Chapter 2

Lila Vitale POV

It was three in the morning, and I was wide awake, sitting on the lavish yet cold master bed like a ghost abandoned in a palace.

Luca came home hours later, reeking of alcohol, unfamiliar perfume, and scents that were not mine. He offered no explanation. No guilt at all.

By morning, he acted as if nothing had happened.

The bedroom door opened. He stood in the doorway, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit — calm, commanding, a born ruler, the Don of the Vitale family.

“Good morning.” He leaned in to kiss my forehead. I turned my face away. His movement paused, but he quickly recovered.

“Last night…” he spoke casually. “You were exhausted. We’d all had too much to drink. Let’s pretend it never happened, okay?”

He tried to draw near again.

My phone buzzed.

He pulled it out instantly, glanced at the screen, and smiled — soft, quiet, but utterly real.

I did not need to see the name to know who it was.

Sofia.

A cold, clear reality washed over every last lingering emotion.

This was the endless cycle. My feelings meant nothing to him. Every little thing about Sofia mattered more than everything about me.

There was a sharp knock at the door.

“They’re here.” Luca pocketed his phone. “We’re going to celebrate Sofia’s birthday. I told you.”

He had never told me. But I knew.

A week earlier, I had overheard him arranging a singles party. A married man throwing a singles party — how disgustingly ridiculous.

Nausea rose in my throat. He turned to leave, leaving his phone on the nightstand.

I stared at it, my heart racing.

For five years, I had never touched his phone. I thought trust was the foundation of marriage. Now I saw it was only my delusion.

I picked it up. My fingers shook.

The password was our anniversary. Painfully ironic.

It unlocked immediately, and a group chat I had never seen appeared: La Famiglia Vera.

The latest message was from Sofia.

Hurry up. Don’t keep your birthday girl waiting. I can’t wait to take you back from that burden.

Burden. That was what they called me behind my back. And Luca never argued once.

I scrolled up endlessly, page after page, reading through a graveyard of betrayal.

Marco: How was the anniversary? Did the ice queen smile at all?

Luca: Barely. You know her. She turns everything into a funeral.

My heart tightened painfully.

A photo popped up: Sofia posing proudly with a brand-new luxury limited-edition bag.

Sofia: Look what my man got me. Who even needs a husband when you have Luca?

Luca replied with a string of heart emojis, unashamed and blatant.

They mocked me, saying my wealth was nothing but dowry. They called me cold, boring, worthless. They discussed how perfect Luca and Sofia would be together.

The air burned. The phone felt like it was on fire.

This was not fleeting attraction. Not a momentary mistake.

It was a conspiracy. Years of planned humiliation, and Luca was the mastermind.

Rage exploded in my chest. I screenshot every message, every piece of evidence, saving it all.

The door opened again. Luca returned for his briefcase.

“They’re waiting.” He said. “I told them you weren’t feeling well, to rest at home. It’s better this way. You don’t belong at that kind of gathering.”

I looked up at him, calm beyond my own surprise. “I want to go.”

He frowned. “What?”

“Peace Peak Club.” I said slowly. “That’s Ron’s territory. I want to see him.”

Ron Gray, heir to the Gray family, my childhood friend — someone who never crossed boundaries, never lied to me.

Luca’s expression turned icy at once. He hated Ron, hated anyone he could not control.

“No. It’s an intimate gathering, old university friends. You don’t know them. You’d make everyone uncomfortable.”

I almost laughed.

“Uncomfortable? As your wife, I make your family uncomfortable?”

“Enough, Lila.” His voice hardened.

“Today is my birthday.”

The air froze. I watched his reaction: not guilt, but irritation.

He had forgotten completely.

A short, impatient car horn sounded outside — Sofia.

He hesitated, then chose her without hesitation.

“We’ll talk later.” He said dismissively. “It’s just a birthday.”

Just a birthday.

The last spark of warmth inside me died completely.

He turned to leave. I moved right after him.

“Lila, don’t act childish.” He tried to stop me. I pulled away, my hand hitting the doorframe. It hurt, but nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

Outside, Sofia leaned against her convertible, sunglasses pushed up onto her head like a queen waiting for victory.

When she saw me, she smiled brightly, cruelly.

She walked over and tapped Luca lightly. “There you are. I’ve been waiting forever.”

Then she looked at me, eyes full of pity and contempt.

“Is she throwing another fit?”

Luca murmured. “She always does this.”

He naturally wrapped his arm around her waist, as if that spot had always belonged to her.

Sofia giggled and touched his cheek. “Don’t worry, darling. I’ll take good care of you this weekend.”

They walked away together, their laughter floating sharp and bitter through the morning air, leaving me standing alone, hands trembling, my heart shattered beyond repair.

The world felt empty, drained of all oxygen.

I watched their car disappear, then turned back into the empty house.

I dialed a number. He answered instantly.

“Ron.” My voice was unrecognizably steady. “They’re on their way to your place.”

A pause. “Lila… are you alright?”

“I’m coming too.” I said. “I want to watch it all end.”

Another silence. Then his reply.

“I’ll wait for you.”

I hung up.

I needed to see every last piece fall apart.

Only then could I bury this marriage forever with my own hands.