Evelina POV
I pushed aside the ghosts of our past, forcing them back into their crypts. I looked up at the man who commanded thousands of lethal soldiers, my husband.
"I want a divorce, Dante," I demanded again. I swallowed the coppery taste of blood in my mouth, along with the last five years of my pride.
Dante remained completely silent. His handsome face might as well have been carved from stone, his expression entirely unreadable. Several agonizing minutes passed between us, each second a leaden weight.
I could not endure his cold, indifferent treatment for another second. I turned my back on him and marched straight to the master suite.
I yanked my suitcase from the closet and started furiously throwing my clothes inside.
Half an hour later, I dragged the heavy suitcase back toward the grand foyer, the wheels producing a series of sharp, angry clicks against the pristine marble floor.
The sound of heavy footsteps on the marble behind me preceded Dante's reaction. He strode past me, his tattooed arm barring my path as his hand gripped the front doorframe in an ironclad barrier.
"Evelina," he demanded, using my full name. "Are you really tearing our marriage apart over a trivial matter?"
I drew a deep, steadying breath and met his dangerous, dark gaze.
"Yes," I answered firmly.
Dante's thick brows furrowed deeply. He fell into thought, his jaw clenching rhythmically before his tone suddenly softened.
"Let me explain the situation with the tablet," he offered.
I had no intention of forgiving him, but I stood my ground, letting him spin his excuse.
"Serena's recent operational plan was approved by the Capos," Dante said, his voice as detached as if he were discussing a routine business transaction. "Instead of a monetary reward, she merely asked to play games on my tablet. I permitted it."
He was so casually brushing off the violation of our sacred boundaries.
"The passcode has already been changed back," he assured me. "It is a minor issue."
My chest felt entirely hollow.
"I have already disciplined Serena," Dante continued, utterly oblivious to the chasm opening within me. "She realizes her mistake. She will come to the estate to formally apologize to you."
He reached out, trying to touch my arm, but I immediately stepped back, avoiding his hand.
"Be the bigger person, Eve," Dante urged. "Do not make things difficult for a young associate. I promise to limit my contact with her strictly to syndicate business."
His words landed like a physical blow. He was framing me as the vicious, jealous wife.
"Are you actively protecting her now?" I demanded, my voice trembling with disbelief.
"That is not what I meant," Dante denied quickly, a flicker of frustration crossing his features.
I let out a harsh bark of a laugh, the bitter sound ricocheting off the high ceilings of the foyer. In that instant, my resolve to leave cemented into solid rock.
"I haven't decided whether to keep the baby," I stated coldly, letting the words fall into the space between us like chips of ice.
Dante's dark eyes widened in sudden, visceral alarm, all his previous composure cracking like flawed porcelain.
"But I swear on the Omertà," I continued, my tone devoid of any warmth, "I will never use the heir to threaten you."
I shoved hard against his solid chest. He was too stunned by my revelation to resist, allowing me to walk right past him.
I pushed open the heavy mahogany doors of the estate, welcoming the biting cold winter air that hit my face.
I dragged my suitcase down the stone steps, and I did not look back.
