All Chapters of His Regret Came Too Late: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The moment the call connected, I heard my father's steady voice."Evelyn, do you mean that?"My voice shook. The gunshot wound in my chest made every breath a struggle.But I forced the words out through the pain. "I mean it, Dad."The line went quiet for a long time.His breathing grew heavy. The man who'd always stayed calm under fire sounded like any father who needed to hear his daughter say it one more time."Evelyn, you won't change your mind?"I looked around the empty hospital room. "I won't."Dad, I've really thought this through.""Good!"He paused. "But I'm in the middle of an important cross-border deal and I can't get away. I'll send my assistant to bring you home."Evelyn, just sit tight and don't worry about anything."Hearing that, I couldn't stop the tears.He must have heard me sniffle, because his voice went hard."Why are you crying? Who hurt you?""N-nothing."I didn't want my father to know that his little girl, who used to be so afraid of pain, had taken a bullet

Eight years ago, I met Alvis for the first time at a Christmas party thrown by the Cardini family.He stood in the crowd in a charcoal suit, and his deep-set eyes and golden hair drew me in.I walked over with a glass of champagne. "Mr. Sartori, may I introduce myself?"He glanced down at me and clinked his glass against mine like a gentleman.We talked all night at that party.When it was over, he smiled. "Ms. Lauretti, I really enjoyed tonight."I look forward to seeing you again."I smiled and nodded. That night, I knocked on my father's study door and asked him to look into Alvis for me.With my father's connections, it took him just one day to find out everything there was to know about Alvis.Alvis was first in line to lead the Sartori family. His mother, Mia, came from an old, distinguished family, and his father, Richard, ran the Sartoris' core businesses.In business, Alvis was ruthless and hard to read. He never gave anyone an inch.There was only one complication: his adopte

"Don't you ever bring that up again!"Mia's voice hardened. "Evelyn, you married Alvis and came all the way from Sicily to New York."The best clothes, the most expensive jewelry. We gave you all of that!"Sign it, and I'll let you keep a little dignity!"I opened my mouth to argue, but there was movement at the door.The door swung open. Alvis walked in, supporting Althea.Mia and Richard rushed over together."Althea! What are you doing here?"Mia took Althea from Alvis. "You're still sick, and it's raining out. How could you go running around like this?"Even Richard looked anxious for once. He took off his coat and draped it over Althea."Sit down, sit down. Don't stand. You can't wear yourself out right now."Althea wore a baggy white sweater.Her face was almost translucent, and her lips had barely any color.Mia sat her down on the couch in my room, and she leaned weakly against Alvis.I lay in my hospital bed and watched it all.If those three hadn't been the family I'd lived w

By the time my father carried me out of the hospital, I was in so much pain I was barely conscious.Seeing how badly I was hurt, he ordered his men to arrange a private jet and flew me straight to a hospital in Switzerland.I could hear my father's voice. I wanted to say something, but I didn't even have the strength to open my mouth.All I could feel was his hand on my forehead as he murmured in my ear, "Sleep, sweetheart. You're safe now."When I woke up again, I was in a hospital room I'd never seen before.Snowy Alpine peaks filled the view outside. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warming the room.I moved my fingers, and a nurse came right over. "Ms. Lauretti, thank goodness, you're awake! I'll go get the doctor right now."Soon, a serious-looking, middle-aged man came in with several others. They were the specialists my father had brought in for me.Dr. Lehmann examined my wound and sounded relieved. "Ms. Lauretti, your wound was badly infected. Luckily, y

Ella moved fast.That afternoon, the Lauretti family announced it was cutting off all business with the Sartori family.The statement also said we would review our dealings with every company that did business with the Sartori family.And it announced that my marriage to Alvis Sartori was officially over.Within hours, New York's underworld was in an uproar.The Sartori family's assets began to disappear. In my study, I watched the numbers on a private monitoring feed fall and fall.My father was right. More than half of the Sartori family's supply chain ran through Lauretti channels.When it came to choosing sides, their partners barely had to think about it.That night, the Sartori family's most important partner became the first to end its contract.Then came a second, and a third...That same night, the Sartori board called an emergency meeting and demanded an explanation from Richard.But what could he say?He didn't even understand why those families had sided with the Lauretti f