After My Son's Murder, I Chose Revenge

Vivienne’s POV Alex never returned to my hospital room that night, and my tears never stopped. I lay awake on the private ward's narrow bed while the pain from the surgery fought against the hollow ache inside my chest. My body throbbed from the brutal delivery, but nothing compared to the knowledge that I had lost two things in a single night. My son. And my ability to ever have another child. For one terrible moment, I wished I had died on that warehouse floor. At least then I would be with my baby. But if I died now, my son's murder would remain unpunished. No. I would live. I would endure every second of this agony if it meant seeing every person responsible for my son's death dragged into hell beside me. By dawn, my tears had long since dried. I lay staring at the ceiling, feeling nothing but a cold emptiness, when Dr. Rinaldi entered my room. He smiled gently as he checked my chart and examined the bandages around my abdomen. "How are you feeling, Mrs. Valcrest?" "When can I leave?" He looked mildly surprised. "You've recovered better than expected. If you wish, you may go home today. I'll prescribe medication for the pain and antibiotics for the incision." I simply nodded. The irony nearly made me laugh. The man who had destroyed my womb was now complimenting my recovery. As soon as he left, I stepped into the corridor. One of the Valcrest guards stood outside the room. He straightened immediately. "Mrs. Valcrest." "I need a favor." I slipped the diamond bracelet from my wrist and placed it in his hand. His eyes widened. "Take this to Mr. Rowan Vance." He frowned slightly. Rowan Vance was one of the most respected attorneys in the city. He had once worked as legal counsel for the Valcrest syndicate before retiring from mafia affairs. "Tell him I want divorce papers drawn up immediately. I also want every document necessary to renounce any claim to the Valcrest estate and family name." The guard stared at me. I met his gaze calmly. "I need everything prepared within three days." After a long moment, he closed his fingers around the bracelet. "Understood, Mrs. Valcrest." Three days. That was all I needed. Three days to sever every legal tie that bound me to Alex Valcrest. Three days to bury my old life. Not long at all. A little while later, Dr. Rinaldi returned. "Mr. Valcrest has sent a car for you," he said with a smile. "He has apparently been cooking all morning. He wanted me to tell you that he prepared your favorite meal himself." I nearly laughed. Instead, I smiled politely. "Thank you, Doctor." If only he knew. If only he knew that the husband he praised had ordered him to make sure I would never carry another child. But I understood. In Alex's world, nobody refused him. Not doctors. Not judges. Not police officers. Certainly not men who owed their careers to the Valcrest family. The drive back to the estate was silent. The Valcrest residence sat on a hill overlooking the city, hidden behind towering iron gates and guarded by armed men twenty-four hours a day. The newspapers called it a mansion. Those who knew the truth called it what it really was. A fortress. I stepped inside. Then I froze. Bianca sat beside the fireplace, draped in an expensive crimson dress that probably cost more than most people's annual salaries. One hand rested protectively over the gentle swell of her stomach while my mother-in-law adjusted a blanket around her shoulders with obvious affection. She looked like the lady of the house. Like the woman who belonged there. The sight hurt more than I expected. She was carrying Alex's child. And now she sat openly in my home. Bianca noticed me first. She immediately lowered her eyes and put on an expression of practiced discomfort. "Isabella," she said softly. "Thank you for allowing me to stay here. I truly didn't wish to impose." My mother-in-law snorted. "Impose?" she said. "This house belongs to my son. You're carrying his blood. You have every right to be here." Her gaze shifted toward me. "As for her…" she said with open contempt, "I don't know why Alex hasn't thrown that barren girl out already." Once, those words would have shattered me. Today, they barely stirred anything at all. I turned toward the staircase. I had barely taken two steps when my head jerked backward. Pain exploded across my scalp. My mother-in-law had grabbed my hair. "You ungrateful child!" she hissed. The slap that followed split my lip. The metallic taste of blood spread across my tongue.

Vivienne’s POV Alex's grip loosened. I looked up at him, and for the briefest moment, guilt crossed his face. He released my arm as though he had only then realized how hard he had been holding me. "Isabella... I didn't mean—" The apology never came. A soft whimper drifted from the dining room. "Daddy..." Little Elias stood beside the table, his lower lip trembling. "Mommy doesn't look well." The transformation in Alex was immediate. I ceased to exist. He crossed the room in long strides and reached Bianca in an instant. He gathered her into his arms with astonishing gentleness, one hand cradling the back of her head as though she were made of glass. I had never seen him look at me that way. Not once. He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "What is it?" he asked softly. "Talk to me." Bianca leaned weakly against his chest. "I think... the smell made me sick," she whispered. "I'm feeling dizzy, Alex. I don't think I can eat anything." His expression darkened. Then he looked at me. The tenderness vanished from his face. "Clean this up." The order struck the room like a gunshot. Without another glance in my direction, he carried Bianca away. Elias hurried after them, his tiny footsteps pattering across the marble floor. My mother-in-law lingered only long enough to look at me with open disgust before following behind. Silence descended over the mansion. I stood there for a long time. Then I bent down. The floor was cold beneath my knees. I cleaned the vomit. I cleaned the shattered bowl. I picked up the shellfish that had scattered across the floor when Alex shoved me down. When everything was spotless once more, I rose to my feet and climbed the grand staircase. The master suite occupied the entire eastern wing of the mansion. For two years, I had shared that room with Alex. Only now did I realize I had spent every one of those nights sleeping beside a stranger. No. Not a stranger. A monster. I had first met Alex Valcrest three years ago. Back then, he was already the feared head of the Valcrest Syndicate, a man whose name carried enough weight to make politicians lower their voices and rival bosses rethink their decisions. But on the night I met him, he had looked like a broken man. Bianca Romano had vanished only hours before their engagement party. She had left him standing alone in the ballroom of the Grand Imperial Hotel, surrounded by hundreds of guests and countless cameras. The humiliation had become the talk of the city's underworld by morning. I found him that same night. He was standing on the roof of one of his casinos. The wind was vicious, and he looked as though he intended to step right off the edge. I stopped him. I still don't know why. Perhaps because I recognized the emptiness in his eyes. Perhaps because I was lonely too. My parents had died only months earlier when our family car exploded outside a restaurant. The police called it an accident. Everyone in the underworld knew it had been a warning sent by one of my father's enemies. I had become an orphan overnight. Somehow, grief recognized grief. We sat on that rooftop until dawn. We talked. We drank. At some point, he kissed me. One mistake became another. By sunrise, our lives had become tangled together. The next morning, guilt consumed him. He said he had taken advantage of me. He said he would make things right. A week later, we married in a private ceremony attended by only a handful of people. No reporters. No grand celebration. No public announcement. To the outside world, I remained nothing more than Mr. Valcrest's executive assistant. Only the people closest to him knew I was actually his wife. His mother had opposed our marriage from the beginning. I had no influential family. No political connections. No fortune. I brought nothing to the Valcrest family except myself. I never realized when Bianca returned. I never noticed when Alex's heart drifted back to her. But now I knew the truth. I had never truly possessed his heart at all. I had simply been keeping her place warm. And Alex had become a man willing to sacrifice anything—even his own son—to keep her smiling. I crossed the room and opened the cedar chest beside our bed. Inside lay a document I had prepared weeks earlier. My resignation letter. I had intended to leave my position as Alex's assistant after giving birth. I wanted to spend all my time raising our son. Now the paper had become something else entirely. A farewell. I folded it carefully and set it aside. Then I began another task. I took down every photograph in the room. The picture from our honeymoon in Italy. The photograph from our first anniversary. The portrait taken after we announced my pregnancy. One by one, they disappeared into the chest. The diamond necklace he gave me on my birthday. The sapphire earrings from our second Christmas. The bracelet engraved with our initials. The watch he insisted I wear because he wanted everyone to know I belonged to him. Every gift. Every memory. Every lie. I packed them all away. A knock sounded. The door opened. Alex stepped inside. He looked around the room. His eyes settled on the half-filled chest. His brows furrowed. "Why are you taking everything down?" he asked. "And why are you putting away the things I bought for you?" I continued folding another dress. "I don't want them anymore." His frown deepened. "Are you still upset because I raised my voice?" he asked quietly. He sighed. "I'm sorry." Then he added, "I'll buy you new jewelry. Whatever you want." For a moment, I almost laughed. As though diamonds could replace a murdered child. "But you need to be patient with Bianca," he continued. "She's my brother's widow." I looked at him. "You've never mentioned having a brother." He hesitated. Only for a second. Then he forced a smile. "He lived overseas. We weren't close." The lie came effortlessly. "Now that he's gone, taking care of his family is my responsibility." He stepped closer. "Bianca means nothing to me anymore, Isabella." He reached out and touched my cheek. "You're my wife." For one painful second... I wished I still believed him. Instead, I nodded. "All right." Then I looked directly into his eyes. "But I don't want her living here." "I'm afraid that's impossible." The answer came immediately. "She doesn't have anywhere else to go. Give it time. Once the two of you talk properly, I'm sure you'll understand each other." He smiled and bent down to kiss me. I turned my face away. His lips brushed my cheek instead. Whether he noticed or simply pretended not to, I couldn't tell. A few moments later, he left. Not long after, the door opened again. Bianca walked inside without knocking. Her eyes slowly traveled around the nearly empty room. A satisfied smile spread across her face. "Good," she said. "Pack everything. I'll be moving into this room soon." I closed the chest. "You can have the entire mansion." She laughed. "So you've finally realized your husband has been sleeping in my bed." She stepped closer. "Do you know what he told me today?" Her smile widened. "He said your baby didn't die for nothing. Elias is getting stronger every day. You should be grateful. Your son gave mine a future." I looked at her quietly. "If believing that makes you happy, then be happy." Her smile disappeared. She blinked. Then anger flashed across her face. "Why aren't you screaming?" she demanded. "Why aren't you crying? Your husband murdered your child because I asked him to. He even made sure you'll never have another baby." I simply looked at her. "Congratulations," I said calmly. "You have complete control over him. I hope he gives you everything you want." Her expression twisted. She had expected me to break. My indifference infuriated her. "You bitch." She lunged forward and seized my wrist. "If you won't entertain me, I'll make my own amusement." "Let go of me." She ignored me and began dragging me toward the staircase. I struggled. The moment I finally jerked my hand free— Bianca screamed. "Isabella! Don't!" Then she threw herself backward. Her body rolled violently down the staircase. The sound of flesh striking marble echoed through the mansion. A terrible silence followed. Then came thunderous footsteps. Alex appeared at the bottom of the stairs. His mother was right behind him. Bianca lay motionless on the floor. Blood slowly spread beneath her. Alex looked at her. Then he looked at me. The expression on his face made my blood turn cold. His eyes blazed with fury. "What did you do?"

Vivienne’s POV I stood at the top of the staircase, unable to move, my eyes fixed on Bianca's motionless body sprawled across the marble floor below. For a long moment, the entire mansion seemed to fall silent. Then Elias screamed. "Mommy!" The little boy ran down the stairs and threw himself beside her. He grabbed her hand with both of his tiny ones, his cries echoing through the entrance hall. Alex slowly lifted his head. He looked at me. Once upon a time, those dark eyes had held warmth whenever they met mine. Now they held nothing but hatred. "If anything happens to Bianca or my child," he said, his voice so cold it sent a chill through my bones, "I'll make you wish you had died with your son." He did not ask what had happened. He did not ask whether I had touched her. He did not ask why. Without waiting for an explanation, he bent down and carefully lifted Bianca into his arms. He held her with astonishing tenderness, as though she were the most precious thing in the world. Elias stumbled after him, sobbing as he tried to keep pace. My mother-in-law looked at me with undisguised loathing. "You evil girl," she hissed. "I knew bringing you into this family would destroy my son's life." Then she turned and followed them. The front doors slammed shut. Silence descended upon the mansion. I slowly lowered myself onto the top step. I was too tired to remain standing. Not one of them had asked what really happened. Not one of them had wondered whether Bianca had fallen on purpose. They had already judged me. Exactly as she intended. I sat there for what felt like an eternity. Then several men entered the house. They were Valcrest soldiers. All of them armed. Without a word, two of them seized my arms and hauled me to my feet. "What are you doing?" I cried, struggling against them. "Let me go." No one answered. They dragged me from the mansion and across the estate grounds. The private hospital sat on the eastern side of the property, surrounded by high walls and guarded like a military compound. I knew immediately where they were taking me. Fear settled heavily in my chest. The moment we entered one of the private treatment rooms, I saw Alex. Relief surged through me despite everything. "Alex..." I stumbled toward him. "Please listen to me. I swear I didn't—" His hand struck my face. The blow sent me crashing into a chair. For several seconds, I heard nothing but a loud ringing in my ears. The taste of blood flooded my mouth. I slowly looked up. Alex stood before me, his expression devoid of warmth. "I've grown tired of your lies," he said. "You tried to murder Bianca and my unborn child, and you still want me to believe you're innocent?" I stared at him. He continued looking at me as though I were something disgusting. Then he said, "You're going to give blood." I blinked. "What?" "Bianca needs a transfusion." I looked at him in disbelief. "No." The answer came quietly. "I didn't push her. And even if I had, she will never receive a single drop of my blood." The room became utterly still. Then Alex moved. He crossed the distance between us and wrapped one hand around my throat. I gasped. His fingers tightened. Air disappeared from my lungs. I clawed desperately at his wrist. My vision blurred. Darkness crept in from the edges. "Boss!" Someone shouted. "She can't breathe!" Only then did he release me. I collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently. Every breath burned. I looked up at him through watery eyes. He stared down at me without the slightest hint of pity. "This isn't over." Then he turned toward the doctor. "Take as much blood as you need." The elderly physician went pale. "Mr. Valcrest... she lost too much blood yesterday. Her condition is still unstable. We have blood in storage. Mrs. Romano can use that instead." Alex's expression hardened. He grabbed the doctor by the throat. "I didn't ask for your opinion." The old man gasped. His feet left the floor. "You work for me," Alex said quietly. "Don't forget that." He threw him aside. The doctor crashed into a cabinet. "Do it." The guards immediately pinned my arms. I was too weak to fight them. The doctor slowly approached. His eyes were full of apology. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Valcrest." I barely heard him. He inserted the needle. Warm blood began flowing through the transparent tube. One bag. Then another. The room slowly started spinning. I had barely survived losing my son. Now they were taking even more from me. Everything felt cold. Distant. The last thing I remembered was the doctor whispering another apology before darkness swallowed me whole. ** I woke with a gasp. Ice-cold water drenched my body. I shivered violently. My clothes clung to my skin. Blinking through blurred vision, I realized I was tied to a wooden chair. I lifted my head. Alex stood in front of me. His face was colder than I had ever seen it. I tried to stand. The room immediately tilted. My legs gave out. "So," he said quietly, "are you done pretending?" I looked at him weakly. "What more do you want from me?" My teeth chattered. "I'm cold." Without warning, he grabbed my hair and yanked my head upward. Pain exploded across my scalp. A cry escaped my lips. "Please," I whispered. "Have mercy." I had no strength left. I only wanted to sleep. His grip tightened. "You kidnapped my son." I stared at him. "...What?" "Elias." His voice dripped with fury. "While you sat here pretending to be weak, you hired men to abduct him." I laughed. The sound startled even me. It was hollow. Broken. "So..." I whispered. "You can finally admit he's your son." Alex's jaw tightened. "Bianca isn't just another woman." His expression softened for the briefest second. "She's the love of my life. She's the mother of my son and the child she's carrying." Then he looked at me again. The disgust returned. "You already knew that. If you hate us so much, why take your revenge on an innocent child?" I stared at him. "Innocent?" My voice was barely audible. "Did the word innocent ever cross your mind while our son was dying in front of me?" His expression did not change. "Enough." He gestured toward the door. "I have proof." The door opened. Two men dragged someone inside. A man. His face was bruised and swollen. The moment he saw Alex, he dropped to his knees. He pointed at me. "Boss, she's the one!" he cried desperately. "She paid me to take the boy. I swear I didn't know he was your son. Please spare me." I frowned. "I've never seen this man before." Alex's temper snapped. "Must you lie about everything?" "I'm telling the truth!" My voice cracked. "I didn't do this. You know me." For one impossible moment... I thought I saw hesitation in his eyes. Then it vanished. He grabbed my arm so hard that pain shot through me. "You'll confess." He dragged me toward the door. "You'll kneel before Bianca and apologize." "I won't confess to something I didn't do." His expression hardened further. The guards followed us. Alex dragged me across the estate grounds and through the private gardens. We stopped at the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea. I knew this place. The Valcrest estate had been built on the highest point of the coastline. Hundreds of feet below, jagged rocks waited in the darkness. The ocean crashed violently against them. The wind howled around us. Alex stopped at the very edge. His hand remained clamped around my arm. Every trace of color left my face. He knew. He knew I was terrified of heights. Years ago, during a charity gala held here, I had nearly slipped over the railing. He had been the one who caught me. After that, he had never allowed me near the cliff alone. Now he was using that fear against me. "Confess," he ordered. His voice was calm. Terrifyingly calm. "Or I'll throw you over." I began shaking. "I swear..." I sobbed. "I didn't do this. Please..." Alex closed his eyes. For one second, I thought he might let me go. Then he opened them again. "I warned you." And he pushed me. The ground disappeared beneath my feet. My scream was swallowed by the roar of the ocean as I fell into the darkness below.

Vivienne’s POV I was falling. The wind screamed in my ears as I clawed desperately at empty air, my cries swallowed by the darkness below. The ocean surged beneath me, its waves smashing against the jagged rocks lining the base of the cliff. I was going to die. Just before I hit— I bolted upright with a gasp. My chest heaved violently. Cold sweat drenched my nightgown, and every muscle in my body trembled as though I had truly plunged from the cliff. "Easy, Mrs. Valcrest." The calm voice came from beside me. "You're safe." I blinked rapidly. My vision slowly cleared. I was lying in one of the private rooms of the Valcrest Medical Center. Soft lighting glowed from the wall sconces, and the faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air. Machines beside my bed emitted steady, rhythmic beeps. Dr. Rinaldi watched me with visible concern. He was not alone. Alex stood near the window. Bianca was beside him. My mother-in-law lingered a few steps behind them. Bianca approached first. Her eyes glistened with tears. "How are you feeling, Isabella?" I looked right past her. "What happened?" I asked the doctor. Before the old man could answer, Alex spoke. "You ungrateful woman." His voice was colder than the storm outside. "Bianca saved your life." I slowly turned toward him. "When you fell, she threatened to jump after you if I didn't go down there immediately." His expression hardened. "I barely managed to reach you before you hit the rocks. You had already lost consciousness." He looked almost irritated by the memory. "She refused to leave your bedside for two days." Silence filled the room. Then I laughed. At first, it was only a quiet sound. Then it grew. I laughed until tears slid down my face. The three of them stared at me as though I had lost my mind. Eventually, I looked at Alex. "She framed me." My voice shook. "You threw me off a cliff, Alex. Tell me..." I swallowed the bitter taste rising in my throat. "Am I supposed to thank the woman who tried to get me killed? Or should I thank the husband who pushed me?" My mother-in-law's face twisted with disgust. "You should have let her fall," she muttered. "It would've spared this family endless trouble." I looked at her. For the first time, I felt absolutely nothing. "You're right," I said. My smile held no warmth. "He should've let me die." Then I looked back at Alex. "Or perhaps he should have finished the job the same day he murdered our son." Silence. Even the machines seemed louder. No one spoke. Alex was the first to move. He let out a scoff. "You've completely lost your senses." He turned away. "The medication is clearly affecting your mind." Then he extended his arm toward Bianca. "Come." Bianca hesitated. She approached me once more and reached for my hands. She squeezed them tightly. Her manicured nails dug into my skin. "I'm so sorry, Isabella," she whispered, tears trembling in her eyes. "Everything that's happened is because of me. Please forgive me." I pulled my hands away. "Stop pretending." The words came out sharper than I intended. "And leave me alone." Bianca recoiled as though I had struck her. Alex caught her immediately. The fury on his face was terrifying. "You should be grateful Bianca is kind-hearted," he said coldly. "Had anyone else spoken to her that way, I would've broken every bone in their body." Without another word, he guided her from the room. His mother followed. Only Dr. Rinaldi remained. He stood awkwardly near the doorway. Then he lowered his gaze. "Mrs. Valcrest..." "I want to go home." My voice sounded distant even to my own ears. There was nothing left to say. The doctor sighed softly. "As you wish." ** By the time I returned to the mansion, the afternoon sun had already begun sinking toward the horizon. I entered the master suite. A bundle of documents lay neatly on the table. I froze. A wax seal gleamed on the top envelope. The seal belonged to Rowan Vance. The papers had arrived. Three days. Exactly as promised. I crossed the room and opened the envelope. Inside were the divorce papers. Attached to them was my resignation letter from my position as Alex's assistant. I carefully folded everything. Only one thing remained. Alex's signature. Without it, none of it would become legally binding. A knock sounded. The door opened before I could answer. Alex entered. He tossed a garment bag onto the bed. "Get dressed," he said. "The heads of the eastern families are gathering tonight. We have to attend." I looked at the bag. "Why not take Bianca?" "I am." He answered without hesitation. "But you're still my assistant. People will ask questions if you're absent." Assistant. Not wife. I almost smiled. Instead, I picked up the documents and walked toward him. "Dr. Rinaldi asked me to give these to you." I handed him the papers. "He said they're my discharge documents and need your signature." Alex frowned. He reached for the papers. "What are these?" Before he could read beyond the first page, Bianca's voice floated down the corridor. "Alex!" She sounded delighted. "Come look at me! I can't decide which earrings to wear." Everything about him changed. The tension vanished from his face. His eyes softened. He didn't even look at me again. Impatiently, he signed the papers and scribbled his signature across every marked page. "There." He shoved them back into my hands. Then he walked out. I stared at the fresh ink. He had not read a single word. The divorce papers. My resignation. He had signed everything. Without knowing. For the first time in days, something resembling relief settled inside me. I folded the documents carefully and hid them inside my suitcase. Then I changed into the black evening gown Alex had once given me. The dress fit perfectly. Its long sleeves concealed the bruises scattered across my arms. When I descended the stairs, Alex looked up. Surprise flickered across his face. For one brief moment, he simply stared. Then Bianca appeared beside him. His attention shifted immediately. As though I had never existed. The drive to the gathering was suffocating. Bianca spent most of it leaning against him. She spoke endlessly about memories only the two of them shared. Moonlit walks. Secret dates. Trips they had taken together. The hidden apartment downtown where they used to meet. She even laughed while recounting how they had once kissed in the very back seat of the limousine carrying us now. Every word was meant for me. Every sentence was another cut. Eventually, even Alex seemed uncomfortable. "Enough, Bianca." He glanced toward me. Perhaps he expected tears. Perhaps anger. I gave him neither. Instead, I quietly traced my thumb over the ring on my finger. Inside the band was a hidden transmitter. A tiny light blinked. Then my phone vibrated softly. A message appeared. Everything is ready. Tomorrow night. I stared at the words. A small smile touched my lips. I typed my reply. I'll be there. Tomorrow. Everything would finally end. By the time we arrived, the gala was already in full swing. The ballroom glittered beneath crystal chandeliers. Politicians mingled with judges. Business tycoons laughed beside notorious crime bosses. The most powerful families in the city's underworld had gathered beneath one roof. Bianca never left Alex's side. More than once, people greeted her as though she were already Mrs. Valcrest. Alex never corrected them. Occasionally, he glanced in my direction. Something resembling guilt flashed in his eyes. I remained several steps behind him. Not as his wife. Only as his employee. The evening was nearing its end when a deafening explosion shattered the music. The ballroom doors burst open. Armed men flooded inside. Masks concealed their faces. Gunfire erupted. Guests screamed. Bodyguards drew their weapons. People scattered in every direction. Without hesitation, Alex stepped in front of Bianca and shielded her body with his own. I was left standing alone. I barely had time to react. A sharp, burning pain exploded through my side. I looked down. An arrow protruded from my abdomen. Blood spread across my black dress. My knees buckled. "Alex..." My voice cracked. "Help me..." He turned immediately. Hope surged inside me. He reached me within seconds. One arm wrapped around my waist. His hand pressed against the wound. "You'll be all right," he murmured. "Stay awake." He lifted me. Then Bianca screamed. "Alex!" Her voice trembled. "My stomach... our baby..." Everything changed. Without hesitation— He put me down. Then he turned away. He crossed the distance between us and swept Bianca into his arms. As though I weighed nothing. As though I had never mattered. As he hurried past me, he paused. Only long enough to speak. "You're strong, Isabella." His voice remained maddeningly calm. "You can endure this. I can't risk Bianca or the baby." Then he walked away. Leaving me on the floor. Blood pooled beneath me. I watched him disappear through the doors while Bianca rested safely in his arms. Just before they vanished from sight— She looked back at me. And smiled.

Vivienne’s POV I waited. I dragged myself behind the ballroom doors and leaned against the wall while gunfire continued outside. Men shouted orders. Glass shattered. Somewhere in the distance, someone screamed. No one came for me. Blood seeped through my fingers and soaked my dress. I waited for Alex. I waited for anyone. No one came. By the time the attackers were finally driven back and the fighting ended, I was drifting in and out of consciousness. Only then did someone remember I was still there. Two Valcrest soldiers carried me to the estate's private medical wing. Dr. Rinaldi stitched the wound in my side and forced bitter medicine down my throat until the bleeding finally stopped. Once he was satisfied that I would survive, I was sent back to the mansion. The moment I stepped through the front doors, laughter greeted me. I stopped. Alex sat at the head of the dining table. Bianca occupied the seat beside him. Elias sat happily on Alex's lap while my mother-in-law piled food onto their plates and fussed over all three of them with obvious affection. They looked like a family. A perfect family. It was almost impossible to believe that only hours earlier, they had left me bleeding on a ballroom floor. Alex looked up. The smile disappeared from his face. He rose immediately. "Isabella..." For the first time that day, guilt crossed his features. He took a step toward me. "I'm sorry. I came back for you, but Bianca's condition suddenly worsened. I couldn't leave her." I looked at him quietly. "Of course." My voice sounded empty. "She was in terrible danger." He frowned. I didn't wait for another excuse. I walked past them and climbed the stairs. Inside the master suite, I crossed to the wardrobe and lifted out the cedar chest I had hidden at the back. Everything that had once mattered to me was inside. The diamond pendant Alex had given me after our wedding. The pressed white lilies from our honeymoon. Letters written in his own hand. Photographs. Cards. Little souvenirs from places we had visited together. Promises. Lies. I carried the chest downstairs and out into the courtyard. A bronze fire pit burned near the fountain. Without hesitation, I overturned the chest. The contents spilled into the flames. The fire consumed them greedily. Photographs blackened and curled. The handwritten letters caught fire one by one. The white lilies shriveled into ash. The picture from our wedding slowly disintegrated until nothing remained but charred fragments. I watched in silence. Strangely... It didn't hurt. For the first time in a very long time, I felt peaceful. "What are you doing?" Alex's furious voice echoed through the courtyard. He ran toward me, grabbed a wool blanket from a nearby chair, and smothered the flames. By the time the fire died, almost everything had been destroyed. He stared at the scorched remains in disbelief. Then he looked at me. "Have you lost your mind?" His voice trembled. "Why would you do this?" I met his gaze. "I don't want them anymore." He frowned. "What are you talking about?" I held his eyes. "I'm ending our marriage, Alex." For the briefest moment... I saw fear. Real fear. Then he laughed. The sound was forced. "You can't." He folded his arms. "You don't have a family. You have no money of your own, no connections, and nowhere to go." A mocking smile appeared on his face. "You need me." I said nothing. I turned and walked back into the house. Behind me, I heard him call my name. I never looked back. That night, I locked the bedroom door. Alex remained outside for hours. Sometimes he knocked softly. Sometimes he apologized. At one point, he even slid folded notes beneath the door. It was something he used to do whenever we argued. Little messages. Little apologies. Once upon a time, they would have melted my anger instantly. Now I didn't even pick them up. The woman who had loved Alex Valcrest had died with her son. What remained inside me was colder than winter. --- I opened my eyes at dawn with a feeling I hadn't experienced in years. Hope. By sunset, I would be gone. Forever. I opened the bedroom door. Alex was waiting outside. A single white lily rested in his hand. My favorite flower. "I'm sorry." His voice was quiet. He looked exactly as he had on the night I fell in love with him. The same dark eyes. The same crooked smile. The same gentleness. Once, one look from him had been enough to steal my breath. Now... I felt absolutely nothing. "Forgive me, Isabella," he said softly. "I know I D'Angelo't treated you well lately." I looked at the flower. Then I looked at him. "What do you want?" Relief brightened his face. "Spend today with me." He handed me a garment bag. "I had this dress made for you." I accepted it without expression. "Fine." His eyes lit up. "I want to take you somewhere special." A nostalgic smile touched his lips. "The place where we had our first date." He looked almost happy as he walked away. The moment he disappeared down the hallway, I closed the door. I crossed to my suitcase. Hidden beneath the false bottom lay a black satellite phone. I turned it on. It rang only once. "Little star." The familiar voice made my chest tighten. A faint smile touched my lips. "I'm ready, Lorenzo." A low chuckle came through the line. "Good. Because there won't be any turning back once we start." "I have no intention of turning back." Silence. Then he spoke again. "You sound different." I looked around the room. At the empty walls. At the remnants of a life I no longer wanted. "I am." The line remained quiet. Finally, he said softly, "I'll take care of everything." The call ended. I looked at the three wooden boxes sitting beside my bed. Each contained something meant for Alex. Today was our third wedding anniversary. I doubted he remembered. After changing into the dress he had chosen for me, I had barely finished fastening the last button when my bedroom door burst open. Alex stormed inside. Bianca and my mother-in-law followed close behind. Before I could say a word— His hand struck my face. Pain exploded across my cheek. I staggered backward. Then my mother-in-law slapped me twice. I fell onto the floor. I looked up. "What have I done?" "Don't pretend." Alex's voice thundered through the room. His eyes blazed with fury. "You sent those gunmen yesterday." I stared at him. "What?" "You wanted to test me." He took another step forward. "You wanted to see whether I'd save you or Bianca." Disbelief spread through me. "Have you lost your mind?" "Do you have any idea what could've happened to her?" Bianca buried her face against his chest. "I don't understand why you hate me so much," she sobbed. "If my death would make you feel better, then kill me. But please... don't hurt my children." My mother-in-law looked as though she wanted to tear me apart. "You vicious girl," she hissed. "You belong in prison." The accusations continued. One after another. I remained where I had fallen. There was no point defending myself. They had never listened to me. They never would. Finally, Alex turned toward the door. "I need to deal with the mess you've created." He looked back at me. "Stay here." The command in his voice was absolute. "When I come back, I'll decide what to do with you." Then the three of them left together. Once again... I was alone. I waited until I could no longer hear their footsteps. Then I reached beneath the bed and retrieved the satellite phone. It rang once. "Little star?" "I've changed my mind." My voice was calm. "Release everything." Silence. Then Lorenzo asked, "Are you sure?" "Yes." I closed my eyes. "I want the entire underworld to know what Alex Valcrest did. Every politician he bribed, every judge he bought, every body he buried, every lie he told. I want his empire to collapse before I disappear." A low laugh came through the line. "As you wish, Princess." His voice softened. "My men are already waiting beyond the north gate." I picked up my suitcase. "I'll be there soon." The call ended. Outside the mansion gates, a black armored SUV waited with its engine running. A man in a dark suit stood beside it. The moment he saw me, he bowed. "Welcome, ma'am." I got into the vehicle without looking back. As the gates of the Valcrest estate slowly receded behind us, I watched the mansion disappear among the trees. A small smile touched my lips. I was free. And by the time Alex Valcrest realized what he had truly lost— His empire would already be on fire.