Married to the Don, My Ex Won’t Stop Begging Chapter 09

Married to the Don, My Ex Won’t Stop Begging Chapter 09

That was when I saw it. 

Dante’s face was wrecked. His eyes bloodshot. 

His movements were violent. Feral. 

But when he looked at me, it was pure desperation. The 

kind a beggar wears. 

“I love you.” 

“Tina, please. Don’t marry him.” 

My fingers twisted in my dress. 

“Dante, you’ve lost your mind.” 

“Put the knife down.” 

“If you hurt him, the Santoro family will hunt you to the 

end of the earth.” 

Dante was beyond reason. Unspooling right in front of me. 

“I don’t care. Say you won’t marry him. Please.” 

“I can die for you. Can Matteo say the same?” 

Then someone proved him wrong. 

Matteo smiled. 

The sound he made was dark. Haunting. He murmured 

into Dante’s ear. 

“I kind of hope you do it.” 

“Don’t worry. I’ll give the order myself. No retaliation from the Santoro family.” 

His eyes found mine. 

I’d never seen him look at me like that. Gentle. Focused. 

Like the knife at his throat didn’t even exist. 

“I know you don’t love me. I don’t care. Let me die today. If I do, you’ll remember me forever. Even if it’s in nightmares, 

you’ll see my face. Hear my voice. Smell my skin. You’ll relive 

each detail until it’s burned into you.” 

“If I die right now, you’ll never forget me.” 

“Dante, you didn’t win. And I, Matteo, have never lost a single thing in my life.” 

He leaned forward. 

The blade bit deeper. 

Blood spilled down his neck and soaked into my white 

gown. 

The knife clattered to the ground. 

Matteo’s eyes stayed on me. Waiting for death. 

“Valentina, I love you. Please don’t forget me.” 

I grabbed Matteo and yanked him back. 

The medical team swarmed. Two millimeters from the 

artery. Bandages wrapped around his neck, layer after layer. 

He reached up and swiped his thumb across my cheek. 

“Don’t cry. The bandages are red. It’s festive.” 

My tears fell on his face. One drop. Then another. “Stop talking nonsense.” 

“Shut up. Blood in your throat. You can still choke to 

death.” 

Dante knelt on the ground. 

He looked up at Matteo with a bitter, broken smile. “You win.” 

The guards tackled him. Pinned him down. 

Dante thought about those words. “Please don’t forget 

me.” 

It was too close to a curse. 

A handful of syllables. 

Heavier than “I love you.” Lighter than paper. 

They landed in a person’s heart, and they never left. 

Love is the most twisted curse in the world. 

Matteo was a true madman. 

Later, Matteo kept his word. 

He didn’t retaliate. 

Dante said nothing. The next day, he said his goodbyes to 

my father and left. 

Back to the Mediterranean. Without a word to me. 

He didn’t even attend the follow–up reception. 

His envelope was empty. 

Except for one thing. The ring I’d thrown into the pool. And a single sheet of paper with his final words. 

“My love for you has finally grown into something bigger than wanting to own you. From a distance, I’ll still be happy for you. Valentina, words fail me. Be happy. Be safe.” 

Matteo leaned against me, arms crossed, bandage still wrapped around his neck. “Mrs. Santoro, we have guests to 

toast.” 

I asked him. 

A madman like him. Why didn’t he just throw away his wife’s ex–boyfriend’s stuff when I wasn’t looking? 

Matteo’s fingers brushed the corner of my eye. “Because 

I’m not afraid anymore.” 

“That day, I saw your love.” 

“Just a little. But enough to keep me from losing my mind. 

I finally asked for something and got it.” 

I let out a soft laugh. No words. 

I raised my glass. Matteo’s hand in mine. Together, we 

went to toast our guests. 

Love sparks in a single moment. 

The ending, I hope, will last a lifetime.