He Left Us to Die While Chasing Another Woman

Lucas last birthday request was almost painfully small. He didnt want presents, fireworks, or a lavish partyhe only asked that the three of us share a meal together, even if it was for a single night. But Vittorio, my husband and the Don who ruled the Morrano crime family with iron authority, had never held any real affection for either me or our child. To him, we were responsibilities he had inherited, not people he had chosen to love. I begged him for days until my voice turned hoarse and my pride was stripped bare. Only then did he agree to come, and even that promise was offered with visible annoyance, not sincerity.

When the evening finally came, the Don never showed his face. The candles melted down to waxy puddles, the dishes lost their warmth, and the fragile light in Lucas eyes faded minute by minute. That same night, my little boy left this world in my arms. His fingers slackened in my grip, and the one thing he had wished for was denied him to the very end.

Everything that followed, I endured alone. I contacted the funeral parlor, chose the coffin, received the visitors, and stood under a dull, overcast sky while my son was lowered into the groundwithout the man who was supposed to stand at my side. Only after the burial did I discover the truth that finished what grief had already destroyed: Vittorio had not been tied up with business or an emergency. While his child was dying, the Don was in the snowbound mountains with my sister, Valeria, savoring a carefree night beyond our familys territory.

When that reality settled into my bones, something inside me went cold and silent. I went back to the house, folded my clothes, collected my personal things, and packed my bags without shedding a single tear. My hands were steady. My face, blank. Whatever I once felt had already been buried with my son.

And only then did fate turn cruelly ironic. The same Don who had abandoned his child and ignored my suffering suddenly came after me, chasing me through the halls, his voice cracking as he begged me not to leave, pleading for forgiveness that had long since lost all meaning.

---

It never surprised me that Vittorio would sacrifice everything for Valeria. I had always understood my position in his worldand it had never been at the top. From the start, even before marriage tied our lives together, his heart already belonged to her. I was simply the woman chosen by circumstance, while she was the one he wanted. How could I ever compete with his first love?

After leaving the cemetery, I returned to the mansion that was meant to be our home. The moment I stepped inside, it was obvious how rarely Vittorio stayed there. If anyone had bothered to notice, they would have realized that the Don barely lived in his own residence. For years, it had only been Luca and me breathing life into those rooms.

My son was everywhere. His laughter seemed to linger faintly in the corridors, and his framed photographs still covered the walls exactly where I had placed them. Each step felt heavier than the last. The silence pressed in until I could barely breathe. As I began clearing away our things, I finally broke down. Every toy I picked up, every tiny shirt I folded, every keepsake I touched felt like losing Luca all over again.

I was hauling my suitcase down the staircase, arms shaking with exhaustion, when I suddenly ran into Vittorio. The shock lasted only a secondbecause he wasnt alone. He was carrying Valeria in his arms as though she were something priceless. His face was filled with worry, his steps careful and protective. He brushed right past me without a word, like I was a stranger trespassing in my own home. Not once did his gaze meet mine.

I had long grown used to being invisible. Whenever Valeria appeared, I ceased to exist. It had been that way since our youth, back when my old family forged an alliance with the Morrano syndicate. Even then, Vittorios attention had always followed her. That was why, years later, he was so stunned when the elders announced that Inot Valeriawould become his wife.

It was only when he noticed the suitcase beside me that he finally paused. His voice was flat, laced with irritation.

Bianca, he said coldly, what do you think youre doing?

Valeria wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and turned her eyes toward me, wearing a mask of fragile innocence.

Im feeling a little dizzy, she murmured. Don Vittorio thought it would be better if I rested here, so he brought me back. You dont mind, do you?

It was nothing more than a touch of lightheadedness. Still, I watched as Vittorio carefully set her down on the sofa, his hands gentle as he massaged her temples, treating her like she might break apart at the slightest pressure.

The memory I tried to bury resurfaced. After our wedding, he had never once shown me that same concern. When I had been attacked by a rival crew and came home bloodied and trembling, he hadnt even come to see meno matter how much I begged.

His response back then had been cold and detached:

Its just a scratch. Youre not dying. Dont bother me with nonsense like this.

I was his wife. I was the Dons woman. And yet none of those titles had ever meant anything to him at all.

The sight of them together made my stomach churn. Vittorios entire focus was on Valeriathe Don who ruled the Morrano syndicate like a tyrant now moving with tenderness, shielding her with his body, watching her every breath. He had not shown even a fraction of that care toward his own son in years. The comparison alone was enough to make my fingers shake with rage.

So this is how you want it, I said, forcing the words out through a tight throat. Youve been wishing Id disappear for a long time, havent you? Good. Your wish just came true. Im done. Im walking out.

He had never chosen me. Our marriage existed only because two crime families needed unity, because tradition demanded a bride for the Don. He stayed with me out of obligation, not love. In his eyes I was a duty stamped onto his life by old rules. He never acknowledged my place beside him, never nurtured the bond between us. Years of neglect had worn me down until even my own sense of self felt fragile, as if the part of me that once had strength was fading away.

The heirloom was the only thing that might have saved what was left of me. It was no trinketit was a sacred relic handed down to the eldest child in my bloodline, entrusted to my care. I had always known what it could do, yet I had never dared to awaken its power. Every gift demands a price, and I was terrified of what that price might be.

Vittorio, as usual, twisted my words into something ugly. To him, I was nothing but a bitter wife desperate for his attention. His lip curled in contempt.

Oh, come on, he sneered. Is this your latest performance? You cant use the kid to guilt-trip me anymore, so now youre putting on a show yourself?

A year earlier, Luca had started to fade. His skin lost its color, he barely touched his food, and even the family doctor was baffled. Dark veins crept beneath his flesh, as though his blood were changing from the inside out. He would collapse without warning, over and over again. For a boy born into a dynasty known for its resilience, he couldnt even shake off a simple headache.

During those endless months I had called Vittorio more times than I could count, begging the Don to come homeif not for me, then for the child who waited every night by the door. He never did. He convinced himself that I was exaggerating, that I was using Lucas sickness to manipulate him.

After nearly a decade together, this was all I was to him.

I wiped my face and kept my voice even. Think whatever you like. Im still leaving.

I turned, dragging my suitcase toward the exit, when Valerias voice floated after me, sugar-sweet with false sympathy.

Don Vittorio, werent you planning to spend Lucas birthday together? she asked gently. You didnt cancel just to go to the mountains with me, did you? Bianca looks devastated

Vittorio answered her instantly, not a hint of hesitation in his tone.

Dont be ridiculous. I know my priorities. A birthday can be made up anytime. But the snow wont last forever.

A hollow laugh escaped my lips as I continued pulling my luggage across the floor. Something about my silence must have unsettled him, because he suddenly strode after me and clamped a hand around my wrist, irritation flaring across his face.

Its the middle of the night, he barked. Youre really choosing now to make a scene and leave?

Then he noticed my swollen eyes and paused. His voice dropped, almost gentle.

Is missing one celebration really enough to make you cry like this?

For a heartbeat I thought I saw something close to sympathy in his gaze.

Ill clear my calendar next month, he added. Ill take Luca out then. That should settle things.

Next month.

What kind of next month was left for Luca?

If he had possessed even a shred of real concern, he would never have said something so cruel. I tore my hand free.

Theres no need, I replied flatly.

He stared at his empty hand in disbelief. The woman who had once endured everything in silence was now recoiling from him like he was poison. He stepped toward me againonly for Valeria to clutch his arm.

This is all on me, she said hastily, tears shimmering in her eyes. Even though I knew Luca was just pretending to be sick, I shouldnt have tried to compete with a child for your attention. Now Bianca is angry because of me.

Pretending?

Faking it?

My mind went blank. The room tilted, sound draining away. By the time reality slammed back into place, my hand had already swungstriking my sister across the face with a sharp, echoing slap.

The flicker of remorse that had briefly crossed the Dons face disappeared as though it had never existed, replaced by a frostbitten fury that seemed to drain the warmth from the entire room. Without a moments pause, he moved in front of Valeria, positioning her behind his broad frame like a human shield. When he turned back to me, his stare was sharp enough to wound.

Have you completely lost control of yourself? he barked. That woman is your own blood.

I refused to mirror his anger. My focus stayed fixed on Valeria, my eyes cold and unwavering.

Be careful with what you say, I replied quietly. Sharing blood doesnt give anyone permission to slander my child.

Valeria blinked rapidly and shifted closer to Vittorio, her fingers digging into his sleeve as she spoke in a trembling whisper, as though she were the one who had been attacked.

Don Vittorio, please, she murmured. I never intended to drive a wedge between you and my sister. If she insists on denying that Luca was just acting ill, then I wont argue anymore.

My chest constricted as I turned back to him, my voice low but steady, drawn from the last fragments of strength I had left.

So you believe that nonsense as well? I asked. You truly think our son was pretending all this time?

He gave no answer.

That silence screamed louder than any accusation. His gaze drifted through the empty living room, pausing on vacant corners as though he half-expected Luca to suddenly appear, whole and laughing, as if none of this had ever happened.

When he finally spoke, it was with forced composure that barely masked his irritation.

Where is the boy? he demanded. I cant feel his presence anywhere.

Those words cut deeper than any insult. He didnt even trust that Luca had been unwell. If I had possessed even a fraction of his authority, I would have summoned every renowned doctor the syndicate could reach. But as the Dons wife in name only, my hands had been boundby old rules and by a husband who refused to listen.

If he had come home even once, he would have seen it all for himself: the cluttered table buried beneath jars of medicine, the bitter scent of herbs in the air, and our son lying pale and drained, fighting a battle he was slowly losing. But Vittorio had never returned. Not a single time.

My mind wandered back to the day Luca had looked at me with eyes far too wise for a child and told me he didnt think he had much time left. His voice had trembled, frail yet eerily calm. I had clung to hope like a lifeline, but somewhere deep inside, I had already known the truth. His decline had been too fast, too merciless. And still, his last wish hadnt been for a miraclehe had only asked that we celebrate his birthday together.

That desperation had driven me to Vittorios feet.

I could still see myself kneeling in front of him, my pride stripped away completely, clutching his trousers as I begged. I told him this would be the final time I ever asked anything of him. I promised I would step out of his life afterward, that I would set him free, if only he would give Luca that one night.

When he looked down at me, something flickered across his facesurprise, and perhaps something close to relief.

Are you actually serious? he had asked, disbelief threading through his voice.

I am, I whispered, tears sliding down as I closed my eyes.

I had loved Vittorio from the very first moment I saw him. There had been no reason, no delayit had simply happened. Everyone around us had known. Even before destiny bound us together, my heart had already chosen him. I followed him everywhere, did everything I could to earn even a scrap of his attention.

My devotion didnt soften him. It only made him resent me more.

That resentment had exploded during his coming-of-age ceremony, when fate revealed that Inot Valeriawas meant to stand beside him. He had wanted her. He had always wanted her.

Why hadnt I walked away then? Why hadnt I freed him and let them be together? I had been foolish enough to believe loyalty might change him. Because of that hope, he had watched Valeria leave after finding her own destined partner.

My parents had been adamant. One did not reject fate. To abandon a destined bond was unthinkable. And so he was forced into marriage with me, and I became the Dons wife in title only.

There had been no celebration at our wedding. Vittorio dismissed the idea outright, saying I wasnt worthy of anything grand.

Years later, when Valeria returned claiming her partner had died, I finally understood how pointless it was to compete with her. I had lost long before I realized I was even fighting.

Only now did I see that my last pleamy promise to leave him alone foreverhad been what finally swayed him. He had wanted me gone. Desperately.

But why hadnt he spared even one final moment for Luca?

Why had he broken that promise?

It was one thing not to love me. I had accepted that long ago. But Luca was his son. His own blood. How could a man be so merciless so completely devoid of compassion toward his own child?

I fixed my eyes on Vittorio, a crushing sense of disillusionment spreading through my chest. There had been a time when I thought every angle of his face was carved by heaven itself, as if even the moon had paused to admire him. Back then, I would have sworn he was flawless. Now the mere sight of him made my stomach twist. Whatever affection I once carried had long since rotted into disgust.

Vittorio parted his lips as if he were about to speak, but Valeria slipped in ahead of him, her voice laced with practiced weakness.

Don my head feels dizzy again, she whispered. And my cheek is aching. Could you see if its swollen?

His attention snapped to her instantly, concern lighting his eyes without the slightest delay. Seizing that opening, Valeria leaned heavily into him, letting out a faint breath like she could barely remain upright. The red mark from my hand stood out vividly against her pale skin, a perfect prop for her act.

Tears welled quickly in her eyes. Vittorio reached up and brushed them away with gentle fingers, the familiarity of his touch driving a dull ache straight through my chest. There had been a time when he did the same for mewhen he would steady me if I faltered, when his voice softened only in my presence. Those memories felt like fragments from another life.

Then his face hardened. The warmth drained away, leaving only cold authority.

Bianca, he said curtly, you will apologize to your sister.

I squared my shoulders and raised my chin, refusing to look away.

No, I answered.

The word startled him. Once, I would have tiptoed around his temper, desperate for approval that never came. No matter how devoted I was, it was never enough. Valeria always stood higher in his eyes.

Looking back, I realized she had never tried to hide her hostility. Even as children, she resented me for being trusted more, for being capable. That bitterness only grew when the heirloomthe family heirloom she covetedwas passed down to me instead of her.

When she sensed my feelings for Don Vittorio, she began pursuing him too, turning it into a contest she refused to lose. Still, I never imagined she would return after her own partners death and shatter my world all over again.

Vittorios surprise faded quickly. He leaned back against the sofa, Valeria still cradled in his arms, and spoke in a voice edged with threat.

Dont test me, Bianca.

Seconds later, the syndicate enforcers he had summoned through his private line arrived and blocked my escape. They seized my arms and shoved me back in front of the couple, their grips merciless.

Vittorio lounged as though nothing was amiss, his eyes skimming over me with detached indifference.

Apologize, he said again.

Valeria turned to him, a faint curve of triumph on her lips, half-hidden behind false humility.

Its fine, Don. She didnt mean to hurt me.

He gazed at her with sympathy. Youre too generous. Youve always treated her kindly, yet shes never acted like your sister.

Then he looked back at me, his stare cutting.

Anyone who lays a hand on Valeria will pay the price.

At his subtle signal, the guards forced me down. My knees hit the floor hard. As my head dipped, I caught the slightest hint of satisfaction on his lips. One of the men stepped closer, hand raised, ready to strike.

Valerias voice stopped him.

Don, she said softly, shes still my sister. Im afraid they might hurt her too badly. If discipline is needed let me handle it.

Vittorio gave a brief nod.

Valeria stepped forward and slapped meonce, then again. Her nails raked my skin, leaving stinging lines across my cheek as pain burst through my face.

She turned back to him, feigning uncertainty.

Don Ive hit her. What should we do now?

His reply was ice-cold. She deserved it. And youre still worrying about her after everything.

The guards released me. My legs buckled and I fell to the floor. Vittorio remained seated, staring down at me without an ounce of regret.

You still owe Valeria an apology, he said.

An apology.

She was the one who mocked my son, who accused him of lying. Luca would never lie. Yet this worthless Don always chose her side, no matter how vile the injustice.

I lifted my head and glared at him, my voice thick with fury.

Keep dreaming.

Then I screamed, every shred of pain and hatred pouring out. I despise you, Don Vittorio!

When my eyes met Don Vittorios, there was nothing gentle left inside them. The woman who once looked at him as though he were the center of her universe was long dead. Whatever affection I had once carried had been burned to cinders, leaving behind only a searing, merciless hatred that I could no longer conceal.

He noticed immediately.

The Don was used to fear, devotion, even worshipbut not this. His brows knitted together, and for the first time that night, something close to discomfort crept across his face.

Bianca, he said after a moment, tempering his voice as if trying to reason with a volatile subordinate, just listen to me this once. Do what I ask and Ill make it worth your while. Name your price. Ill even arrange that birthday dinner you wanted for the kid. Exactly how you described it.

The words rang in my ears like the hollow echo of a gunshot fired into an empty room.

A birthday dinner.

For a child who no longer breathed.

I almost laughed at the cruelty of it. Luca had been gone for days, his small body already lowered into the earth, and this man still believed a party could undo everything. Vittorio had made his priorities known long before tragedy struck. He had chosen Valeria over his own blood more times than I could count.

Everyone in the syndicate knew.

At formal banquets, he escorted my sister while I stood forgotten at the edge of the room. At closed-door negotiations, she sat beside him while I remained invisible. I had been reduced to a title with no authorityDon Vittorios wife only in name, a decorative piece to legitimize his empire.

And now, with Luca dead, he thought he could lure me back with the same promise he had already broken.

It was manipulation, pure and calculatedgrief turned into leverage.

I forced my expression into something unreadable and met his gaze without blinking.

Theres no reason, I said evenly. Its finished. Im leaving this house, leaving this familyjust like you always wanted. Youre free now. Go live out your perfect life with Valeria.

He stared at me, clearly unprepared for that answer. His disbelief quickly twisted into mockery.

Whats this supposed to be? he scoffed. Youve finally stopped clinging to me? You wont beg anymore? No more tears about your precious son needing his father?

The disdain in his voice felt like poison poured straight into my veins.

Before I could speak, Valeria slid into the conversation, her voice soft, dripping with false concern.

Bianca, dont mislead the Don, she said gently. If Luca were really that sick, wouldnt you have dragged Vittorio home by now? Why would you be standing here alone?

Something inside me shattered.

Shut up, I snapped. You dont get to say his name. Not now. Not ever.

Her face shiftedhurt on the surface, triumph beneath.

Alright, she whispered. I wont mention him again. Please dont be upset with me.

Vittorios jaw tightened as he watched the exchange. A low, humorless laugh escaped him. He pulled out his phone, pressing a few buttons with deliberate slowness, then switched the call to speaker.

Oliver, he said coolly to his lieutenant, track down my son immediately. Bring him to me.

He shot me a smug glance, convinced this would expose my supposed lie and reestablish his dominance.

I smiled faintly, though my chest felt like it was collapsing inward.

Several long seconds passed before Oliver answered, his voice strained.

Don Luca passed away a few days ago. It was the morning after you left the territory with Valeria.

The room went silent.

Even the air seemed to freeze.

Vittorios hand tightened around his phone as though he couldnt quite understand what he was hearing.

What did you say? he demanded.

Oliver repeated himself, slower this time, each word deliberate.

Luca is dead, sir. He died the day after you went to the mountains.