No Turning Back

I didn't see Dante again after that day.

I called him, a warning.

"That project is dirty. Be ready for the money to disappear."

He just brushed it off.

"How could it be? Sofia's a top finance graduate. How much could she possibly lose?"

But five days later, the crypto project collapsed.

The market value plummeted. Three hundred million in assets vanished, leaving only thirty million.

When he was desperate, Dante called.

"Do you have the money?"

"The family's account has only eighty million. Where would I get more?"

I opened the latest report Marco had given me.

"I told you that project had problems," my voice was calm. "Marco sent three risk assessments, and you ignored them all."

"Now it's blown up, that's your problem." I hung up.

Three seconds later, he called again.

"You better have the money ready. Your seal is on it!"

I said "oh" and hung up.

Then he called seventeen more times.

I turned off my phone.

The next morning, I was dealing with the alliance dissolution.

The office door was kicked open.

Dante's eyes were bloodshot.

Sofia hid behind him, tears streaming down her face.

"Elena, I knew you'd be here." Dante strode up to me. "You have to step in."

"I have to?" I didn't look up. "Why?"

"Because I'm your husband!" Dante slammed his hand on my documents. "This debt was taken out in your name. You have to pay it back!"

"The Moretti family's reserves must still have funds. Get them out now!"

I finally looked at him.

"You blew through my fifty million, then took out three hundred million in usurious loans in the family's name, and now you want me to bail you out?"

"I'll pay that money back!"

"With what?" I sneered. "With Sofia's asthma medicine? Or with the chips she lost in Vegas?"

"Elena, I don't have time for this argument!" Dante lowered his voice. "Escobar doesn't play games. If that money isn't paid by midnight tonight, they'll come after the family!"

I watched them, unmoved. "So? The Don should know this isn't my problem to solve."

In the end, Dante left.

After he was gone, Marco spoke cautiously, "Escobar doesn't play games. If Don Ricci gets hurt, the Ricci family will fall apart, and then..."

"And then the Moretti family gets hit too?" I finished his sentence. "So I should sacrifice myself for the greater good, to save a man who betrayed me?"

Marco fell silent.

That evening, Escobar's second-in-command, Carlos, arrived at the estate.

"Don Ricci." Carlos glanced at his watch. "Eleven fifty-eight. You have two minutes."

"Where's the money?"

"She's the one who stamped the loan!" Sofia yelled, pointing at me in terror, the dark muzzles of guns aimed at us. "She's the Donna Elena. You go after her! She has plenty of money!"

Dante turned to look at me, frowning.

"You're not going to bring it out?"

I stood aside, quietly watching the man who once swore he'd love me forever.

Even now, he still expected me to cover for him.

But then, Carlos went silent for a few seconds, and suddenly he laughed.

"Don Ricci, perhaps your eyes are playing tricks on you?"

"Look closely. That's your Ricci family crest printed on the contract!"