Never See You Again, Don

The day after my sister broke up with her mafia boyfriend, she went off on vacation to clear her head. She swore she'd find a man even better than her ex, and she sent me a whole stack of profiles of good-looking guys. She wanted me to help her pick. I was about to tap the screen when Dante snatched the phone away, his brow furrowing as he let out a soft laugh. "You are my Donna! Don't pick up her bad habits." Before I could get a good look, Dante deleted every last photo. I explained, "She's not really like that. She was with that boyfriend for eight years, and he hurt her too deeply." "She kept him like a treasure. Even I never got to meet him." Dante raised an eyebrow and, a little stiffly, told me, "Tomorrow I'm going to Sicily to handle Family business. You be good and stay home." I nodded and agreed, waiting for him to return. My sister happened to get back from her own trip right around the time he did. The moment she walked in, she couldn't wait to tell me how her ex had come back to propose to her. I smiled and congratulated her. But when she took out the engagement ring, my heart skipped a beat. That morning, I'd just happened to find a matching men's wedding ring inside Dante's suit. Chapter 1 Ellie was still walking me through how the proposal had gone. She said he'd shut down an entire private island, lined up dozens of black yachts, flown in roses until they carpeted the whole shore, plus the top-tier custom diamond ring on her finger. The kind of thing worth a small fortune. "After I said yes, that night was an absolute nightmare. He had me going until dawn and still wouldn't let me rest." "You know how jealous he gets? He went straight through my phone and deleted every photo of another man." "Just look at me." Ellie tugged her clothes down. Her shoulders were covered in kiss marks, dark red at the edges. Something in my chest pricked without my meaning it to. My lips went pale, and I said flatly, "So when are you bringing him home to meet Mom and Dad?" Ellie's eyes darted away, her smile stiff. "We'll see when there's time." "But didn't he just propose to you?" "I said yes, but I'm not looking to get married right now." Ellie gave a little smile, then slipped the bracelet off her wrist. "This was my boyfriend's proposal gift. Let it be a little welcome present for the baby." Ellie touched my belly, then fastened it onto me. She said gently, "Monica, it's a top-grade diamond bracelet. When the baby's born, put it on him. The heir to a mafia Don should be dressed like he's worth something." I ran my fingers over the bracelet, and the unease inside me grew heavier. The diamonds came from the mines of Southport. Back when Dante and I got married, he'd spent a year having people search for the perfect stone to make me a Donna ring that was mine alone, and then he'd flown down to Southport in person with Ellie. My sister was even attacked on the way there because of it, and to this day she has a scar on her leg. They'd poured themselves into giving me that grand wedding. I'd seen all of it. Thinking back on that, some of my doubt eased. Maybe I was overthinking it. I was still thanking Ellie when Dante came back. He'd brought a cake, already had the servants slice it, and carried a plate of it over to me. "Try it. I ordered your favorite flavor." Dante fed me a bite. I savored it. It tasted wonderful, and I gave him a smile. Beside us, Ellie paused, then looked at me and teased, "You don't find men this thoughtful anymore. I'm honestly jealous." "Then again, I've got a great one too. My boyfriend doesn't just feed me cake, he learned to cook for me. Burned his arm and didn't even tell me." The moment she said it, the fork in Dante's hand clattered to the floor. I turned to look. There was something forced in his expression as he bent down to pick it up. Just then I caught sight of a burn scar on his arm, right over our couple's tattoo, blurring the rose into something you could barely make out. My heart lurched. Ellie took my hand. "You'd better hold on to this man, Monica, or someone else will take him." Dante pulled my hand back out of Ellie's. "You should rest. It's not good for the baby otherwise." Dante's voice was gentle as ever. "Ellie, I'll have the driver take you home." Dante was showing her the door. He never said things outright. I'd realized a long time ago that he didn't like Ellie. He didn't like how sexily Ellie dressed, didn't like her careless, free-spirited nature, and he especially couldn't stand how close she stayed with the sons of those arms dealers. Then Ellie and I went out together, got caught in a rival family's hit, and I lost the baby in the chaos. Dante's aversion only ran deeper. Whenever Ellie came to our house, he'd shut himself in the study and not come out until she'd left. He'd even tell me to see less of her. Because Ellie was my sister, he kept things polite on the surface, nothing more. Ellie knew it herself. She didn't hold it against him. She shot Dante a glance and said goodbye to me. I stood by the window, holding Dante's hand, watching Ellie walk out of the estate. Only then did I look down and rub the pad of my thumb over the scar on his forearm. Dante tried to pull back, but I gripped him tighter. He gave an easy laugh. "Don't tell me you forgot how I got this." I didn't answer. Of course I remembered. He'd burned himself in the kitchen making soup for me. By the time I walked in, a big blister had already risen on his arm. Our tattoo had been scalded past recognition. Soup was spilled all over the floor. A scar had been left in that spot ever since. The rose that stood for our love was gone too. I lifted my head, looked at him, and hesitated for a long moment. Then I said, "Yesterday I saw a wedding ring inside your suit." Chapter 2 Something in Dante's eyes darkened a little. He paused for a moment, then gave me an easy smile, the corner of his mouth curving as he stroked my head. "Aren't you overthinking this?" "The doctor said pregnancy makes you imagine things. Are you suspecting me now?" "When I get some time, I'll take you out to clear your head." Faced with my suspicion, Dante didn't get the least bit angry. He took out his phone and showed me a message, one his advisor had sent him a few days earlier. [Boss, this ring must've been left in the conference room by the people we met with yesterday. What do you want done with it?] The photo the advisor sent was the exact ring I'd seen. At that, I let out a small breath of relief. But I was still shaken. Dante was the Don of the biggest mafia family in Southport. Back before he'd inherited the position from his father, we'd met at a friend's wedding. He'd fallen for me at first sight and then proposed an arranged marriage to my family. At first I didn't want to accept the match. His family controlled enormous wealth and an underground empire. I figured a man like that had to be a player. But later he kept showing up in my world, lending a hand with my career, and when someone tried to use me to threaten my family, he personally led his men storming into the enemy's territory and pulled me out of danger. No other woman ever appeared at his side. So I gradually came around to him and accepted the marriage. After the wedding he really did treat me wonderfully. He looked out for my feelings, and even when he went to handle a Family meeting, he'd tell me his schedule. To protect me, whenever a conflict broke out with another family, he'd send me somewhere safe first. But this time, he left me with a faint sense of unease. Dante kissed my forehead and soothed me. "Don't overthink it. You've been too tired lately. Get some rest, and I'll take you and the baby out to the countryside." I nodded and smiled, saying nothing. That evening, Dante brought me warm milk as usual and then went back to his office to go over documents. Holding the milk, I still couldn't calm down. I'd seen the proof, but those two rings were clearly custom-made. There was no way two of them could be identical by chance. On top of that, he wasn't the type to carry things around in his pockets. Not even a scrap of paper. So how would he keep someone else's diamond ring on him for days? Turning it over and over, I still had someone look into the arms dealers Dante had been meeting with those past few days. I didn't wait for the results. I decided to go home that day to visit my parents. When I got there, Ellie happened to be home too. The living room was covered in jewelry and gowns, and a limited-edition sports car was parked out front. My parents were crowded around Ellie, looking over the things her boyfriend had sent. When she saw me, my mother couldn't wait to pull me over to the table. "Your sister finally has someone to lean on. Now I can relax." I'd received gifts like these too. Some of that jewelry wasn't something you could buy with money alone. You needed a certain status just to have it made. Especially the car out front. That car was the only bulletproof-modified limited edition from Southport's underground auction. I'd seen the advisor win it at that auction once, but I'd never seen him drive it, and after a while I'd stopped thinking about it. "Your man really doesn't hold back, sis. When are you bringing him around so we can meet him? It's about time you got engaged." I said it quietly and turned to look at her. Ellie's eyes slid away, and she brushed it off. "When he's free." For no clear reason I felt a flutter of panic, all the more so after seeing these things. My parents had made all our favorite dishes. I ate distractedly, while Ellie kept staring at her phone. Halfway through the meal, Ellie suddenly jumped up with a smile. "My boyfriend wants to take me out. I'm heading off." I'd barely opened my mouth to ask when she grabbed her bag and slipped out. For some reason my pulse quickened, and I lost my appetite. After Ellie left, I took my own bag to head home. My mother wanted me to stay the night, but I declined. Normally when I came to visit my parents, I'd stay a night and wait for Dante to pick me up the next day. But today I wanted to get back early. I had just reached the edge of the estate. I stopped the car and cut the headlights. The thing I'd had looked into yesterday had turned up something. I took the call. On the other end, the detective's voice was hesitant, like he wasn't sure what to say. "We've confirmed it. For the past two months, the Don's been in talks with a few arms dealers from Southeast Asia." I lifted my head and listened quietly. My heart pounded like thunder. As my gaze rose, a sports car suddenly caught my attention. It was the car Ellie's boyfriend had given her. In the passenger seat, her back to me, she was wrapped around a man in a deep kiss. The man had both hands on her waist, tangled up with her. My eyes stayed locked on them, and the voice in the receiver grew clearer. "All of those dealers are unmarried. So far there's no sign any of them is getting engaged." The last of his words had just faded. Ellie kissed the man's neck, and his face came into view. My mind went blank, and my breath stopped short. Dante leaned back with a look of pure enjoyment. My blood went cold bit by bit, and my hands wouldn't stop shaking. The voice on the phone kept going. "And we also found that the Don hasn't met with those arms dealers in two weeks. Their deal was settled two weeks ago." The phone slipped from my hand. I felt hollowed out, unable to think. In the car across from me, Ellie's voice turned more and more suggestive. "I don't like doing it in the car. I want to sleep in your bed." The words stirred something possessive in Dante. He peeled off his black gloves, slid an arm around Ellie's waist, and lifted her out of the car. The two of them stayed pressed against the car door for a while longer, and Dante's breath came ragged and low. "You can sleep wherever you want." Ellie smiled. "Even if it's Monica's?" At that Dante kissed her again, muffled, not answering the question. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the estate. Chapter 3 I watched it all, my mind blank. I watched the light in my bedroom flick on, then off, and couldn't help picturing what was happening inside. My face was ashen. I didn't dare ask the detective for any more details. But I already knew exactly what was going on. Ellie had been with her "boyfriend" for eight years, and I'd been married to Dante for twelve. That made it the fourth year of my marriage. The two of them had started their affair. I never checked Dante's schedule, never questioned where his money went, but now I did the math. The ring he'd custom-made just for me was worth less than the car he'd ordered for Ellie. Even all his devotion to me over twelve years didn't add up to that one for-show proposal he'd given her. Now that I looked back, all the little clues came spilling out. Dante was a rigid, upright sort of man. He didn't like drifting around parties, but Ellie loved making friends everywhere, and in recent years he'd spent more and more time at them. He rarely came home, always saying it was for Family business. He'd guiltily make it up to me with gifts, hoping I'd understand. Looking back now, it was nothing but the guilt of a man who'd just started cheating. He told me to my face to keep my distance from Ellie, yet when Ellie got slighted by someone, he'd step in and tear that family apart. That day he couldn't wait to delete those photos of shirtless men. He'd been jealous. I let out a cold laugh, and a sharp pain shot through my belly. All those years I'd given, wasted for nothing. I took out my phone and snapped a photo of them. I sat in the car staring at that photo until dawn. My tears had run dry, my eyes burned, and I couldn't even cry out loud anymore. I calmly called my lawyer. I told him to tally up everything in my name, along with whatever I stood to gain from this marriage. I didn't want to tip them off. Before going inside, I got myself together. When I got home, Dante and Ellie were eating breakfast. Seeing me come in, they froze for a second. Ellie greeted me too. "Monica, I thought you'd be back, so I came over early to see you." Dante pulled out a chair for me. "Why are you back so early? Did you sleep okay last night?" "You were pretty busy last night, weren't you? Didn't get much rest?" My voice was ice cold. The cigar in Dante's hand trembled, and he gave me a gentle smile. "I don't sleep well when you're gone. Look, I've even got dark circles." The exhaustion under his eyes was plain to see, and watching it, my chest ached dully. All I could do was force myself to act like I knew nothing. This marriage had reached its end, but I couldn't walk away with nothing. I had to keep an absolutely clear head. "I only sleep well with you here. Now that you're back, I can relax." Dante wrapped his arms around me from behind. All I felt was wave after wave of nausea. Ellie chimed in from the side, her tone laced with mock envy. "It really makes a girl jealous. My boyfriend held me just like that last night." She showed off the kiss marks on her neck. Dante gave a couple of involuntary coughs. I didn't eat breakfast, and after the meal Dante went into his study. While my lawyer was sorting out my assets, he also drew up the divorce papers. At the same time, I contacted a private hospital and booked an abortion. When I went to my room to pack, Ellie didn't trail after me like usual. I had no idea where she'd gone. I didn't ask. My tears kept falling as I suddenly came across a safe in the closet. It was Dante's. He'd said it held the Family's most confidential documents. I never touched it normally, but for some reason I felt driven to open it. I tried his phone passcode, but it was wrong. Then I tried my birthday and our anniversary, and none of them worked. For my last try, I entered Ellie's birthday. The result stunned me. The safe opened. Condom wrappers came tumbling out all over the floor, every one of them torn open, all different brands. Every single one had been used. I couldn't count how many there were. My eyes filled with scalding tears. Countless days and nights, they'd been together in this very room, in the bed I'd shared with him for twelve years. Doing this, sneaking around behind my back. My body gave out, and I crumpled to the floor. I'd gone almost completely numb. The lock clicked open, and Dante and Ellie appeared in the doorway. When they saw the scene in front of them, his gaze suddenly froze. He rushed to explain. "How did you get that open?" He wore a gentle smile. "These are from us, don't you remember? I couldn't bring myself to throw them out, so I kept them all." I let out a cold laugh. He and I hardly ever used them. And whenever we did, I'd throw them in the trash. I knew exactly how many there'd been these past few years. I fought back my tears and nodded. "Right." Dante's face went pale. "You don't believe me?" I looked up at Ellie. "Why would his passcode be your birthday?" Ellie gave a stiff smile. "You two have been married so many years, you ought to trust each other. Honestly, Monica, I envy you for having such a devoted husband." "Didn't you set it to my birthday yourself?" Her words made me sick. Chapter 4 I couldn't stop trembling. They were using my pregnancy, saying it made me paranoid and forgetful, to brush the whole thing aside. Dante reached out to hold me. "Come on, this is just how you are. Pregnancy makes you overthink and forget things." "These really are from us." "You can't see how much I care about you?" My heart clenched. He patted my shoulder. "Once our child is born and you're raising the Family's heir, you won't have time for wild thoughts. Don't worry, until then I'll put up with anything from you." At that, I couldn't hold back any longer. I slapped him across the face, forcing myself hard not to cry. "Don't touch me! You make me sick." My voice broke. Five red finger marks rose on Dante's face at once. He held down the fire in his eyes and coaxed me with forced patience. "What is the matter with you? You'd suspect me over this?" "The doctor said pregnancy makes you suspicious. I don't blame you." I gritted my teeth, my heart cold to the core. Then he reached for me again. I slapped him again, harder this time. "I told you not to touch me!" The words had barely left me when a hard slap landed on my cheek, and every thought in my head vanished at once. A sharp sting tore through me, and I fell against the corner of the table. Ellie glared at me, full of resentment, and pulled Dante up. "He already explained! What more do you want? Don't push it too far, Monica!" Dante stepped toward me to check on me, but Ellie blocked him. I could barely breathe. I set the photo I'd taken last night down in front of them. "I know everything. Don't bother hiding it. I saw it all." I rose slowly, calm in a way I couldn't put into words. They'd been on the same side from start to finish. My accusations meant nothing. I wanted to end this marriage calmly. And I wasn't going to leave it a mess. When they saw the photo, both their faces changed. Ellie was fumbling for words, but she still forced herself to speak before Dante could. "Yes, you saw it. It's all true." "I own what I do. I'm the one who fell for Dante first, and it took me a few tries to seduce him, but I truly love him." "No less than you do! Monica, my whole life I've given in to you on everything." "You owe me this. If it weren't for you, how could he have proposed to me and left me feeling like some mistress! You turned me into this! You're the truly vicious one here!" At her words, my blood ran cold. Ellie said it with complete conviction, not a trace of guilt in her voice. Growing up, she'd always been the one our parents favored, all under the pretty excuse of "giving in to me on everything." The truth was, our parents would buy her something she didn't like. She'd let it sit until it was worn out and then hand it down to me like charity. Dante stepped forward and grabbed at me. "Monica, let me explain." I backed away and watched them quietly. "Come on, ignore her." Ellie tugged Dante out of the room. The moment the room went quiet, my whole body sagged. I stepped back in a daze. Chapter 5 Over the next few days, Dante didn't come home. He just kept texting me nonstop. [I'm sorry. I was wrong.] [It's my fault for hurting you. I promise it'll never happen again. I'll cut off all contact with Ellie.] I blocked his number. I contacted the hospital and went through with the procedure first, and after moving out of the house, I went to a villa in the countryside to recover. It was one I'd bought myself before the marriage. Two more weeks passed, and my lawyer handed me the divorce papers. I took them to go find Dante. During that time he kept switching phones to call me and kept sending messages begging for forgiveness. But he never once actually asked where I was. But by then, my mind was made up about the divorce. None of it mattered anymore. My lawyer helped me settle the assets. I could walk away with half of the Family's holdings, because of everything I'd done over these twelve years. That half of the empire was something I'd built myself. I'd used my own connections to help him launder money and break into new markets, and every legitimate chain of business, from the jewelry trade to the overseas ports, was mine. I went to Dante's office and stood outside the door for a good while. Only then did I work up the courage to push it open. Then the door swung open under my hand. Ellie was sitting on his desk in a lace slip, and he was holding her, kissing her, letting out low, muffled groans. My wrist went stiff. Dante saw me, and his gaze paused for a moment. He gripped Ellie's shoulders tightly and looked at my belly. Ellie reached up and wrapped her arms around him. "What, couldn't bear to leave, so you came back?" Caught in the act, Dante didn't react as strongly as before. He straightened his suit. "I sent you all those messages and you never replied. If you'd come back sooner, I wouldn't have done this." "You're the one who wouldn't agree to the terms I offered." "You can't blame me." I steadied myself and walked in, pushing through the sickness. "From now on the two of you can be as open as you want. I don't care anymore." Dante glanced at my belly again and frowned. "I got rid of the baby. Here are the divorce papers. Sign them." I tossed the papers onto the desk. Dante went still, disbelief in his eyes.