Quit the Mafia Crown, Took the Healer Scalpel Chapter 09

Quit the Mafia Crown, Took the Healer Scalpel Chapter 09

Dante took the divorce certificate and carefully examined the divorce agreement.

His fingers tightened, crumpling the edges of the paper.

It was definitely his signature, but he couldn’t remember when he had signed divorce papers.

Not until he saw the date did he dimly recall: that day Lina had handled the scene with Camila.

She’d had him sign the Manhattan apartment transfer; he signed without looking, a careless flourish.

So that was when she had hidden the divorce agreement in with the rest.

Dante stood there as if all the strength had drained from him.

He remembered her face as she handed him the papers: calm, distant, as if handling routine business.

He couldn’t believe she’d planned this all along, walking away with nothing to be free of him.

He’d cheated, yes, but he’d repaid her in money. How could she stop loving him?

Dante walked out of the law firm. It was already fully light.

He drove straight to Brooklyn.

Half the old building had collapsed, yellow tape around it.

He crossed over it, stepping on broken bricks and rubble, until he reached the familiar door.

The door hung crooked, the place in ruins. The iron bed was still there, the mattress thick with dust.

The window was shattered, wind blowing through and rattling the torn curtain.

Dante stood at the bedside, remembering seven years ago.

He had just cut ties with his family and moved Lina into this place.

She never complained, and even thanked him for choosing her so firmly.

At night they squeezed onto the narrow iron bed, and she smiled like a satisfied cat, curling into him.

“Home is anywhere you are.”

Later he returned to the Conti empire and Rose Manor. She became the Donna, draped in couture and priceless jewels.

But she never smiled like that again.

The old landlady appeared, her English Brooklyn-accented. “Back again, young man? Lina left yesterday with

her suitcase, no word.”

Dante looked up. “Did she say anything?”

“She asked if the building would be torn down. I said yes, the storm wrecked it. She nodded and left.”

Dante stood up, walked out, and faced the ruins.

He’d swapped Lina and Iris, sending Lina to the Brooklyn rental, hoping she’d relive their old days and fall

back in love.

After all, they had truly, deeply loved each other back then.

But Lina never softened or begged. So he’d given her away on purpose.

He thought this time, surely, Lina would surrender.

He had been disastrously wrong. That rash decision had lost her forever.

He didn’t dare imagine how much Lina must hate him.

Dante stood before the ruins for a long time.

The wind carried the smell of the Hudson River.

His assistant hurried over, cautious. “Don, this land is contracted for a mall. The developer-”

“Buy it.” Dante cut him off.

The assistant froze. “What?”

“Buy this land,” Dante said. “Rebuild it exactly as it was. This room, this bed, this window, all restored.”

The assistant opened his mouth to ask why, but met his eyes and swallowed the question.

“Yes. I’ll take care of it right away.”

Dante stood where he was, looking at the ruins.

He thought, if the house could be restored, so could their love.

As long as he found her, apologized properly, and gave her all his devotion, with no one else.

She would come back.