion broke out behind me, and people gasped.I turned around.Arthur was standing a few steps away, staring at me, completely motionless.His voice was as rough as sandpaper. "Cecilia... Cecilia, you're alive..."The smile on my face went cold, and I turned to walk away.He stumbled after me, frantic. "Cecilia! Wait for me!"I stopped and looked back at him coldly. "What do you want?"He stood a few steps away, like he was afraid I'd run if he came any closer.His usually stern, determined face was filled with regret and pain

Chapter 9

Two years later.On the anniversary of my father's death, I took Daisy to the family cemetery in Sicily.I didn't wear black mourning clothes. I wore a sharp white suit, with the black iron emblem pinned to my chest.I wiped the dust from the photo on my father's headstone and laid a brand-new copy of Global 100 Most Powerful Women at his grave.The woman on the cover was me."Dad, can you see this?" I said softly. "I kept the Corsica family standing, and I made it even stronger. I didn't let you down."On the way out of the cemetery, Daisy and I went to get the authentic Italian pasta she'd been craving for ages.The restaurant manager was a chatty Neapolitan. As he poured our wine, he gossiped. "Donna, have you heard? A few days ago, the children's foundation here and several clinics all got huge donations from America at the same time."I nodded, only half listening as the sea breeze blew past.The manager lowered his voice like he was sharing some big secret."I heard the donor was

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