Home / I Was the Don's Only Wife but Not His Only Love / Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

All Chapters of I Was the Don's Only Wife but Not His Only Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

1

I stumbled, and the sound gave me away.Luca whipped around.He blanched the moment he saw me in the doorway."Elena?"He was on his feet and coming toward me before he'd even thought about it. He looked rattled.But before he could reach me, the little boy beside him grabbed his sleeve."Daddy, who's that lady?"Luca stopped.The woman froze too, and her eyes went straight to Luca.The vast living room fell silent.Outside, late-autumn mist hung over the Tuscan vineyards.A fire roared in the fireplace. Champagne, red wine, and plates of beautifully prepared food covered the long table. A child-size chair stood beside it.This didn't look like a place where mafia families held secret meetings.It looked like an ordinary dad celebrating his birthday with his wife and kid.If that dad hadn't been my husband, I might have found the whole scene sweet.I looked at the boy, and my throat tightened."How old are you?"He looked up at me, curious, and answered in a bright little voice. "I'm f

2

I crossed the cold marble floor one step at a time and walked out of the villa.I couldn't even remember when the five families had moved their secret meetings to Tuscany.All I remembered was that I'd wanted to go with Luca three times.And every time, Luca had happily agreed.But right before the first trip, Luca's mother, Rosa Caruso, had a sudden heart attack, and I had to stay behind to take care of her.The second time, I was already in the car when word came that my brother had gone missing.The third time, someone sent an anonymous tip about a Caruso family business we'd already made legitimate. Once again, I had to stay and clean up the mess.Looking back, every one of those moments had been perfectly timed.I got back to Palermo that same night."Mara, I need you to look into something for me."Mara Greco and I grew up together. She was my right hand, the person I trusted most.By four in the morning, Mara had found everything I needed, and I drove to the Caruso estate.I'd l

3

Three days later, Luca brought Lia and Salvatore back to Palermo.When I got there, Rosa was standing at the front door, waiting.She was Luca's mother, the widow of the previous Don.For six years, she'd seen me as the perfect daughter-in-law.At least, that's what I'd believed, right up until I found out the secret.Now she was holding Salvatore close and fussing over him."Let me get a good look at you, sweetheart. You look more like your father every day."Lia stood off to the side, her eyes wet."Thank you so much. If you hadn't insisted on bringing us back, I honestly don't know what I would have done."Rosa took her hand."After everything you've done for Luca, of course there's a place for you here."I stood across the entryway and listened.Not one of them thought they owed me an explanation.Then Luca turned around.He spotted me and hurried over."Elena."He reached for my hand out of habit, but I stepped aside.Luca froze, his hand still out."Still mad at me?"I didn't ans

4

That night, Luca came to my room.He'd brought a diamond necklace. He said it was to make up for everything he'd put me through the past few days.I looked at the necklace in its box and thought of the diamond bracelet on Lia's wrist.Same design. Just as extravagant.Mine had simply cost a little more.As if Luca thought that as long as my gift was better than hers, I ought to be satisfied."Do you like it?"He wrapped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder."I remember how much you love sparkly things."I looked at the two of us in the mirror."Does Lia love them too?"He went still for a second."She doesn't matter."I didn't say anything.Luca sighed."Elena, stop dwelling on this."He put the necklace back in its box, then turned me around to face him."I know this has been hard on you, but I've done everything I can to make it right. No one is going to threaten your place in the Caruso family."He stroked my cheek."You're still my wife. No one can repl

5

The smile slowly drained from Luca's face.He fumbled for his phone and called Elena.No answer.He tried again.And a third time.Still nothing."Damn it!"He slammed the phone down on the table and stormed out of the bedroom."Where did Elena go?"The bodyguards traded looks.None of them had an answer.Luca's expression darkened by the second.He had his men search every inch of the estate.In the walk-in closet, all the couture pieces he'd given Elena still hung in neat rows. Not one diamond or gemstone was missing from her jewelry cabinet.She hadn't taken a thing.Luca went back to the bedroom, looking for any clue at all.He pulled open the drawer of her nightstand. It was neat, with nothing in it but a brown pill bottle tucked in one corner.For once, Luca looked lost."What is this? How did I never know Elena needed medication?"His private doctor hurried over and handed Luca a stack of medical records.That was how Luca found out that Elena's health had been poor ever since s

6

By the time Luca got back to the Caruso estate, it was almost midnight.His mother, Rosa, was sitting in the living room with an untouched cup of coffee in front of her.One look at the file in his hand, and she knew she couldn't hide it anymore."Tell me why!" Luca threw the file onto the table. "You had no right to give up on our baby without even asking us!"Rosa was quiet for a moment."That child might have had brain damage. The Caruso family can't carry a stain like that."Besides, Lia was about to give birth. I did it for your own good."For his own good.Luca opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say.And it felt like he had no right to blame her anyway.He'd just come from seeing the doctor who had operated on Elena back then.The doctor told him Elena had been unconscious for three days. When she woke up, the first thing she asked was whether Luca was safe.And where had he been?He'd left Elena in the operating room and rushed off to Tuscany.Because when Lia heard ab

7

I froze where I stood.Luca was standing at the other end of the dock. His shirt collar was rumpled, and his hair was a mess.He'd chased me all this way without even changing out of the clothes he'd worn at home."Did you come to drag me back?""No.""Then what are you doing here?"Luca looked at my blank face, and for once he seemed unsure of himself."I... I just want to apologize."I gave him a small smile."There's no need."I didn't leave to force you to choose me, or to make you punish anyone. I just don't want to live that kind of life anymore.""Then what do you want me to do?"The words slipped out before he could stop them, and even Luca looked startled.He was waiting for me to give him the answer again.As always, he'd handed me a hard problem and expected me to find a solution that kept everyone happy.Over the years, he'd gotten used to having me by his side.It had never occurred to him that one day I might actually leave.Because in his mind, I loved him.If I loved hi

8

Seven days after Elena left, Lia took Salvatore to Luca's office.Luca's desk used to be buried in files. Now it held only a few reports waiting for his signature, and a photo he kept picking up and putting down.In the photo, Elena stood beside him in her wedding dress."Luca, Elena's been gone for seven days."Lia was holding Salvatore's hand. Her voice was soft and fragile. "Salvatore needs a real family. If she doesn't want to come back, shouldn't we start thinking about his future?"She didn't say it outright, but Luca knew exactly what she meant."You want to be my wife?"Lia flushed."Luca, you know I've never asked for a title. Being by your side is enough for me."But Salvatore needs his mother to have a place in this family. We have to think about his future."Luca didn't answer.Lia's flush faded as Luca's silence dragged on.She'd assumed that once Elena was gone, she would naturally become the only woman in Luca's life.After all, she'd been with Luca for seven years. She'

9

Three months later, my life in the seaside town had settled into a routine.The flower shop was doing better than I'd expected.Every morning, Mara and I sorted the fresh deliveries. We arranged roses, lisianthus, and lilies of the valley in glass vases and set them in the shop window.I no longer had to put my plans on hold for Caruso family meetings. I no longer had to drop everything and rush back whenever Luca called late at night.Luca didn't send anyone looking for me again.Every so often, a lawyer sent me a report on the asset settlement, confirming that everything owed to me had been paid in full.Around that time, I got a letter from my father.In it, he admitted that he'd signed that agreement all those years ago to protect the alliance between our two families. He said he'd believed that as long as I stayed by Luca's side, everyone would get what they wanted.At the end of the letter, he wrote that if I was willing to come back, he could still take care of everything for me

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