Chapter 1

The Cossini family has a strict rule about marriage—the future don can only marry a woman of equal social standing.

But Marco Cossini falls madly in love with me and declares that he won't marry anyone but me. In a fit of anger, his father, Don Sergio, locks him up in the dungeon and uses corporal punishment on him.

Even when he emerges covered in blood, he still puts a ring on my finger, saying, "Don't be scared, Helena. You're my entire world."

Later on, he inherits the position of Don and organizes an extravagant wedding ceremony for me.

After seven years of marriage, I finally get pregnant, but the doctor tells me I need to undergo expensive treatment to keep my baby. I call Marco in a panic, but he doesn't even let me finish what I have to say before replying, "Same rules as always—we'll decide the amount blind-box style. Pick a number from one to nine, and I'll give you the corresponding allowance."

"I pick one."

Marco has always told me that box number one has the most money.

Three seconds later, I get a bank transfer of exactly 9.90 dollars.

"It's not my fault. Alessia discovered that you always choose one. You messed up. Choose a different number next time."

Alessia Lombardo has taken a bullet for Marco three times before. She's also obsessed with blind boxes. Marco constantly feels indebted to her, so he plays along with her, letting her decide everything in the Cossini family with blind boxes.

But of course, he won't be that stingy with me, his own wife. Feeling hopeful still, I try to tell him that I'm pregnant, but the call cuts off.

A sharp pain shoots through my abdomen, and my vision goes dark. I lose consciousness.

When my eyes open once more, I find that too much time has been wasted. I've lost the baby.

In my grief, I wipe my tears away and book a flight abroad that leaves in seven days.

I don't love you anymore, Marco.

Chapter 1

I woke up on a hospital bed. My doctor, Raffaele Santoro, looked at me with sympathy.

"I'm sorry. We couldn't save the baby. Your body is in poor health. You were already four months pregnant, but you were barely showing.

"And… according to the test results, you consumed something that triggered uterine hyperstimulation. It gave you contractions, and because of the delay, the baby couldn't be saved in time."

My fingers trembled as I laid a hand over my abdomen and broke down.

Before I left the house this morning, Alessia Lombardo had a huge grin on her face as she handed me a glass of fruit punch.

I'd waited seven long years for this baby to come. I'd imagined what my baby would look like when they were born. I'd wondered whether their eyes and smile would resemble mine or Marco Cossini's.

I'd been certain that regardless of whether they were a boy or girl, the baby would've become the heir to the Cossini family and received the best education possible.

But the only thing that had never crossed my mind was the possibility that the baby wouldn't even get a chance to see this world.

Despite the crushing grief that I was drowning in, I mustered the strength to tell Dr. Santoro, "Don't tell anyone about the pregnancy or the miscarriage. If anyone asks, just say I was hospitalized for stomach issues."

I'd already made up my mind to leave. Even if Marco found out about what had happened, what difference would it make?

Dr. Santoro sighed before nodding.

Just then, my phone buzzed. Alessia had posted a new update on her social media account.

"I can't believe I drew 800 thousand dollars in bonus today! Well, women like me are strong and independent, unlike a certain someone who's only capable of asking men for money."

The caption was accompanied by a screenshot of a bank transfer of 800 thousand dollars, along with a photo of her leaning against Marco's shoulder. A gentle smile played on his face, and she was beaming widely.

Tears blurred my vision. A memory abruptly flashed in my mind.

Back when Marco's father, the late Don Sergio, had been critically ill, the Cossini family's rivals kept a close eye on the family's every move. In just three months, Marco, as heir to the Cossini family, experienced countless assassination attempts.

I was the one who navigated the fine line between both sides on his behalf, accompanying him through every single negotiation, each one more dangerous than the last. In just six months, I lost 15 pounds. But not once did I say I was exhausted or complain about the situation.

After Marco became Don, he took my hand at our wedding ceremony and said, "Helena, from now on, you're my Donna. I will give you all I have to give."

Over the years, some had tried to warn me, hinting that Alessia had crossed too many lines in her relationship with Marco. However, I'd always had complete faith in Marco's love for me. I'd been so certain that once he was done repaying his debt of gratitude, it would all be over.

It wasn't until today that I realized I was waiting for a day that would never come. Marco would indulge in Alessia's whims and demands for the rest of his life.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I pulled out the IV drip, drawing a few beads of blood. Dr. Santoro stopped me, crying out in alarm, "What are you doing? You're still very weak right now!"

At that moment, the door to the hospital room swung open. Marco and Alessia came in.

When Marco saw that I'd removed the IV drip, he frowned and gently held my hand. "No matter how angry you are, Helena, you shouldn't be messing around with your health. I know you're upset. Once Alessia goes abroad for her studies, I'll make it up to you."

As I lay on the hospital bed, my heart turned numb, and my tears wouldn't stop falling. It was too late, Marco.

At last, I forced myself to sit up, took out the divorce papers I'd prepared, and handed them to him. "I need you to sign this agreement."

Marco took the document. Just as he was about to read it, Alessia's eyes flickered. Out of nowhere, she clutched her chest and cried out weakly, "Marco… I think my old gunshot wound is acting up again. It hurts so much."

He panicked and immediately pulled her into his arms. After flipping to the last page of the document and scribbling his signature without reading a word, he tossed it onto the bed.

"I don't care what the agreement is about. I'll give you whatever you want. Just focus on getting better."

Once he finished speaking, he scooped Alessia up in his arms and rushed toward the emergency room.

Staring at the signature on the divorce agreement, I smiled in relief.

This time, I was leaving for good, Marco.

Chapter 2

After leaving the hospital, the first thing I did was buy a plot in the cemetery. Back in my hometown, it was tradition to cremate unborn children and bury the ashes in the ground. It was believed that by doing so, the soul would be released and reborn into a happy life.

Even if it was just a fairytale, I wanted to do what little I could for my baby.

By the time I returned to the Cossini estate, the sky was already dark. When I opened the front door, my face pale, the butler, Guido Vitale, carefully tried to support me into the house, but I refused him.

Using a wall for support, I swept my eyes over the photos covering the walls. They were all photos that Marco had taken with me before Alessia returned to the country. In the photos, he only had eyes for me.

He used to wrap his arms around me from behind while I cooked. He would pull me close and wrap his coat around me when the first snow of winter fell.

Closing my eyes, I calmly instructed, "Guido, take down every photo on the walls."

Just as Guido removed the last photo, the front door opened. Marco walked in with Alessia.

When he saw the empty walls, he abruptly halted in his tracks, his smile stiffening. He hurried forward, his eyes a little frantic as he asked in a rushed voice, "Why did you take down all the photos?"

I looked at him calmly. "No reason. The photos are a little old. It's time to change them."

Marco fell silent for a few seconds. An inexplicable sense of unease crept into his heart. He was just about to speak, but before he could, Alessia tugged playfully at his sleeve, pouting in dissatisfaction.

"Marco, you still haven't told Helena the news. I drew the 7-Day Boyfriend-on-Demand card from the blind box, so you have to spend seven days being my boyfriend!"

A boyfriend-on-demand card?

So their game of choosing blind boxes had escalated to the point where she could even get a chance at stealing someone else's husband.

I let out a bitter chuckle before looking at Marco. He shifted his gaze, but in the end, he sighed and explained, "It was only meant to be a joke, Helena. However, now that Alessia ended up drawing it, and her old injury even flared up today, it wouldn't be right for me to refuse to honor it.

"But don't worry. Nothing will happen between us. I'll just accompany her for seven days."

In the past, whenever something like this happened, I would tearfully confront Marco and force him to chase Alessia off.

But this time, my expression remained calm. I even flashed a deadpan smile and said, "Understood."

Marco seemed caught off guard by my reaction. He pressed his lips together. A moment later, he stepped closer, his gaze earnest and gentle.

"Darling, I know you're still upset because of what happened with the blind box earlier. How's this? I'll give you three chances next time, alright?"

I couldn't help but laugh at that.

The state of my relationship with Marco now wasn't because of Alessia's masterful schemes or machinations that resulted in. It was because, even until this very moment, he still hadn't figured out where to draw the line at which things could be treated as a game.

He didn't know what boundaries were and what propriety looked like.

"That won't be necessary," I said before moving past them to head into the bedroom.

Just then, my phone started buzzing nonstop. I kept getting one message after another.

"Alessia took three bullets for Marco! Who the heck do you think you are?"

"You only became the Donna out of sheer luck! How dare you try to compete with the real princess of the mafia world?"

"Alessia is kind, but that doesn't give you the right to walk all over her! You'd better learn your place."

I scrolled down and saw that Alessia had posted on social media again.

"I drew the 7-Day Boyfriend-on-Demand card for Don Marco! Helena, don't you think certain women should have enough self-awareness to stay out of other people's relationships?"

She'd attached a photo featuring Marco's striking side profile and Alessia smiling sweetly beside him. They looked like a couple deeply in love.

All of the comments were on her side, and they were chewing me out with the cruelest words.

I looked up at Alessia, my expression calm as I pocketed my phone. None of this mattered anymore. I was about to leave anyway. She was free to take my place as the Donna of the Cossini family.

Meanwhile, Alessia's eyes reddened, and she swiftly ducked behind Marco, saying tearfully, "She has such a scary look in her eye, Marco! I didn't mean anything by it. I was just sharing a life update with everyone, like I always do."

Marco's eyes were fixed on the nasty comments that flooded the post, his brow furrowing. Finally, he said, "Alessia, you crossed the line this time. Delete that post and apologize to Helena. She's my wife—and my Donna."

Alessia's expression stiffened. Biting her lip, she took two steps toward me. "I'm sorry, Helena."

I turned to leave, but all of a sudden, she fell backward off the stairs. With a shrill scream, she clutched her swollen ankle, tears welling in her eyes.

"Don't be mad at Helena, Marco. I'm sure she only pushed me because her anger got the best of her…"

Marco's expression turned cold as his eyes snapped toward me. "Alessia is young, so it's understandable if she's a bit immature sometimes. Even if she did something that she shouldn't have, did you really have to get back at her like that?"

I thought I would never be hurt by anything Marco said or did again, yet I couldn't stop my tears from falling. He had readily believed that I'd pushed Alessia, even when the only evidence for that was her one-sided claims.

In the past, during a mafia negotiation, someone had once mocked me, saying that I was only fit to stay in the kitchen cooking dinners for everyone.

Marco had pulled out his gun and shot the man on the spot. He didn't care that doing so meant the risk of starting a war between two families.

"I won't let anyone disrespect my Donna in this neighborhood."

Well, the man who had once been willing to protect me at the cost of his life had become a total stranger to me now.

When Marco saw my tears, his expression finally eased up a little. He tried to approach me, but Alessia squealed in pain again. After a moment's hesitation, he picked her up and called for the family physician.

My limbs had gone cold. I barely had the strength to move. All I could do was stand dazedly where I was.

Once I finally regained my senses, I texted my lawyer. "Has the divorce been finalized yet?"

The lawyer replied almost immediately. "Ms. Ricci, your marriage to Mr. Cossini has now been legally dissolved."

I checked my flight details to confirm the time of departure.

This was goodbye forever, Marco.

Chapter 3

I could barely sleep that night. I kept thinking about the life that had once been growing inside of me.

The next morning, after forcing myself out of bed, I found Alessia crying in the living room.

"Rocco was the only dog I've ever had! He's been with me for so many years. Why did he have to fall sick and die? The priest said that if I want him to make it to heaven, he has to be buried in consecrated ground."

Marco patted her on the back, consoling her. "You shouldn't cry anymore. Rocco wouldn't want to see you this upset."

But Alessia sobbed even harder, her voice hoarse as she said, "I heard Helena bought a cemetery plot at Sanctilume Memorial Park two days ago. The priest said it's the best spot."

My footsteps came to an abrupt halt. Glaring at Alessia with reddened eyes, I snapped, "Don't even think about it! Your dog has no right to that cemetery plot."

She was talking about the cemetery plot I'd bought after leaving the hospital following my miscarriage, the one I'd mustered what little strength I had to buy for my unborn child.

Alessia stiffened. Her delicate shoulders began trembling again. "You're still upset with me, aren't you, Helena? You're still holding a grudge against me. I know you hate me, but Rocco was an innocent dog! I just want a good place to bury him…"

Marco rubbed his forehead, glancing between the two of us. He seemed conflicted, unable to come to a decision after seeing how we were both refusing to back down.

Clutching her chest, Alessia wailed through her tears, "You gave Rocco to me after I took a bullet for you, Marco. The doctors said I almost died, so you gave me a puppy, hoping that would give me the will to carry on living. Have you forgotten about that already?"

Marco froze. A moment later, he pressed his lips together, unable to meet my eyes. "You bought that cemetery plot for no reason anyway, Helena. Just give it to Alessia. Rocco meant a lot to her. I'll get my men to find a replacement for you tomorrow, okay?"

I stared at him in disbelief, my chest heaving from the rage burning through me. "Marco Cossini! Do you know what's buried there? You—"

Alessia interrupted me before I could finish. Leaning against Marco's chest, she looked up at me with a pitiful expression, saying, "Helena, are you about to lie and say that whatever's buried there is very important to you? That's impossible. I already looked into it. You only bought the cemetery plot on a whim."

I saw the smug, taunting smile she shot at me as she spoke.

My blood ran cold. In that instant, I realized that she knew about what was buried there. She knew my baby's ashes were buried in that plot. But even so, she wanted to dig my baby up to make space for her dog!

I didn't know how I found the strength to yank Alessia out of Marco's arms and give her a hard slap across the face.

The next instant, Marco seized my wrist in a crushing grip. His eyes were filled with disappointment as he said wearily, "Stop throwing a tantrum, Helena."

Turning to Guido, he instructed, "Lock Helena up. Let her out once we've settled this matter."

Staring at him in horror and disbelief, I screamed, "Marco Cossini! What's buried there is our—"

One of the bodyguards covered my mouth before I could tell Marco that it was our unborn baby's ashes buried there.

I could only watch in despair as Marco and Alessia left.

Chapter 4

Gritting my teeth, I jumped down from the second floor and ran out of the estate. But by the time I stumbled my way to the cemetery, it was too late. The grave had already been dug up, and the urn I'd carefully chosen had been dumped unceremoniously on the side.

The stinging pain in my heart almost made it impossible for me to breathe. I clutched the dirt-covered urn tightly against my chest, holding it as though I were protecting the only thing I had left to live for.

Tears streamed down my face.

"I'm sorry, baby. I was too late."

Just then, I got a text on my phone, reminding me that my flight would be taking off in five hours.

After wiping away my tears, I continued to hug the urn to my chest as I took a cab to the airport. I didn't even want to pack a suitcase anymore. I wanted to leave everything else behind.

Before boarding my flight, I snapped my SIM card in half and tossed the pieces into the trash can.

On the plane, I watched the clouds give way to a bright sky before I closed my eyes.

This was goodbye, Marco.

…

Back inside the Cossini estate, Alessia once again resorted to her usual tricks, claiming that her chest hurt and that she needed Marco to stay with her.

Marco sat beside her with a cigar between his fingers, his brows drawn tightly together, a sense of unease gnawing at him. He had a niggling feeling, like a voice telling him that he was about to lose something precious to him.

As the clock continued to tick away, he grew tense. Looking away from Alessia, he summoned one of his subordinates and asked, "Didn't you guys settle things at the cemetery ages ago? Why hasn't anyone let Helena out of the room yet?"

The man hurried upstairs, but in less than 30 seconds, he shouted in a panic, "Donna Helena is gone! The window on the second floor is open!"

The cigar Marco was holding snapped in half. His face darkened as he strode upstairs and shoved the door open wider. The night breeze came bursting in through the open window, and no one was in the room.

Marco's heartbeat spiked. He was just about to give the order for his men to look for me when someone came barreling in through the front door. It was Leone Galli, Marco's underboss.

Leone's face was ashen. Holding up a flimsy sheet of paper, he said with great difficulty, "We found this at the hospital, Don Marco."

One look was all it took for the color to drain out of Marco's face.

It was a medical report about the miscarriage.