Chapter 3
After the examination, the doctor instructed me to rest. Only then did I learn why Leonardo had exploded in
anger.
The baby had died, and old Mr. Mancuso, consumed by rage and grief, ordered a full blacklist on Isabella across every major media outlet.
Isabella assumed I was retaliating and embellished the story before running to Leonardo to accuse me. That
was why he hit me.
And it didn’t end there. Leonardo removed my shareholder status in the Mancuso family’s companies and gave the position to Isabella.
To please her further, he acquired a private Mediterranean island and named it after her. During her
interviews, Isabella flaunted the diamond ring on her finger.
“I was never a mistress. Love is the only true legitimacy in a marriage.”
“Besides, I heard the current Donna of the Mancuso family, Sofia Romano, only married in for money. I’m
different. My heart is pure. I truly love Leonardo.”
The comments beneath the video were sharply divided. A hysterical crowd of fans tagged my account,
hurling insults and demanding I surrender my position to Isabella.
I stared at their messages and felt nothing but mockery. After all these years, Leonardo’s tricks for charming
women never changed.
He had used them on me first. When he discovered I grew up poor and had never celebrated a birthday, he bought me twenty gifts on my twentieth birthday.
A gold pendant for my first year, all the way to a villa for my twentieth. He said he wanted to make up for every hardship I had endured.
I still remembered the way he held my hand beneath the star-filled sky.
“Sofia, I lost my parents when I was young. I’ve seen the darkest corners of this family. I understand the kind
of heart you have.”
“I’ll treat your grandmother like my own. And I’ll build the happiest family with you.”
I melted under the tenderness in his eyes. I truly believed I had found the man I would spend my life with. But
once the novelty faded, Leonardo’s heart drifted.
During one date, he abandoned me on a mountain to deliver flowers to his mistress.
I walked miles alone through the dark woods, soles of my feet flayed by the gravel, my calves scarred for
life.
I should have understood then. This man was selfish and fickle. He would never settle for anyone. The
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contract between us had always been nothing but a shield for his infidelity.
With that thought, I commented under Isabella’s video.
[I wish you both a long, blissful marriage and surrounded by children.]
The post vanished minutes later, deleted by Isabella. Leonardo’s call followed immediately. I didn’t answer. I
blocked him with the same calm indifference he used on me for years.
Today was my grandmother’s cremation.
I explained the situation to the doctors and requested an early discharge. My attending physician worried but
couldn’t dissuade me and ended up accompanying me.
When the staff handed me the urn, I didn’t break down the way I imagined. Instead, I felt the invisible tether
finally frayed to nothing.
I exhaled softly, thanked the doctor, and returned alone to the Mancuso estate to pack my things. As soon as
I walked into the living room, I saw Leonardo and Isabella on the sofa.
The moment they noticed me, Isabella hurriedly zipped up her dress. The fresh red marks on her skin made
their recent activities unmistakable.
I felt no sadness, no anger. I walked past them with an expression as calm and empty as still water.
By the time I came out with my packed suitcase, Isabella was gone. Only Leonardo remained, sitting with a
glass of whiskey.
He lifted his head slowly when he saw me. The dim light hid his expression.
“Sofia, where did you go today?”
“It has nothing to do with you.” I didn’t want to speak further, but Leonardo suddenly slammed the glass on
the floor. He strode toward me.
“Stop pretending you’re pure and innocent. You think I don’t know you went seeking solace in the arms of
some playboy?”
“Sofia, can’t stand being lonely, can you? You angry I’ve been ignoring you? If that’s what you want, I’ll give
you what you’re craving.”
He yanked at me, ripping my clothes, dragging me toward the bed. Shock jolted through me.
“Leonardo, have you lost your mind? I just gave birth!”
He was beyond reason, sinking his teeth into my shoulder. Pain tore through me.
I shoved him hard and slapped him across the face. Enraged, he grabbed the whiskey glass from the table
and hurled it at me.
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It shattered with a heavy crack. A thin line of blood slid down my forehead. Leonardo froze, stunned, then
instinctively reached out to catch me.
“Why didn’t you dodge…”
I stumbled back a few steps, trying to speak. But my body gave out. And I collapsed.
