In the middle of the night, a rustling sound outside the door woke me up. I realized Luca wasn't lying beside me.
At the end of the hallway, the door to Gina's room stood slightly ajar. Drawn by a strange impulse, I stepped closer and saw Gina lying naked on the bed. Luca was on top of her, thrusting wildly.
"Don Rossi, who do you like more? Me or Elena?" Gina asked.
"You, of course. Elena is too boring," Luca answered.
After he finished speaking, he thrust even harder. Gina writhed beneath him, her moans filling the room.
The sight of their debauchery stung my eyes and pierced my heart. I never knew that Luca, who was always so composed, could have such a frantic side.
In the past, every kiss he gave me had been brief and restrained. He used to say that it was because I was the Donna and had to act with propriety. Looking back now, it was laughable.
Luca didn't return for the rest of the night. The next day, he gave a half-hearted excuse, saying he had been busy all night with family matters. I didn't call him out on his lie and simply turned toward the door.
When Gina saw me, she deliberately leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Elena, you saw everything, didn't you? Did you enjoy watching how wild Luca gets with me?"
So she had left the door open on purpose.
"Your son is already dead, and your husband belongs to me in every way. What are you still doing here?" Gina said.
A glint flashed in her eyes as she continued, "I tricked Luca into signing the divorce agreement that you had hidden in your drawer. I suggest you leave the Rossi estate soon to save whatever pride you have left. Otherwise, I'll make sure that you can't even find a place to bury your son."
I reached my breaking point, raised my hand, and slapped her across the face in a swift motion.
Suddenly, tears welled in her eyes, and she sank to her knees, looking utterly terrified. "Donna Marino, I was wrong! I'll never do it again! Please forgive me!"
Only then did I realize that Luca was standing right behind me. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"She threatened me using Niccolo's burial plot!" I said.
I tried to explain, but Luca wouldn't listen. He crouched down and helped Gina up, his eyes full of concern.
"You hit her over something so trivial?" Luca asked.
Trivial? I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
"I know that Niccolo meant a lot to you, but you can't hurt Gina," he said.
He pulled a check from his pocket, scribbled a number on it, and handed it to me. "You can choose Niccolo's burial plot. How about buying him the most luxurious one in Novaro?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at me, satisfied. He thought he had compensated me, yet he didn't realize that some things lose their meaning once love is gone.
I sneered. "Then how about I beat her to death and buy her the finest grave? Would that be alright?"
He grabbed my wrist. "That's enough. Tonight is the banquet of the five major families in Novaro. The Gambinos will announce our partnership in front of everyone."
He let go of my wrist and walked over to Gina, who was standing by the stairs, and took her hand. I wiped away my tears and forced down the anger boiling inside me.
Just then, my phone buzzed with a text from Don Gambino. "Come to the banquet tonight. The terms we agreed upon will be fulfilled this evening."
