“YOU REPLACED ME WITH HER?” HE SNEERED AT MY SWEATPANTS AT JFK AIRPORT, NOBODY WARNED THEM. NOW THEY ALL ANSWER TO HIM AND PAY THE PRICE!

After all, I was about to give birth to my second beautiful baby anyway.

I pushed all those swirling thoughts down into the dirt. I had absolutely no desire to bicker with him in an airport terminal.

“Are you not here to pick me up?” I asked flatly.

“Let us go.”

The entire scene went dead quiet for a long moment. Several guys exchanged confused looks. Then, they suddenly burst into deafening laughter.

“Waiting for you?” Liam chuckled, shaking his head.

“Do you even deserve that kind of treatment?”

“Read the sign, idiot,” David laughed, pointing at the cardboard.

“We are waiting for Mrs. Romano. Do you even know who that is?”

Of course, I knew exactly who that was. That was me.

“Mrs. Romano is the supreme lady of the Romano family,” David explained, his voice full of deep reverence.

“She is Vincent Romano’s lawful wife. And Don Romano is a ruthless, terrifying mafia boss who runs this entire city. But in private, he is deeply devoted to her. People say he refused to get married for years because he was waiting for her to grow up. Everyone in the city knows this. Do not bother sucking up to Vincent. You have to suck up to Mrs. Romano.”

“She is his entire world,” another guy whispered in awe.

Listening to them gossip blindly about my marriage, I could not help smiling. A genuine, warm smile spread across my face.

After three years of marriage, Vincent’s legitimate businesses and underworld power had grown bigger and bigger, and his reputation as a fiercely devoted husband had spread absolutely everywhere.

Riley had always wanted to stand above me. She would never miss a chance to show off her fake wealth in front of me.

“To prove his love for his wife, Vincent Romano once bought a rare diamond bracelet at a Christie’s auction,” Riley boasted loudly, acting like she knew the family personally.

“It is called the Eternal Heart. It cost twenty million dollars. Mrs. Romano is literally the most envied woman on planet Earth.”

Riley suddenly stopped talking. Her eyes darted down. She pointed a shaking finger at my wrist.

“That is the Eternal Heart,” Riley gasped.

A heavy hush fell over the crowd. Every single pair of eyes locked onto the sparkling blue and white bracelet resting on my wrist.

“It is a pretty good fake,” Liam sneered, breaking the silence.

“What broke delivery guy bought you this? A cheap glass knockoff as a welcome home gift? Pathetic.”

I yanked my hand free, smiling softly while brushing the precious gems.

Liam’s eyes widened at my happy, unbothered look. His anger flared. He reached out, grabbed my wrist roughly, and tore the custom bracelet completely off.

I was caught totally off guard and could not stop him in time. The delicate platinum clasp snapped.

Riley eagerly stepped up, took the heavy bracelet from his hand, and twisted it under the airport lights.

“It really is a high quality fake,” Riley noted with jealousy.

“Way better than the cheap replica I bought online. But I would never wear mine in public like this. That would be completely humiliating. Foreign knockoffs really are something else. The weight almost feels real.”

Riley paused, her eyes widening in mock horror.

“Wait. Do not tell me you are saying you are the real Mrs. Romano. Olivia, are you seriously claiming you are the legendary Don’s wife?”

They burst into loud, echoing laughter the second she finished speaking. It all sounded completely absurd to them. Vincent was a notorious mafia genius.

Cold blooded and merciless in the criminal underworld. Three years ago, I had still been hanging around these losers. The pathetic girl Liam left at the altar. No one could ever believe a billionaire boss would look twice at me.

Jessica, another girl in the crew, twirled the broken bracelet around her finger.

“Olivia, why do you not sell me this fake? I will pay you double whatever that broke delivery guy paid for it.”

“Give that back to me right now,” I demanded, stepping forward.

“Vincent gave that to me for our anniversary.”

“Shut your mouth!” Liam yelled, his face turning red with sudden panic.

“Olivia, are you trying to get us both killed? You think you can just casually drop Don Romano’s name in public? Are you trying to drag me down with you into a shallow grave? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

His friends immediately joined in the panic.

“Do you have any idea how hard we fought just to get this airport pick up job?” David hissed.

“Don Romano put Liam’s business under his official protection last year. Now all of us survive solely under Romano protection. The only way Liam keeps his place in the Romano inner circle is if we deeply impress Mrs. Romano today. And you are out here spreading insane rumors about knowing him? Are you trying to ruin Liam’s entire career?”

I wiped a tiny drop of blood from my split lip where Liam had grabbed me. My stare must have been ice cold, because Liam frowned and stepped back. A trace of real panic flashed through his dark eyes.

Riley pointed at me and snapped.

“Olivia, you ungrateful little witch! Liam was kind enough to offer to keep you off the street. Do not push your luck. I know you are incredibly bitter about the past, but trying to wreck his career just to get back at him? That is sick.”

Hearing her say that felt exactly like three years ago. No matter what I actually did, Riley twisted it to make me the villain. She would feed Liam her poisoned version of the truth.

In the early days of our relationship, he used to defend me, but by the end, he always took her side. Just like right now.

“You are such a bitter, jealous woman,” Liam agreed, shaking his head.

But this time, Liam did not keep yelling at me. After a short silence, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a checkbook. He quickly wrote a check for two hundred thousand dollars and held it out.

“For the sake of what we used to be, I will let this insane behavior slide,” Liam said magnanimously.

“Take the check. Go buy yourself something decent to wear so you do not look homeless. If you really do not want to nanny Riley’s kid, I will pull some strings and get you a proper corporate job next week. Do not worry. Ever since the Romano protection started, this kind of money is just pocket change in my world now.”

The arrogant way he handed me that check made me physically sick.

“No, thank you, sir,” I said, my voice dripping with icy sarcasm.

“I do not take handouts from strangers.”

I turned to walk away. Liam grabbed my shoulder forcefully before I could take a few steps.

“Olivia, I gave you money and you still refused?” Liam questioned me with a cold, angry face.

“What do you mean? I am a stranger to you now?”

“We broke it off three years ago,” I said, brushing his hand off my shirt.

“It is far better not to have any contact like this. People might seriously misunderstand. I have to think of my jealous husband.”

Liam glanced at Riley. Then he looked back at me as if he had magically understood everything.

“The Romano family is hosting a private charity gala for Don Romano in exactly three days,” Liam said smoothly.

“I plan to take you there as my plus one to see the real world, but you need to buy a proper evening gown first. Do not embarrass me when the time comes.”

“There really is no need,” I said flatly.

Hearing me refuse him again, Liam clenched his jaw so hard I could hear his teeth grinding.

“Olivia, you really have learned some nasty attitude overseas,” Liam sneered.

“Sure enough, poor people always have the worst temper. Since you do not want to go, forget it. I will take Riley instead.”

Riley’s eyes lit up with absolute greed.

“Oh, Liam, thank you! I will behave so well. I absolutely will not embarrass you in front of the Don.”

I did not want to keep getting tangled up with these clowns. Before leaving the terminal to find my own cab, I left one final sentence behind.

“I truly hope that in three days, you can still be this confident.”

I practically sprinted out of the arrival terminal. The fresh exhaust filled air outside finally pushed down the nausea churning in my pregnant stomach.

Three days later, I showed up to the Romano charity gala at The Plaza Hotel completely alone. Vincent was stuck in a secure briefing, so he promised to meet me inside.

I wore very light makeup and my custom white Parisian loungewear. It was simple, flowing, and incredibly elegant, though to the untrained eye, it looked like casual wear.

The second Liam saw me walking through the golden doors, his eyes lit up. A smug, victorious smirk spread across his face as he walked over holding a champagne flute.

“You told me you would not come, but your body is clearly honest,” Liam chuckled.

“If you want to chase me and make me turn my back on Riley, you at least need to make me happy first. For an elite occasion like today, you need to dress properly. Only then can you match my high status.”

I ignored his delusional speech and walked toward the VIP tables near the front stage. Liam grabbed my arm tightly.

“Olivia, I am talking to you,” Liam growled under his breath. “Did you hear me? Our assigned seats are right back here in the lower section. Where do you think you are going?”

I pulled my arm free with a sharp jerk. “Those are your seats. My seat is up there.”

Riley walked over, her eyes turning sharp and mean. “Olivia, how did you even sneak in here without a ticket? Are you here to cause trouble for us? And how dare you wear that broken fake bracelet again?”

The wealthy guests standing around us began whispering to each other.

“Wait, is that the Eternal Heart bracelet?” a woman in a red gown asked. “The one Don Romano bought for his wife? Tonight is Mrs. Romano’s first ever public appearance.”

“Is this homeless looking woman trying to insult Mrs. Romano?” an older man scoffed. “She snuck in wearing pajamas. Is she trying to embarrass us in front of Don Romano?”

One of the high ranking guests turned to Liam. “Excuse me, Liam. Is this young lady with your crew?”

“No,” Liam lied quickly, stepping away from me. “I do not know her at all.”

“Take that fake bracelet off and get out of this hotel,” Riley demanded loudly, playing the hero.

“Are you sure you want me to leave?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“What are you pretending for?” Riley spat. “Stop acting like you are important. Hurry up and take off the bracelet before security throws you out.”

She lunged forward to snatch the sapphire bracelet off my wrist. I swatted her hand away and stepped backward to avoid her nails.

Suddenly, someone tripped me from behind out of nowhere. I lost my balance and crashed hard onto the polished marble floor, feeling completely dazed.

“You are really treating this cheap garbage like it is a national treasure?” Riley mocked.

Riley stepped forward and viciously pinned my right hand under her sharp high heel. Blinding pain shot through my hand. My wrist was scraped raw by the marble and started bleeding heavily, but I only sat there staring blankly at the snapped platinum bracelet and the priceless blue diamonds scattered across the floor.

“Pick her up and throw her out into the alley,” Riley ordered the nearby guards.

A few event security guards immediately surrounded me. They reached down to grab my arms and legs. I panicked, protecting my pregnant belly, and struggled against them.

“Get your hands off me!” I screamed.

“I am Vincent Romano’s wife!”

“Are you going to make up rumors again?” Riley laughed hysterically.

“Are you going to say you are Don Romano’s secret mistress now?”

“You are completely insane,” Liam muttered, shaking his head.

When I came back to the States this time, I had not planned to bother with petty revenge. It felt totally beneath me. But right now, looking at my bleeding hand and the scattered diamonds my husband bought me, I was going to make sure she paid for this.

Liam crouched down in front of me on the floor.

“Olivia. Are you done throwing your little dramatic fit?” Liam whispered.

“You showed up wearing a fake diamond bracelet and dressed like you literally rolled out of bed. Now that you see I am doing so incredibly well, you want to make me jealous? If you want me back that badly, just beg. I will say yes.”

“Liam,” I whispered back, my eyes filled with venom.

“You are absolutely screwed.”

Suddenly, the loud music stopped. The entire ballroom went dead silent. The wealthy guests in the hall began nervously fixing their clothes and clearing their throats. They all moved respectfully toward the main entrance.

Liam quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me up from the floor.

“Don Romano is here,” Liam hissed in my ear.

“Behave yourself. And do not worry, Olivia. Riley and I are actually already divorced. I am single.”

I stared at him while rubbing my bruised, bleeding hand. This man was absolutely repulsive. What did his divorce have to do with me?

At that exact moment, Vincent walked through the massive golden doors.

He looked absolutely terrifying in a bespoke black tuxedo, his jaw tight and his eyes scanning the room like a predator. But the terrifying image was slightly softened by the fact that he was holding our chubby toddler, Mason, securely in his strong arms.

Everyone surrounded him the moment he came in, bowing their heads and offering greetings. Once they entered the center of the ballroom, my son squirmed to get down. Vincent gently set him on the floor. The adorable little boy instantly captured the whole room’s attention. His nanny hurried nervously behind him.

“If you stop being jealous and stop provoking Riley,” Liam whispered rapidly to me, “I will forgive you for disappearing for three years. I will give you a chance to bear our next baby.”

I did not speak. I only looked past him, trying to catch Vincent and my son’s eyes through the thick crowd of guests.

Then it happened. Mason spotted me. He started running. Vincent immediately followed our son’s quick steps. They walked straight toward me.

At that moment, pure panic appeared on Mason’s face. He ran straight into my legs, throwing his little arms around my knees.

“Mommy!” Mason cried out.

“Who hurt you? Why is there so much blood on your hand?”

The word Mommy echoed loudly through the silent, cavernous room.

The elite guests who had coldly watched me get bullied and tripped just a minute ago, all widened their eyes in absolute, horrified disbelief.

My son’s warm hug instantly washed away my disgust at Liam. I knelt down slightly.

“Mommy is fine, baby.”

“Mommy, who dared to do this to you?” Mason demanded, his little face turning red with anger.

Before I could comfort him again, the air in the room seemed to physically freeze. A heavy, suffocating pressure settled over the entire crowd.

Vincent was walking toward us. The terrified guests practically tripped over themselves to part the way for him. Ever since I got pregnant with our second baby, Vincent had been almost insanely overprotective. He was glued to my side constantly. I instantly regretted flying back to New York ahead of him.

I picked up our son and turned around to face my husband.

The bright red blood on my wrist looked even brighter and more violent against my son’s pristine white dress shirt.

“Daddy,” Mason pointed at the crowd.

“Someone bullied Mommy. We have to get back at them.”

“Olivia,” Vincent’s voice was dangerously low.

“What happened?”

Seeing this ruthless mafia boss become so fiercely, intensely protective made my heart completely melt. He was so incredibly protective of me. A simple mosquito bite, a tiny red mark from sleeping wrong, if I ate half a spoonful less at dinner, he would worry instantly and call the family doctor.

But I loved how intensely he cared about me.

The ballroom lights were slightly dim, but our son felt something hard under his dress shoe. He bent down and picked up the largest blue sapphire from my broken bracelet off the floor.

“Daddy, is this not the present you gave Mommy?” Mason asked, holding up the gem.

Vincent took the sapphire and flipped it over. When he saw his own engraved initials on the back, he looked at the scattered gems still on the floor. Then he looked at my torn, bleeding wrist.

His massive hand gripped the armrest of a nearby chair so hard the thick metal actually bent under his fingers.

Frustrated by the shadows, he firmly guided me into the chair. “Turn on every single light in this room. Right now.”

The chandeliers blazed to life.

Vincent knelt in front of me. “What happened to your face? Who actually dared to do this to you?”

“I am fine, Vincent,” I whispered, touching his cheek.

“Olivia, I am your husband,” Vincent growled, his eyes scanning the terrified crowd. “No one touches my wife and walks away clean.”

“No one bullies Mommy!” Mason echoed fiercely.

Honestly, I could have handled Liam and Riley myself. But maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was because I finally felt totally safe in his presence. All the exhaustion and anger I had been holding in finally broke through.

“You were not here,” I sniffled, letting a tear fall. “They all ganged up on me.”

The guys from the airport crew were literally shaking in their shoes. They gripped the cocktail tables just to stay upright. The poor woman they had viciously mocked at the airport was actually Don Romano’s wife. They were desperate to find a dark hole to crawl into and die.

But then Riley’s little minion, Britney, strutted out of the crowd holding a drink.

“Olivia, where did you hire these two actors?” Britney laughed, oblivious to the terror in the room. “Their acting is pretty good. Do you want Riley to get them an agent? You are clearly too broke to afford your own clothes. I have an old outfit I already wore once. If you do not mind, I can give it to you so you will not embarrass yourself anymore.”

Britney had arrived late to the party. She had completely missed Vincent’s terrifying entrance and the crowd’s reaction. She was just Riley’s lap dog, dressed up to snag a rich husband tonight. And she knew the absolute easiest way to impress Riley was to publicly bully me.

Britney laughed loudly at her own terrible joke. Usually, the guys would have laughed along with her immediately to score points. But this time, the entire ballroom stared at her like she had a massive death wish.

Britney finally noticed the dead silence, but she foolishly doubled down. She looked right at Vincent and smirked.

“You are pretty handsome for an actor,” Britney purred.

“If you leave Olivia, I might just keep you for myself tonight.”

Her words made the corner of my mouth twitch. How incredibly embarrassing. She actually thought she could keep Vincent Romano? I honestly did not know if she was incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Anyone with functioning eyes could tell Vincent was not someone you ever messed with.

Vincent gave a low, humorless laugh.

If I offered to keep him, he would probably be thrilled. But if any other woman said that, he would only think she was asking to die. Over the years, any foolish woman who tried to throw herself at him was either never heard from again or sent somewhere far away and never allowed near our family again.

Britney finally realized the vibe was completely wrong. The murderous intent radiating from Vincent was palpable. She nervously stepped toward Riley for backup.

But Riley wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. Before Britney could even speak, Riley spun around and slapped her viciously across the face.

Britney crashed hard onto the marble floor, spilling her drink everywhere.

“Britney, are you completely insane?” Riley shrieked in panic. “How dare you offend Mr. and Mrs. Romano? Do you have a death wish? Olivia is Mrs. Romano!”

Britney knew Vincent’s ruthless reputation. She knew he destroyed anyone who even looked at his wife the wrong way. Britney started shaking uncontrollably on the floor.

“Oh my god, look at her dress,” someone whispered.

Every eye in the room dropped. Britney had literally wet herself in pure, absolute terror. A puddle formed under her designer gown.

Vincent did not even blink. He only frowned slightly in disgust.

Two massive bodyguards immediately stepped forward, grabbed Britney by the arms, and dragged her out of the ballroom while she sobbed.

Liam and Riley’s faces burned bright red. Even though Britney was the one being dragged out, everyone knew she had only said what they were secretly thinking. The elite guests stared at Liam and Riley with absolute disgust. They looked at them like pathetic clowns.

Meanwhile, Vincent’s on call doctor was frantically cleaning the torn skin on my wrist with antiseptic. I winced. It was just a tiny hiss of pain.

Instantly, Vincent and our son glared at the poor doctor like they were about to bury him alive in the hotel basement.

“Do you even know how to apply ointment properly?” Vincent snarled.

I immediately shot my husband and son a stern warning look. The glare worked instantly. The terrifying Don and the fierce little boy both softened their expressions.

“Olivia,” Vincent murmured.

“Mommy,” Mason pouted.

They both looked at me with identical pathetic puppy dog eyes. I let out a soft sigh.

“Guys, the doctor is trying to help me,” I scolded gently.

“Stop glaring at him.”

With my reassurance, the doctor let out a huge breath of relief. He finished the checkup and turned respectfully to Vincent.

“Mrs. Romano is perfectly fine, sir,” the doctor reported.

“The baby is completely safe, too. Her wrist is badly scraped, though. I will use our best custom ointment to keep it from scarring permanently.”

Vincent did not say a single word. I knew exactly what that meant. That was the deafening silence right before he exploded into violence.

Standing in the crowd, Liam looked terrified. But under the panic, deep romantic jealousy burned in his eyes as he watched us together. His possessiveness was reaching its peak, but his business’s survival was on the line, so he had to desperately bite his tongue.

Vincent stood beside me, looking out over the terrified crowd of elite guests and made men. He looked completely lethal, but honestly, I found it kind of cute, especially with our son standing right beside him looking like a tiny angry clone.

“I want names,” Vincent’s voice boomed through the room.

“Every single person who touched my wife. Every person who watched it happen and did nothing. Speak right now and I might let you walk out of here alive. But if I have to find out myself, the Romano family will collect blood from every single one of you.”

It was a naked, terrifying threat. These wealthy people had fought tooth and nail just to get an invite to this gala. None of them were willing to burn for Liam.

Liam panicked completely. He stepped forward, raising his hands.

“Don Romano, this is all just a huge misunderstanding,” Liam lied smoothly.

“As Olivia’s fiance, I was only catching up with her. She tripped. It was just an accident.”

He actually used the word fiance right to my husband’s face. It was pure delusional arrogance. He really thought I had spent the last three years saving myself for him, waiting for him to snap his fingers so I could run back to his basement. He completely ignored the murderous, violent look crossing Vincent’s face.

Crack.

I heard glass shatter. Vincent had crushed his thick crystal whiskey glass with his bare hand. Bright red blood dripped down his fingers and onto the floor.

“Vincent!” I gasped.

I turned to Liam. “Liam, do not flatter yourself. Stop trying to come between me and my husband. I think I have been way too nice to you today. Vincent is the only man I will ever love.”

I grabbed a clean cloth napkin from the table and frantically started wrapping Vincent’s bleeding hand.

“Olivia, I know you are bitter,” Liam pleaded, stepping closer. “But Riley and I are already divorced. Her kid can start calling you mom today. You only married this mafia guy to make me mad, right? It is fine. I do not mind your past.”

He lowered his voice, but the room was so quiet everyone heard him. “Divorce him. Let us get married. Whatever Vincent can give you, I can give you, too, if I work hard enough. Just come back and be my son’s real mother. If you do not like Riley, I will make her leave the city forever.”

I honestly could not believe what I was hearing. His absolute shamelessness left me completely speechless.

Vincent’s blood stained my white clothes, but as I urgently pressed the napkin to his palm, my husband suddenly started laughing. A genuine, incredibly happy laugh.

I glared at him, furious. “Why are you laughing? You are bleeding!”

Vincent reached over with his clean, uninjured hand and gently rubbed the top of my head.

“Olivia,” Vincent smiled softly. “You just said I am the one you love most.”

Our son literally rolled his eyes. His ruthless, terrifying dad was currently acting like a lovesick teenager just because I defended him in public.

The entire ballroom was dead silent. Some guests were in absolute shock. Others were dying of pure envy. I could hear frantic whispers spreading through the crowd.

“The rumors are real. He really is completely obsessed with his wife.”

Liam stood there, his fists clenched in total humiliation. But my son was not done with him yet. Mason looked him up and down with absolute disgust.

“A nanny?” Mason scoffed loudly. “My mommy is the beautiful princess of our house. You think you deserve her? Mommy is only having two kids. Me and my little sister.”

Mason pointed a small finger at Liam.

“You really think your secret little love child gets to call her mom? I know all about you. You are the jerk who broke my mom’s heart. You are not as handsome as my dad. You are not as tall as my dad. You are not even built like my dad. And you smell like cheap garbage. It is making my eyes water. Is your kid going to grow up to be a pathetic leech who lives off wealthy women just like you?”

The elite guests around us erupted into roaring laughter.

Liam bit his lower lip hard. His chest he heave with shame. Everyone in that room knew the ultimate truth. He only had a place in the Romano circle because he leeched off Riley’s family connections.

Hearing all this, Riley completely snapped. Liam had literally just asked me to replace her as his son’s real mother in front of the whole city. Jealousy swallowed whatever sanity she had left.

Riley grabbed a sharp silver steak fork from the nearest dining table. She lunged straight at Mason.

“YOU LITTLE BRAT! I WILL KILL YOU!” Riley screamed.

I did not even think. I let go of Vincent’s hand and threw my body over my son to shield him.

A blinding, agonizing pain ripped through my back. The heavy silver fork pierced my skin. The color drained completely from my face as I gasped for air.

“Mason, are you…”

I did not even get to finish the sentence. Everything went totally black. I collapsed to the floor.

I woke up to the sharp, chemical smell of hospital disinfectant. I blinked against the bright lights, glancing down at my hospital gown, feeling a little dazed.

My best friend Emma threw her arms around me the second she saw my eyes open.

“Olivia, you are finally awake!” Emma cried.

“If you had stayed unconscious any longer, your husband and son were going to burn this entire city to the ground.”

I panicked and instantly touched my pregnant belly. Emma knew exactly what I was thinking.

“You are fine,” Emma assured me quickly.

“The baby is perfectly fine. The doctor said you fainted from the sudden shock and intense pain after that psycho tried to stab your son. The wound is bandaged.”

I started coughing violently. My throat was completely dry and scratchy.

“Slow down,” Emma grabbed a cup of water and rubbed my shoulder.

“Drink this.”

I drank greedily.

“Honestly, Olivia, you were way too impulsive,” Emma scolded gently.

“Vincent had ten armed bodyguards in that room. They would have stopped her before she got close. Mason did not need you to take that fork for him. He is a fierce little guy.”

“He is my baby,” I whispered fiercely.

“Of course I protected him.”

I looked around the empty, sterile hospital room.

“Where are they?”

“Getting brutal revenge, obviously,” Emma smirked.

“I wanted to go watch, but your husband and your kid are seriously terrifying when they are angry. So, I stayed here to guard you.”

“Is staying with me a boring chore?” I teased.

“Olivia, you do not even know what happened,” Emma leaned in, her voice dropping. “When I got to the gala, you were already unconscious on a stretcher. Your sweet, soft little boy grabbed a table fork and stabbed it right into Riley’s hand. I did not even know a little kid could have that much brutal strength. She screamed bloody murder.”

“And Vincent?” I asked.

“He looked like the devil himself,” Emma shivered.

“Vincent found out what happened at the airport. He found out Liam slapped you and broke your twenty million dollar bracelet. He had his bodyguards pin Liam to the marble floor. Then he completely ruined the hand Liam used to hit you. Smashed it to pieces. Mason just stood there and watched. He did not even blink once. He is a terrifying little demon.”

Emma paused, taking a breath.

“Then they beat Liam’s face until he was barely recognizable. But that was not even the worst part of the night. After Vincent found out Riley wanted your diamonds, he said one thing to her.”

“What did he say?”

“He told her, ‘You love taking things that do not belong to you. I will give you exactly what you want. The diamonds. And the man you were so desperate to steal.'”

Emma looked slightly green.

“Riley refused to swallow them. So Vincent had her kid dragged into the room. She was so terrified for her child that she started forcing the sharp diamonds down her own throat. By the time it was over, she could barely stay conscious. Then Vincent had someone ruin her face completely. And he made sure her son would never use that hand the same way again. Then he had her dumped in international waters on a cargo ship.”

“What about the guests?” I asked, shocked by the brutal extent of his rage.

“Oh, Vincent handled them, too,” Emma said. “Every single person who stood there and watched you get bullied was left with a permanent scar sliced into their wrist. Punishment for standing by and doing absolutely nothing to help the Don’s wife. If I were not your best friend, I probably would have gotten one, too.”

She fake wiped a tear, trying to make me laugh. I just rolled my eyes at her dramatic acting.

“The media was there, but no one dared to report what really happened,” Emma continued. “The morning news only said Liam’s business empire collapsed overnight due to bad investments. Any guest who refused to help you is now watching their lucrative overseas channels get completely cut off by the Romano family. Right now, Vincent and Mason are hunting Liam down. He was supposed to be thrown out with Riley, but apparently they made some sick deal.”

Emma and I both knew exactly how Liam had escaped the ballroom. It was obvious. He had used Riley’s child as leverage. Riley had forced down a stomach full of sharp diamonds. She could barely stay conscious. Her only remaining tie to the world was her son. So, she threw her bleeding body at the bodyguards to let Liam run out the back door.

Vincent’s revenge had been absolutely brutal, but honestly, I was not scared of him at all. I was only deeply worried that our sweet little boy had been led astray by witnessing so much violence.

The door opened.

“Mommy, you are awake!” Mason ran into the room, jumping onto the bed carefully.

“I am okay, baby,” I kissed his forehead. “Did Daddy yell at you while I was asleep?”

“No, Daddy did not yell at me,” Mason said seriously. “Mommy, I will never let anyone hurt you again. It was all my fault for not protecting you. I am sorry.”

“Protecting you is Mommy’s job,” I smiled softly. “I do not blame you at all.”

Emma eventually took Mason down to the hospital cafeteria for ice cream, leaving only me and Vincent in the quiet room.

Vincent stared at the thick white gauze on my back. His jaw was clenched tight.

“Vincent, the doctor already taped it up,” I said gently. “There is nothing to see. It is just a scratch.”

He looked at me with red, exhausted eyes. “Olivia, I swear on the Romano name, no one will ever get that close to hurting you again.”

“I believe you,” I reached out and took his large hand. “You are the man I love most. I treasure my life because I plan to spend the rest of my life happily with you.”

Hearing that, the deep darkness in Vincent’s eyes finally broke. He leaned down and kissed my forehead tenderly.

He made me stay in the VIP hospital suite for three extra days just to be safe. He ran every medical test imaginable until the top doctors practically begged us to leave so they could have the room back.

On the morning of my official discharge, I was zipping up my overnight bag. Vincent and Mason went downstairs to bring the armored SUV around to the private exit.

The door creaked open behind me.

“Mason, grab Mommy’s hairbrush off the counter,” I called out without turning around.

“Olivia, it is me.”

I froze completely. I slowly turned around.

Liam was standing in the doorway. His face was swollen beyond recognition, covered in dark purple and yellow bruises. His right arm was heavily bandaged in a sling where Vincent had ruined the hand he used to hit me. He had somehow slipped past hospital security.

I gripped the metal edge of the bed. After what Riley had done, I was not taking any chances. I looked for the emergency call button.

“Do not be scared,” Liam rasped, his voice sounding wet and broken.

“I am not going to hurt you.”

Liam saw me step back and immediately raised his good hand in surrender.

“I just…”

“Just what?” I asked coldly.

“I still love you, Olivia,” Liam cried, tears falling down his bruised cheeks.

“I cannot stand the thought of you being married to another man. I know you still have deep feelings for me. We can start over. Please.”

I looked at him closely. He was covered in severe injuries, but he had clearly tried to clean himself up a little for this pathetic ambush. He wore a cheap, faded navy suit. It was the exact suit I had bought for him in college, the one he used to call cheap and embarrassing when he started making mafia money.

“Start over, Liam?” I laughed bitterly.

“You had me thrown out of City Hall. You made me a public laughing stock. And now you have the nerve to stand there and say you love me?”

“Riley was pregnant,” Liam sobbed.

“I had to take responsibility as a man. You would not want a kid to grow up without a father, right?”

“You are so unbelievably shameless,” I said, my voice full of absolute disgust. “Did that kid just magically appear out of nowhere? If you had kept it in your pants, you would not have had a child with another woman while we were engaged. Even now, you are still making pathetic excuses for cheating on me.”

I shook my head. “You are rotten to the core. Why would I ever look back at trash like you?”

Before Liam could open his bruised mouth to argue further, two massive men in black suits rushed into the room and pinned him forcefully against the wall. They drove him face first into the hard hospital floor.

Vincent stepped into the room, his face completely dark and terrifying.

“Liam, you walked into my wife’s private hospital room without permission,” Vincent growled softly.

“That is an absolute death wish.”

He looked me over carefully, making sure I was not hurt or distressed. Then he looked back at the guards.

“Take him downstairs to the garage. I will decide what he truly deserves.”

“Vincent, do you really think she loves you?” Liam screamed from the floor, spitting blood.

“I was with her for seven whole years! You are just my replacement! You are just her rich rebound!”

Vincent stepped into the hall and kicked him once in the stomach, hard enough to knock the wind completely out of him and leave him unconscious.

Even after three years of marriage, Vincent was deeply insecure. He always secretly believed I did not love him as much as he loved me. Watching my husband’s rigid, tense back, my heart ached for him.

As for Liam, I let Vincent deal with him permanently. I did not care what happened to him.

Later that week, back at our massive Manhattan penthouse, I stood in the hallway looking up at our massive framed wedding photo hanging on the wall. In the picture, Vincent was looking at me with pure devotion, but I was looking straight at the camera. Distant. Indifferent. I had been so guarded back then.

Over the years, this man had completely stolen my heart. I wanted to replace the photo with a newer, happier one of us.

I reached up and took the heavy mahogany frame down.

As I pulled it off the wall, the backing slipped. Dozens of loose, hidden photographs rained down onto the hardwood floor like confetti.

I dropped to my knees, completely shocked. I picked them up one by one.

Me in college handing out charity flyers. Me studying late in the campus library. Me smiling at my high school graduation. He had been watching me for years, long before the arranged marriage was ever discussed, long before I even knew his name.

I heard heavy footsteps.

Vincent walked into the hallway. He saw me sitting on the floor surrounded by his hidden collection of photos.

“Olivia, how did you…”

The color drained completely from his face. He looked like a guilty criminal caught red handed. He could not even look me in the eye. He stared at his expensive shoes.

I looked up at him and a teasing, warm smile spread across my face.

“If you liked me this much back then, why did you not just ask me out?” I teased softly.

“You made me waste seven years with that cheating loser.”

I held up a picture of me laughing in the rain.

“The lighting in this one is actually really good. I love it.”

“Olivia,” Vincent stuttered, stepping closer.

“You… you do not blame me?”

“Blame you for what?” I asked, standing up.

“For being a creep,” he whispered.

“For stalking you from the shadows.”

“Shut up,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“You are not a creep. Looking at these, all I feel is how much you truly loved me when no one else noticed me.”

The terrifying, ruthless Don Romano actually started to cry. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

“Olivia, I never dared to ask for your love,” Vincent choked out, holding me tight. “I only wanted you to let me stay by your side.”

“Stop saying stupid things,” I kissed him deeply.

“I love you more than anyone. My whole heart is entirely yours.”

I finally understood why he was so deeply insecure. I had secretly hired a private investigator to look into his past before we got married. Vincent had been abandoned by his biological parents as a baby.

He had been raised by a cold, distant adoptive mafia father who never showed him an ounce of affection. He had been totally alone most of high school. People actively avoided him because he never spoke and always looked angry.

During my senior year of high school, I saw a quiet boy sitting alone on the old bleachers eating plain white bread for lunch. I thought he was starving. I marched up to him, unzipped his backpack, and shoved a thick wad of cash inside.

“Listen up,” I had told him fiercely.

“You are one of mine now. That is your lunch money.”

I had only felt sorry for him. I did not even know his name, but I never realized that the lonely boy eating plain white bread was Vincent Romano.

Because of his traumatic past, he always felt unworthy of being loved. There had always been this invisible, thick wall between us. But standing in our hallway, surrounded by the proof of his lifelong devotion, that wall completely shattered.

Even though we already had two beautiful kids, I made a silent, unbreakable promise to myself. I was going to spend the rest of my life showing this insecure, sensitive, deeply loving man exactly how much I loved him. Every single day.