Too Late to Say I Love You

"Are you crazy, Donna Gallo?!" The doctor, Corey Dickson, stared at the plastic surgery proposal I had given him. He said in a trembling voice, "Don Gallo would never allow you to do something like this." I smiled softly. "He's too busy having an affair with a world-famous celebrity. He doesn't have time to notice me." Corey was taken aback. I looked at my wedding picture on the wall. Stefan was hugging me while looking at me with great tenderness in his eyes, but just yesterday, I watched him lead that celebrity into our bedroom. He pressed her down in bed as she stared at the silver handgun at the end of the bed and panted, "Aren't you afraid that I was sent here by the enemy to seduce you, Don Gallo? Are you sure you want to put that gun away?" Stefan laughed in a low voice. "It'd be worth it to die in your arms." That gun never left his side. This was the first time he put it aside for someone else. That was when I realized that this was the end of my marriage. It was time for me to leave. I had to find a way to leave this city, where the Don had eyes everywhere, without getting caught. Chapter 1 I let out a long sigh as I pushed the plastic surgery proposal toward my doctor, Corey Dickson. "I know you're loyal to the family, but don't forget that I'm the one who saved your life. So, tell me right now: will you help me or not?" Corey froze. I had never threatened him before, but I had no other choice. The family had a wide information network and could check every record of every hospital. Corey was the only doctor with enough resources to challenge them. He hesitated for a long time before suddenly looking up at me. "Will you really find happiness after leaving this place, Donna Gallo?" I laughed softly and replied with conviction, "Yes, I will." At the very least, things could not get worse than the current situation I was in. It took Corey a lot of courage to accept the proposal. I knew I had put him in a difficult position, as betraying the Don was essentially gambling with his life. As Corey looked through the proposal, he frowned. "Why would you want to change your eyes, Donna Gallo? You have beautiful eyes. It'd be a pity if you had work done on them." I shook my head. It was because Stefan Gallo loved my eyes. Every time we left the house or made love, he would kiss the corners of my eyes. It was his favorite part of me. If I did not destroy my eyes, Stefan would immediately recognize me and trap me again. He would lock me up with the other traitors, and I would spend the rest of my days howling in pain. At the thought of those disfigured and broken-down people, I looked up at Corey determinedly. "There's no room for discussion about my eyes. They need to be operated on." Corey let out a long sigh and nodded in agreement. I patted him on the shoulder to console him. "Remember, only the two of us know about this. Once I erase my identity, I'll update you on the surgery date before I leave for Beyland." "Erasing your identity? Beyland?" Corey's eyes widened. "Isn't that the country you hate the most? You almost died there, Donna Gallo! What are you thinking?" I lowered my head and laughed bitterly. My laughter was so quiet that I was the only one who could hear it. "I want to go to a place where there is no Stefan." When Stefan saved me from danger in Beyland, I thought we would live happily ever after. I had no idea that it would only take three years for him to fall for someone new and for my life to descend back to hell. After estimating the time required to erase my identity and make all necessary arrangements, I decided that the surgery should be held three months from now. After Corey left, I went to a private pawnshop to change part of my money into gold. Payments in gold were easier to fly under the radar than online payments. While I was waiting for the transaction to finalize, I stood by the roadside and lit a cigarette. A huge screen in the distance began broadcasting an interview with Trixie Carter. She was the most popular female celebrity over the last two years. The reporters in the interview were eyeing the sapphire ring on her ring finger. "Miss Carter, that's the work of the world's most renowned designer, Andre Hove, isn't it? It's called Azure Heart, and it was supposed to be sold to a private collector at an auction. I can't believe that it's now on your finger!" Trixie touched the ring gently and said in surprise, "Is this ring that valuable? I thought it was an ordinary birthday present." "This ring is one of a kind in this world, and it's priceless. Your friend must be someone rich and powerful. It's making all of us curious!" Trixie shook her head. "He's just a low-profile businessman. I hope no one will speculate on his identity." Passersby looked up at the huge screen with envy, while I lowered my head to look at the same sapphire ring on my ring finger. I laughed self-deprecatingly. Was it really one of a kind? If that were true, what was I wearing on my finger? After I finished converting my money to gold, I entered a store that traded jewelry and handed my ring to an appraiser. "Is this sapphire ring the work of Andre Hove?" The appraiser inspected it closely before saying carefully, "This is a natural sapphire. Andre Hove's design uses the Kardamini sapphire." I nodded. The truly one-of-a-kind ring was on Trixie's finger, not mine. "Sell it." The appraiser gave me a troubled look. "The ring is going to be difficult to sell since the inside of the band is engraved. This looks like a token of love, Miss, and in my professional opinion, it's worth $2 million in the market. Whoever bought this was pretty generous and must have deep feelings for you. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" "No. Sell it and give me the cash value in gold. All of it." I was very sure of my decision. If Stefan really did have deep feelings for me, he would never have given me a fake ring and cheated on me. Moreover, $2 million was nothing to him. It was the same measly price he had paid for Trixie to become a brand spokesperson. Her so-called 'low-profile businessman' had spent well over $2 million on Trixie and turned her from a nameless actress into the hottest celebrity in the market. He even used all of his resources, from legal means to his underworld connections, to clear every obstacle in her way. I used to lie to myself using the same reasoning the appraiser did, but the red marks on Stefan's neck told the truth. After leaving the store, I headed back to the villa with a heavy box in my hand. A storm suddenly arrived, and rain pelted down hard on me, but I did not feel pain. In fact, I had never felt so relieved before. I was soaking wet by the time I got home, and I was surprised to see Stefan home as well. He was holding a cup of hot tea while reading the financial papers on the sofa. He frowned when he saw me drenched. "Where have you been? And why are you soaking wet? " He said while using his silk handkerchief to wipe away the rainwater from my face gently. I pressed down on his hand to stop him as I said softly, "I was out doing some shopping." With that, I walked past him to go upstairs. "Stop right there," Stefan called out from behind me. Chapter 2 Stefan's gaze fell onto my box, and he looked at it curiously. "What did you buy?" I paused in my footsteps. As the Don of a Mafia family, Stefan was very cautious, even when it came to his wife. Fortunately, I was prepared. I opened up the box to show him a small mound of jewelry. "I was getting my jewelry maintained at the jeweler's." Stefan's expression relaxed when he saw the box's contents. He put his hand around my waist and said domineeringly, "Those things aren't worth your time and money to maintain. I can buy you better ones." He was so close to me that I caught the scent of roses on him. It was a scent that did not match him at all, and I guessed Trixie must have started using a new perfume. I pushed Stefan away gently. He was taken aback when he realized I was rejecting his advances. He looked at the box of jewelry and asked, "Where's your sapphire ring?" When I heard his question, I replied stoically, "It's in the drawer. That ring is new, so it doesn't require any maintenance." Stefan grunted a reply and did not pursue it further, but I smiled and asked, "Why are you asking about it?" Stefan was indifferent and replied calmly, "Isn't that a ring you've always wanted? Besides, you always wear what I give you until I replace it." He rubbed my finger and acted like he was interrogating a subordinate. "So, why aren't you wearing the ring?" As I wondered how to answer his question, his phone pinged with a notification. Stefan glanced at the message and released my hand as he grabbed his coat to head out the door. "I have something to attend to tonight. You should have an early night." With that, he turned to leave. "Stefan." He stopped and turned back to look at me. "What is it?" "Will you be home tonight?" Stefan was taken aback for a while before laughing softly. He strode toward me and leaned down to kiss the corner of my eye. "What a clingy little kitty you are! Don't worry. I'll make sure I'm home tonight to satisfy you." He left right after that. The moment he closed the door, I wiped my eyes in disgust. It felt horrible to be kissed by lips that had just been on another woman. However, I had gotten the information I needed. I instantly packed up the rest of my expensive jewelry and clothes to pass to my friends, so they could help me sell them for gold as well. To avoid catching Stefan's attention, I kept several cheaper items with me, as well as the wedding dress I had worn when I got married. It was luxurious and eye-catching, once the envy of many women, but it had now lost all its glory after being locked in the closet for years. That night, I got everything done within an hour for fear that Stefan would suddenly return home. However, he did not come home in the end. The only sign of him was a cold message on my phone. Stafan: [Family meeting. Have an early night.] It still hurt to see the message, but I did feel very relieved. I walked numbly to the bathroom to brush my teeth, only to see condoms in the dustbin. Seven or eight of them had been thrown in the bin, and I stared at them before finally putting on a face mask with indifference and returning to my room. I had decided to leave, so it did not matter to me how many women he slept with or how many times he slept with them. I slept so well that night that I did not notice Stefan had returned. When I woke up, I found a muscled arm on my waist. I tried to push him away, but he pulled me into his arms right away. Stefan whispered huskily into my ear, "Are you awake?" I grunted an affirmative, and he laughed softly. He slowly removed my robe as he kissed me gently on the neck. "We didn't get to do it last night, so let's not waste any time today." It felt extremely uncomfortable, but all I could do was allow him to caress my body. I could feel his fingers move from my abdomen to my lips, then finally land beside my teary eyes. He laughed softly. "You're so beautiful, just like a baby deer." I lowered my eyes, hoping that time would pass quickly. That was when Stefan's phone rang. He frowned with annoyance from being interrupted, but when he saw the caller ID, he headed to the balcony to pick up the call. I could see his expression gradually soften as the call went on, which made the hickies he left on me seem like a joke. I laughed self-depracatingly as I stared at the empty ceiling. When Stefan returned to the room, I was already sitting by the side of the bed, fully clothed. He frowned. "It was just a call. Why did you put on your clothes so fast?" "I'm not feeling good today. Let's do this another day." Stefan agreed and put on his clothes to head to the study. "All right. Get some rest. We have an important dinner to attend tonight." It was supposed to be a lie I made up to reject his advances, but I ended up with a fever that night, which must have been caused by being drenched in the rain. I leaned exhaustedly against the car window on our way to the dinner venue. Through the reflection of the window, I could see Stefan looking out of his side of the window. He had a sharp nose, and he looked much colder and more distant than before. The aura about him was intimidating, so different from the young boy I had once saved from the hands of a junkie in an underground casino. I laughed at myself as I pulled over a blanket from beside me to cover my body. That was when a pair of black, lacey underwear slipped out from the folded blanket. It fell out of the blanket softly, but it hit me hard in the heart. My fingers stiffened. "What's wrong?" Stefan's tone was calm with a tinge of nonchalant concern. "Nothing." I bent over to pick up the underwear to slip it into my purse. I did it quickly, as if nothing had happened, and I did not question him about it. It was pointless to question him, as he was the Don of the family. If he wanted to, he had a million ways of shutting me up, but if he were in a good mood, he might reward me with a white lie to comfort me. "Don Gallo, Donna Gallo, we're here." Someone opened the door. The night breeze blew into my face, but I still felt suffocated. My legs felt weak as I got out of the car in my heels. When I looked up, I was blinded by the bright lights of a car in the distance. It was dizzying. "Why is there a celebrity here? Everyone attending tonight prefers anonymity. What if she attracts the media over?" The guests started frowning unhappily, especially several big shots who had long-standing business ties to the Mafia. They started berating the security personnel and demanding that they remove the woman in the luxurious dress in front of them. Trixie looked extremely upset. She backed several steps away and turned to grab the car's door handle, but Stefan stopped her. "She's not going anywhere. She's my guest." Everyone looked up in disbelief as I burst out with a laugh and watched coldly by the side. "This is a private event, Don Gallo! It would be disastrous if the guest list tonight and our internal meeting got leaked!" "He's right, Don Gallo. We didn't come all the way to attend this dinner just to risk unnecessary danger." Stefan remained stoic while everyone continued objecting to this, but he shielded Trixie behind him and swept a glance over everyone present. "Don't worry, everyone. I guarantee you all that nothing from this event will be divulged. You might not trust her, but don't you trust me?" He did not speak loudly, but his words were warning enough to everyone. The guests decided to let it be in the end, and they entered the venue without another word. They could only whisper their unhappiness in a very low voice, as no one dared to offend Stefan, the host of the dinner. Soon, only three of us were left standing outside. When Trixie noticed me, she quickly pulled her hand away and turned to thank Stefan. He grunted a reply and said nothing else except for her to enjoy the dinner. Stefan put his arm around mine the next second and said softly, "Let's go inside." He acted as if nothing had happened and that he and Trixie were ordinary friends, but I knew the truth. Witnessing this was even more chilling than my discovery of her underwear. However, it was all right. I would be gone after three months, and once I was, it did not matter whether they wanted to make love in the car or in the house. Chapter 3 Trixie chatted with the guests in the event hall with ease. The public figures attending the event took a liking to her and wanted to get to know her better. She was a very beautiful woman, after all. A wealthy bachelor approached Trixie to ask her for a dance, and she agreed with a smile. Stefan stood where he was, gripping the wine glass in his hand so hard that I could hear it squeaking under the pressure. He stared at the dance floor like a wild beast eyeing its prey, and he suddenly turned to look at me. "It's been a while since we danced." I felt my throat clench. I could hardly stand at this point because of my fever. I wanted to reject him, but Stefan had already grabbed my wrist. His grip on me was tight, as if he had nowhere else to vent his frustrations. He pulled me onto the dance floor as he twirled me with precision, composure, and grace. We were the perfect couple in the eyes of others, but I was the only one who knew that his eyes were looking past my shoulders at Trixie. The lights were dizzying, and my knees went weak as I fell to the ground. Everyone stopped dancing to look at me while Stefan quickly helped me up, asking in a grim voice, "Are you all right?" He did not sound worried, but unhappy, as if I had ruined his mood or failed him in his attempt to show off to Trixie. I shook my head as I listened to everyone discussing the mishap. "She fell? That should have been an easy dance, right?" "Donna Gallo doesn't seem too happy. She was all right just a while ago…" My fingers dug into the flesh of my palms as I leaned against the wall to slowly leave the dance floor. I could hear Trixie's voice from behind me. "Is Donna Gallo all right? Shouldn't you check on her, Don Gallo?" She sounded so soft and gentle. Stefan replied in a low voice, "Do you really want me to?" There was a moment of silence. "I…" She sounded hesitant. My footsteps paused. My heart clenched painfully, and tears welled in my eyes. It has been quite a while since I last felt this way. Cold wind gusted into the corridor, and it chilled me to the bone through my thin dress. It suddenly hit me that it was not my fever that was making me feel cold. It was because I finally knew there had never been a place for me in this world. I did not return to the event hall but walked deep into the gardens until I could no longer hear the guests' laughter. Then, finally, I slowed down. It was not long before I heard footsteps behind me, and Stefan appeared by my side. He looked to be in a good mood as he passed me a glass of wine. "All you did was trip. Don't worry. No one will remember what happened with me around," Stefan said gently, as if trying to cajole a child that was making a scene. I stared at the glass but did not take it from him. He was slightly taken aback, and his brows furrowed. He touched me on the shoulder, but his expression changed the moment his fingers came in contact with my body. "You're burning up." Stefan should have noticed this when we were dancing, but his attention was not on me then. He took out his phone and said sharply to the person on the other end, "Get Dr. Dickson here within ten minutes." He hung up and grabbed my arm. "We should go inside. It's cold out here. What if your condition gets even more serious?" He sounded anxious, but his concern had come too late. I pulled my arm away from him and replied in a calm voice, "It's fine. I'd like to stay here." He frowned even deeper and was about to say something when someone suddenly appeared at the end of the corridor. Trixie was standing there with red eyes. She took a step backward and turned to run off. Stefan released me almost immediately without hesitation. "Wait here for the doctor. I need to attend to something." The sounds of their footsteps eventually disappeared into the distance, and the garden was quiet once more. All that was left was the sound of the gusting wind. I lowered my head to look at where he had grabbed my arm. I could still feel the warmth of his hand, but it no longer warmed my heart. I picked up the glass of wine from the table and guzzled it down without hesitation. When the burning alcohol flowed down my throat, I finally felt a real sense of warmth. It was not long before Corey arrived. He was surprised to see my eyes so red. "Donna Gallo…" "Just give me a prescription." I avoided his eyes. Corey was silent for a while as he gave me a simple checkup by taking my temperature and checking my breathing. He was gentle as always during the process. Before we left, he reminded me in a low voice, "It's better if you take an IV drip. You have to make sure you get better quickly, or it will increase your risk in the surgery later on." I grunted affirmatively and followed him to the infirmary. When we walked past a resting lounge with its door slightly ajar, we heard a woman's low laughter coming from inside. "Don Gallo… Someone will discover us if we do it here…" Her voice was sultry and sickly sweet. I knew it was Trixie. Corey and I stopped in our tracks. Stefan's voice came next. It was husky and tinged with jealousy. "Now you're worried? Why weren't you worried when you had your arms around another man when dancing with him?" The sound of rustling clothes could be heard, accompanied by Trixie softly begging Stefan to be gentle. I could have left, but my feet were somehow rooted to the ground, and I could not budge an inch. "What if Donna Gallo hears us?" There was a brief silence that hung in the air. Stefan chuckled. "Don't worry. She isn't around here. She's at the infirmary." He paused before continuing condescendingly, "It doesn't matter if she hears us. Even if she saw what we're doing, she'd pretend nothing happened. She's just a lost puppy I rescued. Without me, she'd turn back into the homeless puppy her gambling father sold to the underworld." My eyes widened at that point. Even Corey's expression changed. It took him some effort to keep his emotions in check before saying to me in a low voice, "How could Don Gallo say something like that?! He made a vow never to let you back into that hell when you got married—" He stopped himself when he saw the stoic look on my face. I stared silently at the door and took out my phone to record audio of what they were doing. The movements inside got increasingly chaotic as I recorded laughter, breathless panting, and things being knocked over. I did not budge until I heard the man grunt in low satisfaction, then I stopped the recording. Finally, I looked up at Corey to give him a small smile. "Let's go. If we wait any longer, my fever won't ever subside." Corey stared at me silently but said nothing as he followed obediently behind me. The lights at the end of the corridor cast long shadows on us as we walked. It was not until we stepped into the infirmary that I finally let myself go and fell unconscious to the ground. "Donna Gallo! Donna Gallo! Wake up!" Someone was shaking my shoulder, but I could not muster the strength to reply. My sight became blurry, and it sounded like everything was miles away from me. My last memory was of Stefan slamming the door open and rushing into the infirmary to carry me in his arms. He kept calling out to me in a panic, and he looked extremely worried, but all I saw were the fresh hickies on the side of Stefan's neck, and all I could feel was my heart splitting in two. If I had a choice back then, I would never have allowed Stefan to take me away from the underground casino. My life would have turned out the same either way—living in misery. The only thing I had to look forward to now was that this time, I could walk away with my own two feet. Chapter 4 Stefan was sitting right by my side when I woke up. He had taken off his tailor-made suit and changed into a black turtleneck. "You're finally awake, Elena." For some reason, he sounded joyful while Corey looked grim. He gave me a troubled look before saying, "Congratulations, Donna Gallo. You're three months pregnant." My mind went blank as I slowly looked up to stare back at Stefan, who misunderstood my reaction. He pulled me gently into his arms and tightened his embrace around me, unable to suppress the happiness in his voice. "This is wonderful! I can't believe I'm going to be a father. You've given me such a beautiful surprise, Elena." I had never seen him express his happiness this way before, but I found it difficult to smile. That day, Stefan accompanied me for a long time at the hospital. It was only when he had 30 minutes left before his meeting that he finally left in a hurry. Before leaving, he said to Corey, "Increase the budget for the medical team. From now onward, your main focus is guaranteeing Elena's safety." Corey agreed in a low voice, and Stefan failed to notice his chilly tone. Stefan turned back to look at me with tenderness in his eyes, just like he did when we first met. "I'll visit you again later tonight, Elena. Have a good rest." I nodded as I watched him leave. When the door closed behind him, the room turned silent once more. It was so quiet that I could hear our breathing. I clenched my fists and remained silent for a long time before looking up at Corey. "Dr. Dickson, please help me abort this baby." This time, Corey did not ask any questions because he had witnessed what Stefan had done that day. He nodded and replied with determination, "Don't worry about it. I'll help you." He paused before continuing, "But it's best that you take medication to cause the miscarriage before you leave, so you won't attract any attention. "But…" He glanced at me and looked like he could not bear to imagine what I would go through. "Getting the abortion and having the plastic surgery afterward will cause you a lot of pain, and it has its risks." I smiled softly as if I had just heard something that had nothing to do with me. "It's all right. I'll do anything to leave this place." This baby had come at the wrong time, but to me, it was just an extra obstacle to remove in the process of my escape. Since that day, I started to focus on nurturing myself and keeping my body healthy as I prepared for the surgery in accordance with the doctor's orders. In Stefan's eyes, I was being protective of our baby. He treated me lovingly during this time and would personally join me for all checkups conducted by the medical team. Stefan would caress my belly when he came home at night, and he even customized a few precious toys for the baby before it was even born. He acted as if our baby were everything he wanted in life. Unbeknownst to Stefan, I threw all those toys into a metal box after he left. Right at the very bottom of the box was the black, lacey underwear I found in his car. Whenever I saw it, the warm feeling I had when I received those toys would vanish. Once I was gone, I would return everything in the box to him. I wanted him to witness how dirty his love was. Time passed quickly, and only two months were left until my surgery. That was when I suddenly received a call from the family elders. They sounded grim as they talked about what happened after the dinner event. Trixie had posted a picture on her social media that revealed half of Stefan's face. The lighting on his side profile showcased his aloof yet handsome charisma, which instantly garnered millions of likes. This was causing distress within the core members of the family. "Don Gallo has never revealed himself publicly." "The high exposure will disrupt the family's discreet organization." One of the elders paused before lowering his voice to say, "Besides, there has been a recent problem with the underground casino. If public opinion continues to spread, it's going to cause greater trouble." They were silent before softening their tones. "Donna Gallo, we have no idea how to talk to Don Gallo about this. Do you think you'd be able to talk to him about keeping his distance from Trixie Carter?" I laughed bitterly after listening to their request. "You should know how the Don can be. No one can interfere with his decisions." There was a brief silence on the other end of the call. An elder lowered his voice. "But Donna Gallo, you're pregnant now. If…" "That's enough," I interrupted him. "I won't involve myself with any of the family's internal affairs." I hung up after that. All I wanted was to spend the rest of my time here quietly. Whatever happened within the family no longer had anything to do with me. However, the matter eventually blew up. Reporters had snapped photographs of Trixie and Stefan getting into a car together outside the casino, and Stefan's face was clearly visible. News of this spread rapidly, and even though the media was quickly silenced and most of the pictures removed, it was still a fact that they had been exposed to the public from outside the casino. Another family meeting was called under intense pressure. "Why were there so many reporters around the casino? Our family's security has never made such a mistake before." "We should focus on public opinion now that the situation has escalated. Sigh! If this continues, and the casino list is leaked, we'll be in big trouble. Plenty of politicians and public figures connected to our family have expressed their utmost concern." "If this continues to escalate, it might affect our political ties…" As the disagreements in the meeting room became louder, Stefan frowned with his hand against his forehead, as if trying to figure out a solution. That was when someone slammed the table and said, "We can get Trixie Carter to admit that she's been gambling and issue a public apology to pacify the public." Everyone looked at each other when this idea was presented. It was a great idea that was both effective and minimized the risks. It would even pacify the public. They looked at Stefan, but he shook his head. "I can't sacrifice her." Chapter 5 Some of the family members' expressions changed slightly, but Stefan continued in a composed tone, "She's an important asset for connections in the family's entertainment business. With her current top-celebrity status, she's capable of gathering copious intel from the public. Keeping her safe is a part of strategic intel gathering." Everyone looked at each other as if they had more to say, but I suddenly smiled at Stefan. "You heard the Don. Don't worry, everyone. He'll handle this well." Stefan was taken aback as he did not expect me to speak up for him in the meeting. After all, the picture of Trixie and him showed how intimate their relationship was. After the meeting was over, Stefan came to me to gently place his hand on my belly. "Is your morning sickness still bad?" I shook my head. "The baby has been good to me. It has stopped making a fuss in there." Stefan nodded. He was silent for a while before saying in a low voice, "There's nothing between Trixie Carter and me. She came to the casino that day to report some intel." I grunted a reply but did not ask any questions. Stefan frowned slightly. "It doesn't bother you?" I gave him a small smile and replied, "No, it doesn't. I trust that you'll never cheat on me because you promised during our wedding that you'd only love me and me alone in this lifetime, remember?" Stefan was taken aback, but he quickly smiled as he looked at me with conviction. "Of course I do. Loyalty has always been the family's most important rule." I laughed softly without replying, and Stefan quickly changed the topic by mentioning our wedding anniversary, which was a month away. "I'm planning to organize a party and use the opportunity to liaise with our family's clients and stabilize the situation." He lowered his head to kiss the corner of my eye as he held me in a gentle embrace. "Thank you for speaking up for me. To be honest, this is a tricky situation to handle." It had been a long time since Stefan revealed his fragile side to me, but it felt like a joke to me now. Was it really that tricky? All he had to do was get Trixie to apologize and retire from the social scene to minimize the risk of public opinion, but he could not bear to do it. He could not bear for Trixie to even shed a tear. My heart slowly sank as the smile on my face vanished, but he could not see my expression as he hugged me. The family paid a heavy price because of this. Controlling public opinion required substantial capital, and many long-term partners, including politicians and business allies, decided to end their business relationships with us, creating a gloomy atmosphere among the core family members. A month later, at the anniversary party, none of the guests looked relaxed, and all of the elders looked cold and distant. Trixie had her head down. She was no longer the center of the party as no one wanted to be near her, except for Stefan. He raised his glass at her as usual, acting as if nothing had happened. Someone suddenly pulled me aside and said in a low voice, "Don't you think Don Gallo has given in too much to Trixie Carter, Donna Gallo?" She swept a glance over Trixie and continued unhappily, "Don Gallo exiled the people who were previously a threat to the family, and even until today, they're still living difficult lives. "Meanwhile, she's still living glamorously. I heard Don Gallo not only helped squash all public opinion about her, but he even helped her snag several endorsement deals. If this continues, things will escalate even further." She paused before lowering her voice even further. "Should we…" Before she finished, she swept a finger across her neck. I pressed her wrist down. "Don't say anything like that. We're not allowed to discuss such matters when we're with the core family members." I turned to see Stefan and Trixie chatting at a distance, and when I spoke next, my voice was almost drowned out by the party's music. "Even if things escalate to a point where nothing can be salvaged, it would still be the Don's responsibility to face the consequences. It will have nothing to do with us." The woman got anxious and raised her voice. "But you're his wife!" I would no longer be his wife soon, but I did not say it out loud. Halfway through the party, Stefan presented me with a priceless pearl necklace in front of everyone. I took out a present as well. Just as he was about to open it, I stopped him. "There's no hurry. You can open it in a month." "Why?" "The contents will be more meaningful a month from now." Stefan was puzzled but chose to kiss me gently on the forehead. "All right. As you wish." The party continued as guests kept coming up to me to congratulate me on my pregnancy. I could see Trixie looking at me with hate and jealousy through the crowd. However, when she noticed my gaze, she quickly lowered her head and expertly put on a fake smile. Trixie approached me to give me a bottle of perfume. Her voice trembled slightly. "Happy anniversary, Don Gallo, Donna Gallo." The perfume bottle design was intricate, but the scent was very strong. I could smell it through the packaging. As I was about to accept it from her, I suddenly heard someone next to me say in a low voice, "How could she give a pregnant woman perfume? If the ingredients aren't suitable, it might cause a miscarriage." Trixie's expression changed. As she was about to put away the perfume, Stefan accepted it on my behalf. "Thank you." He looked at me while speaking naturally. "My wife enjoys using perfume on a daily basis. Am I right, Elena?" I was taken aback but quickly smiled. "He's right. I do enjoy using perfume." Everyone looked at us strangely as they noticed how differently Stefan was treating Trixie, but no one said a thing because they did not have the courage to. After the party was over, Trixie was the last to leave. Her head was lowered as she slowly approached Stefan. "Wait for me in the car," Stefan said while looking at me. I nodded and turned to leave obediently, but Stefan frowned when he saw how quickly I was to respond. However, he did not stop me. "Don Gallo…" Trixie called out with a sob, and it caught his attention. I lowered my head to laugh as I personally closed the door to the event hall for them. The moment those doors were closed, I immediately curled into a ball on the floor. My belly had grown uncomfortable since I got a whiff of the perfume, and the pain had become sharper. That perfume was questionable. I never expected her to be brazen enough to do something like this to me. I was about to fling the bottle away when the pain got worse, and I lost my grip on the bottle. The bottle smashed into pieces, and the pungent smell spread all around me. The pain became worse as I fell to the ground, but all the guests had left, and all I could do was knock on the event hall doors while trying to shout, "S-Stefan…" However, no one from inside reacted to my knocking. I had no choice but to use every ounce of strength I had left inside me to stand up by pulling on the handle. Finally, I was able to open up a crack. That was when my gaze stopped on the sight in front of me. Stefan was patting Trixie gently on the head inside the event hall, as if cajoling a child. "It's all right. It's all over now." Trixie continued sobbing. "But I'm so scared! You saw the way they looked at me today. They must really hate me." Stefan was silent briefly before saying in a low voice, "Don't worry. I'll make sure no one looks at you like that again at the next party." The sobbing finally stopped as my fingers slowly slipped down the wall I was leaning against, and I fell to the ground with a crash. The thud from the corridor was loud, and it made Stefan and Trixie separate from each other right away. When Stefan saw me fall at the doors, he quickly turned to run toward me. Chapter 6 My body was limp as I swayed on the stretcher, and it felt like I was being pulled off to somewhere far away. I was eight when my father, who was a gambler, beat my mother to death right in front of me after she refused to loan him any money. He ended up with ten years in prison. The first thing he did after getting released was sell me to the casino just so he could gamble for one more round. There were many girls like me there, wearing revealing clothes and their lips smeared with red-hot lipstick, moving from man to man. Once the lights were turned off, we were all locked in an underground prison without ventilation. A girl even slit her wrists right in front of me, and her blood splashed onto my face. It was warm, and I could taste the blood, but I did not move and could not even cry. One day, someone pressed his body against me roughly. I struggled with everything I had and screamed until my throat was injured and I could taste blood in my mouth. Bang! I heard a gunshot, and the man fell right next to me as blood slowly spread across his chest. Stefan was standing at the door, placing his gun back into its holster. His expression was cold when he took off his coat and flung it at me. "Places like these are dirty." It was only later that I found out he had busted the casino, and that I had been taken as a trophy for his victory. Stefan told me that he fell in love with me at first sight because of my eyes. I believed him and thanked God for blessing me with my eyes. However, I later realized they were also a curse because I had to watch him turn away from me, time after time, through them. My eyelashes flickered, and my eyes started to moisten with tears. "Didn't I tell you to take good care of her? Why did she suddenly pass out?!" I could hear enraged roars as I started to regain consciousness and return to reality. Stefan was almost losing control as he grabbed Corey by the collar and growled at him. However, Corey remained calm. "Donna Gallo's pregnancy was affected by inhaling large amounts of sensitive additives." He paused before looking right at Stefan. "The source is the perfume Miss Carter gifted her." The air was tense with silence, and Stefan slowly loosened his grip on Corey. Trixie covered her mouth and said in a trembling voice, "I'm so sorry… I really had no idea…" Corey sneered. "The additives in the perfume were listed very clearly." "That's enough." Stefan stopped him, calming down. "She has no idea what my wife is allergic to. All you need to do is take good care of my wife. Anything other than that is none of your business." He turned away from me and said in a lower voice, "Don't tell Elena about this. I don't want them to fight, nor do I want this to escalate." Trixie held his arm as if it were the most normal thing in the world, but this time, Stefan pushed her hands away in frustration. She was taken aback and looked upset, but she did not dare say a word. "Is the baby okay?" "The baby is fine." Stefan was relieved, and he turned to Trixie. "Go home. I'm staying until she wakes up." Trixie's eyes turned slightly red. "But you promised to be with me tonight…" Stefan did not say anything. His silence had given her his answer, and she finally left in the end. The hospital room was quiet once more, and Stefan looked at Corey, who was putting an IV drip on me. The look in his eyes was grim. "Our conversation just now…" "I won't tell the Donna." Stefan nodded approvingly. He believed that he had successfully taken care of things, but he had no idea that I knew far more than he realized. I just chose not to say a word. My time at the casino had taught me long ago that I should never cry but remain silent. The young women who managed to escape the casino were never the most pitiful ones, but the ones who could endure the longest. Every time they suffered humiliation, they would quietly plan in the dark, waiting for the right moment to make their escape and never look back. Leaving Stefan would not be as easy as leaving the casino by a long shot, which was why I did not ask about the perfume, Trixie, or about what happened behind that door after I woke up. All I did was grab his hand and ask anxiously, "Is the baby okay?" Stefan comforted me in a low voice. "Everything's fine now. The doctor says your condition is stable." I sighed with relief as he stayed silent briefly before looking at me. "When did you pass out?" I knew what he was trying to find out. He wanted to know if I had seen anything inside the event hall. I pressed my hand against my forehead and frowned. "I can't remember. All I remember is being in intense pain, and I blacked out after that." Stefan stared at me as if trying to decide if I was telling the truth. He looked away after a while and said, "You should rest." He stayed with me for a long time that day and did not pick up his phone, even though it was ringing constantly. It was not until I closed my eyes that he finally picked up his phone on the balcony. "All right. Stop crying. I'll come over right now." Stefan returned to my room and bent down to kiss me on the lips. He was gentle as always. My eyes opened the moment he closed the door behind him, and I was wide awake. I picked up my phone and started calling every trader I knew to talk about converting my assets to gold. 90% of the assets in my name had been successfully transferred, and I was left with the final step now. I had to erase my identity and start life afresh with a new one. This was also the most difficult step in my plan because the system would leave behind traces of anything I did. I could not gamble with this, and the only way I could get this done was to make a deal. After making my decision, I made another call. The person on the other end of the call was silent for several seconds before speaking. "Have you decided?" He spoke in a low voice, making it difficult to read his emotions. "What do you want?" "An equal trade," the man replied with indifference. "You know the rules." "I'll give you the list of informants Stefan has in your family." The air was silent once again, but I could hear him holding his breath. "Are you sure?" "I'll give you the entire list." He laughed. "Donna Gallo is indeed calmer and more composed than the rumors make her out to be." "A new identity, a legal background, restructuring of my family history, and complete erasure of my current identity and tracks." I was levelheaded. "I want the whole package." "You know the price to pay." "I can afford it." The man was silent for a long time. "How do you plan on giving me the list?" "In batches. I'll give you a part of the list first, and after my new identity is confirmed, I'll give you the rest of the list." The man laughed softly. "You're smarter than I thought." I turned to look out the window and laughed self-depracatingly. "I'm just trying to survive." The man burst out with laughter. "Hah! That's interesting. Fine. It's a deal. Have you thought about your new name?" I was silent for a while before saying softly, "Dawn Lenore." Lenore was my mother's surname, while 'Dawn' represented the dawn of time, when everything was back in its rightful place. I wanted to return to a time without my gambler father, without my cheating husband, and without the me who had been abandoned. After I hung up, I stared at my sweaty palms and let out a long sigh. "Dawn Lenore… Dawn Lenore…" I could not help repeating my new name, and I started to tear up. I would soon be completely free of this life. That was when the door was suddenly kicked open, and before I knew what was happening, a black bag was placed over my head. Chapter 7 The moment the black bag was pulled off my head, I grew dizzy from the swaying, blinding lights. When I finally regained my sight, I could hardly breathe as I realized I was in the basement of a casino. I was instantly overcome by fear. I forced myself to calm down as I stared coldly at the man in front of me. "What do you want?" The man seemed to be the leader, and he suddenly gave me a backhanded slap. He used so much force that my ears could not stop ringing. "What do we want?" He sneered. "That's a question for your husband. He used my casino as a shield for his. Not only is my business destroyed, but I've been left with a huge debt." In that instant, I suddenly understood how Stefan managed to resolve the issue with his casino. Not only did he pay a lot of money to get out of trouble, but he also used a diversion, placing another casino in the spotlight as the scapegoat. That was definitely Stefan's modus operandi. The man came closer and said viciously, "I didn't plan on kidnapping you, but Stefan Gallo is always with that woman, leaving us no chance to get our hands on him." He suddenly laughed leeringly. "I bet you don't know this, but I saw for myself how he f*cked that slut on the balcony. They really went all out with all sorts of positions. You see how I had no choice but to kidnap you instead, even though a wife who got cheated on doesn't have much value to begin with." He looked down slowly and stopped at my belly. "Fortunately, there is still something of value in that belly of yours." Bam! He kicked hard at my belly, making me curl up with intense pain on the ground. After that, he turned to his recording equipment, clicked it on, and pointed the camera at me. "Stefan Gallo," he sneered into the camera. "I might not be able to touch you, but I can still kill one of your women." He crouched and patted my face. "I heard that she's pregnant. How nice! She can die with her baby." I was in so much pain that I could hardly breathe. My eyesight started to blur, but I still stared right into the camera. Stefan sat in front of the screen, looking extremely grim. His eyes were filled with murder, and he was on the brink of losing his sanity. However, his voice remained unusually calm. "Let her go, and I'll let you live." The man turned red with agitation from Stefan's cold and firm demeanor, but he still did not dare touch me because I was his only bargaining chip. He raised one finger to the camera. "I want $100 million in gold." His demand caused a huge commotion in the meeting room. All the elders stood up from their seats immediately to protest, but Stefan did not hesitate for a moment. "All right." The man was stunned by Stefan's quick agreement, as he did not think I was worth that much money. It also did not give the man any gratification to see Stefan accept his demand without a second thought. "That's not enough." The man's eyes narrowed. "There's another thing I want." Stefan stared darkly at him. "What is it? I'll give it to you if I can." The man smiled slowly. "I want Trixie Carter." His subsequent demand left tension in the air. "She was the one who started all of this, and it's only right that someone pays for my loss." He looked into the camera with malevolence and said slowly, "Bring her to me, and I'll let your wife go. To be honest, I haven't had the opportunity to taste a top celebrity before. I'll consider the debt paid once my men and I have our fill of her in bed." Everyone went quiet in the meeting room, and the look in Stefan's eyes became colder. "Change your demand." His tone was nonchalant but firm. The man sneered. "Why should I? Is it because the Don can't bear to do it?" Stefan did not react to his taunting and raised the bank card in his hand. "Either take the money and let her go, or end up with nothing. The man gulped, but it was clear that he refused to relent and wanted to force Stefan's hand further. However, the screen suddenly went black the next second. It looked like Stefan had made his choice. The warehouse became quiet, and the man's face fell. He kicked me hard to vent his frustration, and I was instantly in great pain as the air filled with the scent of blood. In that moment, I suddenly saw my father in him. They had the same uncontrollable look and twisted rage. "No! Please don't…" My memories started to intertwine with reality, and I hugged my head as tears streamed down my face. I had no idea how much time had passed. All I knew was that everything seemed so far away. It was spinning everywhere, and after all I had been through, I had returned to square one. Bang! There was a gunshot. Blood splattered from between the man's eyes, and he fell face down. Several more gunshots were heard, and the men in the warehouse fell one after the other. Stefan was standing at the door, red-eyed. He took off his coat to wrap me tightly in it, and his voice trembled as he said to me, "Don't be afraid. I'm here." He had saved me once again, but this time, I did not look up at him because I knew very well that I would never have returned to this place if it were not for him. His eyes widened when he saw my skirt drenched in blood. "Dr. Dickson!" The door was pushed open, and Corey walked in quickly. Stefan stood to the side for Corey to get to me, and I grabbed Corey by the sleeve to say to him in an almost inaudible voice, "Let this be a chance for the baby to die…" He paused and gave me a troubled look. It took a while for him to finally reply in a low voice, "All right." Corey walked out of my room thirty minutes later while shaking his head slightly. Stefan did not move, looking like he had lost every ounce of strength within him. He took a deep breath and hesitated for a long time before pushing my room door open. "Elena…" He choked. It was the first time I had seen him so helpless. "I'm sorry I came too late." I smiled. I had no idea he knew how to apologize. He held my hand tightly as he teared up. "We'll have another baby. I promise you that." I pulled my hand away gently and said calmly. "I know. Maybe you should leave the room first." I turned away with my back facing him and did not say another word. Stefan was silent for a long time before he finally closed the door softly behind him. Not long after, I heard from someone that Stefan lost control. He did not go home right away, but returned to the family to call an emergency meeting. He destroyed every family that backed that man and gave everyone a horrible end. This move would earn Stefan powerful enemies, but he went ahead with it anyway. "I heard that he did it for you." Corey was seated next to my bed as he burst out with a laugh. "If he were truly worried about you, he should have just handed Trixie Carter over. You're pregnant with his child, after all." "He probably didn't do it because she's pregnant too," I said with a smile. Corey was stunned. "W-what did you say? Trixie Carter is pregnant?" I nodded. "She came looking for me a couple of days ago to show me her pregnancy report." I took out the report and laughed self-depracatingly. "The baby is older than mine." The room turned silent, and Corey eventually said angrily, "How dare a mistress act so brazenly!" I smiled without another word as I slipped the report into an envelope. "It's fine. It's all in the past now. The most important thing right now is to make sure I'm in great condition for the surgery. There's only a month left, after all." As I looked out the window at the sunlight, I caressed my flat belly, unsure whether I felt calm or just numb to the world. I focused on regaining my health during my last days in the hospital. Stefan hired the best medical team and paid for the most advanced medication for me. He was relieved that I did not reject his offer and was obedient enough to take my medication on time, which eventually made him stop feeling nervous around me. Half a month passed, and I was much healthier than before. On my last afternoon with him, I planned to ask Stefan to let me go on vacation for half a month. He agreed without blinking an eye and even hired someone to help me plan my trip, but I rejected his offer. Stefan did not think much of it as he figured I needed some time alone. "Where are you planning to travel to?" "Somewhere with a lot of beaches." He was about to say something when Trixie suddenly knocked on my hospital room door. She was wearing a relaxed outfit to play the part of a pregnant woman, with a loose shirt and flats, despite her bump not showing yet. It was as if she was trying to hint to everyone that she was pregnant. Stefan's expression froze, but all I did was smile at Trixie. "It's just a minor ailment I'm suffering from, but I'd still like to thank you for taking the time to visit me." Trixie was taken aback as she did not expect this reaction from me. Stefan quickly spoke up, "Yeah, she's really concerned about you. Look, she even brought lots of supplements for you." He took the things from Trixie and handed them to me. I had seen them before as Stefan bought the same things for me when I was pregnant, but I did not expose him. Instead, I smiled and accepted them from him. Trixie approached me with tears in her eyes. "Don't be sad, Donna Gallo. Don Gallo loves you a lot, and you'll soon have a baby again." I thanked her in a distant yet polite tone. "All right. You should be leaving. I remember you have a television appearance later," Stefan reminded her. He turned to me and said, "I'll be seeing her home and attending a meeting later tonight. I'll come visit you tomorrow." I shook my head and showed him my plane ticket. "It's fine. I'm leaving for my vacation tomorrow." "You're certainly in a hurry." Stefan stroked my head tenderly. "I promise I'll be there to see you off at the airport tomorrow." Stefan had no idea that I would not be boarding the plane but lying on a surgery table instead. From tomorrow onward, I would disappear into the crowd with a new face. I was suddenly curious if Stefan would be able to recognize me. "All right. I'll be waiting for you." When Stefan left, I immediately discharged myself from the hospital and went home to burn the rest of my things to ashes. I let out a sudden laugh as I watched the fire slowly consume my wedding dress. It was all finally over. This time, I would only depend on myself. Once I had everything ready, I took my place on the cold, surgical table while Corey began marking my face with a marker. As the anesthesia started to take effect, I slowly blacked out. "Goodbye, Elena Gallo. Goodbye to my past." With that, my eyes gradually closed. I had no idea how much time had passed. My eyelashes flickered, and I slowly regained consciousness. I could hear Corey choking back a sob. "Nice to meet you, Miss Lenore." That was when Stefan called me on the phone. "Why did you get discharged early? Where are you?" "My flight got pushed to an earlier time, and I didn't have enough time to tell you about it. I just landed." Stefan sounded relieved. "That's good to know. Remember to have fun." I grunted a reply and hung up. I spent the next few days resting to recover from my surgery. Stefan would call me sometimes to check on my situation, and I would share old vacation pictures with him to cover my tracks, but he failed to notice he had seen them before. He was probably too focused on Trixie as they were also on vacation. Trixie had been very active on her social media, her face beaming with happiness in her pictures. I swiped through all of them and liked them until the day the bandage on my face was finally removed. The woman in the mirror had seductive eyes and plump, sexy lips, and she looked completely different from the gentle, docile woman she used to be. I was very happy with my new face. I still had one last day before my 'vacation' ended, and Stefan called me before I was supposed to return. "What time is your flight tomorrow? I'll come pick you up." "It's three in the afternoon." I gave him a random time. I did not expect to bump into Stefan and Trixie as I was about to board my real flight. Trixie was wearing a face mask and had pressed her hat down to cover the rest of her face. She was holding Stefan's arm tightly. My head was lowered as well, and Stefan walked past me without noticing me at all. In that moment, I smiled as I finally boarded the flight that would bring me to a new life I could call my own.