Once we got home, Lorenzo pressed me against the wall and kissed me with impatient hunger. The scent of cigars mixed with another woman's perfume hit me hard, almost making me gag.
I pulled away. "I don't feel well. I want to take a shower."
Lorenzo lowered his voice at once. "Alright. I'll warm some milk for you. Before you sleep, I'll give you a massage."
His phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and a flicker of conflict crossed his face.
"There's a small issue with the famiglia's business. I need to step out. I'll massage you when I return."
I looked at him for several seconds. He grew nervous and touched his nose.
"Never mind. I won't go. Staying with you is more important."
"It's fine. Go. I'll wait."
I decided to give Lorenzo a chance. If he had stayed, everything would have turned out differently.
Even knowing where he was going, I still held onto a faint, foolish hope.
I went downstairs and quietly followed him. He did not return to his company. Instead, he drove to the coast.
At the doorstep of the seaside villa he once bought for me, the dancer appeared. She ran forward and threw herself into his arms.
Lorenzo immediately pushed her away. "Marjorie, I told you not to come looking for me right now."
She looked at him with trembling, pleading eyes.
"It's raining, and I'm afraid of thunder. Can you stay with me tonight? The doctor said emotional stress affects the baby. The heartbeat could stop."
Lorenzo hesitated for a moment, then pulled her into his arms with a helpless sigh.
"Madonna mia. I can never deal with you." His voice was indulgent. "Next time, do not show up without my word.
"My wife is starting to get suspicious. You know I love my wife. If she finds out, she'll leave me. I cannot let that happen."
The irony was cruel. Lorenzo was holding another woman while declaring how much he feared losing me.
Watching them embrace through the window made my chest ache until I could barely breathe. I turned away and went home. I knew he would not return that night.
The next morning, after Lorenzo came back, the first thing he did was pull me into his arms.
He smelled of shower gel, clearly trying to wash away someone else's scent. It did not work. The overeager tenderness only proved his guilt.
This time, I did not push him away. I quietly said my goodbyes in my heart.
I packed my things and prepared to leave.
"Where are you going so early?" he asked.
I looked at him calmly. "To apply for a visa."
His expression shifted instantly, as if something precious was slipping through his fingers.
"A visa? What for? Where are you going?" He grabbed my hand, his face twisted with the fear that I might disappear.
I stared at him. "Why are you so nervous?"
Unease flickered in his eyes. His lips trembled as he tried to maintain composure.
"Did we not say we would go to Frostholm Isles together?" I said coldly. "Why are you sweating?"
"Right. Yes. We are going to see the northern lights together." He wiped his forehead. "It's warm here."
He exhaled deeply, his shoulders loosening. He kissed my cheek. "Come on. I'll drive you."
For the next two days, Lorenzo acted strangely attentive. He skipped every social engagement, came home on time, and even cooked for me himself.
That afternoon, he presented me with a necklace worth millions of dollars in front of the entire company.
"You look stunning in this," he said proudly. "You really are my beautiful wife."
His men chimed in.
"Donna, Mr. Alvarez treats you so well. That necklace is a limited edition. He went through a lot to get it."
"You're so lucky. Mr. Alvarez is handsome, wealthy, and completely devoted."
Their praise washed over me like cold water.
Later, while Lorenzo was in the shower, his phone buzzed with a string of message alerts. I did not want to look, but I still reached for it.
The lock screen password was still my birthday.
My nose stung. Tears fell before I could stop them.
How could Lorenzo claim to love me while being so intimate with someone else?
Marjorie had sent him a photo of her pregnant belly. "Lorenzo, the baby and I miss you. I know you only love your wife, but I love you too. We both do…"
He replied, "Be good. I'll visit you when I have time."
Lorenzo had even bought her a necklace to make it up to her. One that cost twice as much as mine.
