Chapter 1

After my fiancé Aiden Reynolds inherited his deceased twin brother's position as Don, he proposed a "split arrangement" to me.

His time would be divided in half—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays belonged to me; Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays he'd spend pretending to be his brother, keeping my sister-in-law Juniper company.

The goal? To make sure Juniper safely delivered the Reynolds Family's first heir.

So during that time, no matter how passionately Aiden and I tangled in bed, the moment the clock struck midnight, he'd pull away without a second's hesitation.

Even when my fever spiked to 104 degrees, if it fell on a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday, Aiden would only say flatly: "It's Juniper's day. Call a doctor. Don't call me."

When I was kidnapped by our enemies and dialed his number with trembling hands—

All I got was his cold voice, "Stop being dramatic, be good. I promise you, once Juniper has the baby safely, I'll tell her the truth. After that, I'll throw you the grandest wedding and announce you as my one and only Donna."

The line went dead.

In that moment, something inside me died for good.

What Aiden never knew was that I never gave a damn about being Donna.

I was the only daughter of the Richardson Family's Don, the biggest Mafia family in Sicily.

All I ever wanted was a man who loved me with his whole heart.

Chapter 1

The family's enforcers got to me just in time. By the time the Reynolds men arrived and escorted me back to the villa, I was barely holding on.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in the master bedroom of the main estate. Every slight movement sent a jagged wave of pain tearing through the gash on my back.

I forced myself upright and looked up at the butler. "Where's Aiden?"

The butler hesitated, his gaze shifting guiltily. "It's Thursday, miss. Mr. Reynolds is… with Mrs. Reynolds."

Before, those words would've shattered me. This time, I just looked at him with empty eyes. "Leave."

The door clicked shut behind him, and the memories came flooding back.

When Aiden and I first got together, he was the perfect man everyone envied.

When I was burning up with fever, he ran to every pharmacy on the block to find me medicine. On stormy nights when I curled up in bed shaking, he'd wrap his coat around me and pull me into his chest, holding me until I fell asleep. When I came home late from handling business, he was always standing at the door, waiting quietly with a warm yellow lamp in his hand.

I thought I'd married the best man in the world.

Then everything changed.

Aiden came home that night with red-rimmed eyes. His twin brother Mason—the family's Don—had died unexpectedly, leaving behind Juniper, his newly pregnant wife.

The family council decided Aiden would take over. But he was terrified that if Juniper learned the truth, she'd lose the baby from the shock. So he decided to impersonate his brother and run the family in Mason's place—three days a week as Aiden with me, three days as Mason with Juniper.

It sounded insane.

But he went so far as to alter his voice, fabricate call logs and surveillance footage—all to keep Juniper from suspecting a thing.

He promised me, over and over, that once the baby was born, he'd come clean.

After all, this was their family's first heir.

I felt for Juniper. I softened. I said yes.

I thought it was temporary compassion. Turns out it was the beginning of hell.

From that day on, no matter how deep we were in each other, the second the clock struck midnight, Aiden would snap back into "Mason"—cold, rational, pushing me away to go to Juniper. Never a moment's pause.

He even publicly announced, as "Mason," that his brother Aiden had tragically died.

I asked him countless times. His answer was always the same: "It's temporary. Juniper's carrying the child, the whole family's watching her. Once the baby's here, I'll explain everything."

"Once I officially take over as Don, you'll be the Reynolds' Donna."

I believed him. Every time. I waited, I trusted, I fed myself those lies over and over.

Until today. When I was pinned down by our enemies, slashed and bleeding, while the man I loved was wrapped around another woman.

That's when I dialed my father's number.

"Dad, I've made up my mind. I'm coming back. I'll finish what Mom started."

My father is the Don of the Richardson Family. My mother was the family's lead scientist. She went missing during an experiment years ago. My father searched for her endlessly, never found her, and has carried that grief ever since.

Cryogenic preservation was my mother's unfinished project—her last, unfulfilled wish. I'd given up my career as a scientist for Aiden back then, abandoning her legacy. Now, there was nothing left to hold me back.

My father was silent for a long moment.

When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse. "Aurora… are you sure about this? The project is classified. Your identity will be kept confidential. You're engaged to Aiden now—you haven't had the wedding yet. Does he know what you're choosing?"

"He doesn't need to know." I closed my eyes, then said it with finality. "Seven days from now. I'm leaving."

Chapter 2

I hadn't even fully healed from my wounds when the family business calls started coming in.

Several of the Reynolds Family's businesses had some accounting problems that needed me to look into.

The moment I reached the intersection, I felt something was off.

A group of men in black suits closed in around me.

"You're Aurora Richardson?" They looked me up and down, contempt dripping from their eyes. "Aiden just died, and you're already throwing yourself at his brother? Not satisfied with one Reynolds man—you want to bag the whole family?"

I blinked, then it clicked. Everyone thought Mason was still alive.

"Who told you that?" I gripped the file folder in my hand, my voice dropping low.

They didn't answer.

A man sneered and stepped closer. "What, you can't get enough of that Reynolds blood?"

The next second, his palm connected with my cheek.

The slap landed hard, a blistering sting spreading from my face to my ear.

One of them spat at my feet. "The Reynolds Family doesn't want your kind here. Do yourself a favor and disappear."

The others joined in, jeering. Someone kicked me square in the shin, the pain so sharp I nearly screamed.

After they'd gone, I pushed myself up off the ground, hands shaking. The wound on my back had split open completely, blood trickling down my waist. I leaned against the wall, gasping for air, before I fumbled for my phone and dialed the butler.

"Find out who started the rumors about me outside the family."

Three days later, the butler handed me the investigation results. Every lead pointed in the same direction—the source was Juniper's personal maid. And there was no way Juniper herself didn't know.

So I had to find out for myself.

Juniper's villa sat on the south side of the city, wild roses climbing the entire white wall. When I arrived, she was sitting in the garden on a wicker chair, having afternoon tea. Her belly was slightly rounded, a gentle smile on her face, a parenting book in her hands.

The picture of peace.

I walked over and set the investigation report on the round table in front of her. "Juniper, I think you owe me an explanation about those rumors."

She looked up, a flicker of panic in her eyes, quickly replaced by innocence. "Aurora? What rumors? I—I don't understand what you're talking about…"

"The whole family's circle is talking about how I seduced Mason." I held her gaze. "It came from your people. And you're telling me you had no idea?"

Juniper flinched at my tone. She stood up, twisting the hem of her dress, her small shoulders trembling. "Aurora, I didn't mean anything by it… I just… I love Mason so much. I saw you two together sometimes, and I was so scared he'd leave me for you…"

She was sobbing now, her whole body swaying like she might collapse at any second. Pregnant women are emotional, fragile—anyone looking at her would feel their heart soften.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms again.

Then I heard hurried footsteps from the front gate.

Aiden strode in, still in his suit, a thin sheen of sweat on his brow—he'd clearly rushed over from some meeting. His eyes landed on Juniper, tear-streaked and trembling, then on me, cold and unmoving across from her. His gaze hardened instantly.

"What happened?" He moved to Juniper's side, his hand instinctively steadying her arm.

Juniper clung to him like a lifeline, sobbing into his chest. "Mason… Aurora came to blame me… she said I started those rumors… I didn't, I really didn't… I just missed you so much…"

Aiden lifted his head to look at me. Those green eyes held something I couldn't read. Three seconds of silence, then he spoke—his voice cold as ice:

"Aurora, Juniper is carrying a child. She can't handle this kind of stress. Couldn't you have waited until I got back to deal with this? I'll have someone look into the rumors myself. Don't trouble yourself."

"I already did." I pushed the papers across the table. "The evidence is right here."

Aiden didn't even glance at them. His brow furrowed as his eyes swept over Juniper's trembling shoulders and red-rimmed eyes, then back at me. All I saw in his face was irritation and disgust.

"That's enough." He cut me off. "Juniper would never do something like this. I know her better than you do. Aurora, maybe you've been under too much stress lately. I get that you miss Aiden, but I'm not him. Stop pulling these stunts. I only love Juniper. Nothing you do will change that."

"I only love Juniper."

The words landed like a knife, straight into the softest part of my chest. I knew he was "Mason" in this moment, I knew he had to say it. But it didn't matter—the pain was real. The blade didn't care about context.

A handful of household staff stood nearby; Juniper's maid among them. All of them were watching me. Sympathy in some eyes, contempt in others, a few barely hidden smirks.

I looked at Juniper, buried in his chest. I could have sworn the corner of her mouth twitched—but I had no proof.

"…Fine." I drew a long breath and shoved every emotion threatening to spill out back down where they belonged. When I spoke, my voice was so steady it sounded like a stranger's. "You're right. I'll keep my distance."

I turned and walked away. I didn't look back.

Chapter 3

The next day, Aiden showed up with all my favorite things.

He pulled me into his arms, but the faint scent clinging to him wasn't his—it was jasmine. Juniper's perfume.

I shoved him away, my face twisting with disgust. "Go shower. You reek."

He sniffed his own collar, caught the scent, and let me go with an awkward grimace. "Sorry. About yesterday—you got the short end of it. Whatever you want, name it. It's yours."

I didn't answer.

"Baby, we talked about this, remember?" He reached for my hand. "Juniper's got nobody now. We can't just stand by and watch her fall apart. "

I couldn't help it—the words came out sharp. "And after the baby's born? How are you going to explain it to her? Tell her the man holding her hand through her pregnancy wasn't really her husband? Have you even thought about what you did yesterday—what that's going to cost? "

Aiden paused, caught off guard. Then he shook his head. "We don't need to worry about that right now. The priority is getting the baby here safely. After that, I'll give you the ending you deserve."

I watched him walk into the bathroom without another word.

One lie takes a thousand more to cover it up. And I was done being part of this one.

I got up and started packing.

When Aiden came out of the shower, he saw my suitcase and frowned. "Going somewhere?"

I paused, then said flatly, "Yeah. Need a break. Some time away."

He crossed the room and lifted me into his arms, his voice turning serious. "Just hold on a little longer, okay? Once the baby's born, I swear—I'll tell Juniper everything. Clean break."

I looked into those green eyes, and for a second, something in me wavered.

Then his phone rang.

"Mason… I miss you. Can I come see you?" Juniper's voice on the other end was soft and fragile, and just like that, it swallowed every ounce of his attention.

Aiden's brow tightened. He glanced at me, lowered his voice. "We said Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays. Today's Wednesday. I have work—"

"Mason, I don't care. I'm already at the villa gate."

His whole body tensed. He ended the call in a hurry, then turned to me, panic flickering behind his eyes, his voice rushed and pleading:

"Aurora, please—just hide in the closet for a minute. Don't let Juniper see you. She can't handle any stress right now."

My fists clenched so hard my nails nearly broke through my palms. The ache in my chest spread like cracks in glass.

"You know I have claustrophobia." My voice was barely a whisper. "When my parents used to fight, I'd hide in the dark closet. It stayed with me. All these years, I can't do closed spaces—"

I thought—I really thought—that even if he favored Juniper and her baby, the old feelings would count for something. That he'd remember what that fear did to me.

The hesitation on his face lasted maybe a second. Then his eyes went cold. "Sorry. No choice. "

His hand came down hard on the back of my neck. I didn't even have time to react before my legs gave out and everything went black.

When I came to, I was locked inside the closet. Pitch black. The walls closing in—the old terror flooding back like a tidal wave.

Then I heard voices outside.

I eased the door open just a crack.

Juniper was kissing Aiden.

He glanced toward the closet—hesitated, just for a moment.

Then he kissed her back.

What followed was the kind of sound that peels your skin off from the inside. Every moan, every whisper, every breath—each one tore through me like a blade.

My heart splintered into a thousand pieces. I curled into myself, barely breathing.

All the sweetness we'd shared—every memory I'd held on to—burned to ash in that one moment. Aiden's lies had never been clearer.

And in that darkness, my resolve hardened like steel.

Three days. I was done counting down. I just had to survive until then.

Chapter 4

I don't know how I made it through that night. It wasn't until the next morning, when the house finally went silent, that I pushed the closet door open with shaking hands.

Aiden and Juniper were gone.

I pulled a box from the back of a drawer, one I'd kept hidden for years. Inside were all the gifts Aiden had ever given me. Every single one came with a promise he'd made, whispered in my ear like a prayer.

Now those promises were just punchlines.

I wiped the tears off my face, forced myself to walk to the living room, and lit the fireplace. Then I took the box, all of it, and threw it into the flames.

The fire roared up. Every soft word, every tender moment, every lie, they all curled into ash.

I was about to sweep the remnants away when the front door swung open.

Juniper walked in. There was nothing fragile about her now. Her eyes glittered with smug satisfaction, her voice light and venomous:

"Bet that hurt, didn't it? Locked in that closet all night, listening to your own fiancé with another woman. "

I froze.

She saw the shock on my face and smiled wider, peeling off the mask one cruel word at a time.

"Did you really think I didn't know? Let me tell you the truth. From the very beginning, I've always wanted Aiden. I knew Mason was dead the whole time. And you have no idea how sweet he's been to me, playing the perfect husband night after night."

"Here's the best part. He chose me, Aurora. Between you and me, he chose me."

The words hit like a freight train. The blood rushed to my head so fast I could hear it roaring in my ears.

This whole time, this entire sick, twisted game, was her design. She'd planned every single piece of it.

Rage and hatred flooded through me, drowning out every rational thought. I drew my arm back and slapped her across the face with everything I had.

The crack of it was still echoing in the air when footsteps thundered from the doorway.

Aiden burst in.

Juniper's hand flew to her cheek. Her eyes welled up instantly, and she crumpled to the floor, her voice breaking into a trembling whimper: "Mason… the baby… it hurts… I'm so scared…"

Aiden shoved me aside and scooped her up without a second glance.

I hit the edge of the fireplace on the way down. My head cracked against the corner of the table, and for a second, my vision went white.

Aiden looked back at me, and his face was nothing but disgust.

"I expected better from you." His voice was ice. "How could you lay a hand on Juniper? If anything happens to her or that child, I swear to God, you'll answer for it."

Then he was gone, carrying her out the door. And I was left on the floor, alone.

Tears poured down my face, hot and unstoppable.

Aiden. You were this close. This close to hearing the truth.

After a long while, I patched myself up as best I could. My phone buzzed, Aiden's name on the screen. His voice came through, cold and flat:

"Juniper and the baby are stable for now. But what you did today was unacceptable. You need to come apologize. In person. "

Something in me snapped.

All the pain I'd been choking back for months, came pouring out in one raw, ragged scream:

"She knew the whole time. Juniper knew Mason was dead from day one! How much longer do you want me to play along with this disgusting farce? This bullshit split arrangement, these 'temporary measures'. You keep saying you love me, but this is what love looks like to you?"

"Enough!" His voice cut through like a blade. "Are you done throwing your tantrum? I told you, once the baby's born, this is over. Why can't you just hold on a little longer? I'm staying at the hospital with Juniper for the next few days. Don't come. Take care of yourself. And stay away from her."

He hung up before I could say another word. Like I was the one being unreasonable.

The pain came in waves, sharp, suffocating, crushing. And then, somewhere in the middle of it all, something shifted.

It felt like relief.

Just like he said, the next few days passed in silence. He stayed at the hospital with Juniper. Didn't call. Didn't text. Didn't even try.

It didn't matter anymore.

On the day we'd agreed on, my father's voice came through the line.

"Aurora. The lab's car is at the gate. It'll take you to the airport."

I swallowed hard, steadied my voice, and told him I know. Then I picked up my bag and walked out without looking back.

The engine hummed beneath me as the city rolled past the window. Streetlights flickered by one by one, familiar streets slipping into the distance. My phone buzzed one last time.

Aiden's message: [Juniper's stable now. Coming home tonight. What do you want? I'll take you shopping, anything you like.]

I stared at the screen. A strange laugh bubbled up from somewhere deep in my chest. I laughed until tears ran down my cheeks.

Then I hit delete. All of it. Every message, every memory, every lie.

Outside, the city lights were fading into the rearview mirror.

Aiden. We're done. For good.