I Paid for His Father’s Funeral With His Money
Chapter 1
My husband's childhood sweetheart took the Cullinan I gave him for a midnight joyride. One person ended up critically injured.
He wired half a million euros from the family account to hire a fall guy, then flew her to Switzerland for a ski trip.
I called him from outside the operating room, desperate. "Your father is dying. Authorize the surgery, now!"
He laughed, her head on his shoulder in the video call. "Using my father's health to lie? Sofia, you've crossed a line."
The line went dead. The heart monitor flatlined.
Later, at his father's funeral, he raged, swearing to find the killer and make them pay.
I looked at the gathered family elders, then pointed at the trembling woman behind him.
"The killer is right there. The one you paid to protect."
My husband's childhood sweetheart took the Cullinan I gave him for a midnight joyride. One person ended up critically injured.
He wired half a million euros from the family account to hire a fall guy, then flew her to Switzerland for a ski trip.
I called him from outside the operating room, desperate. "Your father is dying. Authorize the surgery, now!"
He laughed, her head on his shoulder in the video call. "Using my father's health to lie? Sofia, you've crossed a line."
The line went dead. The heart monitor flatlined.
Later, at his father's funeral, he raged, swearing to find the killer and make them pay.
I looked at the gathered family elders, then pointed at the trembling woman behind him.
"The killer is right there. The one you paid to protect."
...
The phone went dead in my hand. A nurse rushed out of the surgical suite, her face tight with urgency.
“Massive internal hemorrhaging in both patients. We need to operate immediately. Are you family? You need to sign the authorization, now!”
I wiped the cold sweat from my brow, my voice rough.
“He’s my father-in-law. Can I sign?”
She nodded vigorously.
“If you’re family, yes! Please, we’re out of time!”
My hand froze, the pen an inch above the paper.
Five years married to Antonio. Five years, and no church blessing, no city hall paperwork. Nothing legal to bind me to the Corvino name or its secrets.
The memory of them wheeling Don Vittorio in, his tailored suit dark and slick with blood, flashed behind my eyes. I swallowed hard and hit redial.
It rang. And rang. Just as I thought it would go to voicemail, a woman’s irritated voice crackled through.
“I said don’t call, Sofia! Are you deaf?”
“This isn’t about that,” I cut in, bracing myself against the cold clinic wall. My voice was a dry rasp. “Antonio, you have to come back. Now. It’s your father.”
A beat of silence. Then he snorted.
“Good performance. Almost had me. But we both know this is just another ploy to drag me back from my trip with Chiara. It’s not happening.”
“Listen to me! The car Chiara was driving, the one I bought for you… she hit someone. She hit your father, Antonio. He’s in surgery. They need the next-of-kin signature for the family medical team to take over. If you don’t authorize it—”
He laughed, a sharp, ugly sound.
“Using my father’s health to lie? That’s a new low. One more word about my family like that, and we’re done. You understand?”
My heart plummeted. Of course. Anything related to Chiara, and his logic evaporated. He knew I’d never leave. I’d been the convenient choice after his last blow-up with her, the one who was grateful for any scrap of attention.
But this… this was a new level of blindness.
“Antonio, I’m not lying! We can video call right now, you can see—”
He rejected the call instantly.
“Enough, Sofia! I’m only answering because our flight’s delayed. Stop this surveillance crap.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Chiara’s smooth voice slid into the line.
“Sofia, darling, don’t be upset. Tony’s just keeping me company for a few weeks. He’ll be home soon.” A light, tinkling laugh. “Oh, and a small favor? That Cayenne you got for Tony… it’s got a bit of a mess on the front. Could you have your people clean it? And the fender’s bent. Send me the bill.”
Antonio chimed in, his voice fond.
“It’s her car now, Sofia. Don’t worry about the bill. It’s not like you can’t afford it.”
My fist clenched. The Cayenne. He’d asked me for it. A rare request that had filled me with stupid hope. I’d special-ordered the exact matte grey he wanted. The next day, he’d had it repainted cherry red and handed the keys to Chiara.
The nurse was staring, her eyes pleading. Time was bleeding out.
Antonio’s patience snapped.
“I’ll bring you a souvenir. But I don’t have time for your games. Goodbye.”
The line went dead.
I turned to the nurse, desperation clawing my throat.
“Let me sign. I’ll get the proper authorization later, I swear. Just let them help him!”
The nurse’s expression shifted from urgency to pity. She reached for the pen.
From behind the reinforced doors, a shrill, continuous alarm blared. A masked doctor yelled, his voice muffled.
“Pressure’s crashing! We’re losing him!”
“No pulse! Start compressions! Don’t stop!”
It was over in seconds.
The nurse slowly pulled the clipboard back. Her voice was flat, final.
“I’m sorry. Don Vittorio Corvino is gone.”
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