I Signed the Termination and Took My Crown

My husband Dante, Don of the Moretti family, was killed in a gang crossfire.

I was devastated, because the same day, I’d also found out that my IVF injection had worked. I was pregnant.

The Moretti didn’t want me to spiral. So they called in Dante’s twin brother, Ash Moretti, to help around.

I felt both guilty and grateful until I overheard them talking in the study.

“It was Ash who died. Why would you make us tell Harper it was you?” His father asked.

Dante’s voice. “I only married her because you promised me the Don’s seat.”

Then Gianna’s voice. “Dante had given her a child. That alone should’ve been enough.”

So. It wasn’t my husband who died. It was his brother. And my husband and his sister in law thought this was his clean exit.

As he wished, I gave it to him.

When the doctor told me the fetus had less than a ten percent chance of survival, I agreed to terminate.

And along with reclaiming everything else I had once given the Moretti, I walked away from his life—for good.

Harper’s POV

My husband, Dante Moretti, was killed at a routine drug meeting two months ago. Since then, the Moretti called in his twin brother, Ash, to take over—not just Dante’s responsibilities in the family business, but also the role of… accompanying me.

I hated the idea of dragging innocent people into the fallout of my life.

So today, I came by wanting to tell them I was ready to handle things on my own.

Before I could knock on the door, I heard voices coming from the study.

“Dante,” Nicholas asked, voice low, “it was Ash who died. Why would you make us tell Harper that it was you? You’re twins, yes, but identical or not—they’ll figure it out.”

Then came the voice I had believed belonged to Ash. Except it wasn’t.

It was Dante. Alive. And speaking like this was all a minor inconvenience.

Father, you know I never loved her. The only reason I marry her was because you promised me the seat of Don and the family business.”

He exhaled, almost wistful. “Now that Ash is gone, this is finally my chance to be with Gianna. I have to take it.”

Nicholas hesitated. “And Harper? She just got pregnant.”

Her IVF worked,” Then came Gianna’s voice. “Dante had given her a child. That’s more than enough.”

If I hadn’t heard it myself, I would’ve thought it was a bad TV script.

My husband, the infamous Don of the Moretti family—the man I’d loved for over half a decade—had faked his own death just so he could crawl back to his childhood sweetheart, now his sister in law.

And more, everyone in this family had knew about this and decided to lie to me as well.

I took a step back, unsteady.

I was the woman who poured wealth into the Moretti and made this name louder than it used to be. And yet, to them, to Dante, I was nothing. Disposable. Replaceable.

But what if she finds out?” Nicolas’s voice.

“Smart? Finds out?” Gianna scoffed. “I still remember the day Dante walked in as ‘Ash.’ The look on her face—God, I’ll never forget it. She’s just a love sick fool. Lucky to have the Quinn as her name, and a big bank account that comes with it.”

“We still have to be cautious though,” Dante said quickly. “I have to stay with her as Ash. That’s the plan.”

Gianna’s tone snapped, “I don’t like you being that close to her.”

“Babe… I have to. It’s the whole point of pretending to be Ash and coming back as him.” Dante’s voice softened, almost pleading.

“I don’t care.” Her voice pitched higher. “I want you here, with me. What—are you worried she’ll stop giving the Moretti money? Please. She’s just a dumb bitch who couldn’t even tell her ‘husband’ was his twin brother. What is there to worry about?”

She paused, “Wait—Dante, are you making excuses so you can actually go back to her side and spend more time with her?”

“Of course not. Every second with her disgusted me,” Dante said without a hint of hesitation.

My heart stopped for a beat. Really, Dante? Every second?

“That’s right,” Gianna cooed. “You told me yourself—you only married her because she was rich and could secure you the Don’s seat.”

Dante swore, “I only love you, Gianna. It’s always been you. Only you. No one else.”

My stomach lurched. I clamped a hand over my mouth and bolted to the guest restroom.

I threw up until my ribs ached. By the time I finished, my knees gave out, sliding me down to the cold floor.

Sitting there, shaking, I tried to make sense of the last three months. Searching for signs. hints. Anything that could’ve warned me.

I still remembered that day—coming home from the hospital with the pregnancy results in my hand.

I’d been so happy. After ten failed IVF cycles, after crying and begging the doctor for one more chance even though my body was exhausted… it had finally worked.

Then, the same day, the Moretti called to tell me that Dante had died on a mission.

I fainted.

When I woke up, I was already inside the old Moretti mansion. A man stood next to my bed—same sharp jawline, same dark eyes. The only difference was that tiny mole beneath his right eye.

“Harper,” he said softly. “It’s me, Ash.”

I believed him then. Because it never crossed my mind that the man I loved for more than ten years would rather die—pretend to die—than stay with me.

…

The truth was, I hadn’t loved Dante this deeply at first. Not even close. In fact, when I was younger and first heard that my father wanted me to marry him, I was furious.

Dante Moretti? Arrogant, bossy, impossible? Absolutely not.

After I rejected him, Dante didn’t push back on the marriage alliance though. He started showing up more. More calls. More visits. Asking me to dinner, etc.

I turned him down almost every time.

Then that accident happened… I was twenty then. I’d just finished my last class of the day and decided to ditch my guard and walk home instead of ride.

It was a whim. A bad one.

Some men claimed to be the rivals to the Quinn took me.

Three days, I was locked away. They didn’t hurt me—because they knew better than hurting a Quinn. But they made sure I suffered.

Just as I was desperate, Dante arrived. He came alone with just a pistol and a few bullets. But he took out every kidnapper and swept me off my feet.

I honestly thought that after everything, he’d reconsider our arranged marriage. I’d been kidnapped. People whispered. They speculated. They judged.

When I was ready to keep my heart a secret, Dante was… still being Dante. He kept showing up. Kept asking me out. Bringing me gifts. Eventually, I fell for it. I fell head over heels, completely, for Dante Moretti and I said yes to marrying him.

Hearing just now how Dante said that he never loved me and the only reason he married me was for the Don’s seat?

I realized I was just a fool. I fell for a man that only ever wanted my name, my money, my family’s legacy.

My stomach twisted again. Bitter. Acidic.

I pushed myself up from the cold tile floor, one shaky breath at a time, and pulled out my phone.

Fine. If this was the life he wanted—if Dante Moretti wanted to become dead and wear his brother’s face—then there’s nothing for me to be sad about.

I dialed the number. “Hey, it’s me. Delay this month’s investment. And I figured, now that Dante has died, maybe it’s time the Quinns take over.”