Reborn I Left My Fiancé and Became the Don

When Lilith, the woman my fiancé Andrew had never gotten over, was kidnapped and used as leverage by a rival family during a critical transfer of power, I urged him to put the Family first and wait until our internal affairs were stable before rescuing her. By the time he became Don and went after her, Lilith's body had already been dumped in the wilderness. She had died horribly. Andrew never blamed me. If anything, he treated me better than ever and refused to let anyone defy me. Later, after seizing control of both families, he slaughtered my people. His first act was to deliver me to the rival family bound to mine by a blood feud. He stood by while they tortured me to death. He stood over my body, his gaze cold as unmelting ice. "This is how she died. Now you can suffer what she suffered." When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment Lilith was kidnapped. I didn't stop him from giving up his chance to be Don in order to save her. He disappointed the Family. Perfect. This time, both families would answer to me. Chapter 1 "Ella, I have to go into Victor territory to rescue Lilith. She's been kidnapped. Take care of the Family while I'm gone." The sound of Andrew's voice told me everything: I had just been reborn. In my previous life, he had handed me over to the Victor Family and watched as they broke each of my limbs. Then he abandoned me among wild beasts and let them tear me apart. I would never forget it. In my previous life, I had stopped him from going to the Victor Family. He blamed me for Lilith's death and had me tortured to death. This time I didn't stop him the way I had before. I even stepped aside with a considerate smile and opened the door for him. "Go ahead," I said, looking at him. "A life is at stake, after all." Andrew had just picked up his coat. When I agreed so readily, he visibly stiffened. He looked puzzled. I had always put the Family first, yet this time I was letting him leave without a fight. But the kidnapper's recorded threat was still playing on his phone. So he hesitated no longer and rushed out without looking back. He had no idea that both families were already in danger. The marriage alliance had only just been arranged, and both families were already divided. They needed someone to take command. Everyone believed Andrew, the Don-to-be, was the obvious choice. If he stayed and completed the ceremony, he could use my grandfather's prestige as the former Don to take swift control of my Gambino Family. For Andrew, I had set aside my pride as the Gambino Family's heir and devoted myself entirely to supporting him. I had asked for nothing but his companionship. For that alone, I had paid with my life. After Andrew left, I took a deep breath, turned around and went back into the study. Barring any surprises, everyone inside the Family who coveted power would make a move at tomorrow's ceremony. In my previous life, Andrew had left every internal dispute between the two families and every outside threat for me to handle. I loved him, so I accepted without hesitation. Once I resolved everything, I stepped behind him and let him claim all the credit and power. That was why everyone believed Andrew was the best man to become Don. But in this life, Andrew would get nothing from me. The title of Don was not meant for trash obsessed with first love. "Miss Ella, where's Andrew?" The study door swung open. The Family's advisor, Vincenzo, stood outside with his customary deference. He had personally brokered the alliance between the two families and worked tirelessly to ensure Andrew's smooth succession as Don. I shook my head and walked over to Vincenzo. "Andrew has gone into Victor territory to save Lilith." Vincenzo's eyes widened behind his glasses. "The marriage alliance ceremony is tomorrow, and he left at a time like this for a woman? Has he lost his mind?!" A woman? It was true. To the Mafia capos, Lilith was insignificant. To Andrew, she mattered more than anything. Perhaps he acted that way because he had always had me to clean up after him. In my previous life, no matter what he did, I stayed behind him and secured whatever he wanted. Maybe he believed nothing else mattered. At the sight of Vincenzo's anxious expression, I picked up the desk phone, switched on the speaker, and called Andrew. He took his time answering. "Andrew, I forgot to ask you something." I kept my voice calm. "When will you be back? Tomorrow's marriage alliance ceremony is crucial for you." Andrew sounded frantic on the other end. "Ella! Can't you postpone the ceremony? Lilith could die any minute. I don't know when I'll be back, so handle everything for me." Andrew hung up before Vincenzo could get a word in. Even from where he stood beside me, Vincenzo had heard the impatience in Andrew's voice and his contempt for Family business. I put the phone down and looked at Vincenzo. He had believed Andrew valued tomorrow's ceremony. Andrew had always appeared to take such matters seriously. Vincenzo didn't know that I had arranged nearly everything Andrew had ever accomplished. Tomorrow, the leading capos and senior capos of both families would attend, including those who had never accepted Andrew and were waiting for a chance to seize power. "Tomorrow's ceremony will begin on schedule." I smoothed my cuff. "Even if Andrew fails to appear, I will not let the Gambino Family and the Colombo Family be humiliated." "But, Miss Ella..." Vincenzo faltered. He understood the Family's situation. Trouble at tomorrow's ceremony was inevitable. Without Andrew, the nominal Don-to-be, could a woman like me keep those men in line? Hmph. I sneered inwardly. The ceremony had never been Andrew's alone. I was just as essential. Besides, in my previous life, I had resolved every crisis and challenge at that ceremony myself. Andrew had contributed nothing. From beginning to end, he had been nothing but a selfish bastard. Now more than the Family's honor was at stake. So was the position of Don and the power it represented. Everything Andrew had gained through me in my previous life, I could claim in my own right. When he returned, I wanted him to discover he had nothing left. Chapter 2 The next day. The core members of both families sat along both sides of the long table. In a sharp, custom-tailored black suit, I walked straight to the head of the long table and took the seat without hesitation. The banquet hall fell silent. Every elder and capo stared at me in shock. No wonder. Until then, whatever the occasion, I had always worked quietly in Andrew's shadow. Even with Andrew absent, they expected me to know my place and leave the Don's chair empty for a man. "Well?" A bald underboss from the Colombo Family gave a derisive laugh. "Andrew isn't here, so Miss Ella thinks she's qualified to sit in the Don's chair?" I glanced at him without flinching and returned his challenge. "Today is the marriage alliance ceremony for Andrew and me. Since urgent business has kept him away, I will naturally represent him on this important occasion." I swept my gaze around the room. "Besides, my grandfather is the former Don and one of the architects of this alliance. As heir to the Gambino Family, why shouldn't I sit here?" No one could answer. No one had expected the woman who had always worked silently behind Andrew to take such a hard line. But the ceremony was not merely about formalizing the marriage alliance. It also marked the transfer of power between the two families. No one wanted to waste time contesting my seat. "By the way, why hasn't Andrew arrived yet? Wasn't he at the estate yesterday?" Another Colombo elder rapped his knuckles on the table and fixed me with a hard stare. I knew he wanted to put the blame for Andrew's absence on me. Then he could justify sidelining me in the struggle for power. I arched a brow and feigned surprise. "Andrew didn't tell you about it? He's gone to save someone." "Save someone?!" This time, even the Colombo senior capos joined my grandfather in outrage. "He skipped an occasion this important because he had to rescue someone personally?!" Exactly. He commanded hundreds, even thousands, of men. Why did the Don-to-be need to risk his own life on a rescue? Because the hostage was the woman he cared about. Nothing more. I offered no further explanation, merely lifting a hand for silence. My reaction told them everything they needed to know. The Don-to-be had abandoned the Family's most important meeting for an outsider. If Andrew could not distinguish what mattered, there was no point discussing him any further. "Since Andrew isn't here, we should use this ceremony to discuss something else." The bald underboss tapped the table again. "You all know that the Victor Family has grown rapidly over the past few years and now poses a serious threat to our two families' arms and port operations. "The point of this alliance was to choose a strong leader to face that enormous threat." He shot to his feet and raised his voice. "Andrew, the man in whom we placed such hope, skipped a ceremony this important to rescue someone irrelevant. A man with so little sense of responsibility has no right to become our new Don!" Murmured agreement swept through the hall. The Victor Family's relentless pressure had exhausted everyone. They had hoped Andrew's elevation would steady the ranks. Now that he had failed them, those who already resented him seized their opportunity. In my previous life, Andrew had held those men in check only because I had given him leverage over each of them beforehand. This time, I held all that leverage myself. "I'd like to know." I crossed my legs and studied the bald underboss and the loudest capos with a faint, knowing smile. "If Andrew is unfit, who among us is fit to lead?" The bald underboss sneered and opened his mouth to nominate himself. "If Andrew is useless, then naturally we need someone capable of handling—" "If you'll allow it, I'll shoulder that responsibility." I cut him off outright. As the room stared at me, I turned to Vincenzo. "Show them what we brought." Vincenzo distributed the prepared stack of high-resolution photographs among the capos. The set was deliberately incomplete. "You know the people in these photographs better than I do." I rose, planted both hands on the table, and fixed the speechless men before me with a cold stare. "How has the Victor Family known every detail of our ports these past few months? Because some of you took Victor's dirty money and sold the Family's transport routes. "Handing the Family's highest authority to traitors would be a poor choice." The men holding the photographs fell silent. I did not expose them by name. I had given them a way out; instead of openly resisting me, they would now do everything they could to support me. They reacted exactly as I expected. "Since Andrew abandoned his duty to the Family for personal feelings, I, as the Gambino Family's heir, will take his place and assume control of both families." I knew an outright bid for leadership would provoke fierce resistance. But I held leverage over several of them. Submit, or die. Besides... I still had my grandfather. Every gaze turned to the former Don, who had remained silent throughout. My grandfather studied me in silence. Then a deeply satisfied smile spread across his weathered face. Even in my previous life, he had believed Andrew unfit to be Don. But I had always stood behind Andrew, leaving my grandfather no choice but to approve him. Now that I had declared my desire to lead, he had no reason to refuse. He raised a hand and slowly pushed the obsidian ring, the symbol of the Don's authority, toward me. "I trust Ella to lead the Family to greatness." The former Don's commanding voice carried through the hall. "From now on, Ella has final say in every matter concerning both families!" Chapter 3 Everything unfolded as I had anticipated. The men whose secrets I controlled came forward to court my favor. Under pressure, they gave me critical intelligence about the Victor Family's resources. They had no choice now but to become my most loyal men. "Don, the Victor Family's leader has requested negotiations with you." I agreed. In my previous life, the Victor Family had negotiated with Andrew too. That meeting ended in his absolute defeat. But everything was different now. The Victor Don was named Burke. He was young and handsome in the photographs. He was said to be formidable. After rising from the bottom, he had brought his entire family to heel in only a few years. When Burke heard I was the new Don, he demanded to meet with me personally. Burke. I was sure I had heard the name before. It stirred a vague sense of familiarity. But I could no longer remember why. Once the meeting with the Victor Family was arranged, I went home. Andrew still had not returned. He must have been rescuing his first love. For that matter, I would not have minded if Lilith died. If she died, Andrew could not blame me this time. I had already taken his power; that alone would make his life unbearable. If she lived, I would strip him of his power and then destroy his love as well. After showering, I lay down in my bedroom. Soon, the front door opened and two people entered. I knew Andrew had returned with Lilith. I stepped out of the bedroom and watched Andrew in silence. He was carrying Lilith in his arms. She was completely unharmed, though clearly shaken by what had happened. "Ella, the ceremony went well, I take it?" Without so much as acknowledging me, he gently settled Lilith on the sofa, then came straight toward me. "I'm back. Lilith is fine. She's just a little shaken." He strode up to me as if everything were settled and spoke with the condescension of a man granting a favor. "You've done enough. Now give me the Don's ring. I'll take over from here." He held out his hand and waited for me to hand over power meekly the way I had in my previous life. I gave a soft, mocking laugh and lifted my chin. "Andrew, have you misunderstood something?" His face stiffened as I held his gaze. "I am the Family's sole Don now. The way you're speaking to me already crosses a line."