All Chapters of After They Let My Father Die, I Left Him for Good: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

"Take off your ring."Aurelio's cold voice cut through my thoughts.He was looking at the diamond on my ring finger, the one he'd put there on our wedding day.I didn't dare hesitate. I slipped it off and handed it to him.He took it and tossed it into the trash without a second look."Seeing that ring will upset Marilyn."My gaze dropped to the ring in the trash, and a dull ache settled in my chest.Aurelio had designed that ring himself for our wedding.The words "Forever yours, forever mine" were engraved inside the band in Italian.Now it lay in the trash, buried under napkins soaked in liquor and filthy vomit.The ring was gone, but a pale line still circled my finger.Marilyn eyed the mark on my finger jealously and suddenly spoke up."Adele, I heard your father's been in a coma in the hospital forever, and you've been taking care of him the whole time. That must be so hard. If I were the one in a coma, I'd want to die right away so I wouldn't be a burden on anyone."It sounded l

Three years later, I sat by a second-floor window at a grand estate in the English countryside, drinking a cup of black tea.Hollis, the butler, bowed and reported, "Ms. Radcliffe, the 50-carat emerald necklace you sent to auction has been bought by Aurelio Moretti for one billion euros. The money has been transferred to your private account."I nodded, set down my teacup, and gave the order."File the flight plan and ready the jet. I want to be in Italy as soon as possible."Hollis went right away to make the arrangements.I stood up and looked out at the roses beyond the window, as red as fresh blood, and smiled softly.The person I'd texted that day was my aunt, Vittoria Radcliffe.My family didn't let women hold power. My aunt was more capable than any of them, but they never took her seriously.So she cut ties with the Silvestri family, went to England alone, and joined the Radcliffe family, the biggest crime family in the country. Just over ten years later, she was running it.By

Third-person POV:At dusk the next day, the underground auction was held in the great hall beneath the Moretti family castle.Aurelio's men, all in black suits, stood guard throughout the hall, each with an identical pistol tucked into his waistband.Aurelio stood on the raised platform in a bespoke black suit, the Moretti family crest pinned to his chest and an unlit cigar between his fingers.He was restless. He kept glancing at the entrance, hoping to see Adele.Marilyn stood behind him. When she noticed his mind was somewhere else, she tugged on his arm and complained under her breath, "Aurelio, when are you going to give me that emerald necklace you paid one billion euros for?""Quiet." Aurelio frowned and shook off her hand.Marilyn bit her lip and moved aside, sulking.In those three years, Aurelio hadn't married Marilyn, but he'd let her stay with him.The longer they were together, though, the harder it became for Marilyn to keep up her act.The sweet, innocent, lovable girl t

All the color drained out of Aurelio's face.He seemed to remember three years ago, when he'd humiliated me until I had no fight left and I'd said those words in shame.Now I held all the power, and I'd said them to mock him."No..." Aurelio started to explain.But I didn't have the patience to listen. I cut him off with a wave of my hand.At my signal, the guards behind me stepped forward, drew their guns, and aimed at Aurelio.Aurelio took a step back in shock, his voice low. "Adele, I know you're angry, but this is still my territory."He snapped his fingers, but nothing happened."How is this possible?" Stunned, Aurelio snapped his fingers again. Still nothing.The guests had already dropped to the floor or ducked behind cover the moment my guards drew their guns.But the gunfight everyone expected never came. Everyone just watched Aurelio snap his fingers again and again like a clown."Are you waiting for this?" I snapped my fingers.In a flash, dozens of men in black poured out o