Chapter 3

I placed Bruno on the bed but didn't take off his shoes and socks like I usually would. Instead, I headed straight for the guest room. Before closing my eyes, memories of how he had doted on me all these years flooded my mind. … The next morning, sunshine streamed through the glass and caressed my face. When I opened my eyes, I immediately met Bruno's focused gaze. He leaned down, planting a kiss on my forehead. "Amy, were you upset last night? I'm sorry. I drank too much at the meeting of the families. I promise it won't happen again," he said, his voice as gentle as always. I gave a soft hum in response, then slipped into the bathroom to wash off his scent. When I came down, an exquisite Aitarian-style breakfast was laid out on the dining table. I used to always be so moved by this. But now that I had seen his phone, I couldn't smile anymore. Everything laid out on the table was Lilah's favorite. The doorbell rang, and Lilah walked in, dressed in the latest couture dress. She sat down at the table with natural ease and smiled at me. "Sorry to bother you, Amara. Don Zedano and I will be delivering a shipment this morning, so he asked me to come for breakfast." I stared at the access card in her hand—the same highest-level access card that I had—and fell silent. Bruno, sensing something was off, quickly leaned in to explain in a whisper, "Lilah is our most trusted personnel. It's normal that she has access to the estate." The words had barely left his mouth when he leaped up nervously, snatching the mug of hot coffee from Lilah's hand. "You have low blood pressure. You shouldn't be drinking espresso. You still don't take good care of yourself even after all these years." Lilah chuckled softly. "That's true. It's a good thing you've always remembered." As they stared into each other's eyes, something seemed to shift in the air around us. I got up to leave, but Lilah called out to me. "Amara, the body restoration today needs professional documentation. Can you come take the photos? I don't trust the new forensic examiner." I hadn't touched a camera again—not after my father's brutal death. Just looking through the viewfinder would remind me of how he had taught me to take photos for evidence, of how defiant he must've felt while being tortured. And thus, I couldn't bring myself to press the shutter anymore. Bruno was well aware of this. He had locked away all my photography gear, saying that I could always pick it up again when I was ready. But now, he was shoving me into the back seat of the bulletproof car without letting me say a word. "Amy, you know Lilah gets car sick easily, so I'm afraid you'll have to sit in the back." Yet he had somehow forgotten that after going on the run so many times, I had developed vertigo worse than Lilah's. The car ride the whole way there was so bumpy that I became nauseated. When we arrived at the morgue, Bruno carefully checked Lilah's protective gear and personally escorted her into the restoration area. Meanwhile, I leaned against the car, gasping for breath while trying to ease my nausea. "Amy, the restoration is about to start. Don't be stubborn. This documentation is critical for Lilah and her family," Bruno said as he dragged me inside. I lost my balance, nearly dropping the equipment. This was the first time in five years that I was holding a camera again. Fear surged through me, and my fingers trembled uncontrollably. I forced myself to stay calm as I continued taking photos of the restoration process. During a midway check, only Lilah and I were left. She looked at my photos with disdain, a cold smile curling at her lips. "Amara Slatero, you're as useless as your father. Who gave him the nerve to infiltrate the mafia when he couldn't even keep his identity as an undercover agent a secret? And you're nothing but a rat. You don't deserve to be with the Don of Scricia." I clutched my camera so tightly that my knuckles turned white. I was fighting hard to suppress the rage that was about to explode. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain across my cheek. Lilah pulled her hand back, her eyes filled with contempt. "How dare you take the title of the Don's wife? I never expected you to latch onto Bruno so quickly after getting dumped by Wesley."