The Ruthless Mafia Boss Got Down on His Knees to Save Our Failing Marriage

Staring at the vanity mirror, I gently dabbed the slit Donovan had created on my lip with a cotton ball. I winced at the pain, but the real pain wasn't from the wound—it was from how our relationship had devolved into something so heartbreaking and cruel.

"Why can't my heart learn to stop loving you?" I whispered, closing my eyes as memories of a different Donovan flooded my mind—the man he used to be.

We were on a yacht then, and I was standing on the deck, admiring the sunset, when I heard him call my name. I turned and saw him on one knee, eyes shining as he held out a ring to me.

It wasn't an expensive ring, just a simple silver band, but I accepted it without hesitation. Back then, I knew it was the best he could offer. But I also knew that his love was genuine.

"I promise to give you the best and most comfortable life, Clara. I'll work hard so we can live in a mansion, and we'll have many maids that you'll never need to lift a finger. I'll replace this ring with a diamond one, and you'll have every designer item in every store. I swear, you'll never have to worry about money again," Donovan had said before standing to kiss me. "And I promise to love you unconditionally," He whispered as our lips parted.

I had known Donovan for so long. He was always competitive and determined, someone who wouldn't stop until he achieved his dreams. I watched him rise from humble beginnings, starting with just a small nightclub at the edge of town.

Back then, I was the only one who believed in him. I even funded the nightclub to keep it from going under. Life wasn't easy for us, but we were happy, working side by side and loving each other through it all.

Then everything changed.

One night, Donovan met a customer at his club who introduced him to the underworld of Red Water Heights. He showed him how fast money could be made through illegal dealings, through the mafia, and that's when everything began to spiral.

That's when Casa Nostra was born.

Donovan's earnings began to skyrocket, doubling and tripling compared to what he made from the nightclub alone. His ambition to become rich consumed him, and he poured all his time into mastering the mafia world.

True to his nature, he succeeded.

But when he became victorious, our marriage suffered defeat.

At first, it was just the lack of time. But soon, he wouldn't come home for days, sometimes weeks, and he never explained why. Then came the bruises from the arguments he had been on. Donovan would return home battered, and once, he was even shot, barely escaping death.

When he survived, I begged him to leave the illegal life behind, to walk away from Casa Nostra and focus on other legitimate businesses.

I pleaded for a normal life and for us to start a family together. But instead of hearing me, he lashed out. That was the first time he ever laid hands on me.

Afterward, he even tracked down the man who shot him.

Donovan was able to kill him. And somehow, he got away with the crime, as if nothing had happened.

That was the turning point.

Donovan stopped caring entirely, and instead of love, he gave me violence. His power consumed him. Yes, he got the lavish life he always dreamed of, but at the cost of our marriage, which crumbled under the weight of his greed.

The mafia world had completely changed the man I fell in love with, but somehow, I remained the same woman, still hopelessly in love with him.

I splashed water on my face, trying to shake off the thoughts flooding my mind.

A week passed, and not wanting to provoke Donovan, I stayed inside the mansion just as he wanted. I was heading to my bedroom when I heard his voice echoing through the leisure area.

"Clara! Where are you?!"

He was back. After a week, he had finally returned.