Silent No More: The Donna’s Revenge

Five years ago, I threw myself in front of a bullet meant for my husband and lost my hearing in the process. Nico Marchetti learned sign language, held my hand through every doctor's appointment and swore he would protect me for the rest of his life. On the night I discovered his betrayal, he sat across from me at a dinner table surrounded by his capos and smiled, "Giulia is the only woman I love. But I hide it well because if she ever found out about Valentina, she'd leave me."  Then he carved his steak and placed it on my plate like a devoted husband. What he didn't know was that I had regained my hearing exactly seven days earlier. I had already contacted the Benedetti family. I had already arranged my escape to Sicily. All I had to do was wait seven more days. Then I disappeared from Nico Marchetti's life forever. Chapter 1 "Donna Marchetti, everything is arranged. The Benedetti family is ready to receive you in Sicily." My fingers tightened around the phone. "And the documentation? The volunteer work arrangement?" "All prepared. Transfer papers under Benedetti protection, identity documents, bank accounts in Sicily under your maiden name. The private flight leaves in seven days." Relief flooded through me. "Good. Send me the final details tomorrow." After confirming the details one more time, I ended the call and slipped the phone into my clutch. The bathroom door swung open and one of the capo's wives walked in with her lipstick in hand. Her eyes went wide the moment she recognized me standing by the sinks. Before I could finish drying my hands, she was already pulling me back into the private dining hall. Nico stood the second I walked through the door. His hands moved through the air in familiar signs. “Where did you go? You were gone for so long.” "I just needed a moment," I said, settling back into my seat beside him. "Continue with what you were discussing." One of his capos immediately leaned forward with a grin. "I still cannot believe Don Marchetti is stuck playing devoted husband to a woman who cannot even hear him." "At least he has Valentina Rossi to make up for what he is missing at home with his deaf wife." Nico's face went completely pale and his eyes darted toward me to see if I had heard anything. "Mind what you say. The Donna is sitting right here." My daughter, Isabella looked up from her dessert plate with boredom written across her young face. "What's there to be afraid of, Papa? Mama can't hear us anyway." Laughter rippled around the table. My nails dug into my palm hard enough to leave marks. Nico picked up his knife and carefully cut a piece of meat into perfect bite-sized portions before placing them on my plate. "Valentina Rossi is nothing more than a distraction to pass the time when business gets boring. Giulia is the only woman I love. But I hide it well because if she ever found out about Valentina, she'd leave me." His gaze swept across the room. "Any man who lets a single word of this reach her ears will answer to me directly. Are we understood?" The capos cheered and raised their glasses before the last word had even finished leaving his mouth. "Don Marchetti, there is truly no other man in this entire city built the way you are built!" "Seven years married and still living like a free man! The rest of us lost that battle by year two!" "The Don always knows exactly how to handle every situation that comes his way!" The conversation shifted into praise and admiration. They talked about Nico like he was a genius for managing two women at once. Suddenly, the front entrance opened. Valentina Rossi walked into the private dining hall wearing a red dress that hugged every curve of her body. Her dark hair fell in perfect waves down her back. Isabella jumped out of her seat and ran straight towards her arms. "Aunt Valentina! You're finally here!" Valentina scooped her up and kissed her cheek. "Piccola! Did you miss me today?" "Of course I did! Did you bring what you promised?" Valentina pulled out a small box wrapped in expensive paper from her bag. "The cannoli from that special bakery in Little Italy. Just like I said I would." Isabella's face lit up like fireworks. She wrapped her arms around Valentina's neck and squeezed tight. "You're the best, Aunt Valentina! I love you so much!" "I love you too, sweetheart." Valentina set Isabella down and walked directly to Nico. She didn't hesitate. She sat down on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and pecked him on his cheeks. They descended into complete chaos. "You two can't keep your hands off each other even in front of everyone!" One of the capos leaned forward with eyes gleaming. "Don, I've got to ask. Since Giulia can't hear anything, have you and Valentina ever done it at the estate?" The question hung in the air. Everyone waited for the answer. Nico's smile widened. "Of course we have. Multiple times. It's nice when you know she'll never find out." "Where? Come on, Don, give us details!" "The guest room next to the master bedroom. My office. The wine cellar. Even the greenhouse Giulia loves so much." The room exploded with applause. Glasses crashed together in celebration. "Jesus Christ, Don! You've got nerves of steel!" "Marriage isn't going to stop you and Valentina from having your fun!" The compliments kept coming and the laughter kept building with every passing second. But no one noticed how tightly I was clenching my fists under the table. No one noticed how my face had gone perfectly still, while the entire room celebrated around me like I was not sitting right there among them. No one knew that I had regained my hearing exactly seven days ago. And in few days from tonight, I was going to disappear from Nico Marchetti's life forever. Chapter 2 I picked up my wine glass and took a long drink to keep myself from crashing out. Nico's hand found mine under the table, squeezing gently. He signed with his free hand. “Are you sure you're alright? You seem distant tonight.” I pulled my hand away . “I'm fine. Just tired.” His brow furrowed, but before he could respond, Isabella appeared at his other side, tugging on his sleeve. "Papa, Aunt Valentina said she'd take me shopping tomorrow for a dress. Can I go?" Nico smiled and ruffled Isabella's hair. "Of course, piccola. Whatever you want." Isabella beamed and ran back to Valentina, who pulled her onto her lap like she was the child's real mother. I watched them together and felt the last fragile thread inside my chest snap clean in half. I stood abruptly. The conversation around the table died. "It’s getting late," I said. "I want to go back to the estate and rest." Nico pushed his chair back immediately and moved to stand beside me. I pressed my hand gently against his shoulder and eased him back down into his seat. "There is no need," I said. "Stay and finish your business with the Family. I will be perfectly fine going back alone." I turned and walked out before he could argue. The moment I stepped outside onto the street, I heard a group of women talking nearby. "Did you see the Donna in there with her husband, they are absolutely perfect together." "She is so lucky to have a man like that in our world where most men keep mistresses." I felt bile rising in my throat listening to them praise the lie Nico had built around us. They had no idea that the devoted husband they admired was fucking his mistress in our home. I drove back to the estate and let my mind drift back to how everything started. Five years ago a former soldier who had been dismissed from the family came back looking for revenge. He had cornered Nico outside his father's restaurant with a gun already drawn and ready to fire. Everyone else had scattered when they saw the weapon, but I threw myself in front of Nico without thinking. The gun went off three times and I felt the bullets tear through my shoulder and graze my skull. We both went down bleeding onto the concrete, before his men finally arrived and killed the attacker. I woke up three days later in the hospital with my hearing damaged. Nico sat beside my bed holding my hand with tears running down his face. His hands moved slowly and carefully through the air spelling out words in sign language he had learned for me. “Giulia Benedetti, marry me and become my wife, I will protect you for the rest of your life.” I had believed him completely because I thought a man does not marry someone out of guilt alone. Seven days ago, I traveled to Manhattan to see a specialist about experimental surgery for hearing restoration. The procedure was dangerous, but I was desperate to hear Nico's voice again after five years. When the doctor finally removed the bandages, he snapped his fingers next to my left ear. The damaged nerves in my inner ear had regenerated completely and my hearing was fully restored to normal. I left that clinic and rushed back to the estate to surprise Nico and Isabella with the news. But the moment I walked through the front doors of our home, I heard Nico’s voice coming from upstairs. "I cannot stop thinking about last night, you felt incredible and I need to see you again soon." "Tonight after Giulia goes to bed, I will come to you and we can continue where we left off." "The guest room was perfect, but next time I want to take you in the wine cellar like we talked about." I heard footsteps and then Isabella's voice joined the conversation from somewhere near Nico's study. "Papa, are you going to see Valentina tonight, I can help you keep Mama distracted if you want." "I will ask her to watch that long documentary with me in the media room, she always falls asleep during those." Nico's voice was filled with approval and warmth when he responded to our daughter's eager offer. "You are such a smart girl Isabella, that is a perfect plan and I will be back before morning." Tears streamed down my face as I realized my daughter was actively helping him replace me with another woman. The car pulled up to the estate and I went straight to our bedroom before climbing into bed. I lay there in the darkness staring at the ceiling and counting down the days until my escape. Nearly two hours after, I heard his car pull up outside. The door opened quietly and he slipped inside trying not to wake me from sleep. The mattress dipped under his weight as he climbed into bed still wearing his clothes from dinner. His hand slid across my waist and pulled my body back against his chest in the darkness. I felt his breath hot against the back of my neck as his fingers started moving lower. One week ago I would have turned to face him and welcomed whatever he wanted from me. But now I felt nothing except disgust and rage burning under my skin like poison. I shoved him away with all the strength I had in my body. He let out a shocked cry of pain and tumbled completely off the bed onto the floor. His hands lifted and began signing with real concern written all over his face in the dim light. “Giulia, what is wrong with you tonight, did I do something to upset you at the restaurant?” I kept my expression blank when I finally answered his desperate question. "Nothing is wrong with me, I am just not feeling well enough for that right now." Nico's eyes went wide like he suddenly remembered something. He scrambled across the floor and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. Then he made a video call and positioned the phone so I could see the screen clearly. Two of his most trusted capos appeared on the screen and they both looked concerned. “Donna, Valentina is only involved with us because her father died protecting Don Marchetti years ago.” The second capo leaned toward the camera and began signing as well. “There is absolutely nothing inappropriate happening between the Don and Miss Rossi at all.” “She occasionally provides security advice for our operations but that is the extent of their relationship.” Nico nodded frantically and made another video call to a different soldier who repeated similar reassurances. I stared at the phone screen and realized he had prepared all of them for this exact moment. He had coached his men on what to say and even taught them basic signs to convince me. My voice came out tired and defeated exactly the way he expected it to sound. "I understand now. I am just exhausted and I want to sleep through the night." I turned onto my side facing away from him and closed my eyes. Only after several long minutes of silence did he begin tracing words into my palm in the darkness. "Giulia, I love you more than anything else in this entire world and I cannot live without you." "Please never leave me because if you do, I will not survive it." The tears slid down my face and soaked into the silk pillowcase beneath my cheek. If you truly loved me the way you claim, you would not be fucking another woman in our home. In seven days I will disappear from your world forever and you will finally understand what you lost. Chapter 3 Our wedding anniversary was in seven days and Nico had been acting strange all morning. He kept hovering around me like he was waiting for the perfect moment to say something important. I was in the garden cutting roses when he finally approached me. "Giulia, I need you to come with me somewhere today, it cannot wait any longer." His signing was rushed and agitated, carrying that edge of desperation I had been noticing more and more lately. I set down my gardening shears and wiped the dirt from my hands slowly. "I have plans with the event coordinator this afternoon to finalize the celebration details." Nico's jaw tightened and he pulled out his phone to make a call. After a brief conversation, he hung up and began to sign. "I already called her and rescheduled for tomorrow, today you are coming with me." There was no room for argument in his gestures so I simply nodded once. The drive took over an hour and Nico refused to tell me where we were going. He kept glancing at me every few minutes like he was checking to see if I was still breathing. When we finally pulled off the highway onto a private road, my stomach dropped. We were heading toward the countryside estate district where the wealthiest families kept their summer properties. Nico parked in front of a massive villa that looked like it had been transplanted from Tuscany. "This is yours, Giulia. I bought it six months ago and had it completely restored for you." "Happy early anniversary, I wanted you to see it before the celebration so you could enjoy it properly." I stared at the villa and felt absolutely nothing except a dull ache in my chest. A woman in a designer suit came from somewhere and started talking rapidly. "Giulia, your husband has been working closely with me on every single detail!" She was signing while she spoke and I realized Nico had hired her specifically for this moment. Two workers trimming the hedges nearby stopped to watch us with obvious admiration. "The Don really went all out for his wife, this renovation cost more than most people make in ten lifetimes." "He personally approved every paint color and piece of furniture to match her taste perfectly." Nico was practically glowing from their praise as he led me inside by the hand. The interior was breathtaking with floor to ceiling windows and marble imported from Carrara. Every room had been decorated exactly how I would have done it myself if given unlimited resources. He had remembered conversations from years ago about my favorite colors and design styles. Part of me wanted to be moved by the effort he had clearly put into this gift. But all I could think about was whether Valentina had already seen her version of this villa. Nico pulled me toward the staircase leading to the second floor. "The master suite is my favorite part, I spent the most time planning that room specifically." The bedroom was enormous with a balcony overlooking gardens that seemed to stretch forever. Above the bed was a painted mural of the night sky filled with constellations. Nico pointed upward and his hands started signing. "Those are the stars from the night we got married, I had an astronomer map them exactly." "Our initials are hidden in the constellation pattern, can you find them?" I looked up at the ceiling and saw where GM had been cleverly woven into the design. Below the initials were Italian words painted in gold that read "Per Sempre Insieme." Together forever, what a fucking joke coming from a man who was building a second life. Nico moved in front of me and cupped my face with one hand, his other hand moving through the air. "Giulia, I know I have been working too much and neglecting our family lately." "But this villa represents my promise that I am going to change everything starting now." "You and Isabella mean more to me than anything else in this world." His eyes were wet with what looked like genuine tears threatening to spill over. My voice came out flat when I finally responded to his performance. "This villa is beautiful, Nico. You clearly put significant time and resources into it." Something in my tone made his face crumble and panic flooded into his expression. "Giulia, please tell me what is wrong, you have been so distant from me lately." "Are you unhappy with the villa, do you want me to change something about it?" Before I could answer, his phone started vibrating violently in his jacket pocket. He pulled it out and his entire body went rigid when he saw who was calling. He stepped away and I could hear every word. "Valentina, I told you not to call me when I am with her, what is so urgent?" Her voice came through the speaker whining like a child denied candy. "You promised you would stop by this morning but you never showed up!" Nico's voice dropped to something soft and intimate. "Baby, I will be there in less than an hour, just be patient for me." He ended the call and walked back to me with guilt written all over his lying face. "Giulia, I am so sorry but this shipment issue cannot wait.” "Stay here with the designer and see the rest of the property, I will send the driver back for you." He practically sprinted out of the villa before I could say a single word. The designer started talking immediately like she had been waiting for him to leave. "Donna, your husband is truly one of the most romantic men I have ever worked with!" "Even with his business emergencies he makes sure you are completely taken care of first!" The workers outside were nodding along like they were witnessing some great love story. I wanted to tell them they were all fools celebrating a man who was performing for an audience. Instead I turned toward the exit and started walking back to where the car was parked. The designer chased after me with confusion and concern on her face. He communicated with me through the screen. "Donna, you have not seen the wine cellar or the guest houses yet!" I shook my head without slowing down. "I have seen enough for today, please have the driver take me back to the estate now.’’ My phone started buzzing the moment I was alone in the back of the car. The first message was a photo of Valentina standing in a nursery painted soft blue. Nico was behind her with his arms wrapped around her swollen stomach. The second message was a video that started playing automatically. Valentina was walking through a villa that looked eerily similar to the one I had just left. "Nico, you really renovated two entire estates at the same time, you are completely insane!" Nico's laugh filled the audio as he appeared on camera. "I told you I would give you and our son the best of everything I have to offer." "Your villa is actually bigger than Giulia's, you deserve more since you are giving me an heir." The video cut off abruptly. An heir. I sat with that word for a long time before I could breathe properly again. Seven years I had given him everything and now she was carrying his child. I watched my grip tighten until my knuckles turned white. When I got back to the estate, I went straight to our bedroom. On my dresser was the bracelet Nico had given me last month with our anniversary date engraved inside. He had spent weeks at the jeweler's workshop learning how to solder the clasp himself. He said gifts meant nothing unless he put his own hands into creating them personally. I picked up the bracelet and threw it as hard as I could against the wall. The delicate links shattered and scattered across the floor like the lies he had told me. I was still standing there when I heard his car pull up hours later. Nico burst into the bedroom holding papers that were shaking in his fist. "Giulia, what the fuck are these, tell me right now where you got them!" He shoved the documents in my face and I could see they were my transfer papers to Sicily. His hands flew through furious signs. "It says you are leaving for Sicily in two days under Benedetti family protection!" Chapter 4 My pulse quickened for just a moment as his eyes searched my face desperately for answers. "Maria needed those documents to relocate to Sicily after her husband was killed last month." "His enemies are still circling and she needs to disappear quietly before they find her." "She borrowed my credentials because the Marchetti name provides protection in Sicily." As I spoke, I reached out calmly and took the documents from his trembling hand without any rush in my movements. Only then did his shoulders drop slightly with relief flooding his features. He pulled me against his chest. "For a moment I thought you were leaving me and I could not think straight, could not breathe at all." I stood rigid in his embrace until he finally loosened his grip and stepped back. Isabella appeared in the doorway wearing a new dress I had never seen before，and signed to me. "Mama, Papa bought you something special today, do you want to see what it is?" Nico's expression turned hopeful as he led me toward the sitting room. On the side table sat an enormous bouquet of lilies, their heavy scent already filling the entire room. "I had these delivered this morning from that florist you always admired on Fifth Avenue." He was watching my face carefully for any sign of appreciation or emotion. I stared at the flowers and felt my throat starting to tighten. Lilies had always triggered my allergies, making my eyes water and my breathing difficult within minutes of exposure. Back when we were first married, Nico used to send me lily arrangements constantly because he thought they were elegant. I would suffer through sneezing fits and watery eyes for days because he had spent so much money and effort selecting them. Until one night he found me in the bathroom with my inhaler because the lily pollen had triggered a severe reaction. "Why did you not tell me you were allergic, why do you keep accepting them when they make you this sick?" I had smiled through my struggling breaths. "Because you chose them for me, as long as the love is real, even things that hurt are bearable." He had thrown out every lily in the house that night and sworn never to bring them near me again. Now he stood there with his arm around me, presenting the exact thing that could send me to the hospital. Either he had forgotten completely or he simply did not care anymore. "Thank you, Nico. They are very beautiful." Isabella had disappeared to the kitchen and I heard her rummaging through the refrigerator. A few minutes later, Isabella's voice echoed from the kitchen. "Papa, Mama, come look at what I made!" We walked into the kitchen and found Isabella standing beside the counter. She had made herself an elaborate ice cream sundae with three different flavors piled high. Nico frowned immediately. "Princess, you know you are not supposed to have that much sugar, your mother has rules about sweets." Isabella's face fell and she looked at me with defiance. For three years I had strictly monitored what she ate because too much sugar made her sick. It was one of the main reasons she had grown to resent me. I looked at the sundae and then at my daughter. "Eat whatever you want, Isabella. I am not going to stop you." Both of them stared at me like I had spoken in a foreign language. Isabella recovered first and grabbed her spoon with a triumphant smile. Nico was still watching me with confusion written across his face. "Giulia, are you sure? You always said sugar makes her stomach hurt." "She is old enough to make her own choices now." Something in my flat tone made unease cross his face but before he could question it, the security alert chimed on his phone. He pulled it out quickly and his entire body went rigid when he saw the camera feed from the front gate. "What the hell is she thinking coming here?" He rushed toward the front door and I followed at a distance with Isabella trailing behind me. Through the window I watched Valentina standing outside the estate gates wearing a dress that emphasized her pregnant belly. Nico practically ran outside and I could see him talking to her with harsh gestures even from inside the house. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Who gave you permission to come here? I told you never to appear in front of Giulia!" Valentina's face crumpled and tears started streaming down her cheeks as she grabbed at Nico's jacket. "I am sorry, I know I should not be here, but something is wrong with the baby and I am terrified." "He has not been moving like he usually does and I cannot feel his heartbeat properly anymore." She grabbed Nico's hand and pressed it against her swollen stomach. "Please, I need you to come with me to the hospital right now, I cannot do this alone." Nico shoved her hand away violently. "I told you before to handle medical issues through Carlo, you cannot keep showing up here!" But even as he said it, his eyes were filled with obvious concern. Valentina took a step backward and suddenly her legs seemed to give out beneath her. She started falling and Nico lunged forward to catch her before she hit the concrete. His entire focus was on Valentina cradled in his arms, checking her for injuries with frantic hands. "Are you hurt, did you hit your head when you fell?" Valentina was sobbing against his chest. "I am so scared Nico, what if something is wrong with our son, what if I am losing him?" Isabella had come to stand beside me watching the scene unfold. "Aunt Valentina looks really sick, maybe Papa should help her go to the doctor." I said nothing and simply watched through the window. Nico was on his phone now speaking in low urgent tones to someone. A few minutes later he came back inside with his face pale and his hands shaking. "Giulia, there is an emergency situation that involves Valentina." "If I do not handle this immediately I will dishonor her father's legacy with our family." His hands moved through the air signing the same careful explanation. Such elaborate lies constructed to hide the simple truth that he was choosing her over me again. I nodded once without expression. "Do what you need to do." Relief flooded his features like I had just granted him absolution. "Isabella should come with me, she has been asking to see Valentina all day." Our daughter was already grabbing her jacket like she had been waiting for this exact moment. Nico kissed my forehead quickly and his breath was warm against my skin. "I will be back late tonight but I have a surprise waiting for you when I return." Then they drove away and I stood alone in the empty courtyard. I waited exactly five minutes before getting in my car and following the route his tracking device showed. The hospital was only fifteen minutes away, the private facility where the Marchetti family kept an entire wing reserved exclusively for their use. The same hospital Nico had built and funded specifically for me after I lost my hearing, claiming he wanted me to have the best medical care available. Now he was bringing his pregnant mistress to the facility he had created in my name. Chapter 5 I took the stairs to the third floor and found the Marchetti private wing easily. Through the window of the largest suite I could see Nico, Valentina, and Isabella gathered around a hospital bed. A doctor was setting up an ultrasound machine while they waited. "The baby's heartbeat is absolutely perfect, there is no cause for concern at all." Valentina's tears had magically disappeared and she was smiling up at Nico with pure joy. "I was so frightened something was wrong, thank you for bringing me here so quickly." Nico had his hand resting on her shoulder and Isabella was holding Valentina's other hand. They looked like a devoted family waiting eagerly for their newest addition. Pulling out my phone, I started recording everything through the window. I watched Nico press a kiss to Valentina's forehead while Isabella examined the ultrasound images with fascination. Suddenly, Nico's hands started moving lower on Valentina's body. Then he was kissing her, deep and slow, like they had all the time in the world. Isabella had turned away to give them privacy, playing with her phone in the corner. Suddenly Nico froze and pulled away from Valentina. He said something I could not hear and then walked quickly toward the door. I moved into the nearby supply closet and left the door cracked just enough to see him. He stood in the hallway looking frustrated as he pulled out his phone. He typed something quickly and then put the phone back in his pocket. My own phone buzzed a moment later with a text message. Nico: The situation with Valentina is more complex than I thought. Will be here much longer than expected. Do not wait up for me tonight. I watched him take a deep breath before turning back toward the room where Valentina was waiting. He locked the door behind him this time and pulled the curtains across the window. But not before I saw him lift Valentina onto the examination table and position himself between her legs. I drove back to the estate alone after witnessing that. This was probably the last time I would stand in this hospital as Nico Marchetti's wife. The moment I walked through the front door, my phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number. A video from Valentina showing her and Isabella arranging baby clothes in a nursery painted soft blue. "Look piccola, your little brother is going to love this room your Papa designed." Isabella's voice was bright with excitement. "Can I help decorate when he comes home from the hospital?" "Of course sweet girl, you are going to be the best big sister." I deleted the message without responding. Instead, I walked through every room of the estate methodically, opening drawers and closets. "Gather everything that belongs to me and bring it to the courtyard." The housekeeper looked confused but nodded. Within an hour, boxes and bags filled with my belongings were stacked outside. One of the maids hesitated while holding our wedding portrait, the massive oil painting that hung above the fireplace. "Donna, should this go out as well?" I looked at the image of us on our wedding day. In the painting, I was gazing at the artist while Nico's eyes were fixed on me with what everyone believed was devotion. Now all I saw was a perfectly executed lie. "Everything goes." When the last item was piled in the courtyard, I struck a match and dropped it onto the heap. I stood watching seven years of my life burn to ash while the flames climbed higher. As the final photographs curled and blackened, I felt the last connection to Nico Marchetti turn to smoke. My phone buzzed again hours later. Another message with a photo attached. Valentina's hand wearing an enormous diamond ring, Nico's hand covering hers. “He proposed! Right here in the baby's nursery surrounded by everything we chose together.” “Giulia, be reasonable about this. Accept that he has moved on and let him go.” This time I responded. “I hope everything you want comes true exactly as you imagine it.” Then I opened the security system on my phone. The cameras I had installed throughout the estate months ago had captured everything. Nico and Valentina in our guest room, in my studio, in the wine cellar I had designed. I downloaded everything and sent it to the event coordinator with specific instructions. “This is my surprise for Nico's speech at my birthday celebration. Play it on the main screen when he takes the microphone.” My phone rang and Nico’s face appeared on the screen. He was sitting in what looked like a restaurant. "Giulia, I just wanted to hear your voice. This Valentina situation is taking longer than I thought." Behind him I could see Valentina laughing at something, her pregnant belly visible even from this angle. "When will you be home?" Nico's expression shifted to guilt. "Not until tomorrow afternoon, but I will be there in time for your birthday celebration." "I have something very special planned for you." I smiled at the screen. "That is good because I have something special planned as well." His eyes lit up. "I cannot wait to see what it is, Giulia, you mean everything to me." A waiter appeared behind him and I watched Valentina lean close and whisper something in Nico's ear while touching his arm. . "I hope you enjoy my surprise as much as I will enjoy watching you receive it." Before he could respond, I ended the call and powered off my phone completely. The car from the Benedetti family was already waiting outside the estate gates. "Giulia, your flight to Palermo leaves in thirty minutes." "The family has arranged everything for your stay in the village." "Your past with the Marchetti family has been erased from all records. " Giulia Russo, my maiden name, the identity I had before Nico Marchetti consumed my life. From this moment forward, I was reclaiming who I was before the lies. I boarded the plane and watched the city disappear below me.