Todos os capítulos de My Husband Brought Another Woman Home, I Left by Helicopter: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 9

That evening, I'd just finished packing the last box of carving tools when Matteo came home.He came through the door with the chill from outside still on him. When he saw me, he took my hand out of habit and frowned. "Why are your hands so cold?"Then he took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders.It was such a familiar gesture.For a moment, it even took me back. Then I looked past his shoulder and saw Lia standing outside the door.Matteo followed my gaze and turned, like he'd only just remembered there was someone else there. He reached out and brought her in. "Elena, this is Lia Conti. Her adoptive parents owe money to a casino, and they tried to hand her over to the collectors to pay it off. She's staying here for now. Once it's dealt with, I'll send her off."He wasn't asking. He was telling me.I slowly took the coat off my shoulders, laid it back over his arm, and looked at his chest."Her name is already inked over your heart. Do you really need to tell me who she is?"

I'd barely taken a step when Matteo caught my wrist.His palm was as hot as ever, but he'd never gripped me this tightly before."Where are you going?""Didn't I make myself clear?""Today's our wedding anniversary." He was holding his temper in check. "The chefs are here, and the wine is ready. Whatever problem you have with Lia, we can talk about it after dinner."For a moment, I thought I'd misheard him.Even now, he still thought the problem was just me throwing a tantrum.I looked down at his hand around my wrist. "I don't do secondhand. Not rings. Not the way she says your name. Not protection marks."I lifted my eyes to his. "Matteo, once something meant to be mine alone is tainted, it becomes worthless. The same goes for you."His fingers noticeably loosened.For a split second, there was even panic in his eyes.Right then, Sofia screamed outside the door.I whipped around.Two Moretti enforcers had forced her to her knees and wrenched her arms behind her back. A blade pressed

"Find out."Matteo crumpled the list in his fist. For the first time, his voice wavered."Whose helicopter was that?"One of his men went out and came back in less than ten minutes, looking uneasy. "Cassano's."The living room went silent.Matteo slowly looked up. "Which Cassano?"The man forced himself to answer. "The Cassano family on the West Side. The one that runs three docks, the North Shore shipping line, and a handful of casinos."Matteo's fingers froze.Five years ago, Elena and her grandfather had fought so bitterly over her decision to marry Matteo that they'd nearly cut each other off.Back then, Matteo had thought Elena was simply from an old-money family. He'd never really asked how much power the Cassano family had, and Elena had never used her family's connections to get anything for herself.But now he finally understood. It wasn't that Elena had nowhere to go.It was that she'd once shut every door behind her for him.Lia leaned in and said quietly, "Matteo, I was so

When the helicopter landed on the hill behind the Cassano estate, I saw my grandfather standing at the far end of the helipad.His hair had grown much whiter in the five years since I'd last seen him. He still wore a dark suit and carried the wooden cane I'd always thought was ugly when I was little.I'd thought he'd yell at me.After all, five years ago, I'd turned down the match he'd arranged for me because of Matteo, right in front of the entire Cassano family. I'd even said I'd never come back as long as I lived.But when my grandfather saw the blood on my shoulder and Sofia lying unconscious, the cane he'd raised stopped in midair. Instead, he brought it down hard against the ground."Save her first."The medical team wheeled Sofia away.I stood there, not knowing what to say.My grandfather came up to me and looked at me for a long time."So you finally remembered the way home?"My eyes stung. "I did."He sighed."I'm glad you're home."At those words, the tears I'd been holding

I looked up at Matteo."What else do you want to hear?"He looked back at me. "I want to hear you say it yourself. That we're really over.""Then I'll say it."Everything around us went quiet."The first time our marriage ended was when you tattooed Lia's name over the bullet scar on your chest."Matteo's lips moved."It ended again when you copied the black rose that had been mine alone and gave it to her."It ended a third time when one accusation from her was enough for you to have Sofia pinned down and beaten."And the final time was when the Cassano helicopter landed on your north lawn. You knew Sofia was badly hurt, but you still listened to Lia and sent me out there alone."I looked at him. "At that moment, it was obvious who mattered more to you. It was her, not me. There was nothing left to explain."Matteo's eyes slowly reddened. "I was just afraid that if the Cassano men came onto the estate, things would get out of hand. I knew they'd never really hurt you—""See?"I cut hi