He Married Her for a Game, So I Disappeared Chapter 09

He Married Her for a Game, So I Disappeared Chapter 09

Vincenzo went back to New York.

He threw himself into his work. He worked twenty hours a day. He made the family stronger than it had ever been.

But he was never happy.

He never dated anyone. He never even looked at another woman. His heart was still in Sicily.

He called Antonio every month, just to ask how I was. Antonio would tell him that I was fine. That I was running the Luccarelli family’s European operations. That I was happy.

Vincenzo was glad. Even if I was not with him, he was glad I was happy.

Six months later, the annual Sicilian Cosa Nostra Summit was held in Palermo.

Every influential Don from around the world was there, but Vincenzo kept his promise and stayed away.

He stayed in New York, never setting foot in Sicily again and never disturbing my peace.

I showed up at the summit, calm and poised in a sleek black silk gown. I moved freely among the crowd, handling all the business and diplomatic affairs with effortless authority.

Before long, Nicola Rizzo, Don of the powerful old Rizzo family, walked over to me with gentle composure.

“Elena, you look more poised and capable than I imagined.”
He opened the conversation softly, eyes filled with genuine admiration.

I turned to glance at him with a faint calm smile. “Don Rizzo, you flatter me.”

“I have heard all about what happened in New York,” Nicola said in a sincere tone, “I know all the hardships and heartbreaks you have endured, and I also know how tough you are to hold the entire Luccarelli family steady alone after going through so much.”

He continued slowly, “I respect your courage and your ability more than anything else. I have no intention of pressuring you into anything, nor do I want to take charge of your life for you. I simply hope I can stay by your side quietly, get to know you little by little, and take things slow to see if we can walk down the same path together.”

I let out a soft breath, shaking my head gently with clear eyes.

“I appreciate your kindness and your respect towards me, Nicola,” I spoke in a steady tone, “but I have long walked out of the days relying on others. I no longer need any man to shelter me, nor do I need anyone to plan everything for me. I can handle all troubles on my own.”

“I know you are strong enough,” Nicola did not feel embarrassed, only nodded understandingly, “I just hope you know there is always someone willing to stand behind you whenever you need it.”

“I truly thank you for your sincerity, yet I still have to turn you down.” I refused his affection plainly without any hesitation.

Nicola did not press me further, only smiled faintly and ended the topic politely.

That night, there was a grand dinner gathering.

I stepped out onto the terrace alone, the Mediterranean breeze tangling in my hair.

Below me, the sea glinted like crushed obsidian under the moon.

Antonio joined me silently, holding a sealed envelope.

“From New York,” he said simply.

I ran my fingers over the familiar handwriting, then slipped it into my pocket unopened.

I need not read the ink to know it reeks of penance. His regrets hold no currency in my court.

Somewhere across the ocean, a man was sitting at his desk, staring at an empty chair, counting the days since he had last seen me.

But that was his burden to carry, not mine.

Antonio filled me in on Seraphina’s fate.

She took the five million dollars, skipped town to Miami, and burned through every last cent in half a year: haute couture, private charters, and a carousel of gigolos.

She ended up so blotto that she toppled off a yacht and fed the fish.

I just shook my head. No tears for that one. She wrote her own ticket to hell.

I turned back to the ballroom, my shoulders straight, my head held high.

I could thrive perfectly well alone, and embrace everything I desired.