Ditched Mafia for Model follows a passionate love story where ambition, betrayal, and dangerous secrets collide. Torn between the powerful world of the mafia and the dazzling life of fame, every decision changes the characters' destiny. Enjoy a captivating full episode packed with romance, emotional twists, unforgettable drama, and surprising revelations.
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#DitchedMafiaForModel #ShortDrama #DramaSeries #RomanticDrama #MafiaDrama #LoveTriangle #Betrayal #Romance #Drama #FullEpisode #ShortMovie #LoveStory #ENGSUB
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Short filmTranscript
00:00My lips, my bosom, my thighs, everywhere you used to like.
00:06I said those words while straddling another man's bed, with my husband standing in the doorway, veins bulging in his
00:13neck.
00:14Jeffrey Delacruz had the escort cut into 18 pieces and fed to the dogs.
00:21Then he asked me where he'd touched him. I told him all of it.
00:25He didn't know that 8 years earlier, I'd dragged him out of a dark alley with a dislocated arm and
00:317 men swinging machetes at his head.
00:34He didn't know I'd helped him swallow every casino in New Jersey, eliminate every rival, stain my hands with blood
00:40so his could stay clean.
00:42He did know one thing though, that I was dangerous.
00:46So when I discovered the divorce papers he'd hidden, when I went to confirm it at the courthouse on my
00:52birthday while he was busy wiping me out of his life,
00:55I made a choice. I terminated our child, he would never know existed, then I disappeared.
01:01For weeks he tore New Jersey apart looking for me.
01:04But no way, I wasn't coming back as his wife, unless I was coming back as his worst mistake.
01:12After I was reborn, I spent $13 million to secure the services of Italy's most expensive male escort.
01:21The money was well spent. Jeffrey was flawless.
01:27He allowed me to experience pleasure in ways I had never imagined.
01:35The following morning, while I rode him, a familiar man suddenly showed up.
01:41It was my husband, Jeffrey de la Cruz, a mafia boss.
01:47He ordered his men to drag the escort out of the room.
01:57Then he asked coldly.
02:01Where did he touch you?
02:03My mind was foggy.
02:05My voice was languid and mocking.
02:08My lips.
02:10My bosom.
02:12My thighs.
02:16Everywhere you used to like.
02:20Rage flickered in his eyes.
02:22Veins bulged in his neck.
02:28He said.
02:30Cut him into 18 pieces.
02:34And feed him to the dogs.
02:37I stripped off my soaked clothes.
02:39I walked into the bathroom.
02:44Do whatever you want.
02:49In my previous life, I was married to him for seven years.
02:57I was known as the Scarlet Healer.
03:00I struck with deadly precision.
03:01And merciless intent.
03:04I helped him eliminate countless enemies.
03:10I stood by his side as he rose from an illegitimate nobody to the most powerful figure in the underworld.
03:15But after he inherited the family empire, he became obsessed with Amelia Melendez.
03:20A nurse working in the black market.
03:35She was a gift sent to Jeffrey's bed by a rival.
03:38She was sweet and innocent, untainted by the world's cruelty.
03:42Jeffrey took her into his private clinic.
03:45He instructed her himself on medicines and syringe handling.
03:50Then one day, I found a finalized divorce agreement in his private safe.
03:58When I confronted him, he only sneered.
04:03Amelia's too innocent for this world.
04:04He had said.
04:05Being my wife will keep her safe.
04:06You're already recognized as Mrs. De La Cruz.
04:10So why bother with the paperwork?
04:12I burst into the clinic in a fury.
04:16I slapped the syringes and medicine box out of Amelia's hands.
04:20Right in front of everyone.
04:23That night, my critically ill mother was dragged out of her hospital bed.
04:31Right in front of me, they shattered her hands.
04:36They threw her into an abandoned factory to be mauled by stray dogs.
04:46I fell to my knees.
04:46This is what you get for messing with Amelia.
04:50I fell to my knees.
04:52I begged him to stop, but he was relentless.
04:55Mom passed out from the pain.
04:57She never woke again.
05:00Suddenly, I felt a warm rush between my legs.
05:03Pain tore through my abdomen.
05:05Then everything went black.
05:08When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that day when I found out about my status change.
05:14This time, I didn't make a scene.
05:16I didn't confront him.
05:18I quietly sold all the rare herbs I had secretly collected.
05:25I booked a plane tickets.
05:27All I wanted was to take Mom and escape this twisted world that revolved around Jeffrey.
05:37After finding the divorce papers, I went to the courthouse with my ID.
05:47Ms. Leonard, the clerk said, the system shows you're divorced.
05:51Hearing that, I was finally sure that my past life was real.
05:59The divorce was finalized on my birthday.
06:02That day, Jeffrey was swamped with work, as usual.
06:07So I booked the city's highest revolving restaurant.
06:11I arranged for a fireworks display.
06:14I waited from sunset until way past midnight.
06:18He never showed up.
06:19It turned out he was busy signing some papers, completely wiping me out of my life.
06:25I snapped out of my thoughts.
06:28I returned to the casino.
06:35Jeffrey's black Maybach was parked by the entrance.
06:39In my last life, I had run over in hysterics to confront him.
06:43He had slammed me hard into a corner, ensuring that Amelia in the passenger seat would not witness us together.
06:51This time, I quickly stepped aside.
06:54I hid in the shadows behind a column.
07:02The car door opened.
07:03Jeffrey got out first.
07:05Jeffrey walked around to the passenger side.
07:08He opened the door himself, moving with a kind of patience and care he'd never shown before.
07:15A young woman in a pale blue dress stepped out.
07:20She looked nervous and out of place beside the luxury car.
07:23It was Amelia.
07:25Jeffrey took off his suit jacket.
07:28He draped it over her thin shoulders.
07:30Then he wrapped an arm around her waist.
07:33They headed toward the casino.
07:35Amelia stopped in her tracks.
07:38Jeff!
07:39She looked torn.
07:42You're all I have now, she said.
07:45I can't afford to take any chances.
07:48Jeffrey held her closer.
07:50His voice was full of confidence and tenderness I'd never heard before.
07:55Don't be scared.
07:57From now on, you're the mistress of this place.
08:03No one dares to mess with you.
08:09If you don't like it here, I'll build you a resort somewhere quiet.
08:12Just for you.
08:16The casino staff who had offered me their obsequious devotion were now bowing to Amelia.
08:21Their voices were loud and fawning.
08:24Nice to see you, Mrs. Delacroze!
08:26They surrounded Amelia.
08:28She looked as skittish as a frightened fawn.
08:30They walked into that flashy, evil den together, clutching my belly.
08:34I waited until they were inside.
08:36Then I staggered out from the shadows.
08:40I brushed away my tears.
08:42I was left with nothing but absolute resolve.
08:50I went to the hospital alone.
08:52I scheduled an abortion.
08:54The doctor frowned at the ultrasound screen.
08:56Mrs. Leonard, he said.
08:58Your body is quite delicate.
09:01You've been unable to conceive for seven years.
09:04If you terminate this pregnancy, you might never be able to get pregnant again.
09:08I gave a faint, bitter smile.
09:10I'm divorced.
09:11I don't want my child to be born without a father.
09:14Cold fluid seeped into my veins.
09:17The anesthesia took hold.
09:18It pulled my consciousness away.
09:20In the haze, I saw flashes of the past.
09:23Jeffrey pressing his ear to my belly.
09:25Smiling as he said our son would grow up to be a master gambler.
09:28He would personally teach him to read cards.
09:31He had said, our boy could also learn medicine from me.
09:35Take over the title of the scarlet healer one day.
09:37He had called a fortune teller to pick the luckiest name possible.
09:40He had held me close.
09:42Promising that once he found a successor, he would take me and our child away casino.
09:47And our child away from the casino.
09:50We would travel the world as a family.
09:53All those tender memories had turned to dust.
09:56The moment he told Amelia.
09:59Only deserve to be the mistress of the casino.
10:06When I woke up, I dragged my hollow body to mom's ward.
10:10Thankfully, this time her injuries were minor.
10:13Mom would recover soon.
10:14In my past life, she had been torn apart by dogs right in front of me.
10:19This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake.
10:23I reached out to my black market contacts.
10:26I paid top dollar for two plane tickets to another country.
10:29Leaving in three days.
10:31If I tried to leave through legal channels, Jeffrey would find out immediately.
10:36Then I called the only person I could still trust.
10:39Levi Wallace.
10:40I gave him a stack of cash I told him to arrange.
10:44Mom's discharge in secret.
10:47After all that.
10:48I finally let out a sigh of relief.
10:52I hailed a taxi.
10:53I gave the driver an address a few blocks away from the villa.
10:56It was a habit of mine.
10:58The casino had too many enemies.
11:00Keeping my exact location hidden was a matter of survival.
11:04But just as I stepped out of the car.
11:07A man grabbed me from behind.
11:14The man clamped a hand over my mouth.
11:17He dragged me backward.
11:19I fought with everything I had.
11:21I broke free.
11:22Only to feel a sharp blade slash across my back before I could take more than two steps.
11:26Pain exploded through me.
11:28Warm blood soaked my clothes.
11:32I didn't need to guess to know it was one of Jeffrey's enemies.
11:35The casino had swallowed up to many territories.
11:39Countless people wanted him and everyone closed to him dead.
11:43I reached for the knife hidden in my bag.
11:46But someone twisted my arm behind me.
11:48My phone was ripped away.
11:50Smashed to pieces.
11:56Stay still, bitch!
11:58The man snarled.
11:59He dragged me toward a waiting van.
12:03Just when despair was about to consume me, a familiar black Maybach turned the corner.
12:08It was Jeffrey's car.
12:09I summoned every ounce of strength left in me.
12:13I screamed.
12:14I struggled, desperate to make him notice.
12:18The car slowed just slightly.
12:21He saw me.
12:29But in the next instant, the Maybach accelerated past the intersection without hesitation through the window.
12:36I glimpsed him pulling Amelia into his arms.
12:39Shielding her eyes from the scene outside.
12:41It was as if the woman being dragged away wasn't his wife.
12:45But something filthy and unworthy of her gaze.
12:48All the struggle drained out of me at once.
12:50Pain and cold swallowed me whole.
12:52But before the darkness took me.
12:54One thought burned clear.
12:56Good.
12:57Now I don't owe him anything anymore.
12:59Not my loyalty.
13:01Not my body.
13:02Not our child.
13:03Nothing.
13:04He had made that choice for both of us.
13:06And I had never felt lighter.
13:08Everything went dark.
13:11When I woke up.
13:13I was lying in a private ward.
13:15The door wasn't fully closed.
13:17Voices drifted in from the hallway.
13:24Mr. De La Cruz.
13:26Someone said.
13:27Mrs. De La Cruz's injuries are serious this time.
13:32If she finds out about Ms. Melendez again.
13:35It was Jeffrey's personal physician, Luciano Nunez, before he could finish.
13:40Jeffrey's cold, sharp voice cut through the air.
13:45Watch your mouth.
13:47Your job is to treat her.
13:51Nothing more.
13:53He paused.
13:54His tone was low and detached.
13:57Geraldine has been in this business for years.
14:00She's seen every kind of vicious trick.
14:02She's an expert herself.
14:04Amelia isn't like her.
14:06She's clean, like a blank slate.
14:10She would never stand a chance against Geraldine.
14:14Then, his voice dropped even lower.
14:18If she wakes up and starts causing trouble, bring her mother here.
14:27That's her only weakness left.
14:30She won't sit still if her mother's involved.
14:33I gripped the bedsheet tightly.
14:35I bit my lip until I tasted blood.
14:39That night, years ago, when I helped him take down the head of New Jersey's largest casino, he had told
14:46me something.
14:47Gary, from now on, no one in New Jersey's underworld will ever lay a hand on you.
14:58He had said the same words, made the same promise of protection, but the person he wanted to protect had
15:04changed.
15:05Once, I had been his most precious possession.
15:09Now, in his eyes, I was a dangerous, conniving woman who needed to be controlled.
15:18Footsteps approached.
15:20I shut my eyes.
15:21I pretended to have just woken up.
15:27You're awake?
15:29He said flatly.
15:31We found out that it was that Brazilian gambler who got his hand broken last time for cheating at the
15:37casino.
15:38He tossed a folder onto the bed.
15:41Sign this settlement agreement.
15:43He said.
15:44They'll give up control of Trenton.
15:49Trenton.
15:50By the sea.
15:51New Jersey's last clean, clean haven.
15:55Untouched by gambling or crime.
15:58And then I remembered what he had said to Amelia.
16:01I'll build you a quiet place.
16:04He had promised her.
16:07A resort where you can relax.
16:12So all my pain and scars had just become the price he paid to build a gilded cage for his
16:16new lover.
16:21My throat burned.
16:24Jeffrey.
16:25I said.
16:28When did you make this deal?
16:30Was it the moment he saw me being dragged away?
16:34Or long before that?
16:36When he had already decided to pave the road for her with my suffering?
16:43He frowned.
16:44Clearly irritated by my question.
16:47I forced a smile.
16:48I said nothing more.
16:49The answer no longer mattered.
16:52Maybe to ease his guilt.
16:54Maybe to ease his guilt.
16:54He spent the next two days staying with me under the pretense of handling business.
17:01But his phone never left his hand.
17:03Even during meals.
17:04He would take photos to send to someone on the other end of the chat.
17:12His lips curving into a gentle smile I had never once seen before.
17:16I stared at his side profile for a moment.
17:19My mind drifted back eight years.
17:26The first time I met him wasn't at the casino.
17:29It was in a dark alley.
17:32Jeffrey had been caught cheating.
17:35Surrounded by seven or eight men with machetes.
17:38They dislocated his arm right there on the street.
17:42I stepped in.
17:44I helped him fight his way out.
17:47I dragged him back to my apartment to patch him up.
17:49Later, Dad fell deep into gambling debt.
17:53He was hunted down by drug traffickers.
17:58They killed him.
17:59They came for me next.
18:02Pressing a needle against my vein as collateral for his debt.
18:06It was Jeffrey who burst in with his men.
18:10Saving me at the last second.
18:12By then, he had taken over a small casino.
18:16He placed me behind the Golden Spiro.
18:18There, I became his invisible weapon.
18:22The Scarlet Healer.
18:24I helped him swallow one casino after another.
18:27I eliminated one rival after another.
18:31I knew my hands were stained with blood that could never be washed clean.
18:38But even if the whole world thought I was filthy, he shouldn't have.
18:47After I was discharged, Jeffrey used business matters as an excuse.
18:52Jeffrey never showed up again.
18:54Tomorrow, I would be leaving.
18:59While he was away, I went back to the top floor of the casino.
19:03I retrieved my passport and several crucial identity documents from the safe.
19:10But as I stepped out of the elevator, my knees suddenly gave out.
19:14I stumbled forward.
19:15A pair of slender hands caught me.
19:18Are you okay?
19:22The voice was soft and gentle.
19:25I looked up into Amelia's clear eyes.
19:28She wore a nurse's uniform from the casino's VIP clinic.
19:32But she still looked painfully out of place here.
19:35She didn't recognize me.
19:38She probably thought I was just another gambler who had lost a very thing.
19:48I'm fine, thank you.
19:49I tried to leave.
19:50But she didn't let go.
19:52Instead, she guided me toward the staff lounge.
20:02You don't look well.
20:04You should rest in the back for a while.
20:06She said.
20:07For reasons I couldn't explain, I didn't refuse.
20:10She poured me a cup of warm water.
20:13Then she pulled a pack of dried fruit and some bread from her locker.
20:18Here, eat something.
20:19Losing money's not the end of the world.
20:22Go home early.
20:23Your family's probably waiting for you.
20:26When I didn't respond, she hesitated.
20:30Then she reached into her pocket.
20:34I took the money she offered.
20:38This should cover your cab pace.
20:40She said softly.
20:44I wish I could help with your plane ticket.
20:46But I can't.
20:48Something lodged in my throat.
20:50I wanted to tell her to stay away from Jeffrey.
20:54Jeffrey had no heart.
20:56His tenderness was poison wrapped in sugar.
20:59But the words died before I could speak them.
21:04If she found out who I really was, she would turn against him.
21:10And then, I would be the one responsible for her downfall.
21:14I had only one day left.
21:16I couldn't risk moms in my own lives for a moral victory, so I took the money she offered.
21:21I thanked her.
21:22I walked quickly out the back door.
21:30The moment I stepped outside.
21:32Something cold pressed hard against my temple.
21:35It was a gun barrel.
21:38I instinctively turned around.
21:40Amelia was already lying motionless on the hallway floor.
21:43I moved to react.
21:45But a sudden blow to the back of my neck sent everything into darkness.
21:48When I came to, both Amelia and I were tied up in an abandoned warehouse.
21:53Who are you people?
21:55Why are you doing this to us?
21:57She asked.
22:02She was sobbing softly.
22:04Kieran Doyle stepped forward.
22:06He slapped her hard.
22:07To get back at your fiancé, Jeffrey.
22:10He stole my Newark territory.
22:13He cut off my business.
22:17So it was the Newark gang.
22:19That territory was the one Jeffrey had recently acquired using the settlement agreement.
22:23I had signed, fortunately.
22:25They didn't recognize me.
22:27To them, Amelia, the woman always seen at Jeffrey's side, was the target.
22:33I began working my wrists.
22:35I used the microblade I kept hidden under my nail to saw through the ropes.
22:39Years of living on the edge had taught me to always leave myself a way out.
22:43Kieran thought I was a gambler.
22:45He spat at me.
22:46You're just unlucky, lady.
22:49Wrong place, wrong time.
22:52Call your family.
22:54Get five million here, and we'll let you go.
22:58Amelia's tears streaked down her pale face.
23:01Mrs. Leonard, I'm so sorry for dragging you into this.
23:04She said.
23:06But don't be scared.
23:08My fiancé is powerful.
23:11He'll come for us.
23:12At the mention of Jeffrey's name, her eyes shone with unsheckable trust.
23:16I didn't say a word.
23:18I quickened the movement of the blade against the ropes.
23:25Kieran cursed at his phone when his call went unanswered.
23:28Then he kicked over a fuel-driven frustration.
23:31Damn it!
23:34Jeffrey's not picking up?
23:37Fine.
23:37Let's send him a little message to wake him up.
23:39Kieran picked up a knife from the floor.
23:42His eyes blending with a sick grin as they swept over Amelia.
23:46I heard you two went to the hospital.
23:48You're carrying his child, aren't you?
23:54Perfect.
23:55We'll dig that little drap out and send it to him!
23:58My blood ran cold, so she was pregnant with Jeffrey's child.
24:02Amelia froze in terror.
24:04Her face drained of color.
24:07No.
24:08She whispered.
24:09Please, don't hurt my baby.
24:11The men around her laughed crudely.
24:13They reached for her.
24:17In that split second, I tore through the last of my ropes.
24:20I sprang to my feet like a cornered predator.
24:22I drove my elbow into Kieran's jaw.
24:25I snatched the knife from his hand.
24:26I cut through Amelia's bindings.
24:28I shoved her behind me.
24:32I knew how to fight.
24:34But this time, I wasn't fighting for Jeffrey.
24:36I wasn't fighting for the Scarlet Healer's reputation.
24:39I was fighting because the woman behind me was pregnant.
24:42And no matter whose child it was,
24:44nobody deserved to die like this.
24:49Dammit!
24:49Kieran bellowed.
24:50He was clutching his bleeding chin.
24:52Kill her!
24:53Five or six thugs rushed forward,
24:55swinging metal rods.
24:56I was quickly overwhelmed.
24:59The blows landed hard.
25:01Searing pain spread through my body.
25:03Still, I grint at my teeth.
25:08I used my body as a shield to protect Amelia in the corner.
25:12Kieran lost patience.
25:14With a click, he chambered a bullet.
25:16He aimed the gun straight at me.
25:18Die, bitch!
25:20Just as he was about to pull the trigger,
25:23a deafening explosion blew open the warehouse doors.
25:28Jeffrey burst into the warehouse with his hand.
25:31Gunfire erupted instantly.
25:33Jeffrey moved like a raging lion.
25:36He charged straight toward us.
25:38Without a glance at me,
25:39he swept Amelia into his arms.
25:42It's okay, Amelia.
25:45I'm here.
25:46She gave a faint sigh.
25:48The shock finally overwhelmed her.
25:50She passed out against his chest.
25:53He carried her carefully to the car outside.
25:56He placed her gently inside.
25:58Then he turned back toward me.
26:01Geraldine,
26:02why are you here?
26:04His voice was cold as steel.
26:06I forced myself upright through the pain.
26:08I met his glare with a bitter smile.
26:11Before I could finish,
26:13his hand cracked across my face.
26:15You think I planned this?
26:19The blow sent me crashing to the floor.
26:22Blood filled my mouth.
26:25I knew it.
26:26He snarled.
26:26You've been trying to get rid of Amelia all along, haven't you?
26:31I spat blood onto the ground.
26:33I didn't.
26:35Jeffrey grabbed a wounded man nearby.
26:37Who hired you?
26:38Jeffrey pressed a gun to his head.
26:39The thug trembled.
26:41He darted a terrified glance at me.
26:43As if clinging to his last hope.
26:47I!
26:48Ah!
26:49It was her!
26:50She paid us to rough that woman!
26:52My entire body went cold.
26:54My veins felt like they had turned to ice.
26:57Jeffrey's lips curled into a cruel smile.
26:59Without hesitation,
27:01he pulled the trigger.
27:02The man's body hit the ground with a dull thud.
27:05Jeffrey stepped over him.
27:06He crouched down.
27:08He ground his heel onto my hand.
27:10Pain shot through me.
27:12His tone carried a hint of mockery.
27:14Almost pity.
27:16These hands used to obey me so well.
27:18Why are they hurting the person I love most?
27:21He pulled out a dagger.
27:23Its blade gleamed with a cold, deadly sheen.
27:26I need you to never touch what's mine, Geraldine.
27:30The blade came down in a flash of silver.
27:32My breath stopped.
27:34The knife drove straight through my palm.
27:36Putting my hand to the concrete floor.
27:38A scream tore from my throat.
27:39Pain ripped through every nerve.
27:41Blinded and slimed.
27:43My body convulsed uncontrollably.
27:46Darkness edged at my vision.
27:48Through the agony,
27:48I found my voice again.
27:54Jeffrey!
27:55Eight years ago,
27:56I should have left you to die in that alley.
27:59I should have never helped you get where you are!
28:02And with that,
28:03he destroyed whatever humanity still lingered between us.
28:07He gave a short, contemptuous snort.
28:09He turned away.
28:11Without another look,
28:12he left the warehouse.
28:14His men followed close behind.
28:18When the numbness finally dulled the pain,
28:21I used my left hand to reach into my bra.
28:24I pulled out a small, hidden tracker.
28:27My fingers trembled as I pressed the signal.
28:30Levi arrived quickly.
28:32The moment he saw me,
28:34his eyes filled with horror.
28:36He carefully pulled the knife from my hand.
28:39But my right palm was already mangled beyond recognition.
28:44Completely numb.
28:46Levi reached for my hand.
28:48I pulled back.
28:51Don't.
28:52My voice didn't shake.
28:53If he wanted me dead,
28:55I'd be dead already.
28:57He chose to leave me here.
29:01That was his mistake.
29:02In my past life,
29:04I had begged him not to touch other women.
29:06This time,
29:07he could cut that escort into 18 pieces.
29:10But he couldn't cut away what I'd already chosen to become.
29:13And he never would.
29:22My voice was faint.
29:24But steady.
29:26Filled with cold resolve.
29:28Set the place on fire,
29:30I told Levi.
29:31Erase every trace of me.
29:33From this day forward,
29:34there is no more the Scarlet Healer of New Jersey.
29:38The flames climbed high into the night sky.
29:43Somewhere across the city.
29:45Jeffrey de la Cruz was probably holding Amelia in his arms.
29:50Telling her she was safe.
29:52He would never know what happened here tonight.
29:54He would spend weeks.
29:55Months.
29:56Tearing this city apart.
29:58Looking for a ghost.
30:00Let him look.
30:01The Scarlet Healer didn't disappear.
30:04She just stopped being his weapon.
30:18And for the first time in eight years,
30:20she was free.
30:26Jeffrey stayed by Amelia's bedside in the VIP ward.
30:29Until she finally woke.
30:31Amelia's voice was faint.
30:33Trembling with the fear of someone who had barely escaped death.
30:38Jeff.
30:39He held her gently.
30:40He brushed the cold sweat from her forehead with his thumb.
30:44He said,
30:47It's my fault.
30:48I should have done a better job protecting you.
30:51I am sorry for what you've been through.
30:55Amelia shook her head weakly.
30:57Then she seemed to remember something.
31:01Where is that lady?
31:02How is she?
31:04Jeffrey's gaze darkened for a moment.
31:07Then he looked away.
31:08You're too kind.
31:09He said.
31:10I won't let anything happen to you again.
31:12He stroked her back soothingly.
31:14Until she drifted off to an uneasy sleep.
31:17Then,
31:17his expression hardened.
31:19He gave his next order.
31:24Clean out the villa on the hillside.
31:28Throw out everything that shouldn't be there.
31:30Amelia will be moving in once she's discharged.
31:34One of his men nodded.
31:36He handed Jeffrey a document.
31:38He said,
31:39This is the compensation agreement for Mrs. Leonard.
31:42As you requested,
31:43two casinos and 20% of the company's shares
31:46have been transferred to her name.
31:48It's enough for her to start her own operation.
31:51Jeffrey gave a short nod.
31:58He said,
31:59Send it to her.
32:00Have her sign it.
32:01To him,
32:02this was already a grand gesture.
32:05An act of mercy and closure.
32:11After eight years by his side,
32:13he thought I should have known my place.
32:17But a day passed.
32:20And I won't reply to him.
32:27Jeffrey dialed my number himself.
32:30But there was no answer.
32:31He called the butler at the villa.
32:36Where's Mrs. De La Cruz?
32:38Hasn't she come home?
32:39Mrs. De La Cruz never returned.
32:44A flicker of unease stirred beneath Jeffrey's growing irritation.
32:48He must be at a loss.
32:51Aside from staying by his side,
32:53where else in New Jersey could someone like me go?
32:56One of his men cautiously spoke up.
32:59Mr. De La Cruz?
33:00Could it be that Mrs. Leonard is still in the hospital?
33:03He said.
33:06She was pretty badly hurt last time.
33:09Jeffrey froze for a moment.
33:10He remembered that he had driven the blade through
33:13my palm just two days ago.
33:21He pushed down the unnies in his chest.
33:23He ordered his men.
33:25Find out which hospital she's in.
33:28Bring her the papers and have her sign them.
33:33The subordinate took the file.
33:36Lacemu.
33:37But he was stopped before leaving.
33:38When you find her, leave two men to keep watch.
33:42She's unpredictable.
33:44If she tries anything against Amelia,
33:48deal with her mother first.
33:51Let her suffer a little if you have to.
33:54Jeffrey said.
33:56She'll get the message.
34:01That night, Jeffrey returned to the top floor of the casino.
34:06This used to be his and my private haven.
34:14Beyond the vast floor-to-ceiling windows stretched New Jersey's most dazzling nightscape.
34:23Neon lights flickered beneath a sky full of inverted stars.
34:28I used to stand beside him, point down at the skyline, laugh.
34:32This is our empire, I would say.
34:35But now.
34:36He yanked off his tie.
34:38He tossed it aside.
34:41Irritation burned through him.
34:44Until a faint noise came from the bedroom.
34:48Is Geraldine back already?
34:52That's right, he thought.
34:54Where else can she go?
34:57In his eyes, with my temper, returning quietly never meant surrender.
35:03It meant I was plotting something.
35:09Either I was here to make a scene, or I had a plan.
35:13And Amelia was my target.
35:18His eyes turned cold.
35:20He strode to the door.
35:22He pushed it open.
35:26Neon light spilled in through the windows.
35:29Outlining a slim, graceful silhouette.
35:32But when she turned, his voice dropped to ice.
35:37Who told you to come here?
35:43Amelia flinched.
35:44A delicate nail charm trembled between her fingers.
35:48Jeff.
35:50Her voice shook.
35:52I just wanted to look around.
35:55The guards said no one lived here anymore.
36:05Jeffery's gaze fell on the nail piece in her hand.
36:08It was one of mine.
36:11Razor thin.
36:13Deceptively beautiful.
36:15Designed to slice through flesh or even sheet metal.
36:19Every piece I wore, the earrings, the hairpins, even the lipstick, could be, could be a hidden weapon.
36:28The scarlet healer had never been just a name for the gambling table.
36:33For a moment, the fury in Jeffery's chest softened as he looked into Amelia's uneasy eyes.
36:39He stepped forward.
36:41He pulled her gently into his arms.
36:48I'm not angry.
36:49He said.
36:50It's just that these things belong to my late wife.
36:55If you like them, I'll have new ones made for you.
37:00Amelia looked up.
37:02Her eyes shimmered with emotion.
37:09It seemed she hadn't chosen the wrong man after all.
37:12Someone who could be so devoted to his late wife would surely make a good husband and father.
37:18In the early hours of the morning, a shrill phone ring shattered the silence.
37:23It woke Jeffery.
37:27The voice on the other end was tense panicked.
37:32Mr. De La Cruz.
37:34Mrs. De La Cruz is gone.
37:37We checked every hospital in New Jersey, but she's nowhere to be found.
37:41You should have a look at her old medical records.
37:44She knew about the divorce.
37:47She found out a while ago.
37:49She even went to the courthouse to confirm it.
37:55Amelia woke to the sharp sting of cigarette smoke.
37:58When she walked into the living room, the floor was littered with cigarette butts.
38:04Did something happen at the casino?
38:06She asked softly.
38:08Jeffrey came to himself.
38:09But unlike usual, he didn't bother to put out the cigarette.
38:13It's nothing.
38:14He rasped.
38:15Just a small issue at work.
38:21It's handled.
38:22It's handled.
38:22He didn't realize how bloodshot his eyes were, or how utterly drained he looked.
38:29His men had told him that I had gone to a hospital for an abortion.
38:33That day was the same day he had brought Amelia to the casino.
38:38Parading her through the empire he and I had built together, as if to announce its new queen.
38:44And while he was doing that, I had been lying alone on an operating table, killing their child.
38:50Outside, dawn crept in, its pale light illuminating Amelia's delicate, spotless face.
38:55It was a stark contrast to the bloodstained woman who had dared to erase his bloodline.
39:02He thought, perhaps it was for the best.
39:05They were divorced anyway.
39:10Jeffrey comforted himself.
39:12If Geraldine wanted to walk away, he would let her.
39:16It would only save him the trouble.
39:18It's fine.
39:19He muttered.
39:20Jeffrey crushed the last of the cigarettes.
39:25I'll take a shower.
39:29He stepped into the bathroom.
39:34He called one of his men.
39:38Clear out those bastards from Trenton.
39:41Not one stays alive.
39:44Do it clean.
39:47Feed what's left to the sharks at the port.
39:50Amelia soon moved into the villa, becoming the new mistress in name.
39:56Jeffrey had tailored gowns and jewelry made for her.
40:03He even arranged a comfortable.
40:08Respectable position for her at the casino.
40:13But with each passing day, an indescribable exhaustion began to seep into his bones.
40:21Every time he came back from the blood and chaos outside, facing Amelia's innocent, unblemished
40:28eyes made him feel as if he were being split in half.
40:36Half of him was the ruthless king of New Jersey's underworld, cold, commanding, and merciless.
40:47The other half was just a facade, a polished mask of the successful businessman.
40:52Just the way she imagined him to be.
41:01The other half was just a facade, a polished mask of the successful businessman.
41:02Just then, he thought of me only with me could he be himself.
41:14Just I had never feared the darkness in him.
41:17I had aided him in plotting, executing, and wiping out their enemies with ruthless efficiency.
41:30A gold-embossed invitation to the Grand Casino Championship for Jersey sat on his desk.
41:35Addressed to him and his wife.
41:38Once upon a time,
41:40he wouldn't have even glanced at it.
41:45With me beside him,
41:46every gambling table had been just another stage for their joint conquest,
41:50another game they always won.
41:53But now,
41:56he couldn't even remember the last time he had sat at a table.
42:01Years spent expanding his territory,
42:06hiding behind power and blood money,
42:10had dulled the edge of his skill.
42:14Even when he humored Amelia with a few rounds,
42:16it felt like playing cards with a child.
42:20He had developed a habit of returning alone to the top floor of the casino late at night,
42:25there,
42:25he could think of our past.
42:28He had once saved me from drug traffickers,
42:31given me shelter,
42:33but after that,
42:34I had been the one saving him.
42:37Winning key battles,
42:39eliminating rivals,
42:40staining my hands with blood so his wouldn't have to,
42:43what we had shared had never been charity,
42:46it had been survival,
42:47to predators walking side by side through hell.
42:54Without me,
42:55there would be no Jeffrey.
42:59So why had I turned on her?
43:01Was it because her hands were stained with blood?
43:06Or was it because of the rare moments when she showed her dependence and temper that started to make me
43:10resent her?
43:11But why did those same traits in Amelia stir tenderness instead of contempt?
43:16It felt as if something had clamped around his heart and twisted hard,
43:21sending a sharp,
43:22splintering pain through his chest.
43:27He rose to his feet in a rush.
43:30No,
43:31I had to find Geraldine.
43:33The Golden Sparrow couldn't exist without its true queen.
43:37And he couldn't exist without me.
43:43Turn New Jersey upside down if you have to!
43:47He barked into the phone.
43:48Find Geraldine!
43:52I want her found!
43:54Dead or alive!
43:56Mr. Delacruz,
43:57we've searched everywhere.
43:58His man replied.
44:00Even the hospitals,
44:01docks,
44:01and underground clinics.
44:03But there's no trace of her.
44:06Find her mother then!
44:08Jeffrey roared.
44:09Jeffrey slammed his fist on the desk.
44:12That sickly woman was hurt last time.
44:16She must be in a hospital somewhere.
44:20Grab her!
44:21I don't believe Geraldine will stay hidden if her mother's in danger!
44:25Jeffrey slammed the phone down.
44:29Jeffrey's chest heaved,
44:30the veins at his temple pulsing in barely contained fury.
44:35Jeff?
44:36Amelia's timid voice came from the doorway.
44:41Who are you looking for?
44:43He turned sharply.
44:45The fury in his eyes made her flinch.
44:48Taking a deep breath,
44:50he forced his voice low.
44:56It's just business matters.
44:58You don't need to worry.
45:01Amelia stepped closer.
45:03Her hands clasped nervously.
45:07I made you some dessert,
45:08she said softly.
45:11It'll help with the stress.
45:13Jeffrey took a bite.
45:14Jeffrey said nothing.
45:17It was sweet,
45:18cloyingly so,
45:20just like her.
45:25But that sugary softness
45:27couldn't come close
45:28to drowning out
45:29the restless storm
45:30churning inside him.
45:32Half a month passed.
45:34He still didn't find the trace
45:36of me or my mother.
45:38Meanwhile,
45:39in a quiet foreign city,
45:41my right hand still wasn't strong enough
45:43for heavy things.
45:44But after several surgeries
45:46and rounds of rehab,
45:47I could at least manage the lighter ones.
45:53Levi sat across from me,
45:57watching me peel an orange
45:58with my left hand.
46:04progress,
46:05he said.
46:07I didn't answer.
46:09I just placed half of the orange
46:11on a plate.
46:15I slid it toward him.
46:17Some things didn't need words.
46:22Jeffrey's temper had grown
46:24increasingly volatile.
46:27Everyone at the casino
46:28walked on eggshells around him.
46:31Jeffrey couldn't understand
46:33how a gravely injured woman
46:35and her frail mother
46:36vanished right under his nose.
46:39That night,
46:41he was on the top floor again,
46:43drunk out of his mind
46:44when Amelia arrived.
46:46One of his men
46:47was still giving a report.
46:49Jeffrey cursed.
46:50He grabbed the nearest bottle.
46:52He hurled it across the room.
46:55The man fell silent immediately.
46:58He fled when he saw Amelia
47:00at the door she pushed down her unnies.
47:02She stepped closer to help him up.
47:07Jeff.
47:07Why are you drinking so much again?
47:10Let me help you back to bed.
47:11His unfocused eyes lifted.
47:14Suddenly he grabbed her wrist.
47:16His voice cracked,
47:17hoarse and pleading.
47:19Jerry.
47:20Don't go.
47:21I was wrong.
47:22Come back to me.
47:24Amelia froze.
47:25Jeffrey obviously told her
47:27I was dead.
47:28She looked around the room,
47:29the vanity,
47:30the wardrobe,
47:31the knitstand,
47:32and realized there wasn't
47:33a single photo to be found.
47:36What kind of man?
47:37Who claimed to have loved his wife,
47:40kept not even a picture of her.
47:46The next day,
47:48Jeffrey took her to a prenatal checkup.
47:50On the drive back,
47:52Amelia ventured tentatively.
47:57Jeff,
47:59when will we have our wedding?
48:02If we wait much longer,
48:04I won't be able to hide my pregnancy.
48:06In the past,
48:08Jeffrey would have been ecstatic,
48:09but now,
48:11irritation prickled beneath his skin.
48:14I'm too busy with casino affairs right now.
48:17He muttered.
48:18We'll talk about it later.
48:21Amelia lowered her head.
48:24If it's too much trouble for you,
48:28she said quietly,
48:30I can leave.
48:31He was silent for a few seconds,
48:34then he sighed.
48:36Don't overthink it.
48:38Once the casino matters are settled
48:39at the end of the month,
48:40we'll have our wedding.
48:42Back at the casino,
48:44while Jeffrey was in a meeting,
48:46Amelia slipped into the records room.
48:50The guards didn't dare stop her.
48:53She searched through file after file,
48:56but she found no document related to me.
49:03Mrs. Delacruz.
49:04A young man asked hesitantly.
49:06What exactly are you looking for?
49:10I want to see Geraldine's file.
49:13The guy blurted out.
49:14Her file?
49:16Mr. Delacruz ordered everything destroyed
49:19after she left.
49:20The man next to him elbowed him hard,
49:22but the damage was done.
49:24Amelia's face drained of color,
49:26her heart gripped by an icy.
49:28Invisible hand.
49:30She stumbled out of the archives in a daze,
49:33and somehow wandered all the way
49:36to the basement entrance.
49:37Faint, inhuman screams echoed from deep inside.
49:46Inside, Kieran was chained to the ground,
49:50Kieran's body pressed against shards of broken glass.
49:56Mr. Delacruz, please!
49:58He begged.
50:00I was wrong!
50:02We'll stay out of Trenton!
50:03Just let me go!
50:06Jeffrey's laugh was low and cold.
50:09You think that worthless piece of land compares to my wife.
50:12Kieran knew there was no way out.
50:14Pain twisted his features.
50:18Mingled with a strange, mocking grin.
50:24Your wife.
50:25Kieran sneered.
50:27Jeffrey, drop the act.
50:29I saw you clearly, holding your new woman in the car.
50:33And now you're pretending to be some lovesick saint?
50:38You're absolutely disgusting!
50:41Jeffrey's eyes narrowed.
50:43He said calmly,
50:46Cut his tendons.
50:52The moment he finished speaking,
50:55his gaze caught a flash of fabric,
50:57a skirt disappearing by the doorway.
51:01Amelia froze in terror.
51:03She turned to run,
51:04but he caught up in just a few strides.
51:07He seized her wrist.
51:09She trembled violently.
51:11Tears streamed down her face.
51:13Jeffrey pulled her into his arms.
51:15His tone was firm, yet oddly soothing.
51:18Don't be afraid.
51:19I'm just teaching them a lesson.
51:23So no one will ever dare touch you again.
51:27No!
51:27Amelia sobbed.
51:29It's not like that!
51:32Through blurred vision,
51:34she stared at him.
51:36That day it was Gary who protected me.
51:38She was badly hurt,
51:40but still shielded me with her body.
51:42She was kind and brave.
51:45How could I ever betray her?
51:48A storm of emotion flickered in Jeffrey's eyes.
51:51Amelia knew everything.
51:53He tried to explain.
51:55His voice was low and urgent.
51:57That's all in the past.
52:02Now,
52:04there's only you.
52:05Amelia shook her head desperately,
52:07she broke free from his arms.
52:13But Gary never hurt me!
52:15She saved my life!
52:18She was kind and brave.
52:20How could you do this to her?
52:23How could you not treasure a woman like that?
52:25Amelia was left pale and shaking,
52:28her strength nearly gone.
52:31For the first time,
52:33a crack of something almost desperate appeared on Jeffrey's face.
52:37Why didn't he know how to cherish what he had?
52:44Meanwhile,
52:45in a quiet foreign city,
52:47dusk was settling when I stepped out of the supermarket.
52:51I was planning to have fondue with mom that evening.
52:55My right hand still wasn't strong enough for heavy things.
52:59But after several surgeries and rounds of rehab,
53:03I could at least manage the lighter ones.
53:05The scars on my back had faded to thin white lines.
53:09I barely noticed them anymore.
53:11Levi had found us a small apartment near a medical school.
53:16Mom was taking cooking classes.
53:22I was volunteering at a free clinic three days a week,
53:25not as the scarlet healer,
53:27just as Geraldine,
53:29just as a woman who wanted to help.
53:32My right hand still trembled when I held a scalpel,
53:35but I was learning to use my left.
53:38Some things you don't come back from,
53:40and some things you do,
53:42just not the same way.
53:43My phone rang.
53:45It was mom calling.
53:47I lifted the phone to answer.
53:53I had just lifted my phone to answer
53:55when an arm suddenly clamped around my neck from behind,
53:59dragging me backward into an alley.
54:01Instinct took over.
54:03I dropped my weight.
54:04I slammed my elbow hard into the attacker's ribs.
54:08I stomped down on his foot with all my strength.
54:11He grunted in pain.
54:13His grip loosening just enough for me to twist free.
54:16A flash of cold steel glinted between the fingers of my left hand,
54:21the tiny blade hidden in my knuckles pressed precisely against his throat.
54:28It was Jeffrey.
54:30He stared at me.
54:31Then he gave a low laugh.
54:33Honey,
54:34you still got the same moves, huh?
54:37Even if you kill me,
54:38I'd die willingly.
54:39A wave of nausea and fury twisted my stomach.
54:43My voice came out cold and sharp.
54:46Jeffrey,
54:47we're divorced.
54:48Get out of my life.
54:50I never want to see you again.
54:52He leaned forward.
54:53Until the blade's edge sliced his skin.
54:56A thin line of blood appeared.
55:00Come back with me,
55:01Jerry.
55:03Let's start over.
55:05The casino can't run without its queen.
55:09And I can't live without you.
55:11I lowered the knife,
55:12my answer like steel.
55:16Keep dreaming.
55:18I'll hate you until my last breath.
55:21His eyes reddened.
55:23Jerry,
55:24I know I was wrong.
55:25Everything that happened was all my fault.
55:28Please,
55:29let's try again.
55:30Footsteps sounded behind me.
55:32He hadn't come alone.
55:34I took a step back.
55:35I slipped my right hand into my pocket.
55:38My fingers found a tiny button.
55:40I pressed it.
55:41It was the emergency signal transmitter mom had given me.
55:48Jeffrey shoved me into the car.
55:50Jeffrey sped toward the airport.
55:53Then,
55:54his phone rang with a video call.
55:57Amelia was tied to a chair.
55:59A baby clutched in her arms.
56:03Levi held a knife to her throat.
56:05Let her go,
56:06Jeffrey!
56:08Or you'll never see your wife and child again.
56:11Jeffrey didn't even flinch.
56:13He let out a short,
56:15mirthless laugh.
56:16Do whatever you want.
56:18Those two together aren't worth a single strand of Jerry's hair.
56:22On the screen,
56:24Amelia's eyes widened in horror.
56:26All hope drained from her face.
56:28Jeffrey ended the call.
56:32Jeffrey turned back to me.
56:34His gaze was dark and feverish.
56:37Jeffrey was completely insane.
56:39Now no one can come between us.
56:41Just as the car pulled up at the airport entrance,
56:44several vehicles screeched in from different directions.
56:47They surrounded us.
56:49The car door swung open.
56:51My mother burst out.
56:53A group of people right behind her.
56:57Jeffrey!
56:59Let go of my daughter!
57:00Gunfire erupted almost instantly.
57:04No one knew who fired first,
57:05and in the next second,
57:07chaos exploded all around.
57:09Jeffrey lunged in front of me,
57:11shielding me from the bullets.
57:12A muffled grunt escaped him.
57:14A red stain spread across his shoulder,
57:17but he didn't stop.
57:19Gripping my wrist,
57:21he tried to pull me toward the terminal.
57:23Gary, don't be afraid!
57:25I'll take you home!
57:27I tore myself free,
57:29with all the strength I had left.
57:30Jeffrey!
57:31There's no home left for us!
57:34Not anymore!
57:35His face went white.
57:38Yet he still reached out to me,
57:40desperate.
57:40Gary, come back.
57:43Desperate.
57:44We can make it right again.
57:48Just like before.
57:50I met his eyes steadily.
57:55If I had come back out of spite
57:57and gone after Amelia,
57:58I said,
57:58would you have killed Mom in front of me
58:00before finishing me off too?
58:02His pupils contracted.
58:04His lips parted as if to protest.
58:07As always,
58:09his hypocrisy never changed.
58:13He lied to me the same way
58:15he lied to Amelia.
58:19Mom stepped forward.
58:23Mom aimed her gun straight at him.
58:25Let me end this.
58:29I took the gun from her hands.
58:32I raised it.
58:33I aimed at his right hand.
58:35I fired a shot without hesitation.
58:38Jeffrey jerked,
58:39staring in disbelief at his bleeding,
58:41mangled hand.
58:43His wide eyes lifted to me,
58:45full of shock and heartbreak.
58:48You ruined one of my hand.
58:51I've returned the favor.
58:53From now on, we're even.
58:58Gary!
58:59Don't go!
59:00His shout was raw, broken,
59:02almost inhuman.
59:03I didn't look back.
59:05Two years later,
59:06on a warm afternoon in Paris,
59:08I ran into Amelia.
59:10She looked slimmer than before.
59:12In her hand was a little girl,
59:14no more than two or three.
59:16The child gazed up at me with wide,
59:19curious eyes.
59:22I came back to finish my degree.
59:26Amelia said softly.
59:27The fear and fragility were gone from her voice,
59:31replaced by peace.
59:33I smiled back.
59:34I nodded to her and to the child.
59:37The storms of blood,
59:39betrayal,
59:40and love that had once consumed us
59:43finally faded without a trace.
59:46Peace.
59:47Peace.
59:47Peace.
59:48Peace.
59:49Peace.
59:49Peace.
59:49Peace.
59:49Peace.
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