"I want to give Uncle three more chances. If… if he really doesn't want us, then we'll leave and never come back."
I closed my eyes, agreeing to my son’s painful request.
"Alright."
Dorian, my son and I will give you three more chances.
After that, you will cease to exist in our world.
Friday was the day Cassandra returned to Chicago.
They had once been fiancés, engaged right after graduation.
But just a month before their wedding, she’d abandoned Dorian, chasing some fantasy of love with another man.
From that moment, their paths diverged, never meant to cross again.
Dorian fell into a deep depression.
And I was the one who stayed by his side.
One reckless night, and a child was conceived.
Just like that, I became his wife in name only—a woman he barely acknowledged, the mother of a son he never wanted.
After printing the finalized escape plan, I began preparing my cover story.
Unlike my son, I was long past being hurt by Dorian's indifference. I wasn’t foolish enough to wait for a man like him to change.
Seven years had been more than enough to burn away any naive fantasies I once held.
"Aurora, are you really leaving?" my gallery manager asked in a hushed tone.
I smiled, my excuse already rehearsed.
"Yes. I'm taking Leo to Europe to visit his grandfather. It's a long overdue family reunion."
She nodded sympathetically.
"That's for the best. It's been exhausting, seeing you hold this family together on your own."
I let out a short, bitter laugh.
I wasn't an abandoned woman, but my reality was far worse.
My eyes began to sting, but I quickly masked the feeling with a practiced smile, refusing to let anyone see the cracks.
Just as I was finishing up at the gallery, Dorian and Cassandra walked into the family’s private club.
She glided ahead of him, a gentle smile gracing her lips.
He followed a step behind, his gaze glued to her, never straying for a second.
A Capo I knew nudged me and whispered, "Aurora, look at that. Our Underboss finally looks human."
I forced a smile, a storm raging inside me.
It took seven years for the man of stone to show a glimmer of warmth.
But, Dorian…
I could wait a lifetime, and he would never look at me the way he was looking at her.
As they passed, I couldn't stop myself. I called out.
"Dorian—"
Before I could finish, he shot me a look of pure ice.
"Miss Valenti. Is there something you need?"
His voice was arctic, each word a command to swallow my words and remember my place.
I lowered my head, forcing back the tears that burned my eyes.
"My apologies, Mr. Halle."
He gave a curt nod, his attention immediately snapping back to Cassandra, as if she were the only person in the world.
He was my husband.
The father of my child.
And here he was, flaunting his devotion to another woman right in front of my face.
The irony was a bitter pill to swallow.
A humorless laugh escaped my lips.
I had been about to tell him I was taking our son to Europe.
Now, it was clear he wouldn't even notice we were gone.
He didn't care about me, our child, or this sham of a marriage that only served to bind our families.
Back at my table, a call came through from my son's phone.
"Mamma, equestrian class ended early for the school awards ceremony tonight. Marcus is bringing me to the club."
