Felix's face clouded over, his expression shifting from guilt to resentment in just a few heartbeats. His mouth twisted into a sneer as he deliberately undid his cuff, exposing the jet-black skull tattoo wrapped around his wrist."It doesn't matter—not even if you're married," he said as he slowly drew a pistol, his finger idly tapping against the barrel.His eyes darted past Harold as he added, "Sylvie, I'll take you by force if I must."A blank check was flung toward Harold."You ever heard of the Valentino family?" Felix asked. "Write in any number, take the money, and get lost before I make you. Cross me again, and I'll make sure no one ever finds your body."The air went dead still. I noticed Harold's soldati, lurking in the shadows, their hands tightening around the guns beneath their suits. The tension was heavy, like a storm about to erupt.Harold turned to Felix, his lips curling into a contemptuous smirk. "This is how you win back your lover, Felix? Pathetic."The word
The Valentino family had a firm grip on northern Clyravan. Their so-called "top-tier private hospital" was nothing more than a cover for money laundering and shady operations.But the Bonanno family had a reach that extended across the globe. Their wealth and power far surpassed the Valentinos' by a wide margin.After settling things with Felix, Harold turned to me, his voice unusually tight. "Sylvie, my love, you don't have to be afraid of me. I don't usually go to such lengths."I looked into his earnest, almost wary eyes and gave a faint smile. "I thought your approach was pretty effective."After all, Felix would never have backed down on his own. And I was tired of the whole mess dragging on.That evening, Harold threw a lavish dinner, calling in elders from both the Bonanno and Dallamano families to iron out the details of the wedding.This wasn't just a joining of two people. It was a strategic alliance between two mafia families.The gathering was held at the Bonanno fam
That day, as I followed Papa and Mamma back home, I was surprised to find two people waiting in the living room—Don Valentino and Madre Isabella.The underboss let us know that they'd been waiting for a while.Mamma let out a quiet sigh. "When your grandpa insisted on sending you to Clyravan all those years ago, the Valentinos promised they'd look after you like you were their own."We all assumed you and Felix would end up together. You've been under their care all these years. Now that they're here for you, we can't just turn them away."I paused, then nodded. "Don't worry, Mamma. I'll take care of this."Without another word, I walked into the living room.Donna Isabella's eyes filled with tears the second she saw me. "Sylvie, they're saying you're getting married. Is it true?"I couldn't bring myself to lie to people who had always been so kind to me.I spoke plainly, "Don Valentino, Donna Isabella, I won't disrespect you by lying. Felix and I are done."Don Valentino's us
Over the past few days, Harold had taken me on a journey through the countries spread across Eltherion, knowing how much I loved to travel.His itinerary was meticulously planned, starting with the high-end custom boutique in Pavlune, moving to the private ski slopes of Aeltharis, and ending with the yacht parties on the Morvandis Sea."Now that you've agreed to marry me, you should see my world for what it really is," he'd told me.I held tightly to this new life, willingly cutting myself off from the one I'd left behind. But whispers about Lilian found their way to me.When Don Valentino and Donna Isabella returned to Clyravan, they had gone straight to the hospital they owned and pulled Lilian's medical records. What they found was explosive.The test results revealed unmistakable evidence of tampering. As Don Valentino investigated further, the truth emerged.Lilian had never been terminally ill. She was as strong as an ox. Every dramatic swoon and every labored breath was no
Once I returned home, Nora immediately launched into the crazy story of that despicable pair, Felix and Lilian.As Lilian teetered on the edge of being kicked out, she rounded on Felix. "Why can't you just admit you've always loved me, Felix? If you didn't care, why were you always hovering around, taking care of my every need? Why even marry me in the first place?"Felix met her gaze with cold indifference before dropping the harsh truth. "I took care of you because Sylvie asked me to. Every single thing I did was to put her mind at ease. If you hadn't been her friend, do you really think I'd have given you the time of day?"His words left Lilian in disbelief, sending her into a frenzy. With a hysterical laugh, she threw herself at him, her eyes bloodshot as she grabbed at his collar."You think declaring your love for her changes anything now?" she hissed. "On our wedding day, I livestreamed the whole thing to Sylvie on a video call. How many times do you think she tried calling
On the wedding day, Morvayne's most exclusive private estate had been turned into something straight out of a fairytale.The grounds were packed with hundreds of guests—dons and dignitaries from every prominent family. Black-suited soldati were stationed at every corner, ready to handle any trouble that might arise.When the ceremony started, I made my way down the red carpet with an arm on Papa's. Harold stood waiting at the altar in his custom black suit, his intense gaze locked onto me.The walk from the entrance to the platform took only a few minutes. But the journey from being with the wrong person to standing beside the right man had taken me an entire decade.Harold dropped to one knee in front of me, flipping open the velvet ring box. The enormous diamond sparkled like a piece of trapped starlight under the glow of the lights."Sylvie, will you marry me?"My throat clenched, and tears welled up, clouding my sight. I gave a small nod. Then came the sliding of rings onto f
The morning after our wedding, Harold departed overseas on business for the Bonannos.A week had gone by, and he was finally back, but an odd tightness settled in my chest. I sat on the bed, my fingers fiddling with the corner of the covers.The steady sound of the water running echoed from the bathroom.A few moments later, Harold stepped out of the shower, a towel slung low around his hips. The careless way it hung revealed the sharp contours of his V-cut abs, leaving him looking irresistibly attractive.He loomed over me, unable to hold back a chuckle as he noticed the blush creeping up my neck."Like what you see?" His voice was deep, almost a purr, laced with unmistakable allure.I was on the verge of speaking when Harold's lips captured mine. His tongue swept in with a bold intensity that left no room for refusal.In the next moment, he pressed me onto the bed, his lips moving from the corner of my lips to my jaw, then my collarbone, and lower still. He ripped open my nigh
Tonight was the tenth anniversary of my relationship with Felix Valentino. This was supposed to be the night he'd finally propose.Instead, here I was, talking about marriage plans with his archenemy, Harold Bonanno, don of the Bonanno family."Sylvie, once you're my wife, your life will be all about me. Got it?"After I agreed, he began flooding my phone with texts, insisting on confirmation every few minutes. When I finally gave him the answer he wanted, he wasted no time in having his underboss send me a ten-page catalog of wedding gowns.Each dress was handpicked from the world's most elite designers, shimmering with diamonds worth a fortune."These were all custom-made in Pavlune, Miravella, Neoverta. Pick whichever catches your eye."When I didn't respond to Harold's text, he sent another."If these don't impress you, we'll go to Isperia's haute couture show in three days. You can choose your gown there."I silently scrolled through the photos of the wedding gowns. Finall
The morning after our wedding, Harold departed overseas on business for the Bonannos.A week had gone by, and he was finally back, but an odd tightness settled in my chest. I sat on the bed, my fingers fiddling with the corner of the covers.The steady sound of the water running echoed from the bathroom.A few moments later, Harold stepped out of the shower, a towel slung low around his hips. The careless way it hung revealed the sharp contours of his V-cut abs, leaving him looking irresistibly attractive.He loomed over me, unable to hold back a chuckle as he noticed the blush creeping up my neck."Like what you see?" His voice was deep, almost a purr, laced with unmistakable allure.I was on the verge of speaking when Harold's lips captured mine. His tongue swept in with a bold intensity that left no room for refusal.In the next moment, he pressed me onto the bed, his lips moving from the corner of my lips to my jaw, then my collarbone, and lower still. He ripped open my nigh
On the wedding day, Morvayne's most exclusive private estate had been turned into something straight out of a fairytale.The grounds were packed with hundreds of guests—dons and dignitaries from every prominent family. Black-suited soldati were stationed at every corner, ready to handle any trouble that might arise.When the ceremony started, I made my way down the red carpet with an arm on Papa's. Harold stood waiting at the altar in his custom black suit, his intense gaze locked onto me.The walk from the entrance to the platform took only a few minutes. But the journey from being with the wrong person to standing beside the right man had taken me an entire decade.Harold dropped to one knee in front of me, flipping open the velvet ring box. The enormous diamond sparkled like a piece of trapped starlight under the glow of the lights."Sylvie, will you marry me?"My throat clenched, and tears welled up, clouding my sight. I gave a small nod. Then came the sliding of rings onto f
Once I returned home, Nora immediately launched into the crazy story of that despicable pair, Felix and Lilian.As Lilian teetered on the edge of being kicked out, she rounded on Felix. "Why can't you just admit you've always loved me, Felix? If you didn't care, why were you always hovering around, taking care of my every need? Why even marry me in the first place?"Felix met her gaze with cold indifference before dropping the harsh truth. "I took care of you because Sylvie asked me to. Every single thing I did was to put her mind at ease. If you hadn't been her friend, do you really think I'd have given you the time of day?"His words left Lilian in disbelief, sending her into a frenzy. With a hysterical laugh, she threw herself at him, her eyes bloodshot as she grabbed at his collar."You think declaring your love for her changes anything now?" she hissed. "On our wedding day, I livestreamed the whole thing to Sylvie on a video call. How many times do you think she tried calling
Over the past few days, Harold had taken me on a journey through the countries spread across Eltherion, knowing how much I loved to travel.His itinerary was meticulously planned, starting with the high-end custom boutique in Pavlune, moving to the private ski slopes of Aeltharis, and ending with the yacht parties on the Morvandis Sea."Now that you've agreed to marry me, you should see my world for what it really is," he'd told me.I held tightly to this new life, willingly cutting myself off from the one I'd left behind. But whispers about Lilian found their way to me.When Don Valentino and Donna Isabella returned to Clyravan, they had gone straight to the hospital they owned and pulled Lilian's medical records. What they found was explosive.The test results revealed unmistakable evidence of tampering. As Don Valentino investigated further, the truth emerged.Lilian had never been terminally ill. She was as strong as an ox. Every dramatic swoon and every labored breath was no
That day, as I followed Papa and Mamma back home, I was surprised to find two people waiting in the living room—Don Valentino and Madre Isabella.The underboss let us know that they'd been waiting for a while.Mamma let out a quiet sigh. "When your grandpa insisted on sending you to Clyravan all those years ago, the Valentinos promised they'd look after you like you were their own."We all assumed you and Felix would end up together. You've been under their care all these years. Now that they're here for you, we can't just turn them away."I paused, then nodded. "Don't worry, Mamma. I'll take care of this."Without another word, I walked into the living room.Donna Isabella's eyes filled with tears the second she saw me. "Sylvie, they're saying you're getting married. Is it true?"I couldn't bring myself to lie to people who had always been so kind to me.I spoke plainly, "Don Valentino, Donna Isabella, I won't disrespect you by lying. Felix and I are done."Don Valentino's us
The Valentino family had a firm grip on northern Clyravan. Their so-called "top-tier private hospital" was nothing more than a cover for money laundering and shady operations.But the Bonanno family had a reach that extended across the globe. Their wealth and power far surpassed the Valentinos' by a wide margin.After settling things with Felix, Harold turned to me, his voice unusually tight. "Sylvie, my love, you don't have to be afraid of me. I don't usually go to such lengths."I looked into his earnest, almost wary eyes and gave a faint smile. "I thought your approach was pretty effective."After all, Felix would never have backed down on his own. And I was tired of the whole mess dragging on.That evening, Harold threw a lavish dinner, calling in elders from both the Bonanno and Dallamano families to iron out the details of the wedding.This wasn't just a joining of two people. It was a strategic alliance between two mafia families.The gathering was held at the Bonanno fam
Felix's face clouded over, his expression shifting from guilt to resentment in just a few heartbeats. His mouth twisted into a sneer as he deliberately undid his cuff, exposing the jet-black skull tattoo wrapped around his wrist."It doesn't matter—not even if you're married," he said as he slowly drew a pistol, his finger idly tapping against the barrel.His eyes darted past Harold as he added, "Sylvie, I'll take you by force if I must."A blank check was flung toward Harold."You ever heard of the Valentino family?" Felix asked. "Write in any number, take the money, and get lost before I make you. Cross me again, and I'll make sure no one ever finds your body."The air went dead still. I noticed Harold's soldati, lurking in the shadows, their hands tightening around the guns beneath their suits. The tension was heavy, like a storm about to erupt.Harold turned to Felix, his lips curling into a contemptuous smirk. "This is how you win back your lover, Felix? Pathetic."The word
Harold stood tall in front of me, cutting off Felix's burning stare completely.But Felix was beside himself, unwilling to accept the truth. "Cut it out, Sylvie. Ten years we've been together. How can you just toss it all aside like it's nothing? Were all those promises just empty words?"I didn't have the energy to keep arguing. I pulled out my marriage certificate for him to see. "I'm not lying, Felix. I'm married to Harold," I said.Felix's face shifted from shock to devastation. "Why? Why?"Before he could take a step toward me, Harold raised his hand. His men moved in instantly, blocking Felix's way, their guns trained on him without hesitation."You're really asking Sylvie why?" Harold snapped.His expression hardened as he reached inside his suit jacket and flung a handful of photos at Felix.The pictures showed Lilian dressed in a white wedding gown, her smile dazzling. Felix stood beside her, the devoted knight now sworn to protect his new queen.The image cut deeper
It took Felix three days to figure out I'd vanished without a trace. He started calling like crazy, flooding my phone with messages. He even pulled strings with his mafia contacts to hunt me down across the globe.But by then, I was already done with the drama. I blocked his number and cut off every way he could reach me. If he cared so much about Lilian, why keep stringing me along?I sank into the plush cushions of the handcrafted Isperian couch, admiring the custom jewelry case Harold had made just for me. Inside lay the world's most priceless treasures—emeralds, rubies, sapphires, each worth a fortune and a testament to his devotion to me.A line of top-tier tailors stood quietly to the side, their expressions respectful as they revealed dozens of haute couture wedding gowns. Every design was tailor-made. Harold wanted to ensure I was utterly unique."Which one stands out to you?" Harold asked, his arm draped around my waist.I took my time, my eyes wandering over the lavish d