Book 3–Chapter 1
The moming of my son’s sixth birthday, I woke up thinking it would be a perfect day!!
I had planned everything down to the last detail–a private VIP tour of Ocean Park, an exclusive lunch by the dolphin exhibit, and a custom–made cake waiting for Noah at the end of the day. As the wife of Jason Romano, the mafia boss of the Romano Empire, money had never been an issue.X
But love? Loyalty? That was another story.
The hospital visits had drained more than just my energy. Stage four brain cancer was a slow, cruel thief, stealing my time, my future. But
I had kept it a secret from Jason. He had made it clear he didn’t have time for meaningless worries.
“Don’t waste my money on hospitals, Emma,” he’d said, barely looking up from his phone. “You always overthink things.”
I wasn’t overthinking. I was dying.
But today wasn’t about me. It was about my son.
By noon, Ocean Park was filled with excited children, the scent of saltwater and fried food lingering in the air. Noah pulled me toward the giant shark tank, his small fingers warm in mine. “Mommy, look! It’s so big!TM*
I laughed, pressing a kiss to his curly hair. “Bigger than you?”
He nodded eagerly, his excitement making my exhaustion worth it. Then, out of nowhere, his voice lit up with even more excitement. “Mommy! Look! Daddy’s here too!”
I frowned. Jason? That wasn’t possible. He had told me he was handling “business” That he was too busy to even call Noah for his birthday
Ifollowed my son’s gaze–and the world beneath me crumbled.
There, in the middle of the plaza, Jason was on one knee. Holding a ring. For Lily
My younger sister. The one who had cried to me about her failed relationships. The one I had comforted after every heartbreak. The one who had sworn Jason was like a brother to her..
She stood there with wide, teary eyes, hands covering her mouth.
“Marry me,” Jason said, his voice clear, steady Like this was the most natural thing in the world.
Lily let out a shaky sob, nodding funously. “Yes” Oh my God, Jason, yes!“)
this was something to celebrate. As if I
My entire family–my mother, father, aunts, uncles–stood around them, clapping. Clapping. As if this w wasn’t standing right here.
The ring slid onto Lily’s finger, and I felt something inside me snap.
Noah tugged at my sleeve, confused but excited. “Mommy! is Daddy giving Auntie Lily a present? Can I go too?”
I couldn’t breathe. Then, as if she had just noticed me, my mother’s smile faltered. The applause faded.
One by one, their gazes tumed to me. Jason slowly rose to his feet, locking eyes with me. There was no guilt. No shame. Just the same mild imitation he always had when I inconvenienced him.
Lily, on the other hand, had the audacity to look annoyed.X
Jason crossed his arms, exhaling like I was exhausting him. “Emma, let’s not do this here.”
“Do what, Jason?” My voice shook with barely contained rage &
“Make a scene,” he cut in, rolling his eyes. “God, you’re always so dramatic-”
The slap echoed through the plaza
For a moment, everything froze. The sting on my palm was nothing compared to the burning rage in my chest.il
Jason’s head snapped to the side, his jaw tightening. When he turned back, there was no shame, no remorse–just irritation. “Really, Emma?” he scoffed, rubbing his cheek. “Was that necessary?
The sheer audacity left me breathless. The sting of betrayal wasn’t just in Jason’s eyes–it was in the shocked gasps of my family, the disapproving frown on my father’s face.”
“Emma” my father, Edward Moretti, barked, “Don’t ruin your sister’s happiness
My stomach dropped. Edward Moretti–capo of the Moretti syndicate, a man feared in all of New York–had just dismissed me like I was a nuisance.X
Happiness?
I let out a hollow laugh, my vision blurring. “Is this a joke? My hands trembled at my sides. “You all knew?”
My mother, Isabella Moretti, smoothed out har designer dress. “Emma, you and Jason have been distant for a while. We thought it was for the best
“For the best?” My voice cracked. “For the best? You mean betraying me behind my back?”
Jason exhaled, exasperated. “Emma, stop making a scene.”
“A scene?” My voice rose. “You proposed to my sister in public, surrounded by my own family, on my son’s birthday! And I’m making a
scene?
Lily had the audacity to step forward, pouting like she was the victim. “Emma, I love him. She reached for my hand, fake sympathy in her eyes. “I didn’t plan this, but–1
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scene?”
Lily had the audacity to step forward, pouting like she was the victim. “Emma, I love him. She reached for my hand, fake sympathy in her eyes. “I didn’t plan this, but-
1jerked away like her touch was poison. “Don’t touch me.”
Her face twisted with irritation. “God, Emma, why are you being so selfish? You never appreciated Jason. You were always running off to your little hospital visits, leaving him alone. What did you expect?“”
My stomach lurched. “You’re blaming me for your affair?“.
Lily shrugged, her lips curving into a smirk. “You pushed him away. I was just… there for him “3
“You mean you threw yourself at him like a desperate slut I snapped, shaking with fury.X
Her eyes darkened. “Careful, Emma.”
“Or what?” My voice dropped to a whisper. “You’ll steal something else from me?“;
Jason sighed, as if he was tired of my tantrum. “Emma, let’s be adults here.”
“Adults?” | let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You mean like how you crept around behind my back? Lied to ne? Destroyed our marriage?“)
His expression didn’t change. Not even a flicker of guilt
Lily, however, smirked. “You and Jason were over long before this, Emma She held up her hand, flashing the diamond ring. “He chose me.””
The words sliced through me like a blade. And then my mother spoke, her voice filled with pride.
“Emma, this is for the best, she said smoothly. “Lily is pregnant. With Jason’s child.”
The words hit me like a wrecking ball. I staggered back, bile rising in my throat. Proud. She sounded proud!
“What?” My voice was barely a whisper
Lily placed a hand on her stomach, her smirk widening. “That’s right, sis. You’re going to be an aunt. Isn’t it wonderful?
A cold chill ran down my spine. Jason’s child. The man who ignored me when I was sick. The man who never once took me to a doctor The man who hadn’t even cared enough to ask why I was always exhausted. And my sister… carrying his child.
My mother smiled, as if this was wonderful news. “You should be happy for them. They’ll finally have the family Jason always wanted.
Noah, who had been quiet, tugged at my sleeve. His big, innocent eyes blinked up at me. “I like Aunt Lily too,” his voice filled with childlike hope. “If Daddy loves her, you should be happy, Mom. Plus, I want Aunt Lily to be my mom too!”
I couldn’t breathe 8
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