Chapter 6

Sebastian's phone vibrated only once before Matteo answered, his voice rough with sleep.

"Yes, Boss. I still have the doctor's report."

"Bring it to my study."

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

The call ended.

Not long afterward, Matteo arrived at the estate carrying a sealed envelope from the family's private physician. Sebastian broke the wax seal and read every page himself.

The report was almost disappointingly ordinary.

Elena was suffering from exhaustion brought on by stress and overwork. Her vitamin levels were low, and the doctor had prescribed supplements, proper rest, and a few weeks away from the constant demands of the Vieri household. There was nothing to suggest a terminal illness, nothing that required emergency treatment, and nothing that explained the strange distance she had been putting between them.

Only then did the knot in Sebastian's chest begin to loosen.

**

The following morning, Elena was surprised to find Sebastian still at the estate.

He rarely lingered after sunrise. Whether it was meetings with allied families, negotiations over shipments, or intelligence reports from his captains, something always demanded his attention. Since Celeste's return, he had become even harder to find.

Seeing him waiting in the main hall instead of leaving before dawn felt strangely unfamiliar.

The moment she reached the bottom of the staircase, Sebastian dismissed the men standing nearby and turned to her.

"I've cleared my schedule," he said. "We're leaving this afternoon."

Elena looked at him in confusion.

"For where?"

"Sicily."

Seeing the surprise on her face, he continued, "Our wedding anniversary is only a few days away. We'll spend it there and come back before the council meeting for the Winter Summit."

For a brief moment, Elena almost asked about Celeste.

If he left the city...

...who would stay with her?

The question rose to her lips before she swallowed it.

Throughout their marriage, every anniversary had been planned by Elena. She chose the restaurants, arranged the gifts, and cleared their schedules months in advance, only for business to interfere more often than not.

This was the first time Sebastian had suggested the trip himself.

She couldn't tell whether it was guilt...

...or whether something had changed after their conversation the night before.

In the end, she simply nodded.

If this really became their last trip together, she wanted to remember it without resentment.

**

After breakfast, Elena packed a single suitcase.

Sicily would be cooler this time of year, so she packed a few heavier coats, comfortable shoes, and the medication the doctor had prescribed for the dizzy spells that had become more frequent over the past few weeks.

By noon, their convoy left the Vieri estate.

Several armored SUVs escorted them through territories controlled by allied families before they finally reached a private villa overlooking the sea, a property that had belonged to the Vieris for generations.

Before guests were allowed inside, every visitor was required to register with the estate's security office.

While Sebastian remained behind to speak with the security chief, Elena wandered toward the stone terrace overlooking the water, wrapping both hands around a cup of hot tea.

When she returned...

Sebastian was gone.

At first, she assumed he had stepped away to answer a business call.

She waited.

Half an hour passed.

Then another.

As the staff quietly prepared the anniversary dinner she had once dreamed of sharing with him, unease slowly settled into her chest.

She finally called him.

He answered almost immediately.

"Elena..."

His breathing was strained.

"I can't stay."

Her fingers tightened around the porcelain cup.

"Why?"

Silence stretched between them before he finally spoke.

"It's Celeste."

His voice grew lower.

"She tried to take her own life."

Elena closed her eyes.

Around her, the waves continued crashing against the cliffs, but the sound seemed impossibly distant.

Before she could say another word, the line went dead.

**

That evening, Elena sat alone on the villa's terrace.

The dinner prepared for two remained untouched.

The anniversary candles burned until the last flame quietly died.

She had imagined spending their fifth wedding anniversary there with Sebastian, watching the sunset over the Mediterranean and believing that perhaps they still had a chance to save what remained of their marriage.

Instead, she found herself making a wish entirely different from the one she had carried for years.

She no longer prayed for a happier marriage.

She prayed only for the strength to survive.

To live long enough to walk away with dignity.

**

The days that followed passed in complete silence.

Sebastian had promised he would return within two days.

He never did.

Their fifth wedding anniversary came and went.

So did the Winter Summit, where every major mafia family gathered to discuss territory, alliances, and business.

He never called.

He never explained.

By then, Elena was no longer surprised.

She had lowered her expectations so many times that there should have been nothing left to break.

And yet, loving the same man for five years still left wounds that refused to heal.

The pain remained sharp enough to steal the air from her lungs.

After returning to the city, Elena contacted the attorney Clara had recommended.

The elderly lawyer listened quietly as she explained everything before folding his hands on the desk.

"If you want to end this marriage as quickly as possible," he said, "Don Sebastian will have to sign the divorce agreement first. Once that's done, we can file the dissolution of your marital contract and begin dividing the jointly held assets, properties, and corporate shares. The rest can be settled afterward."