For Five Years, He Took Revenge on the Wrong Woman Chapter 02

For Five Years, He Took Revenge on the Wrong Woman Chapter 02

I heard the divorce papers rip apart beside me.

“These papers are invalid. Don Serrano said on his deathbed that the Serranos could never betray the Orsinis after they saved my life.”

What a noble excuse. Hadn’t Don Serrano also told him to take care of me?

The phone in Silas’s pocket rang. When he answered, Caterina’s voice came through.

“Silas, why did the power suddenly go out? I think someone cut the power to the whole building. Now someone’s knocking on the door. I’m so scared…”

Silas immediately softened his voice.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m coming over now.”

After he hung up, that familiar contempt returned to his eyes, as if I were nothing but a joke.

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

It wasn’t a question. He had already decided I was guilty and left me no chance to defend myself.

Silas left, but his cedar scent lingered in the air—the same cedar fragrance Caterina always special-ordered through a high-end department store.

Messages from private investigator Liam Anderson kept coming in.

Liam: [Mrs. Serrano, Mr. Serrano is driving to the apartment in the Seaport. He stopped along the way, waited in line, and bought two lobster rolls. I think he spotted me tailing him.]

Me: [Stop following him. I want to see it for myself.]

I suddenly remembered the doctor’s warning from last month: the pregnancy was unstable, and there was a good chance I would lose the baby.

I closed my eyes, shook several pills into my palm, and swallowed them.

After changing my clothes, I stepped out into the pouring rain. As expected, the hem of my dress was soon soaked, clinging unpleasantly to my calves.

Silas used to carry me to the car whenever it rained.

Now there wasn’t even a single umbrella left in the house for me.

Liam handed me the latest photographs, pity showing in his eyes.

“I confirmed today that Silas bought the Seaport apartment at a private auction last Valentine’s Day. It has a prime location and a beautiful view, and the sale included a smaller unit across the street.”

“They also bought a nineteenth-century ruby jewelry set at the auction. The lot came with a ruby ring made from one of the leftover stones.”

Last Valentine’s Day, I had collapsed with a high fever and ended up in the hospital. I was bleeding, and the doctor said I could miscarry at any time.

The doctor said things didn’t look good and that they needed to contact my family.

Expecting nothing, I called Silas.

He answered. Four hours later, he arrived, held my hand, and told me he was giving me a small apartment in the Seaport.

Then he slipped the ruby ring onto my finger.

“Baby, I’ve thought it through. From now on, I’ll do whatever you say. Let’s make this marriage work.”

He had looked at me exactly as he had when he stood before his father holding my hand—sincere and full of love.

I hadn’t dared question any of it.

As long as he had come back, that was enough.

But there were some things I could no longer lie to myself about.

Pain stabbed through my abdomen in waves, followed by what felt like a small, warm trickle.

Liam stared at the small red stain on the seat cushion and let out a startled cry.

“Ms. Orsini…”

I steadied myself, then took out a handkerchief and wiped myself clean.

The handkerchief embroidered with the Serrano crest was now stained. Normally, I treasured it too much to use it.

Then I remembered that Silas had used the one embroidered with my initials to catch Caterina’s vomit, and the stain no longer seemed worth caring about.

I pulled on my coat and went to the smaller unit across the street, where I had a clear view of Silas’s apartment.

A telescope stood by the window. I leaned down and looked through it.

But when I saw the apartment’s layout, I was too stunned to speak.

It wasn’t the lavish apartment I had imagined he would use to keep a mistress.

It was the ordinary, cozy home I had spent years dreaming of.