The Capo's Nine Year Vow

The oversized coat, reeking of a cloying perfume that wasn't mine, perfectly concealed my now-flat stomach.

Under his gaze, I pulled a jewelry box from the coat pocket.

I opened it. A sapphire necklace, symbolizing the status of the future Donna of the family, lay gracefully on the black velvet inside.

Before I could speak, Dante snatched the necklace back, his face grim with annoyance.

"You took the wrong one. Yours is in the other pocket."

In the other pocket was a diamond-encrusted bracelet.

I only glanced at it before smiling and pushing it back toward him.

Then I said politely:

"The bracelet is beautiful, but I don't have an occasion to wear it. Besides, my birthday was three months ago. You should give it to Carina, along with the other one."

Dante was silent for a long moment, then reluctantly said:

"There's a family charity gala in a couple of days. You can come with me."

This was the first time he wanted me to appear publicly as his partner.

But for the past six months, it had always been Carina accompanying him to various events.

Even at a private party on his yacht with his closest confidants, the two of them were arm-in-arm in the group photos.

The memory of it made the man standing before me seem utterly laughable. "No, thank you. I don't need anything."

"Are you sure?" Dante asked, toying with the necklace as he looked at me.

I nodded. "It's best if Carina accompanies you."

My honesty made his face darken instantly.

"Isabella, take a good look at yourself. You look ridiculous, acting so petulant and ungrateful."

In the past, if he had said that, I would have started a huge fight with him.

But now, I couldn't be bothered to argue.

Just as I rolled my eyes and prepared to go back to my room, Dante's phone rang. It was Carina's special ringtone.

The girl was crying her eyes out, saying the heating in her apartment was broken.

"What am I going to do, Dante?"

"Silly girl, stay put and don't move. I'm coming to get you right now." After hanging up, he started for the door.

I called out to him. "The winter clothes you asked me to prepare for Carina last week are in the walk-in closet. Don't forget to take them to her."

Dante's expression shifted. He seemed to want to say something, but just then, Carina sent another voice message.

She mewled like a kitten, asking him to bring her a cup of hot cocoa on his way.

At her request, Dante had the butler clear a section of the walk-in closet and load a trove of winter clothes into his car, leaving with a smile on his face.

I glanced at the baby clothes he had casually tossed on the floor, then stood up and walked into the study.

On the mahogany desk was a blatant, intimate photo of Dante and Carina. Carina's eyes were bright, her teeth pearly, her smile captivating.

I went straight to the safe.

I tried Dante's birthday, and then mine. Wrong.

I tried our anniversary. Still wrong.

It wasn't until I entered Carina's birthday that the lock clicked open.

As I took out my fake passport and the escape fund I had prepared, a photo tucked inside fell out.

It was a picture of us with the first bullet casing he had given me when we first got together.

I tore the photo to shreds and tossed the pieces in the trash.