Rising From Ashes: The Don's Lost Queen

The moment the doctor delivered the news, Dante fell to his knees by my hospital bed. The ruthless mob boss collapsed, burying his face in my hands, his broad shoulders shaking with sobs. He begged for my forgiveness for two straight days.

I didn't push him away, but I didn't comfort him either. I just stared at the white ceiling and let him cry.

When I returned to the estate after being discharged, Dante was a different man. He made a grand show of cutting off all non-essential contact with Tess, intentionally leaving his encrypted phone unlocked on the kitchen counter, and reporting his whereabouts to me like a subordinate before leaving the house.

I looked at those black devices and pushed them back toward him. "I’m too tired to play this anymore." I turned and locked myself in the guest room.

His repentance was nothing more than a performance.

I had already bought a one-way ticket to a city far away.

On the day I packed my last bag, I looked around our shared walk-in closet.

I packed only a canvas duffel bag containing my ID, untraceable cash, and a few simple clothes.

I left behind all the expensive gowns, the custom heels, the millions of dollars in diamonds. I discarded every relic of the extravagant life I’d lived as the Godfather’s wife.

As I stood there silently, Dante was addressing the Commission, celebrating a Syndicate victory. The meeting was being broadcast live through the secure tablet in my room.

I stared blankly at the screen as an elderly Capo asked him the secret of his success. Dante stood at the head of the mahogany table, looking directly into the camera:

"I owe everything I am to my wife, Sienna."

The boardroom erupted in applause. My gaze involuntarily fell on Tess, standing in the shadows of the background. As the men cheered for me, she forced a stiff, pained smile.

I turned off the tablet.

The Mafia’s private courier service was already waiting. I handed him the divorce papers.

"And this." I took off the cheap wedding ring.

"Understood, ma'am. It will be delivered this afternoon," the courier confirmed and left.

I took a taxi to the airport and printed my boarding pass.

I stood at the gate, watching the planes pierce the overcast sky.

Seconds before final boarding, the phone in my pocket vibrated. Caller ID: Dante.

I pressed the green button and held it to my ear. Before Dante could speak, I heard Tess’s cheerful, breathless voice in the background:

"Boss, you were amazing today! Let's go celebrate... just the two of us."

I pulled the phone away from my ear, hit the red button, and handed my ticket to the gate agent.

Let it all end here, Dante.