The Price of His Little Snake

On my sixth wedding anniversary, as my husband Julian—a Mafia Don—leaned in, his kiss hungry, I turned my head and pushed him away, my cheeks burning. "Go get the lubricant from the bathroom," I whispered.

What he didn't know was that I had hidden an ultrasound and a positive pregnancy test in the nightstand drawer. I could already picture his face lighting up the moment he found them.

But as he turned toward the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of the tattoo on his back.

It was supposed to be an iris, a flower he'd had designed just for me, which had bloomed alone between his shoulder blades for six years. But now, a small snake I had never seen before was coiled around the stem—Seraphina's mark. My sister's symbol.

It was a knife twisting in my gut. As an art restorer, I am hyper-aware of symbols, of details. The altered tattoo told me everything.

My arms, still draped around Julian's neck, began to tremble. In that moment, my hesitation vanished. I would accept the invitation to the European art restoration project.

In three days, I would disappear from Julian's world forever.

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1

Julian Valachi felt my arms slip from his neck. He leaned in, pressing a deep kiss to my lips.

"Something on your mind, darling? Am I losing my touch?"

He gave me the same adoring look he always did, a look that now struck me as utterly ridiculous.

Just minutes ago, I'd discovered the tattoo he designed exclusively for me had been defiled by a symbol for my sister, Seraphina. And now, here he was, playing the part of the perfect, devoted husband.

How long had he been playing this part? I couldn't bear the thought.

I buried my face in his chest, hiding the bitter twist of my lips. "Nothing. I was just admiring the new addition to your tattoo. It's incredible."

A smug smile touched Julian's lips. "Just a little something new. I'm glad you like it."

He must have been too caught up with Seraphina to remember who he married. An art restorer. I was trained to see every symbol, every lie.

The air grew heavy, suffocating.

I pushed him away, my voice unnaturally steady. "I'm suddenly thirsty. Why don't you bring up a good bottle from the cellar? We can continue our celebration."

Before Julian could say a word, I slipped on a silk robe and headed downstairs.

As I passed the living room, I heard the maids whispering.

"The Don is so devoted to the Donna. Did you hear? He just ordered a custom blue diamond necklace for her. Ten million dollars."

"The storage room is overflowing with his gifts. She hasn't even had time to unwrap them all. He worships the ground she walks on."

In the past, those words would have made me feel like the luckiest woman alive, certain I had married the best man in the world.

But now, I had to fight to keep the pain from showing on my face. No one knew that this model husband, the man everyone praised, was living a sordid lie.

Just yesterday, I had snuck into Julian's study to leave his custom-made anniversary gift. It was a room I rarely entered, filled as it was with family secrets.

But this time, tucked inside his cigar box, I found a cufflink that wasn't my anniversary gift to him. It was engraved with an exquisite serpentine design. The sight of it was a physical blow.

In that moment, I knew my marriage was over.

My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. It was my mentor, Professor Alistair Finch.

"Evangeline, I see you've accepted the invitation for the restoration project. You gave up your career for Julian. I'm so glad you're finally ready to come back. Someone will be there to pick you up in three days. Take some time to say goodbye to your family."

My family?

I nearly crushed my phone.

Six years ago, my parents died in an "accident." After that, Julian and Seraphina were my only family. But their betrayal meant they were nothing to me now.

I took a deep breath, my voice barely a whisper. "Professor Finch, that won't be necessary. Please apply for the highest security clearance for me. Erase every record of my identity."

Alistair's voice grew sharp with shock. "Why? Once we erase your records, Evangeline de Rossi will cease to exist. If Julian can't find you, he'll tear the world apart."

I let out a bitter laugh. "He won't. He already betrayed me."

My eyes began to sting.

I had traded my own world for the trivialities of his, lost myself completely, and received nothing but betrayal in return.

There was a long silence on the other end of the line before Alistair finally sighed.

"I knew something was wrong when you accepted the invitation so suddenly. I just didn't expect this. I'll make sure the clearance is approved. Be ready in three days."

I closed my eyes, feeling a calm I hadn't felt in years. With this protocol, I wouldn't have to fight to shed the title of "Mrs. Valachi."

"Thank you, Professor Finch."

The last word had barely left my lips when a familiar, chilling voice cut through the silence behind me. "Betrayal, darling? Who's betraying whom?"