The Donna: Bought, Loved, Abandoned

Everyone in New Volka's underground world knows that the young Don Lorenzo Corsi is a cold-blooded lunatic. He only shows his gentle side to me. Seven years ago, Lorenzo saves me from an underground casino that belongs to the Corsi family. He also pays off my sickly Padre's astronomical medical bill on my behalf. He slips the family heirloom diamond ring that identifies me as the Donna of the family on my finger. When the heads of the family oppose his decision, he declares that he will only accept me as his wife in his lifetime. I once believed I was the only one he favored, but everything changed when his childhood friend, Viviana Rossi, returned to New Volka and became the family's new Consigliere. Lorenzo silently allows her to sit next to the main seat during family banquets—the spot that used to exclusively belong to me. "The Rossi family took a heavy blow for my sake in the past, Clara," he says. "I have to compensate her. However, my heart and the position of 'Mrs. Corsi' will forever belong to you." I believe Lorenzo's words, giving in time and time again as I remain by his side through seven bloody and turbulent years. On our seventh wedding anniversary, a rival family bombs our estate in the suburbs. Lorenzo rushes into the collapsing banquet hall and picks Viviana up. Although I'm three months pregnant, he says, "You're the strongest, Clara. Just hold on for three minutes. I'll come back for you once I send her to the bulletproof car." Three minutes pass, but Lorenzo still hasn't come back. The baby is gone when I regain consciousness. I also lose the ability to become a mother for the rest of my days. I calmly withdrew my hand and looked at Lorenzo, who had sunk to one knee beside the bed, overcome with remorse. Seven years ago, he saved Papa's life on my behalf. I've already paid off my debt to him with the seven years I spent with him and my child's life. I will leave his empire completely and live the rest of my life without him. Chapter 1 "I've already hired the best specialist from Bossotini," my husband, Lorenzo Corsi, said. "As long as there's still a way—" "Mr. Corsi," the doctor said, interrupting him. "Mi dispiace, but we weren't able to save the child. We also had to remove your wife's uterus to stop the bleeding." Lorenzo tightened his grip on the report. I didn't cry. Instead, I just asked the doctor for the things that were found in the wreckage. The nurse handed me a transparent bag with a scorched ultrasound photo inside. The child had only been 12 weeks old. Their face had been so tiny that it was hard to make out their features. Lorenzo had slipped the photo into the inner pocket of his coat during the banquet, telling me that he would announce the news to the entire family after the cake-cutting ceremony. Nearly half of the photo had been burned away, but his coat was still in pristine condition as it draped across Viviana Rossi's figure. Lorenzo leaned down and pulled me into his arms. "I truly believed that you would walk out unscathed, Clara. The car was just outside. I thought that I would make it in time—" "Did you come back?" I asked. Lorenzo's arms stiffened. Just then, the hospital room door swung open. The Underboss, Matteo Scaglione, said in a low voice, "Ms. Rossi is awake, Don Corsi. The doctor said that she's in shock. She's only willing to let you get close to her. The elder of the Rossi family is also waiting for you." Lorenzo shook his head. "Let them wait." However, his phone rang a few seconds later. Viviana was calling him. Her voice was thick with tears when it echoed from the receiver after he picked up. "Can you accompany me for a little while?" Lorenzo looked at me. His expression suggested that he wanted me to decide for him. Seven years ago, he tore the medical bill reimbursement contract to shreds as everyone in the casino watched. He told me that I would never need to beg anyone for anything ever again. I didn't want to beg him to stay anymore. "You should go." Lorenzo immediately pressed the call button for me, saying, "It'll only take 30 minutes at most. I'll return to your side then." It didn't take long for his footsteps to fade into the distance. Half an hour later, a nurse entered my hospital room to wipe me down. I subconsciously glanced at the door. "Your husband isn't back yet?" she asked. "He said that he'll be back soon." The nurse prepared some warm water before leaving to check on the patient next door. I stared at the clock on the wall. The door remained closed even after a full minute had passed. I grabbed my phone and dialed Lorenzo's number, but the person who picked up was Matteo. "The Don is accompanying Ms. Rossi for a check-up. Do you need something, Mrs. Corsi? I can pass your message to him." I gripped the edge of the blanket. I had only been willing to let Lorenzo see the pathetic side of me that needed somebody else's help to sit up. "No need," I said. When the nurse returned, I let go of the blanket and asked her to help me. The movement strained my wound when I turned on my side. The pain was so overwhelming that I briefly clutched the nurse's sleeve before hastily letting go. The nurse grabbed my shoulders to steady me, telling me that it was alright. After she wiped me down, she placed a glass of water near me and raised the headboard. I thanked her softly and didn't look at the door again. … Lorenzo didn't return even when the afternoon rolled around. I told the nurse to pass me my phone and dialed my lawyer, Irene Tambroni's number. "Prepare a divorce agreement for me. And also a list of assets that are financially unrelated to the Corsi family." Irene didn't question me. Instead, she asked, "When do you plan to leave?" I looked at the calendar. The doctor had scheduled my last follow-up appointment for next week. Once the check-up was over, I could leave New Volka by car according to the doctor's instructions. "In a week," I answered. I slipped the ultrasound photo into my bag. I wasn't going to wait three minutes or half an hour for Lorenzo anymore. Chapter 2 Before I was discharged from the hospital, I asked Lorenzo for one favor. "I want to light a candle for our child in the church." He readily agreed and even personally instructed the housekeeper to prepare a small white candle. I cut a short strip of white ribbon before I headed over to the church, looping it around the candlestick. I had initially planned to wrap a baby's gift box with the ribbon. The rest of it was at home. Lorenzo tied the ribbon for me, asking me if it looked alright. I nodded and handed him the candlestick, saying, "Let's hold the candlestick together during the prayer recital." "Va bene," he replied, personally placing the candlestick next to the altar. However, when the ceremony began, the white candle had disappeared. Six black-and-white portraits were placed in the front row of the church. There were also only six names on the head priest's prayer list. I looked for the priest who was in charge of the ceremony. He looked a little troubled as he pointed at a side door and said, "Mr. Corsi asked to have the prayer recital for the unborn child in the private chapel, Mrs. Corsi." I heard Lorenzo's Madre, Isabella Pasquini's voice coming through the door that had been left ajar. "Over 20 important guests will be present at the ceremony tonight. Everyone is talking about how Lorenzo saved Viviana first. Do you want the reporters to find out that he abandoned his pregnant Donna by announcing that we will be hosting a ceremony for his child?" she demanded. "It's all my fault," Viviana mumbled. "You can remove me from the speech segment if Clara minds." "No one is going to remove you," Lorenzo said. "I will explain the situation about the child to Clara." "You don't have to explain," I said as I walked into the room. "You promised me." A hint of panic flickered across Lorenzo's face when he turned to look at me. "We can light the candle in the private chapel too, Clara. It's quieter there. I will accompany you." "Why can everyone pray for the bodyguards who sacrificed their lives, but we have to hide when praying for our child?" I countered. Isabella frowned. "Everyone's upset that you lost your child, but you shouldn't let a private matter turn into a family scandal." "That's enough, Mamma," Lorenzo said, moving to stand in front of her. I assumed that he had finally changed his mind, but instead, he grabbed my hand and said, "Give me some time. Once the dust has settled, I will host a grand farewell ceremony for our child." "When?" I asked. Lorenzo couldn't answer my question. The church bell rang, prompting the guests outside to rise. Lorenzo let go of my hand and hurried to the front row. Viviana trailed behind him, grabbing the script for the speech on his behalf as the Consigliere. took an unused candle from the side of the altar, lit it, and placed it on the windowsill at the very back. The flame flickered for a split second before burning steadily. The priest approached me from the front row, asking in a low voice if I wanted to wait for Lorenzo. I turned to glance at Lorenzo. He was leaning down and listening to Isabella. Viviana was standing next to them. The priest raised his hand to catch his attention. He noticed and nodded in our direction, but he made no move to come over. I waited until the priest flipped open his book and closed it again, saying, "Go ahead. We don't have to wait anymore." I clasped my hands beside the candle and listened to the prayer meant for Lorenzo and me. … After the ceremony was over, Lorenzo sought me out in the empty church. "I've told the priest to prepare the private chapel," he said. "No need. I've already sent off our child." Lorenzo's eyes suddenly reddened as he stared at the candle that was nearly extinguished. He reached out to pull me into his arms, but I dodged away from his touch. "Will you allow me to pay respects to our child if I'm no longer 'Mrs. Corsi' one day?" I asked. "You will always be my wife," he answered without hesitation. I didn't say another word. … I received a message from Irene during the car ride home. "I've verified the assets and preserved your pre-marriage savings and income. You won't have to use any of the Corsi family's accounts when you leave." "Proceed according to plan," I replied. There were only five days left until my departure. Chapter 3 At 10:00 am, Matteo and two security supervisors showed up at the mansion. "You need to be present for the internal investigation of the attack on the estate, Mrs. Corsi," he said. An access control record was on the long table. Two hours before the explosion, someone had used my access card to open the estate's west maintenance door. That door ended up being the entry point for the attackers. Viviana sat on Lorenzo's right. Her expression immediately shifted as she said, "I saw a maid entering the maintenance door using Clara's access card that day. Clara said that she's the one who gave the maid permission to enter." "When did I ever say such a thing?" I asked, looking at her. "Perhaps I'm misremembering," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Mi dispiace. I just wanted to help with finding clues." I took my phone out of my bag and projected a photo onto the screen in the meeting room. It had been taken at the exact time the maintenance door was unlocked. Lorenzo and I had been on our way to the estate in a car, where he was smiling as he kissed the back of my hand. "You were right next to me at the time, Lorenzo," I said. "My access card was with me the entire time." Silence descended upon the meeting room. Lorenzo looked at the photo and said in a low voice, "There's no way that Clara was part of the attack. Stop this accusation now." I had just sighed in relief when he continued, "However, her access card might have been duplicated. For safety reasons, we'll temporarily suspend Mrs. Corsi's access card and restore it once the investigation is over." Matteo flipped to another page on the record. "There were also abnormalities on the Consigliere's access card records that night. According to the rules, both cards should be suspended for the time being." Viviana's face paled slightly. "But the head of the Rossi family will be visiting the estate for negotiations tomorrow. I need to wait at the entrance to let them in. I need my access card." "She can keep her Consigliere access card for now," Lorenzo said without hesitation. "I will personally keep an eye on it." I stared at the two sets of records on the table. They posed the same risk, yet only my access card was suspended while Viviana was granted an exception. I returned to the mansion after the meeting was adjourned. The door sensor lit up with a red light. The security guard looked troubled as he hung his head and said, "Mi dispiace, Mrs. Corsi. According to the new rules, I need to verify your identity with Matteo first before I can let you in." Seven years ago, Lorenzo had personally pressed the key to the mansion into my palm, telling me that no door within the building would be closed to me. I dialed Lorenzo's number when the security guard left to call Matteo. "I'm outside the house. I can't get in." "Matteo is already verifying your identity. Wait a little while." The security guard shook his head at me through the glass as I clutched my phone. He hadn't been able to get a hold of Matteo. "Can you just ask him to—" Viviana's voice echoed from the other end of the line. "Will they stop me like that too in the future?" "No. I've already informed them," Lorenzo answered quickly before turning his attention back to me. "What were you saying?" There weren't any chairs at the door, so the security guard hauled one out of the break room. I thanked him before swallowing the words that I was going to say to Lorenzo. "It's nothing. Go ahead and do what you need to do." The security guard asked me if he should try contacting Matteo again after I hung up. I shook my head, telling him that he just had to follow the rules. I sat outside the door for half an hour and was only able to step into my home for the last seven years after my identity was verified. That afternoon, Irene dropped by to pick up the last stack of documents. After glancing at my small box of belongings, she said, "The ticket is scheduled for the morning of the day after tomorrow. Your doctor has already approved the trip. The follow-up appointments along the way have also been scheduled." Chapter 4 "I'll take you to Florenzo for a vacation next month," Lorenzo said as he sank into the seat opposite me. "Just the two of us. I'll let Matteo handle the issue of the estate." He still remembered that I wanted to go to Isanola. Seven years ago, when we got married, Lorenzo promised that once he had stabilized his position as the Don of the family, he would take me to visit the scenery that Papa often spoke about in his youth. However, the family's matters always got in the way. He offered me his phone, asking me to pick which hotel I wanted to stay in. On the screen, two different suites with attached balconies were displayed. I recognized one of the suites. I had saved a picture of it years ago. However, Lorenzo never once mentioned it in the last few years. "Do you prefer this one?" Lorenzo asked. I placed his phone next to his hand and said, "You can decide." Lorenzo smiled, assuming that I was finally accepting his attempts at making amends. He looked down and messaged his assistant. I picked up my glass of water that had already gone cold and didn't look at him again. I also didn't accept the plane ticket that was offered to me, asking, "Didn't you have a negotiation to attend today?" "It's at 10:00 am. Viviana has already arrived ahead of time," Lorenzo answered, glancing at the time. His phone rang the moment the words left his lips. Viviana's voice was slightly shaking when she said, "The investigation team is here too, Lorenzo. They suspect that something's wrong with my Consigliere access card and are asking me to hand over my laptop. The heads of the Rossi family are all here. I have no idea what to do." Lorenzo immediately shot to his feet. He walked over to me and adjusted my shawl as he said, "I promise you that we'll plan the trip together after I get back. No matter what happens today, I'll be back for dinner." "Va bene," I said, rising and walking him to the door. Lorenzo held my hand and brushed his thumb across the diamond ring. "Don't try to handle everything yourself anymore, Clara. You have me from now on." I didn't pull my hand away. I only removed the diamond ring after he got into his car and left the mansion. … Irene brought a notary to the mansion at 8:00 am. I penned my signature on the divorce agreement and left the doctor's approval note behind. I also authorized Irene to handle my marital assets according to the law. She would also deal with the family's shares that Lorenzo gave me. Finally, I pulled out the diamond ring and said, "Time to return this to its owner." "Do you want to leave a letter for him?" Irene asked as she placed the ring into a sealed bag. I shook my head. "He has already heard everything that I wanted to tell him at the hospital." … A car stopped outside the back door at 9:00 am. I carried a dark blue suitcase with me as I left the mansion. There were only a few sets of clothes and the scorched ultrasound photo inside. When I walked past the security booth, a young security guard hastily rushed over to open the door for me. "Are you coming back tonight, Mrs. Corsi? The kitchen staff has prepared your favorite soup." "I won't be returning." The security guard was briefly stunned. He didn't question me further. Irene questioned me one last time before the train departed. "Mr. Corsi will definitely look for you when the documents are delivered to him." "He can speak to you instead," I replied. I turned off the phone reserved for family members and left it with Irene, keeping only my personal number. The train departed New Volka at exactly 10:00 am. I didn't look back. … Meanwhile, Lorenzo was in the meeting room with the heads of the family. Viviana had just finished giving her statement when she suddenly grabbed his sleeve, saying that she was dizzy. Lorenzo reflexively steadied her. His phone kept buzzing. The first message was from Irene, informing him that I was officially divorcing him. The second message was from Matteo. "The estate's maintenance door surveillance footage has been restored, Don Corsi." Lorenzo's expression immediately twisted when he read the first message. "Where's Clara?" he demanded. "She left New Volka this morning."