All Chapters of He Taught Me to Stop Loving Him: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The garbage bags soon filled the entryway.I opened a drawer in search of packing tape, and my fingers brushed an old first-aid kit. A thin layer of dust covered the plastic case. My hand stilled.I had once been a woman with almost no sense of security. Nearly everyone inside the Vitale organization knew I constantly asked where Matteo was. If he came home an hour later than expected, I could not sleep. I would call from midnight until dawn.A year earlier, Matteo’s convoy had been attacked near the docks. He disappeared for thirteen hours that night. No one would tell me what had happened.He finally returned to our apartment at sunrise, dried blood on the cuff of his shirt and an untreated gash across his shoulder.After that, whenever I could not reach him for too long, terror took over before reason had a chance.Six months ago, Matteo decided to cure me of the habit once and for all.That night, he went to the harbor to negotiate with another family and never answered his phone.

On the top floor of the Vitale family’s new headquarters, a champagne cork struck the ceiling with a sharp pop.Several of Matteo’s oldest friends raised their glasses, laughing until they could barely speak.“You really do know what you’re doing, Matteo. Elena flew all the way back because none of us would answer her calls. She found out you’d called Nora instead, and now she’s still obediently packing at the apartment.”“It’s called training,” another man said, swirling his drink. “If the future mistress of a family can’t control a little emotion, how is she supposed to hold her position?”Matteo lounged against the leather sofa, one ankle resting over the opposite knee.He said nothing. He only checked his watch.Nora stood some distance away, reviewing the reception guest list. She poured his wine, then immediately returned to her work. Matteo did not give her a second look.It was already past eight.Even allowing for traffic, the movers should have finished. Elena should have arr

Three months later, in New York, morning sunlight poured through the windows of a high-rise conference room.I projected the final version of my hotel design onto the wall.“This is the logic underlying the project. The public areas preserve the original building’s historic structure. The private suites use a newly planned circulation system that protects guest privacy without obstructing normal operations.”I advanced to the final slide.“That concludes my proposal. Thank you.”The room remained quiet for two seconds.Then applause began, measured but warm.The man at the head of the table closed his folder. Gabriel Warren, founder and design director of Warren International Design, was famously exacting. A missing material notation or half a yard of wasted circulation space never escaped his attention.But he never needed to humiliate a designer to prove his authority.“Exceptional work, Elena.” His praise was direct and unreserved. “The space has strength without losing warmth.”He

Rain came down over New York in silver sheets.The design summit had ended successfully. Wearing an ivory gown, I left the exhibition hall surrounded by colleagues and members of the press. Camera flashes broke across the steps, recording the moment for the year’s emerging designer.I had barely reached the bottom stair when a man drenched to the skin broke through the outer security line and lunged toward me.“Elena!”His voice was so hoarse it barely sounded human.Security intercepted him at once. But when he saw me, his legs gave way. He fell heavily to his knees in the muddy water below the steps.It was Matteo.In one hand, he clutched a long-distance bus ticket that had nearly dissolved in the rain. His expensive suit was wrinkled and soaked through, his shoes caked with mud. Dark shadows lay beneath his eyes.The man who had once looked down on everyone as the untouchable Vitale heir was almost unrecognizable.He seized the hem of my gown, his eyes burning red.“Elena, I was wr

My wedding was held in a riverfront hotel high above Manhattan.White roses flown in from Europe filled the ballroom. Members of the Rossi and Warren families gathered with their closest allies and friends.There were no tests and no demands for obedience.Gabriel gave me a wedding of unmistakable honor.When we exchanged rings, he placed a black access card and a trust document in my palm before everyone present.The card opened every Warren residence and office. The trust held independent assets he had already transferred into my name.Gabriel closed his fingers around mine.“There is no probationary period in my world, Elena. From today onward, every door I can enter will recognize you, too. You never have to prove you’re obedient enough before asking a question or seeing the truth.”Warm laughter rose from the guests.I looked into eyes that held respect rather than calculation, and my own eyes stung.Someone who truly loves you tries to quiet your fear. He does not exploit it unti