“I don't care whether it's your anniversary, a business meeting, or anything else,” Luca said, his voice gentler this time. “When you're in this condition, nothing comes before you. Let's get out for a while. Some fresh air will do you good.”
“Really?” Celeste exclaimed, barely able to contain her excitement. “You're letting me leave? You're serious?”
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
“Have I ever made promises I didn't keep?” he replied. “Go get ready. We're leaving.”
A few moments later, I heard the unmistakable roar of helicopter blades.
Loud.
Familiar.
Taking her away...
Once again.
...
Four years earlier, after Celeste had taken my right hand, the pain had been so unbearable that even breathing felt impossible. Through it all, Luca never left my side. He barely slept, forgot to eat, and refused to leave my hospital room, as if looking away for even a second might cause me to fall apart.
One evening, he suddenly lifted me out of bed and carried me straight to his helicopter.
I was so weak that I could barely hold onto him, but his arms only tightened around me.
When we were high above the city, he gently turned my face toward the window.
"Look down," he said quietly. "See the buildings? From up here, they don't seem so big anymore, do they?"
I gave a weak nod, my vision blurred by tears.
Resting his forehead against mine, he spoke with a tenderness I had never forgotten.
"That's what life's like, Camille. Problems always look enormous when you're standing beneath them. But once you rise above them, they become smaller than you ever imagined."
He squeezed my hand reassuringly.
"And you won't face any of it alone. I'm here. No matter what happens, I'll help you through it. I promise."
Back then...
I believed every single word.
Now I knew better.
The nightmare I'd survived...
The suffering that almost destroyed me...
It all began because of him.
...
The fading sound of rotor blades pulled me back to the present.
I looked toward the neighboring property.
For a moment, I wondered if exhaustion was making me imagine things.
It wasn't.
The helicopter had landed next door.
Another mansion stood there.
An exact copy of mine.
A painful knot tightened in my chest.
The ring resting in my palm vibrated softly before Luca's voice came through.
"Celeste," he said, his tone warm in a way I hadn't heard directed at me in years, "you've spent too long confined to that villa. So I prepared something else."
There was a brief pause.
"This house belongs to you now."
"My anniversary gift."
I forgot how to breathe.
"And today..." he continued, "I'm staying here with you."
Celeste laughed with pure happiness.
It sounded like someone who had just been given everything she'd ever wanted.
At that exact moment, my phone lit up.
Camille, I've got a meeting with an important client. I'll be home tomorrow night instead. Don't wait up. Go enjoy yourself. If you need anything, call your husband. Love you.
My grip tightened around the phone.
A single tear landed on the screen, blurring the word husband until I could barely read it.
He had recreated the same life twice.
Two grand homes.
Two anniversaries.
Two wives.
The same promises.
The same affection.
But there was only one woman he truly chose.
It wasn't me.
Separated by nothing more than a single wall, he was spending his evening with the woman who legally carried his name.
And me?
I felt like the hidden one.
The secret.
Someone tucked away where no one else could see.
A mistress disguised as a wife.
The ache in my chest remained.
But the tears never came.
There wasn't much time left anyway.
I wiped my face, turned my back on the mansion, and went home.
Instead of dwelling on everything I'd lost, I buried myself in work.
I picked up my surgical instruments.
Both hands still felt stiff, but years of rehabilitation had finally made them steady enough.
I'd only cleared the first stage of the competition.
If I wanted to make it to the end...
I needed to become even better.
Faster.
Sharper.
Better than everyone else.
Maybe heartbreak had stripped away every distraction.
Every decision came effortlessly.
Each movement felt precise.
It was as though pain had carved away hesitation, leaving behind nothing but instinct.
Hours later, I finished outlining the first surgical procedure.
Leaning back in my chair, I stared quietly at my work.
My fingers accidentally brushed the ring resting on the steel tray.
Click.
The hidden receiver activated.
"I know one day together isn't enough..." Celeste's voice drifted through softly. "After today, I'll have to go back into hiding again... won't I?"
Every muscle in my body froze.
"I understand," she continued, her voice trembling. "Miss Hart can never find out about me. I know I don't deserve anything else."
She laughed weakly.
"But sometimes... I wish I could stand beside you the way she does."
Her voice broke.
"Just once... I'd like everyone to know I'm your wife."
Silence filled the room.
My breathing caught.
My arm began trembling uncontrollably.
It felt exactly like that day.
The flash of steel.
The sickening pain.
My hand being severed.
The agony returned all at once.
Phantom pain.
Real pain.
It hurt.
God...
Why did it still hurt so much?
Luca knew exactly what she'd done to me.
That's why he'd hidden her away.
Because he knew seeing her would destroy me all over again.
He would never allow that...
Would he?
The silence stretched on.
Then he finally answered.
"Alright."
Just one word.
Nothing more.
It was enough.
Something inside me shattered beyond repair.
I pressed a hand against my chest, struggling to breathe through the crushing pain.
...
The following day, Luca returned home as though nothing unusual had happened.
Perfectly on schedule.
The perfect husband.
He walked in carrying expensive gift boxes, smiling as if yesterday had never existed.
Inside one was a sapphire necklace whose brilliance rivaled the sea.
The other contained a custom-made evening gown covered in shimmering diamonds.
"Camille," he said warmly, "it's our seventh anniversary."
His eyes softened.
"I want everyone tonight to see how happy we are."
Happy.
The word felt hollow.
I said nothing.
I quietly changed into the gown.
Allowed him to clasp the necklace around my neck.
Allowed him to admire me as though I were priceless.
Then I slipped my hand into his, letting him lead me outside.
The anniversary banquet was held at one of his seven-star hotels.
Naturally.
Every inch of it belonged to him.
The ballroom glittered beneath crystal chandeliers.
Celebrities mingled with business tycoons, mafia leaders, politicians, and the wealthiest families in the country.
Everything looked flawless.
Yet something immediately caught my attention.
Every waiter wore an identical uniform.
Every face was concealed behind a mask.
Luca barely spared them a glance before turning toward me.
"Tonight belongs to you," he said calmly. "No one's taking attention away from you. The staff are only background. Masks keep it that way."
A sinking feeling settled inside me.
Deep down...
I already understood.
Guests soon surrounded us.
"Mr. Devereaux still worships his wife."
"Mrs. Devereaux really is blessed."
"I heard he bought her a five-billion-dollar estate."
"Every anniversary, his gifts become even more extravagant."
"And so does his love."
Love.
The word made me nauseous.
Then—
Riiip.
The sharp sound of fabric tearing echoed across the ballroom.
A waitress had stumbled.
Her uniform had ripped high along her thigh.
Flustered, she hurried to cover herself.
"I-I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
Nobody moved.
Nobody dared.
Fear swept through the room.
Everyone knew Luca had no patience for mistakes.
Especially not tonight.
Judging by the terrified expressions around us, they all expected the poor woman to be punished.
Luca's voice cut through the silence.
"Come with me."
The ballroom seemed to freeze.
Then he turned back to me.
His expression softened instantly.
"Camille," he said gently, brushing his fingertips across my arm, "rules exist for a reason. Sometimes people have to learn that lesson."
He smiled reassuringly.
"I'll deal with this and be right back."
Without thinking, I nodded.
He grabbed the waitress by the wrist and led her away.
Something inside me twisted.
Something wasn't right.
Several minutes passed.
Then...
I found myself following them.
I didn't know why.
Maybe part of me already knew exactly what I was going to find.
Upstairs, the conference room door hadn't fully closed.
I eased it open just enough to look inside.
The world stopped.
The waitress was sitting on top of the conference table.
Her legs were wrapped around Luca's waist.
Her mask was gone.
It was Celeste.
Of course it was.
