The Don Flirted with His Man's Wife, I Left Him

I stood by Carlos Mancini for 50 years. I watched him rise from a nobody on the streets of Sicily to the cold-blooded Don of a Mafia empire. I thought we were soulmates who could never be pulled apart. I believed that until the day he lay dying. I leaned over his bed, sobbing my heart out. But his cloudy, unfocused eyes looked straight through me, fixed on something far away. He murmured, "Nina, in the next life, we can finally be together..." In that moment, I felt as if I'd been struck by lightning. Nina Russo was the widow of one of Carlos's fallen men. 40 years ago, he'd brought that timid woman back to the estate and looked at me hopefully. "Sam Russo died for me. It's my responsibility to take care of her for the rest of her life." I pulled out my revolver, pressed it to my temple, and made him choose between Nina and me. He was terrified. He snatched the gun away, pulled me into his arms, and tried to calm me down. "You're overthinking this. You're the only woman I've ever loved. I don't feel anything like that for her." He sent Nina overseas with a large sum of money, enough to make sure she'd never want for anything. But from that day on, the light went out of his eyes. When I opened my eyes again, I'd gone back 40 years. Young and handsome in his black trench coat, Carlos stood tall before me while Nina hid behind him, looking fragile. Carlos looked at me with a hint of nervousness and anticipation in his eyes. "Alice, she's Sam's wife. I promised Sam I'd take care of her..." I swirled the glass in my hand and let out a soft laugh. "Of course. Let her stay at the estate." This time, I chose to let them have each other while I walked away. 1 Carlos froze, disbelief written all over his face. He hadn't expected me to react like this. Slowly, he pulled a black velvet box from the inner pocket of his coat and opened it. Inside was a delicate sapphire necklace. His voice was unusually urgent. "Alice, I brought you a present." He took an eager step toward me. "The moment I saw it in the store, I thought it was as beautiful as your eyes. "Believe me, I don't have feelings like that for Nina. Sam took a bullet for me. He was family to me. I just want to protect his wife." I sipped my champagne and tried to smile, but I couldn't. "I understand. You don't need to be nervous." Memories of my previous life came flooding back. In my last life, when he brought Nina home, jealousy and rage took over, and I lost all reason. I made a huge scene, and only then did Carlos give in and send Nina away. But from that day on, the man who had once loved me so deeply began to change. He grew quieter and became increasingly ruthless in handling the family's business. For all those years, I thought he was under too much pressure, so I let everything slide and tried to calm him down. It wasn't until he lay dying and called Nina's name with such longing that the truth hit me like a sledgehammer. So that was it. He'd become so moody because he'd spent all those years suppressing what he felt for that woman. In my last life, I got rid of Nina, but in doing so, I also lost my special place in his heart. For the sake of all the years we'd shared, he stayed by my side for the rest of his life. But long before that, the way he looked at me had lost all trace of love. "Alice?" Carlos's voice pulled me back to the present. My reaction clearly unsettled him. He tried again, carefully. "If you don't want Nina here, I can send her somewhere else right now." He tried to hide it, but the sadness in his eyes was impossible to miss. In my last life, I would have screamed and fought. In this life, faced with the same situation, all I felt was bone-deep weariness and helplessness. I set my glass down and shook my head slightly. "I'm not that petty. "Her husband died because of you. You should take care of her for the rest of her life. Let her stay here at the estate." Carlos was stunned. He just stared at me. A bitter ache welled up inside me. But this heartache was nothing compared with the pain of spending more than ten years alone in an empty room in my last life. When he recovered from his surprise, Carlos's eyes lit with delight. "Alice, thank you. You're always so understanding!" Carlos stepped behind me and fastened the sapphire necklace around my neck. The cold stones against my skin sent a shiver through me. Beside him, Nina looked up at me gratefully. "Thank you, Donna. Thank you for being so gracious." She spoke to me, but her eyes remained fixed on Carlos behind me, full of adoration. It felt like a boulder was sitting on my chest. I could barely breathe. "I'm a little dizzy. I'm going to lie down for a while." It was a flimsy excuse. I left as fast as I could. Just before I reached the front door, I couldn't help myself. I looked back at them. Carlos couldn't contain his excitement. He pulled Nina tightly into his arms. It felt as if a knife had been driven into my heart. The pain was so sharp I could barely breathe. I tore my eyes away, ran back to my room, and slammed the door. With my back against the door, I finally let the tears fall. I'd been with Carlos since I was 17. Back then, he was a nobody, just a small-time street punk in Sicily whose life could end at any moment. To protect me, he'd put his life on the line more times than I could count. Once, when one of his enemies hurt me, he chased the man for three blocks with a gun to get even, then came back to me covered in blood. "Alice, as long as I'm around, nobody's going to push you around!" Later, he made it. He climbed over countless bodies to become the Don. The first thing he did was throw me a wedding so grand it had the whole city talking. In front of everyone, he kissed me with passion and devotion, his eyes full of love. It was the same look he'd just given Nina. The heartache seemed to spread through my entire body. With shaking hands, I called my lawyer. "Draw up legal separation papers for me..." 2 That night, I packed some of my everyday clothes into a suitcase. The latch clicked shut just as Carlos pushed open the door and walked in. He'd already changed into a loose robe, and he smelled faintly of woodsy soap after his shower. I glanced at him, then went back to what I was doing. "Why aren't you with Nina? She just moved in. She needs company." Carlos stopped short and frowned. "You're my wife. Why would I keep Nina company? My nights belong to you." His words struck me as bitterly ironic. After the lights went out, Carlos moved closer behind me. Out of habit, he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me tight against his chest. He rested his chin on top of my head and let out a long breath. "Alice, thank you. I'm the luckiest man alive to have you by my side." Listening to his steady heartbeat, I closed my eyes and moved his arm off my waist. When I woke the next morning, his side of the bed was already cold. My phone buzzed on the pillow. My lawyer had sent over the legal separation papers. A message came with them: "Donna, you and your husband must live apart for at least six months before you can divorce." Before I could read them closely, my bedroom door suddenly flew open, and someone rushed in. The elderly maid was white as a sheet, her voice shaking so badly she could barely speak. "Donna! Something terrible's happened. The Don's been shot!" My mind went blank. "What did you just say?! Where is he?!" The maid rushed to explain. "At the family hospital. The Don took Mrs. Russo to the jewelry store earlier today to pick out some jewelry, and they were ambushed. He was shot in the back protecting her!" Fear drowned out all reason. I didn't stop to think. I even forgot that I'd already decided to let him go. I threw on some clothes and raced out of the estate. At some point, it had started to rain. I sped all the way to the hospital and arrived soaked to the skin, a complete mess. I raced down the hall to his room. My hand shook uncontrollably as I pushed open the door. But the moment the door opened, my panic vanished. Inside, Carlos was sitting up in the hospital bed, a little pale, his back wrapped in thick bandages. Nina lay against his chest, sobbing so hard her shoulders shook. "Carlos, if anything happened to you, how would I go on? Sam's already gone. If you left me too, I really would..." Carlos raised a hand and gently stroked Nina's hair. The ruthless Don's voice was unbelievably tender, as if he were soothing a child. "Silly girl, I'm fine, aren't I? Don't cry. I'm sorry I made you worry." He looked at her with a tenderness I'd never seen from him before. It was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head, shocking me fully awake. Slowly, I let go of the door handle and walked out of the hospital. The rain was coming down harder, and I didn't bother with an umbrella. I let the cold rain soak me through. That night, after I got home, I came down with a high fever. Memories from my last life came rushing back, whether I wanted them to or not. In my last life, Carlos was injured years later while he was abroad. When I heard he'd been shot, I was already pregnant. I spent the entire night at church, praying to God and begging Him to spare Carlos, even if it meant taking my life instead. It wasn't until much later that I learned the truth. Before his wounds had even healed, he heard that Nina and her child were being bullied and rushed over with a gun. He remained under emergency care for three days before he finally woke up. Because I'd knelt for so long, I nearly lost my own baby. The insistent ring of my phone pulled me out of those painful memories. My old college professor's gentle voice came from the other end. "Alice, our university's archaeology team recently discovered an Old Kingdom site in Egypt. We need experts in ancient Egyptian language and history for the project. You were the top student in my class. Would you be interested in joining us?" I wiped the tears from my face and answered firmly. "Professor, I'd love to join!" The professor sounded thrilled. "Wonderful! We leave in a week. You'll need to make your arrangements before then." I hung up with a faint smile of relief. Carlos, this time I'm leaving your world for good. 3 After giving me something to bring down my fever, the family doctor said, "The bullet missed all the Don's vital organs. He just needs a few days of rest to recover. "Please don't worry too much. Your own health comes first." I leaned back against the pillows and nodded. Not long after the doctor left, the bedroom door opened, and Nina walked in. For the first time in two lifetimes, I studied her carefully. She wore a beige lace dress. She was slender and rosy-cheeked, looking nothing like a woman who had just lost her husband. Nina stood by the bed and gave me a polite little bow. "Donna, are you feeling better?" My voice came out a little hoarse. "Much better. "Nina, if there's anything you need, just ask the butler to take care of it." I thought that would send her on her way, but she showed no sign of leaving. Instead, she sat down in the chair beside my bed without being invited. Nina said softly, "Actually, I came to keep you company for a while. There's something I think I should tell you myself." I didn't say anything, so she went on. "After Sam died, Carlos offered me enough money and a house to start a new life somewhere far away. But I turned him down." I looked up at her without a word. A shy smile tugged at Nina's lips, one she couldn't quite hide. "Later, when Carlos got hurt, I rushed to the hospital and stayed by his bedside day and night. Then one night, the moment felt right, and we lost control. You can probably guess what happened next." Her blatant attempt to rub it in sent a dull ache through my chest. I kept my expression composed. "So?" When I didn't become hysterical as she'd expected, Nina's face darkened, and she dropped the fragile act. She stood up and glared down at me. "Alice, you really are heartless! "Carlos is out there risking his life and bleeding, and when he comes home, he has to walk on eggshells around you! Do you know he waited for you at the hospital all night yesterday? He was hurt, and he wanted you to come see him so badly, but you didn't even show your face!" Then, just as quickly, her hostility vanished. She dropped to the floor beside my bed with a thud and burst into tears. "Donna, I only want to stay by Carlos's side and take care of him after everything he's done for me. I swear I've never tried to take your place. Please don't send me away!" I frowned, baffled by her Oscar-worthy performance. The next second, the bedroom door banged open. Carlos stormed in, his face dark, and strode over to help Nina to her feet. Without asking a single question, he stepped in front of Nina to shield her, his voice cold and stern. "Alice, bringing Nina to the estate was my decision. If you have a problem with it, take it up with me. Don't make things hard for Nina." He didn't even ask me what had happened. He just took Nina's word for it. My chest heaved with anger, and I coughed twice. Only then did alarm and concern flash in Carlos's eyes. "Alice, what's wrong? Why is your face so red?" He came closer and reached out to feel my forehead. "Don't touch me!" I jerked my head away and turned to the maid standing outside the door, my voice ice-cold. "Please show the Don and Mrs. Russo out. I need to rest." Carlos's outstretched hand froze in midair. In the end, he clenched his jaw and led the weeping Nina out of the room. By afternoon, my fever had gone down a little. My phone rang. It was my best friend, Sophia Bellini. "Alice, my wedding's in three days. You'd better be there!" Before I could answer, she huffed angrily. "I heard all about what happened with Carlos and that widow! Who does Nina think she is, coming at you like that?" Sophia was loud and fiery, and I could feel a headache coming on. "Sophia, I'm fine. Don't do anything crazy..." "Don't worry. At my wedding, I'll make sure you get some payback!" Sophia hung up before I could say another word. As I stared at the dark screen, a vague sense of unease crept in. The day of the wedding soon arrived. I wanted Nina to stay home, but she thought I was singling her out and insisted that Carlos bring her along. Halfway through the lively reception, terrified screams erupted from the crowd. A few bodyguards rushed in, shouting in panic, "Something's happened! Mrs. Russo's been bitten by Ms. Bellini's cheetah!" Everything was chaos. I'd just gotten to my feet when Sophia ran in from outside, white as a ghost, and grabbed my arm. "Alice, I-I only asked the trainer to bring the cheetah over and scare Nina. I wanted her to make a fool of herself in front of everyone... But the cheetah suddenly went wild, broke its chain, and bolted..." 4 Screams kept echoing from the garden behind the estate. Before long, several of Carlos's bodyguards, all dressed in black, surrounded us. The lead bodyguard was expressionless. "Ms. Bellini. Donna. Please come with us. You both need to answer for what happened to Mrs. Russo." Sophia froze in panic, so I stepped in front of her. "I won't let you ruin Sophia's wedding. I'll go with you." I patted Sophia's hand reassuringly. As I turned to leave, two bodyguards seized my arms and shoved me forward. I learned that Carlos had been nearby when the cheetah broke its chain and lunged at Nina. Without hesitation, he drew his gun and shot the animal dead on the spot. The Bellinis were too intimidated by Carlos's fury to argue. In a panic, they admitted that Sophia had arranged for the trainer to scare Nina with the cheetah to get back at her for me. So Carlos had me taken straight to the darkest, dampest interrogation cell beneath the estate. "You're the Donna of this family, yet you went after an ordinary member out of jealousy—a woman who just lost her husband." His gaze remained hard and cold, but a hint of helplessness appeared in his eyes when he saw my blank expression. "It's just one night. It'll shut everyone up. I'll make it up to you later." I looked at him, and my heart turned cold. It was just an excuse. Nobody cared about a private matter like this, not when it didn't affect the family business. For Nina, he was willing to lock me in a cell overnight even though my fever had only just broken. I took out the legal separation papers, opened them to the signature page, and handed them to Carlos. "If you want to make it up to me, put the villa in England in my name." Perhaps out of guilt, Carlos signed without hesitation, not even bothering to read the document closely. Once I saw his signature on the page, I finally relaxed. I stopped resisting and went quietly into the cell. The air reeked of mold and blood, and the cold seeped through my clothes and into my bones. All day and into the night, no one brought me food or water. Late that night, two bodyguards opened the cell door again. One carried a black cloth bag. Something alive squeaked inside it, and my blood ran cold. They seized my wrists and chained them to the iron rings set into the wall. They untied the bag and dumped more than ten huge rats onto the cell floor. Squeak. Squeak. Squeak. The rats scurried across the cold, damp floor, some even crawling over my ankles. I screamed and screamed. Rats terrified me more than anything else in the world. I shouted at the men, "How dare you do this to me!" They laughed in my face. "Donna, this was the Don's order! He said Mrs. Russo got quite a scare from the cheetah, so it was only fair that you find out what it feels like to be terrified too." Carlos had ordered this... Hearing that, I stopped struggling. All night, the rats scurried around my feet, and some even climbed up my clothes. Something inside me died during that endless night of despair. Early the next morning, the cell door opened. Clinging to the wall, I made my way out of the dungeon one step at a time. I returned to the master bedroom and washed off the filth and the stench of mold. When I looked down from the window, I saw Carlos carefully lift Nina out of the car. Her leg was in a cast. I drew the curtains and turned away. I took out the suitcase I'd already packed. Then I pulled my signed copy of the separation agreement from the drawer, set it on the nightstand, and weighed it down with the sapphire necklace. I put on a hat, picked up my suitcase, and slipped out of the estate alone through a secluded rear gate without alerting anyone. I got into a black sedan and started the engine. In the rearview mirror, the estate that held the memories of both my lives grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared.