My Secret Mafia Lover Begged for Me Back

I had been secretly dating my brother’s best friend, the heir to the Moretti family, for seven years, and I was planning to propose to him at the family banquet. Following his location, I found him at a drinking party, only to overhear their laughter through a crack in the private room door. “Vito, your Cinderella is back. What are you planning to do with the little stand-in?” The room fell silent for a few seconds. Then another underboss sneered. “Vito’s got some nerve. You even dared to touch the most beloved princess of the current Sicilian Mafia Don. Now that you’ve had your fill of sweetness, Lucia has come back…” “She left so heartlessly back then. She deserved to be pissed off with a replacement!” The next day, Vito took me to Lucia’s welcome-back banquet, putting on an extravagant show of affection for me. But when Lucia rushed into the rain with tears in her eyes, he shoved me aside and chased after her in a panic. Covered in soup stains and burns, I went home and opened the secret door he had never allowed me to enter. Photographs of him and Lucia, once inseparable, covered the desk. My heart turned to ash as I picked up the encrypted line to my brother in Sicily. “Brother, I’ve thought it over. About the arranged marriage in Chicago—I agree!” Chapter 1 “Sophia, did something happen? Did someone wrong you?” My brother was stunned for a moment on the other end of the phone, then his voice filled with deep concern. A wave of bitterness rose into my throat. I forced a light laugh. “No. I’ve just come to terms with it. We’ll have to marry for the family sooner or later. What difference does it make who I marry?” “Besides, I trust you and Father’s judgment. Even if it’s that family in Chicago, the man they’ve chosen must have been carefully vetted by the family’s intelligence network.” Only then did my brother let out a long sigh of relief, his tone becoming much lighter. “I’m glad you’ve thought it through. So when are you coming back to Sicily? Do you want to meet him first before making a decision?” “No need. The sooner I agree, the sooner the family can establish the arms route over there. Start making the wedding arrangements first. As for the date… let’s set it for a month from now!” “Alright! By the way, are you in touch with Vito? I heard that boy’s old flame from New York has finally come back. Give him a heads-up and see if he has time to come over with you for a drink at your wedding. He can share in your good fortune.” So even my brother knew about Lucia. No wonder Vito had always refused to let me tell my brother about our relationship. I lowered my eyes, hiding the bitterness filling my heart. “Brother, don’t bother him. Vito and I… aren’t that close.” When I heard the lock to the underground garage click open, I said a quick goodbye and hung up the secure line. The moment I looked up, I met Vito’s smiling eyes. “Who aren’t you close with?” “You.” I answered truthfully, but Vito merely raised an eyebrow and pulled me into his arms with a mischievous smile. “Oh? Then tell me. How exactly are we not close?” His hot breath brushed against my ear, the scent of cigar smoke and whiskey curling around me. The intimate gestures that had once made my heart race and my cheeks burn now filled me with nothing but discomfort and resistance. As I struggled against him, the lipstick stain on the collar of his shirt came into view. One of the places where I’d been burned must have brushed against something. A sharp pain shot through me, so intense that tears welled in my eyes. Chapter 2 “What’s wrong? Sophia, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?” My tears threw Vito into a panic. He pulled up my sleeve, and when he saw the large patch of angry red burns on my wrist, his voice began to tremble with concern. “How did this happen? When did you get burned? Why didn’t you tell me?” He seemed to have completely forgotten what had happened at the banquet. I stayed silent, unsure whether I should remind him and tear away the mask of devotion he was pretending to wear. “Alright, don’t cry. I’ll put some medicine on it for you.” He soothingly rubbed my head before getting up to fetch the medical kit, muttering as he went. “Look at you. You’re all grown up, yet you’re still such a crybaby who can’t stand a little pain. What would you do without me?” I stared blankly at the angry red burns on my wrist. He was right. After being pampered by him for seven whole years, what would I do without him? But, Vito, I just don’t want you anymore. I don’t want this fake relationship anymore! That night, I slept restlessly, waking drenched in sticky sweat. Just as dawn began to break, Vito pulled me out of bed. I mumbled sleepily and pushed him away, but he only chuckled and leaned in to kiss my lips. Every trace of drowsiness vanished in an instant. Almost instinctively, I raised my hand to slap him, but forced myself to stop. Thankfully, he pulled away after only a brief touch. “Are you awake, my Sleeping Beauty?” I turned my head away and wiped my mouth in disgust. “It’s a day off. Why won’t you let me sleep?” Vito looked utterly helpless. “Did you know you had a fever last night? Come on. I’m taking you to the family clinic.” Although I felt like I was already fine, I still couldn’t win an argument with him, so I obediently got out of bed. In the hallway, I unexpectedly ran into Lucia. She seemed to have injured her foot and was struggling to hop down the corridor alone. The warmth on Vito’s face vanished instantly, his brows drawing tightly together. As if he had forgotten I was standing beside him, he hurried several steps forward and rushed straight to Lucia, supporting her as he asked anxiously, “What happened?” Lucia smiled at him, her gaze slipping past him toward me. “I just twisted my ankle. What a coincidence. Are you two here to see a doctor too?” Vito froze for a moment. Only then did he turn back to glance at me, his eyes flickering with unease. “Yeah. Lorenzo’s little sister has a bit of a fever, so I brought her in to get checked.” I had long since grown used to him calling me his “little sister.” When we first got together, Vito had told me that his position in the family wasn’t secure enough yet. Once he became powerful enough, he would make our relationship public and give me the grand entrance I deserved. So from that moment on, whenever we encountered anyone from the family, he would introduce me as his friend’s younger sister, entrusted to his care. Only the few closest underbosses at his side knew about our relationship. Lucia nodded. “Then you should take good care of her. You two go ahead. I’m heading over there.” As she spoke, she pointed toward the medical center on the other side. Seeing her about to hop away again, Vito didn’t hesitate. He scooped her up into his arms. “Let Federico take you over there first. Sophia, wait here for me.” I didn’t know why, but the moment I saw Lucia, I suddenly felt sick and weak, as though all the strength had drained from my body. I leaned against the wall without saying a word. Vito hadn’t been asking for my opinion in the first place. After dropping those words, he was already carrying Lucia toward the other side. See? A performance was still a performance. No matter how convincing the disguise, the moment he encountered Lucia, his true feelings always surfaced, exposing the cracks in his act. And Vito was completely oblivious to it. I let out a bitter laugh and turned toward my own examination area. It turned out it wasn’t just my imagination. After my temperature was taken, it showed that I had a high fever. The burns hadn’t been treated properly, and combined with my recent emotional distress, a virus had entered my body and caused an infection. I needed an IV infusion. Out of habit, I pulled out my phone and instinctively reached for his secure line. My fingertip hovered above the screen for a moment before I pulled it back. Habit really was a terrifying thing. Chapter 3 I gave a self-deprecating smile, put away my phone, and went to get my medication before heading to the infusion room alone. After the IV was finished, my head felt even more dizzy. I had barely taken a few steps when I nearly collapsed. Vito still hadn’t come back. Not a single phone call. Not even a message. Not wanting to cause an unnecessary misunderstanding, I had no choice but to call him myself. When Vito heard that I was still at the family clinic, he froze for a moment. “I’m sorry, Sophia. I was planning to take Lucia home and come straight back for you, but her old injury flared up, so…” Before he could finish, a waiter’s voice came through the phone. “Sir, all the dishes you ordered have been served. Enjoy your meal!” Although Vito quickly covered the receiver, I still heard every word. “It’s fine. I can do this alone!” I was saying it to myself, and to Vito as well. Just as I was about to hang up, Vito suddenly called my name. “Sophia, go home first. I’ll explain everything to you later.” Explain what? Nothing more than one lie after another to deceive me. I said nothing and ended the call, then found a driver from one of the family’s outer circles to take me back to the estate. But Vito didn’t come home that night. The fireworks outside my window kept me from sleeping. They were signal flares marking the family’s celebration of the signing of the ceasefire agreement. With nothing else to do, I picked up my tablet and continued sketching a custom jewelry design for a client. I accidentally touched the messaging app in the lower-right corner, and a post updated an hour ago appeared on the screen. It was posted by Lucia. A breathtaking view of countless shooting stars streaking across the night sky, accompanied by a sentimental caption. 【I’ve come such a long way. Thankfully, the stars were still there to light my way.】 I stared at it for a long time. It wasn’t until I exited the post that I realized the messaging app logged into the tablet was actually Vito’s. I had no interest in digging through their flirtatious conversations, so I simply logged out of the app on the tablet. By sunrise, I was feeling much better, and I went to the jewelry design studio I ran with my partner as scheduled. My partner held my resignation letter in her hand. When she learned that I was returning to Sicily to get married, she was genuinely happy for me, yet clearly saddened by my departure. “Without you, we’re losing another valuable member of the team.” I didn’t know what to say, so I simply hugged her and thanked her for all her help over the years. After I finished the formalities, the rest of my colleagues also learned that I was leaving to return home and get married. One after another, they demanded that I treat them to a farewell dinner. Naturally, I didn’t refuse. I immediately booked a table at the family-exclusive restaurant Vito and I often went to. I didn’t know many restaurants, to begin with, and the food there really was excellent. The security was also tight enough. In the middle of the meal, I went to the restroom. To my surprise, I came face-to-face with Lucia again. She smiled at me warmly. “Sophia, I didn’t expect to see you here too! Come to think of it, this was actually the restaurant Vito brought me to back then. The food really is excellent. We’ve been here many times.” I smiled at her and was about to leave. I didn’t consider us close enough to make small talk. But apparently, she didn’t feel the same way. Just as I was about to walk away, she stopped me again. “I noticed something last time. Whenever Vito orders food for you, he always avoids anything with peanut sauce. Are you allergic to peanuts too?” The word “too” made me tilt my head slightly. The truth was, I wasn’t allergic to peanuts at all. Yet every time Vito ordered food for me, he would deliberately avoid anything containing peanut sauce. He always said eating too much of it wasn’t good for my health. I had always thought he was genuinely concerned about my health. Now, it seemed that it was nothing more than a habit. Because the person who was actually allergic to peanuts… Was Lucia. When I remained silent, she tilted her head slightly and studied my face carefully. “Sophia, there’s something I’ve wanted to say since the first time we met. Don’t you think we look a lot alike?” Chapter 4 Never had I felt so humiliated and degraded as I did in that moment. Under her victorious gaze, all I could do was flee in panic. When I returned to the private dining room, the warmth and enthusiasm of my colleagues slowly brought feeling back to my cold blood. Just as I was gradually about to put that unpleasant episode behind me, the door to the private room was pushed open. Seeing two entire tables filled with people, Vito froze for a moment before his gaze locked precisely onto me. When our eyes met, I could clearly see the restrained fury in his eyes, though I had no idea why he was angry. He clenched his fists, then finally called my name and ordered me to come outside. Confused, I followed him out, only to receive a hard slap across the face in the hallway. It was the first time he had ever hit me. When he saw the disbelief in my eyes, there was not the slightest trace of guilt or remorse on his face. Only anger. “Why did you push Lucia? You knew she had injured her ankle. I already told you I would explain everything when we got home. Did you really have to use such a vicious way to deal with her?” My cheek burned with pain. In the distance, Lucia came limping toward us. Her shirt was wrinkled and stained with water and dirt. I was just about to explain when she suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud. Without hesitation, Vito shoved me aside and rushed over, pulling her into his arms. “Why did you come out? I told you I’d take her over to apologize to you.” The words were clearly meant as a reprimand, yet when they came from Vito’s lips, they were filled with nothing but concern and heartache. With red-rimmed eyes, Lucia shook her head at him. “It’s nothing serious. She didn’t do it on purpose. Don’t treat her like this.” “If her brother finds out you hit his sister, it could affect the relationship between the two of you.” At the mention of my brother, something strange flickered through Vito’s eyes. But the moment he looked at Lucia again, his expression hardened with resolve. “Her brother entrusted her to me. If she does something wrong, then naturally, I have every right to teach her to correct it.” I let out a soft laugh and couldn’t help asking, “What did I do? Even a crime requires solid evidence. You’ve condemned me without even bothering to distinguish right from wrong, and then you laid your hands on me. Did it never occur to you how unfair that is to me?” Vito clenched his fists tightly and glared at me. “You knew there were no cameras in the restroom, so you thought you could attack her without any consequences.” I found it both ridiculous and unbearably painful. “If there were no cameras, how can you be so certain that I did it?” “Do you really think Lucia would frame you for no reason? She’d have to have a reason to lie about you, wouldn’t she? Besides, I’ve known her for so many years. She’s not the kind of person who lies.” “So that means I’m the kind of person who likes to lie?” Chapter 5 After seven years together, I thought that no matter what happened, Vito should at least trust me as a person. I never expected that as long as Lucia was involved, even seven years meant nothing. One word from her was enough to condemn me, leaving me with no chance to defend myself. It was blatant favoritism, and unmistakable partiality. And in the end, I was nothing more than a substitute who had nothing of my own. There was no point arguing anymore. Ignoring Vito’s angry scolding behind me, I turned and walked away. With a clear handprint still visible on my cheek, I didn’t want to ruin my colleagues’ mood, so I didn’t return to the private room. Instead, I went to the front desk alone, paid the bill, and then messaged them to let them know I had to leave unexpectedly. “Something came up, so I had to leave early. Enjoy yourselves and have a good time. I’ve already taken care of the bill!” Dragging my exhausted body home, I looked around the place where I had lived for seven years more carefully than I ever had before. Every corner held a sweet memory of Vito and me. Everything I had once believed was perfect had now turned into countless sharp blades, stabbing straight into my heart. I found a large cardboard box and spent the entire night awake, clearing away every trace of the happiness we had once shared. The matching slippers embroidered with our initials, the coffee mugs whose full design only appeared when they were placed together, the paired keychains that automatically lit up whenever we came within ten meters of each other… And an entire box filled with Polaroid photos of us together and commemorative albums. Those things had once been the only way I could reassure myself of my relationship with Vito whenever I felt most insecure. Now, there was no reason for any of them to exist anymore. Vito didn’t come home for half a month. During those two weeks, aside from finishing my design work, I practically emptied the entire house. I also got rid of all the furniture I had personally bought, piece by piece. By the end, the house seemed to have returned to the way it had been when I first moved in. Black and white tones dominated the space, and everything was so simple that I could see from one end of the house to the other. The night before I left, I thought there were some things I needed to make clear to Vito, so I called him. But every time I called, Vito hung up on me. After a while, Vito sent me a message. 【If you still haven’t realized what you did wrong, and you’re not sincerely willing to apologize to Lucia, then I don’t think there’s any need for us to talk.】 I gave a bitter laugh. If that was how he felt, then so be it. We didn’t need to talk. The next morning, I left on an early private jet, suitcase in hand. The warm, cozy home I had once been so reluctant to leave now stood behind me, and to my surprise, I felt nothing but an overwhelming sense of relief. Just before I boarded the plane, my phone was flooded with birthday wishes. Some wished me a better and better future. Some wished me peace, safety, and a smooth, happy life. Others wished that I would marry the right person and be happy for the rest of my life. After replying to each and every one of them, I turned off my phone. The moment the plane took off, I thought to myself— I will. With so many people wishing me happiness, I’m sure I’ll be happy.