Home / He Chose His Brother's Widow, I Chose Another Don / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of He Chose His Brother's Widow, I Chose Another Don: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Theodore froze when he heard her call him that.He patted Lucia's head. "Be good. Daddy will make it up to you next time."Our daughter said nothing. She just gripped my hand.Lucia had always been sweet and mature for her age, which made seeing her like this hurt even more.I looked at Theodore and asked, "Couldn't you send one of your men to check on her? Today's birthday party means so much to—"Theodore frowned and cut me off. "Delia, when did you get so cold? Amy's hurt. She's my niece. Are you telling me not to care?"I wanted to say more, but Lucia stepped forward, putting herself between us.She looked at Theodore and spoke slowly. "Go ahead, Don Ricci. Aunt Brynn and Amy need you more."Then she waved at him, took my hand, and said she wanted to cut me a slice of her birthday cake.This time, Lucia didn't cry when he let her down. She held herself together like a little grown-up.But I knew how much she'd looked forward to the party Theodore had promised her.As I watched her

Chapter 2

Lucia huddled in the corner of the couch, crying and scared. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, and the sharp pain cleared my head a little.I knew Theodore didn't deserve another ounce of my love.But if I took Lucia and left right away, she'd miss her father terribly.So I deliberately started weaning her off Theodore. Little by little, I would ease him out of our lives.I tucked the divorce papers into a stack of bills for clothes and jewelry and had Theodore sign everything.Theodore was usually careful, so I was afraid he'd notice.Ironically, he was in such a hurry to take Amy to the museum that he signed without even looking.I watched him rush out, let out a cold laugh, and made a call."Dad, send someone to bring me home in a month.""All right. No Holst daughter has to put up with a marriage like that. Your mother and I have your back."A lump rose in my throat, and warmth spread through my chest.After I hung up, I knew what I had to do.I would spend th

Chapter 3

Theodore never made it back before the party ended.I saw the guests off, took Lucia home, and started packing.My phone chimed with a message from Brynn.In the video, Theodore was playing games with Amy.Theodore was a neat freak. Once, Lucia got just a little red ink on his shirt, and he couldn't stand it. He took the shirt off and threw it in the trash.After that, my sweet, thoughtful girl never brought her paintbrushes into his office again.Now he was letting Amy cover his face in paint.At the end of the video, Brynn turned the camera on herself.The pigeon blood ruby earrings she wore looked familiar.The earrings were beautifully crafted, a one-of-a-kind pair by a famous French designer. They were worth a fortune.I loved them, and I'd mentioned them to Theodore a few times.Theodore had told me a wealthy businessman had bought them at auction and he couldn't track them down.Yet here they were, dangling from Brynn's ears.Brynn stroked the earrings and smiled. "All I did was

Chapter 4

I took Lucia to the amusement park first.Eight o'clock came, then nine, then half past ten. Theodore never showed up."Is Dad... Is Don Ricci not coming?" our daughter asked quietly.I finally gave in and called Theodore."Delia?" He sounded flustered, as if he'd only just remembered us. "Something urgent came up. The deal at the port went wrong, and I can't get away. I'll send my assistant to stay with you..."He'd broken his promise again.The flicker of hope that had briefly sparked in me died for good."Don't bother," I said coldly, and hung up.He didn't know that from that moment on, our daughter and I no longer needed him.I crouched beside Lucia, held her close, and smoothed her hair. "Sweetheart, it's okay if he doesn't come. You've got Mommy."Lucia nodded, as understanding as ever.She laughed on the carousel and spread her arms wide on the swing ride, shouting with joy. Watching her, I felt my heart melt.But something happened on our way home from the amusement park.A bl

Chapter 5

Once Amy's birthday was over, Theodore got Brynn and Amy settled at a hotel. Only then did he remember how many times Delia had called.He called her back, but she didn't answer. Unease crept over him.He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, but Brynn stepped in his way."It's so late. Can't you stay..." A little tipsy, she pressed herself against him.Theodore felt a sudden surge of irritation. He pushed her away. "I thought I made myself clear. This is the last time. I won't neglect Delia and my daughter for you two again."Brynn clung to his jacket and wouldn't let go. Theodore pulled free a little too hard, and she lost her balance and fell. He barely glanced at her before leaving the hotel.He called Delia all the way home. With every unanswered call, his dread grew."Delia!" He practically kicked the door open, but the house was dark, empty, and silent.Delia's words came rushing back. What if she hadn't been acting? What if all of it had been real...His legs nearly gave

Chapter 6

Because the abandoned building had been doused with some kind of chemical, the bodies were badly damaged.DNA testing would take time.Theodore refused to believe Delia was dead, and he did everything in his power to find her.He sat in front of the monitors, combing through footage from every camera on every street. His eyes burned, but he refused to rest.He contacted everyone Delia knew and practically begged them for news.But each answer dashed his hopes and drove him deeper into despair.Within days, Theodore looked like a different man. His eyes were sunken, and his face was haggard.Most nights, he couldn't sleep. He kept hearing Delia call for help and Lucia scream.They'd been so close. If he'd turned his head, he could have protected them.Instead, he'd been with another man's wife and daughter.Regret stabbed at him. He slapped himself hard across the face.At night, he held their family photo, consumed by remorse, and couldn't stop thinking about the good times.Delia used

Chapter 7

Delia's POV:After I returned to the East Coast, my father began grooming me to take over the Holst family business."You've got Lucia to raise. You need a career of your own. Only when you're strong enough can you truly take charge of your life."I started taking part in council business and earned the elders' respect on my own merits.At the family's year-end dinner, my father announced in front of everyone that starting next year, I would take full control of all his holdings.As the applause rose, I truly understood for the first time that leaving Theodore hadn't meant losing everything. I still had my career, my confidence, and a future that didn't depend on anyone.It was at that dinner that I met Brennan Gallo.He was an East Coast mafia Don with a vast criminal network and businesses across several states. Even the council elders, who usually looked down on everyone, stood to greet him.He was decisive and rarely smiled at strangers, but he never turned that hard edge on me.He

Chapter 8

"Enough!" I looked at Theodore, his face twisted with jealousy. Seeing him again stirred nothing in me."Delia, can we talk? I've missed you so much. I've missed our daughter so much..."He reached for Lucia, but she hid in Brennan's arms. "Don Ricci, you can stay with Aunt Brynn and Amy forever. Mommy and I don't need you anymore..."In that moment, to my own surprise, I felt relieved.Like me, Lucia no longer depended on Theodore. That meant he could finally be out of our lives for good.I asked Brennan to look after Lucia, then took Theodore to my office.When I set the divorce papers in front of him, his face crumpled.He looked at me in anguish and shook his head. "No... Delia, I'm not divorcing you."I pointed to his signature on the papers.Theodore stared at it for a few seconds. Then, like a man possessed, he snatched up the papers and tore them to shreds.I watched him rage, silent and calm. Then, almost cruelly, I told him it didn't matter if he tore them up. I had another c

Chapter 9

Before they could touch us, several black sedans pulled up. Brennan's bodyguards jumped out, took down Brynn's men, and seized Brynn.Brennan came to me. Once he was sure Lucia and I were safe, he quietly told his men to handle the rest.Theodore struggled to his feet. When he saw I was safe, he started toward me, but Brennan had already stepped in front of Lucia and me.Once again, Theodore had tried to protect us, but he was a step too late.When he came to see me afterward, he was frowning, his face full of guilt. "I'll deal with Brynn. I'll never let her hurt you or our daughter."I gave him a faint, distant smile."The way you spoiled Brynn and Amy hurt us deeply a long time ago."When you kept leaving us for them, we stopped needing your protection."My words left Theodore thunderstruck. His shoulders sagged, and he stood there frozen as tears he couldn't stop streamed down his face."It's my fault. It's all my fault..."It poured that day. Long after I'd left, Theodore was still

Chapter 10

I paused, then smiled. This time, I didn't say no.I've never been afraid to start over with someone new. But this time, I'll put myself first and keep a clear head.If Brennan is worth it, I'll gladly spend the rest of my life with him.If he isn't, I'll walk away just as decisively as I did before.After all, I now had everything I needed to give my daughter a happy childhood.What surprised me was Brennan's announcement at the birthday party: he was giving Lucia and me ten percent of his shares.Even if we had children together someday, Lucia would still be first in line to inherit his organization, if she wanted it.That was his promise to us. It made us feel secure.After Theodore left, he sent Lucia and me letters, photos, and gifts from all over the world.I didn't accept any of them or write back.I left the choice to Lucia. She shook her head without looking at the gifts, then went back to playing with all the quirky little toys Brennan had given her.To us, Theodore was a str

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