Ten Years, One Abandonment

When Mabel woke up, only the family doctor was at her bedside, his expression grave as he spoke.

"Donna, this time, the cold penetrated deep into your bones and did some damage to your body. On top of that, your old injuries haven't healed yet. From now on, you must rest and avoid all emotional agitation. Absolutely no more shocks. Otherwise…"

He stopped himself, sighed, and quietly withdrew.

Henry remained standing at the foot of the bed, his expression conflicted—her Consigliere, as always.

"Where is he?" she asked.

Henry lowered his head, avoiding her eyes. "Ms. Reyes was badly injured. Her fever hasn't gone down, and she keeps calling Mr. Zachary's name. The Don… the Don is still with her."

As expected.

She had nearly died in the cold room, yet the true instigator was lying comfortably in a special-care ward, receiving her husband's tender attention.

Confronting it head-on, she could never defeat Anthony's guilt toward his dead brother.

If she continued fighting, all it would do was make Anthony see her as vicious and unbearable, sealing the label of a poisonous woman once and for all.

By then, Cheryl would only need to shed a few tears to grind her effortlessly into the dirt.

If she wanted to win, she needed a different way to live.

"You can go. I want to be alone."

Once the bedroom was completely empty, Mabel forced her weakened body out of bed. From a hidden compartment deep inside the wardrobe, she retrieved an old, specially modified phone.

It had lain dormant there for many years.

After entering a string of numbers she knew by heart, the call was answered almost instantly.

The man's voice was still the same: careless, teasing, and dangerous.

"Well, what a rare caller. What made you think of me all of a sudden, hm?"

"I lost our bet."

Sensing something off in her tone, he fell silent for a few seconds before his voice turned serious.

"I told you long ago that someone like Anthony has too much room in his heart. He can hold the world, he can hold his brothers… But he can never hold just you alone. You wouldn't listen. You insisted on smashing your head bloody on that dead-end road."

She coughed lightly. "So, I accept the loss. I'll give you what you want. In exchange, give me my freedom.

"I want to completely sever myself from the Oliver family, from the Don. Give me a clean, unburdened life."

"Deal," he replied, his tone brightening. "Then, what's my pledge?"

Mabel looked out the window. At Saint Laurent Manor, the roses were in full bloom: lush and vivid, the color of fresh blood.

"Next Wednesday. The border waters. The cruise ship Elysium. The Don will personally negotiate that one-billion deal."

After hanging up, she snapped the card in half and flushed it down the toilet.

Facing the mirror, she practiced a long-forgotten gentle smile.

…

In the days that followed, everyone noticed that Mabel had changed.

She traded sharp tailoring for soft cashmere dresses. The hands that once held weapons now practiced cooking. She even took the initiative to prepare nourishing broths for Cheryl in the kitchen.

When Anthony returned home exhausted, waiting for him were a drawn bath and a warm hangover remedy.

Mabel helped him remove his coat, her movements light and careful.

"You're not angry with me anymore?" he asked.

Anthony clasped her hand, surprise and emotion written all over his face.

Lowering her gaze to hide the chill in her eyes, Mabel spoke words she did not mean.

"I figured things out in the cold room. You're the Don, and I'm your Donna. We're one. Since Cheryl is your brother's widow, she's also my responsibility. I was too narrow-minded before, always arguing with a young girl. That was my fault."

"That's wonderful," Anthony said, pulling her into his arms. "I knew it. You understand me better than anyone. You always know what's right."

He rejoiced in her newfound 'reasonableness,' never noticing how stiff her body was in his embrace, how absent her affection.

To fully lower his guard, she even chose to swallow her anger when Cheryl provoked her.

At the dining table, Cheryl deliberately knocked over a bowl of soup, splashing Mabel.

"I'm sorry, Mabel. My injuries aren't healed yet, so…"

In the past, that would have irked Mabel to no end.

However, this time, she simply wiped herself with a napkin and smiled gently. "It's fine. As long as you're not burned."

Watching this, Anthony's guilt toward Mabel reached its peak.

The opportunity arrived that very evening.

Henry was reporting the upcoming schedule. "Next Wednesday, the arms negotiation with the Nordic side will take place in international waters."

Anthony nodded.

Mabel spoke casually, as if it were an afterthought. "I heard it'll be held on the Elysium. The panoramic stardome on the top deck is one of the best places in the world to see the aurora. It's a shame. A sit-down like that isn't suitable for bringing family along."

She spoke as if without any apparent intention.

However, someone was listening in.

Cheryl, who had been quietly eating, suddenly lit up.

"Zachary once promised to take me to see the aurora…"

Tears welled instantly as she spoke, her regret carefully performed.

"Anthony… May I go in his place?"

Anthony hesitated. "Cheryl, it's a business negotiation. It's dangerous."

"With you there, I won't be afraid of anything," she said, looking up at him with pure admiration. "And Mabel will be going too, right? I'll stay in my room and won't wander around. Nothing will happen. Please, Anthony."

Anthony looked at Mabel.

She smiled faintly and served him another bowl of soup.

"The Elysium has tight security, and it's hosted similar deals before. What could go wrong? If Cheryl wants to fulfill her wish, let her go. We'll be together at sea; it's safer that way."

She soothed Anthony's ego and appeared magnanimous all at once.

"Alright. We'll all go together," he said, gripping her hand warmly. "After the deal, we can take a proper vacation on a nearby island."

Mabel returned his grip, her smile soft but empty.

The trap of life and death was already set.

There would be no 'after' for them.

Anthony could spend the rest of his life guarding Cheryl.

Mabel would not be joining him.