An explosion took my hearing the day I saved my fiancé, Marco Falcone.
But at our engagement party, he announced he was in love with my sister, Isabella.
Even my own parents told me to step aside.
Then he stepped in. Dante Falcone. The Don.
My ex-fiancé's powerful uncle.
He offered me marriage. Protection. A new life.
He said he’d loved me for a decade. I believed him.
Five years later, a miracle. My hearing returned.
I raced to my husband's study to tell him. But I stopped at the door.
I overheard a conversation between him and his consigliere.
"Once I've cleared all the obstacles for Isabella, I'll give her the entire East Coast shipping business."
His consigliere chuckled. "The Donna would be heartbroken if she knew you only married her to keep her from harassing Marco and ruining Isabella's happiness."
"She's deaf. She can't hear."
My eyes burned, and my hands trembled at my sides, clenching into fists.
So that was it. Five years of marriage, of feeling protected—all a carefully crafted lie for another woman.
There was nothing left for me in this gilded cage.
It was time to disappear from his world forever.
————————
1
The doctor confirmed it: my hearing was fully restored.
I rushed back to the Falcone estate, my heart hammering against my ribs. I couldn't wait to tell Dante, to finally hear my husband's voice.
But as I neared his study, a cold, masculine voice drifted from the slightly ajar door.
"Once Isabella's child is born, I'll hand over the Las Vegas casinos to him. That way, she'll be secure for the rest of her life."
I peered through the crack to see Dante on the sofa with his Consigliere, Luca. I recognized the voice instantly. It was Dante.
Then, Luca spoke, a hint of concern in his tone.
"Don, if you give away the most profitable casinos, what about the Donna? She's a Principessa of the Ricci family. Are you planning to let her face hardship with you?"
Dante dismissed the concern, a flicker of obsession in his eyes.
"Isabella didn't choose me back then, so I lost the chance to protect her for a lifetime. Now, I'll give her my wealth so she knows I'll always have her back. As for Elena..."
His voice trailed off, laced with a subtle annoyance.
"I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to her. Besides, she loves me. She'd give me anything. It's a slight dip in our lifestyle, not ruin. She won't complain."
Luca sighed, a note of resignation in his voice.
"Don, you've spent your life hung up on Isabella. The Donna would be heartbroken if she knew you didn't marry her for love, but to keep her from... ruining Isabella's happiness with Marco."
The words were bullets, each one finding its mark in my chest.
The sharp pain sent an involuntary tremor through my entire body.
Luca was about to say more when he saw me at the door. His face tensed.
"Donna... you're back."
Dante’s gaze followed, and a flash of panic crossed his eyes before being swiftly masked by his usual indifference.
He shot Luca a look, his voice chilling.
"What are you panicking for? She's deaf. You could shout in her ear, and she wouldn't hear a thing."
At Dante's cynical words, Luca relaxed. He stood, bowed to me, and greeted me in sign language.
Dante also strode over, draping a cashmere shawl across my shoulders. His eyes held their usual pity as he signed to me.
"Why did you run out so lightly dressed? You'll catch a chill."
