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His Secret Woman Got the Ring, I Got His Heart - Hot engsub fullepisode⚡️
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00:03I'd been with Luca Russo for six years. Suddenly, he handed me a contract. I had thought that was
00:08a prenup. I was ready to sign. But what I saw was... Missed disagreement. Three years. On call
00:1424-7. Renew if satisfied. My finger trembled. Luca, what does this mean? Luca leaned back on
00:21the sofa, smoking a cigar. He looked at me with cold eyes. My father is pushing hard. He chose a
00:26marriage alliance for me. Serena, the daughter of the Vitoli family. They hold the entire Adriatic
00:32arms line. And I need that. My voice trembled. And what about me? Luca looked up, sneered. Tesoro,
00:38give me a break. Your dad had left you with gambling debts. And I had paid for his care.
00:43Your ex stole your identity and left you with thugs. My men threw them into the Hudson River.
00:48I'm just asking you to be my secret lover. Is that too much? I looked at the sharp black text
00:53written on paper. Party B must be on call 24-7. Party B shall not appear at any family events
00:59or social gatherings. If Party B gets pregnant, she must handle it herself. The Russo family
01:04will not acknowledge the child. I stared at the last one. And my hand instinctively touched
01:08my belly. My fingers were ice cold. Sign it. Luca flicked the ash from the cigar.
01:14Why are you just staring at it? I put down the contract. My voice trembled.
01:19Luca. Luca. We've been together for six years. He laughed.
01:24So what? Did we ever plan on getting married? Those words stabbed me like a knife. For six
01:29years, he took me to every gala. And all the unmarried women looked at me with calculating
01:33eyes. But he always introduced me as his assistant. His mother, Rosa, had implied more than once
01:39Mia cara, you should find a good man to marry. I thought she was teasing us. Now I realized
01:45she was politely telling me to get out. What were these six years to you?
01:52Luca crushed the cigar and walked to me.
01:54It was a fair trade. I supported you for six years. I paid for your dad's nursing home. I
02:00cleared your ex's debt. I gave you a job. You've managed the Russo family's accounts for six years.
02:04If you leave, who would dare to hire you? He paused, then smiled.
02:08Tezora, be reasonable. You didn't hesitate to use me when you were in trouble. Now I'm
02:14using you. It's just business.
02:15I felt my eyes burn, but I didn't shed a single drop of tears. He never mentioned these things,
02:21though I knew he was telling the truth. He was right. My father was a loser. He walked
02:25out on us to gamble, then spent over a decade rotting away before showing up at my door with
02:30broken legs. I was soft, so I took him in. As for my ex, we only dated for a month.
02:36I didn't
02:36even know he used my identity to get a loan until three men with machetes showed up at my door.
02:41It was Luca's men who came and cleared the trouble. I knew I owed him, but I never thought
02:46he was keeping a ledger of every cent. So, I pushed his hand away. There was no love?
02:51Only investment? Luca laughed. Don't be silly. You call this an investment? I've got nothing back
02:57from you, haven't I? Luca dropped a black card on the table. Sign, and it's yours. In three years,
03:03if you want to stay, we will renew. If not, keep the money. 500k, enough to buy 10 lives,
03:09but not enough to buy me. I wanted to say something, but it was caught in my throat,
03:13because I remembered the nursing home's call. If I don't pay, they'll kick my father out.
03:18Luca knew I needed money, so he just dropped that card in front of me, like feeding a treat
03:22to a dog. Is it not enough? I get it. Six years for 500k isn't much, but that's mistress money,
03:30not girlfriend money. As of now, this is exactly what you're worth. He paused again and smiled.
03:35Of course you can refuse, but then...
03:41But then, you need to move out of this apartment. My heart felt like it was being crushed.
03:45Over the past six years, I have treated this place as my home. I planted the roses on the balcony
03:50myself. In the kitchen, my favorite vinegar always sat next to his jar of olives. Our travel photos
03:56are still on the nightstand, but in the end, I was just a tenant who could be kicked out at
04:00any time.
04:01Luca, my voice was still trembling. If you don't love me, let's say goodbye. You don't have to
04:06humiliate me like this. Love? He crushed the cigar, leaned in, put his hands on either side of the armrest.
04:13Did your father love you? Did your ex love you? Does anyone in this world truly care about you?
04:19He whispered, looked into my eyes. I paid your debts. I protected you. I can't give you a
04:25marriage, but I'm giving you a way to survive. My tears fell eventually, because at some point,
04:31I realized he's right. He handed me the pen, clearly running out of patience.
04:35Well, are you signing it or not? I opened my mouth. I looked at the pregnancy rule again.
04:40I swallowed my words. If my mother and I had planned to get married early next month,
04:44would you still have made me sign this? Married. He laughed. Planned with whom? Your drowned mother?
04:51Even without these changes, I never planned to marry you. You have quite an imagination.
04:57I closed my eyes. Six years. This marriage was never meant to be. I opened my eyes and picked up
05:03the pen. I signed my name on the last page. Vittoria DeLuca. My hands had stopped trembling.
05:08Luca collected the contract. Good girl. Everything stays the same. But from now on,
05:15in public, you call me Mr. Russo. He kissed my forehead coldly. Be good.
05:21Luca left. The door closed. He was gone. I looked down at the black card in my hand. I slowly
05:27squatted
05:27down on the floor, burying my face in my knees. I didn't know how long I'd been sitting here.
05:32My legs were numb, and my tears had finally dried up. I stood up unsteadily and walked into the bathroom.
05:38I turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on my face repeatedly, until I finally calmed down.
05:44I picked up my phone and made a call. Mom. You were right. I've lost. That thing you mentioned
05:49before? Get it started. I'm ready. The person on the other end paused. Are you sure? There's no
05:55turning back. I looked out at the cathedral. The bells were tolling like a funeral. It's Ave Maria.
06:02I'm sure.
06:05The next morning, I went to the nursing home. My father was in a wheelchair, being pushed into
06:10the yard by a nurse. He looked very old, like a hollow tree. His hair was completely white.
06:15Both his legs were gone. They had been crushed by a van six years ago. His lips trembled.
06:22Something lit up in his murky eyes. I handed him that black card. There's 500k euros in here.
06:27It's enough for the best care and the best nurses. From today on, I won't see you again.
06:32Where are you going?
06:34I'm going back to her, with a clean slate. I took out a photo and put it in his hand.
06:41It's a photo of my mom when she was young, wearing a white dress, standing in a lemon grove,
06:46smiling brightly. She asked me to give you a message. I said,
06:50What message?
06:52La morte è troppo buona per te.
06:54He burst into tears, touching the photo with shaking hands. He had thought she had committed
06:59suicide. He had no idea she was actually alive, but he didn't know she was alive. She was
07:04saved by the Moretti family. It had all been a play she had staged to fake her death. She
07:09waited six years for me. She waited for me to lose everything, to wake up, and to finally
07:15call her. I turned to leave, but I stopped at the corner.
07:17Dad, that car back then? Was it your doing?
07:22The air went silent. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Tears streamed down his wrinkled
07:27face.
07:28No. Vittoria, really no. I didn't know that car was coming.
07:34I just saw it heading for you, and I...
07:38And you pushed me out of the way?
07:41Yes. I wanted to save you, even if it cost my life. I'm a deadbeat. I owe you and your
07:47mother too much.
07:48I closed my eyes. I believed him. A bastard father who abandoned his wife and daughter
07:54actually acted like a father in that moment. But that didn't mean I forgave him. That money
08:00is to pay you back for my life. We're even now. I walked out of the nursing home. I heard
08:06him crying and laughing behind me.
08:09She's alive. She's not dead. Good. Good. Good. Go now. Don't ever come back.
08:15I didn't look back.
08:18After that, I went back to work in the casino as usual. The Russo family owned many businesses,
08:24and the casino was just one of them. All the dirty money from weapons, smuggling, and loans
08:31was laundered through those accounts. And I was the one who kept the books. Luca walked
08:36in while I was organizing the monthly statements. He looked at me with no expression.
08:40When this quarter's books are done, bring them to my office.
08:43Yes, Mr. Russo. I replied naturally. Luca paused, looking surprised.
08:48You've adapted quickly. He whispered, and moved his finger across the back of my hand
08:52on purpose. I didn't move, nor react. Our relationship wasn't a secret. For six years,
08:59he picked me up from work and took me everywhere. The inner circle had always known an unspoken
09:05truth among them. But he never officially announced us. Since we were never official, calling him
09:10Mr. Russo now actually made things look more professional to others. At night, Luca sent me
09:16a location. I took a taxi here. I opened the door to a suite. The floor was covered in rose
09:21petals.
09:22A silk nightgown was hanging on a rack. The air was thick with the scent of Gorlam. That's the brand
09:28Serena liked. Seen enough? His voice came from behind. Luca leaned against the doorframe,
09:33looking at me with a half smile. The engagement party is next week. You're coming to help.
09:42Help with what? I channeled the calmness I had spent the last few days cultivating.
09:46They hired the best planning team in Sicily for their engagement party. They didn't need an ex-girlfriend
09:51getting in the way. Hosting guests, and Serena feels you must witness our happiness.
09:58I let out a short laugh. That last part was the real reason. Fine. I will confirm the details
10:04with Mr. Russo tomorrow. If that's all, can I go? His future wife just left, so he wouldn't need me
10:11to stay. After all, a mistress was only used for one thing. He squinted at me. You aren't upset at
10:17all? Does Mr. Russo want me to be upset? He walked over and grabbed my chin. You've changed a lot
10:22lately.
10:23You've become a bit annoying. How does Mr. Russo want me to be? I can change. Years ago, he had
10:29been
10:29attracted to me because I was the closest person to him. Yet, I never asked for anything. Back then,
10:35he called it integrity. Now, he calls it annoying. It had never been me who changed. He stared at me
10:42for a long time and let go. Forget it. Go home. As I turned to leave, he suddenly hugged me
10:49from
10:49behind. He rested his chin on my shoulder, his voice muffled. Do you know why I won't let you
10:54leave? He meant the agreement. Because you are a good girl. You never make things difficult for me.
11:00You don't fight with me or ask where I've been. Not like her. She checks on me every day.
11:05He tightened his arms around me. Sometimes I think, if only you had a decent family background,
11:12I wouldn't have to marry someone else. I almost let out a laugh. In the end,
11:16he was blaming me for not having a high class background. But he forgot that he was the one
11:21who came after me first. Mr. Russo. I gently pulled Luca's hands away. What color should I wear to the
11:29engagement party? I need to prepare in advance. His hands froze in midair. I ignored him and
11:35turned to leave. After I walked out of the hotel, I realized my palms were bleeding from my own
11:40fingernails. The day of the engagement party. It's held in Villa Ikea Royal Hotel, the most
11:49luxurious place in Sicily. The guests were all powerful figures from the underworld. I had hidden
11:54my pregnancy report in his desk drawer. I had thought that when he found it, he would naturally propose
11:59to me. So, you are the Miyakata? I froze for a second, then nodded. Luca mentioned you. He said
12:05you've been with him for many years, and you're very capable. Thank you. Oh, by the way, we've chosen
12:09a new wedding house near the apartment. It won't be convenient for you to stay there anymore. You
12:13should look for a new place. Okay. I'll take care of it. Suddenly, Serena grabbed the champagne glass
12:19next to my hand and poured it over her white wedding dress. How could you throw wine on me?
12:25A loud slap hit my face. Everyone looked over. Luca walked up, frowning. What happened? Luca! I was
12:32just kindly telling her that you won't be living in the apartment anymore, and she threw wine at me.
12:38I didn't... Are you saying she poured it on herself just to hit you? No one would believe a bride
12:42would
12:43ruin her own dress at her own engagement party. Don't make this difficult for me. You know what day it
12:48is.
12:49Apologize or don't come to work tomorrow. He looked at me. Six years ago, he had picked me up from
12:54the rain.
12:54Six years later, he held the person who bullied me and demanded I apologize. I'm sorry. I shouldn't
13:00have poured the wine on you. It's just a misunderstanding. Please go back to the party.
13:07Yes, it was embarrassing. But the most embarrassing part was that the man I loved for six years found me
13:13guilty without even asking questions. I took out my phone and sent a message. Mom, I want to end this
13:18now. I walked out of the bathroom, having already schooled my face into a blank mask.
13:25Come to room 306 on the third floor. It was from Luca. Since I signed that agreement, he only wanted
13:32me for one thing. But today was his engagement party. He had just finished toasting every guest
13:39with his fiancé, and now he wanted me in a private room? What was I to him? Or did he
13:45find it more
13:46exciting because of the occasion? Another message popped up. It didn't matter anyway.
13:52After this night, everything would be over. The door to room 306 was ajar.
13:59Mr. Russo? I told you I wasn't available these few days.
14:02Suddenly, the door slammed shut. A man smelling of heavy alcohol appeared.
14:07I knew him. Tony Bianchi, also known as the king. He was the top thug for the Vitali family.
14:14A man with blood on his hands.
14:16Oh, you're here?
14:19He was grinning, bearing yellow-stained teeth.
14:23Russo said some woman messed up today. Sent her here for me to teach a lesson. Didn't expect you'd
14:27be this fiery? Tony lunged at me. I backed away, but knocked over the coffee table. He grabbed my wrist
14:33in a tight grip. Let go of me! Scream all you want. Tonight, you belong to me. He ripped open
14:41my collar
14:41in a brutal motion. Infuriated, Tony swung his arm and slapped me hard across the cheek. Tony swore
14:47coarsely and crawled over me, his hands squeezing my neck tightly. At this moment, the door was kicked
14:53open with a thunderous crash. The tip was right! They're caught in the act! Keep taking pictures!
14:58Mr. Rosso's ex-girlfriend can't stay lonely! Caught in bed at the engagement party!
15:02Trying desperately to hide myself with my torn clothes.
15:06I saw them clearly. In the hallway, Luca had Serena in his arms, turning away.
15:11Tears slid down the corners of my eyes and into my hair. Oh my god! What's that blood? There's so
15:16much blood!
15:17Call an ambulance! I looked down. Beneath my skirt, bright red blood was winding down my thighs.
15:22My vision started to blur. Again and again. Like the lights of judgment day.
15:29A black maybox slowly drove out of the Villa Igea Royal Hotel. Who did this? It's so shameless!
15:36If my father hadn't called us, I would have gone to that room to see for myself. Luca kept his
15:39eyes
15:40closed. His mind was filled with the image of me standing at the desk. He even started to find the
15:45woman beside him annoying. Don't get too interested in other people's business. Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
15:59He hung up. Who was that? Marco. He's making a fuss out of nothing. He said someone died at the
16:07hotel.
16:08Luca's phone vibrated again. He ignored it. Serena pulled his sleeve. You really not going back to check
16:14it out? There's nothing to see. Tori is still in the hall cleaning up. Do you think she'd do
16:19something crazy because I slapped her? Serena, why the sudden care? It's not that. She's your ex-girlfriend.
16:25If something happens to her because of me, the media will go crazy. I won't know what to tell your
16:28father.
16:29Then why did you insist on her coming today? I just wanted her to give up on you for good.
16:33Who knew
16:34she'd actually throw wine at me? Don't worry. She'll be fine. She had survived much harder days. Six years ago,
16:40she had been scammed by an ex, had been hounded by her father for money. She survived all of that.
16:45Today was just a slap. She might cry, but she'll be at work tomorrow. She needed this job, and she
16:50needed him. Luca rolled down the car window and lit a cigarette. Serena watched his face. Luca's phone
16:56vibrated again. Is this Mr. Luca Russo? Your partner is in critical condition. My partner is sitting right
17:01next to me. Are you trying to scam me? You've got a death wish. But in this lady's phone, you
17:06are saved as
17:07husband. Get lost. He hung up and blocked the number. His anger came out of nowhere. He lit
17:12another cigarette to calm down. Then, he sent a message to Tori. We had lived in that apartment
17:18for six years. It was in the heart of Palermo, right next to the theater. Every morning, you could
17:23see the sun rising over the sea. Serena wanted to renovate this place for the wedding, but he refused.
17:29The message had been sent, but with no reply. He didn't mind. Besides, she was humiliated today.
17:34She had the right to be upset. He stayed late in the Vitali family's house. It was already two in
17:40the morning when he arrived at the apartment. When he climbed the stairs, he was thinking,
17:44should he go easy on her when he sees her? After all, Serena's slap was out of line. He didn't
17:50help Tori, but he knew the truth. Tori always knew her place, but that was his engagement party. If he
17:56didn't support his future wife, the Vitali family would find him weak, and the alliance he had sacrificed so
18:01much for would crumble. Once he controlled the Adriatic weapon lines, he wouldn't be afraid of
18:06the Vitalis anymore. Then, no one could tell him who to marry. He opened the door. It seemed nothing
18:11had changed, but the apartment was empty. He found a black suitcase in the corner. He opened it, and her
18:17things were in it. It turned out she had already packed everything. She was just waiting for the
18:22final step. Luca felt a surge of anger, so she was planning to leave him without even saying goodbye.
18:28Tori, don't forget you signed that agreement. He stormed into the study, looking for the contract,
18:33only to find a hospital report. Before he could make out the contents of the report. Tori, I was just
18:40gonna... Boss? What are you doing here? What the hell are you doing here? Tori isn't answering her phone,
18:44so I thought I'd drop by her apartment. You're here looking for her too? She's not here. Why do you
18:49need her?
18:50Boss, you hung up on me several times. I know you're engaged now, and you don't want to hear about
18:52Tori. I'll leave right away.
18:53Stop right there. Spit it out. What happened to her? Tori had been by his side for six years. Marco
18:58always kept
18:58him updated on her. Never dared keep anything from him. After the engagement party ended, I called you
19:03a dozen times. You didn't pick up. Your calls were about a casualty at the hotel. What does that have
19:09to do with Tori? He stopped mid-sentence. Something clicked. Gosh, no way. Boss, the person involved in the
19:19incident in room 306 tonight was Tori. What the hell are you talking about? Remember Tony Biacci,
19:23the one who had been fighting you over the Adrianic arms line? He went into 306 too. When reporters
19:27rushed in after getting tipped off, she was already lying in a pool of blood. I kept calling you. You
19:31said call the police. By the time I got back, she'd already been taken to the hospital. I couldn't track
19:35her down anywhere. Do you think it's funny to make this up? You know what she means to me. How
19:40the hell
19:40would she end up with another man? Boss, it's true. Enough. She's just hiding from me for a few days.
19:44Stop making a fuss.
19:46He picked up the report and flipped it open casually. Early intrauterine pregnancy. Approximately
19:52six weeks. Fetal development normal. His heart skipped a beat. A strange feeling surged through
20:01him. He thought it was panic. She was carrying his child. That was before the contract. It didn't count
20:08as a violation. The priority now was finding her and setting her up. He called Tori, but her phone was
20:14off.
20:15He thought for a moment, then sent a message. The message had been sent, but there was no reply.
20:20Boss, we got something. One of my guys tracked down a private hospital. A doctor there said he
20:25took in a woman earlier tonight. Severe hemorrhage, pregnancy loss. The doctor said they tried the
20:28first emergency contact and her phone saved as husband. They got through, but he hung up.
20:31The number ended in 8867. Boss, did you get a call from any hospital today? He had.
20:36Not only did he answer, he cursed them out. The second contact they dialed was saved as mom.
20:41That call went through and she was picked up shortly after. Whose mom? No idea. The doctor
20:46said the woman claimed to be Tori's mother. Impossible. Her mother's been dead for years.
20:49Who the hell picked her up? I'll ask them myself. Go pull the hotel's security footage right now.
20:54I want to know exactly why those two ended up in 306 together.
20:59Tori would never humiliate herself like that. He knew that better than anyone.
21:02The woman who took Tori, what did she look like? Did she leave any information? You're...
21:06the patient's husband? When Tori was hemorrhaging, we called you, hung up. Then we called her mother.
21:10Within 10 minutes, three black SUVs pulled up outside. A whole team got out. Doctors,
21:14bodyguards, two men in chutes. Since when had Tori had connections like that?
21:17No one ordinary could do that.
21:21When he got back to the apartment, Luca was like a man who'd lost his soul. He sat through the
21:26night.
21:27He had just found out about the child, thinking he was going to be a father.
21:30Yet overnight, he lost them both.
21:33Boss, the footage from the third floor corridor. The hard drive just happened to crash.
21:39Crashed.
21:41You really expect me to believe that? Marco kept his head down.
21:45He dragged Tony Bianchi out of the party and threw him into the casino basement.
21:49Luca! We can talk this out!
21:52Tony curled up, screaming in agony.
21:56Who sent you to 306? You texted me! You told me to take care of her!
22:00Said not to hold back! The afternoon of the engagement party! Look, it's right here!
22:05He remembered. Serena had borrowed his phone at the party.
22:11Tori. What did she say?
22:14She didn't say much. She came in and called out Mr. Russo.
22:18Serena was the interruper. Tori is my only true fiancé.
22:22Vitaille family stormed out in rage. Before the conference even ended, his father called in.
22:27Without the Vitalis, we are finished!
22:31Luca didn't argue. This was the only thing he could do for Tori now. She had never been
22:35just a mistress. Within hours of the announcement, the internet was on fire.
22:40Said it was all a ploy for power. Then someone anonymous leaked screenshots of the mistress
22:45contract he'd forced Tori to sign. Before Luca could trace the leak, the Vitale family retaliated.
22:51They pulled funding. Territory was chipped away. Key members defected. His father and the family
22:57elders pushed Luca to move fast. Cut losses. Do something. He couldn't hear a word of it. They
23:03didn't know. The only reason he'd ever agreed to marry Serena was to use the Vitale arms line.
23:08He searched for Tori like a madman. But he vanished from the world. Not a single trace
23:13left for him to follow. He went to the nursing home. Found her useless father. Said there's
23:18someone she needs to go see. Clean and pure. It's her mom. Must be her mom. Didn't her mother die?
23:23I know is. I'll never see her again. Two months later, just as Luca hit a dead end,
23:28a notification popped up on his phone. Driven by instinct, he clicked it. The photo shows a man and
23:35woman. Luca stared at the familiar face. His pupils contracted sharply.
23:41It all made sense now. When she said she'd discussed with her mother about the marriage
23:46next month, this was what she meant. The Russos had looked down on her for her background and her
23:52gambler father. Her mother was the runaway daughter of the Moretti family. All those years when Vittoria
23:58was struggling in the mud, she wasn't without a way out. Her mother had paid the price for marrying
24:03beneath her once. She would never let her daughter walk the same path. Vittoria had waited six years.
24:09She never left. What had he done? What did he do? Why didn't you tell me? Luca booked a flight
24:15to Los
24:16Angeles. He waited in the Moretti group lobby for three days. She wouldn't see him. On the fourth day,
24:23a document was delivered to him. Moretti was moving to absorb the last piece of the Russo territory.
24:28He couldn't take it anymore. He stormed into the elevator and went straight to the top floor.
24:33Inside the CEO's office, Vittoria Moretti was signing papers.
24:39Vittoria.
24:40Security, someone broke in.
24:42Vittoria, do you really have to leave me no way out?
24:45The mistress agreement isn't the only leverage I have. I have 20 records of money laundering from
24:49your casinos. That's enough to keep the FBI busy. If you bother me again, I won't go easy on you.
24:56Sign it. Then you still have a way out. So, this was your plan from the start?
25:03So, this was your plan from the start? You let me humiliate you. You signed the contract. You stayed
25:07at the casino. Not because you couldn't let go of six years. You were there to get your hands on
25:11the
25:11core financial records to hand them to the Morettis on a silver platter?
25:13Vittoria didn't deny it. With a clean slate. That was her mother's only condition. Her mother had
25:20wanted Vittoria to destroy Luca Russo herself. By the way, that Tony Bianchi is my mother's man.
25:27She arranged for him to play a part to turn you and the Vitalis against each other. She just didn't
25:32expect that I was pregnant. The news was contained. No one knows. If you want to make this public,
25:38I don't mind releasing the footage from 306, along with the message you sent to Tony.
25:43You didn't tell your mother about the pregnancy, did you? Because you knew she'd make you get rid
25:47of it. So the trap they set, they didn't tell you and that's why you lost the baby, right?
25:51Vittoria's fingers curled slightly. You still cared. Even though you hate me,
25:56you could have used the baby to blackrail me, but you didn't. You wanted that child, didn't you?
26:01You came all the way to Los Angeles just to tell me this?
26:05No. I came to tell you I had reasons for what I did. I thought marrying Serena would give me
26:09the
26:09power to marry you eventually. I was just taking a short- You never once asked if I was willing
26:13to
26:13wait. You only thought about how to maximize your gains at the minimum cost, including you coming
26:18here. It's not because you love me. It's because you can't stand being outplained by a woman you
26:22looked down in. She stood up and walked past him toward the door. Luca Russo, you once thought I
26:27wasn't good enough for you. Now, it's my turn to look down on you. The acquisition went faster than
26:33expected. The casino, the docks, the money laundering channels. All changed hands. Old Russo had a heart
26:39attack and was hospitalized. The board demanded that Luca give up what was left. Mr. Russo,
26:45if you ever need anything, give me a call. Give her back to me. She was never yours. How can
26:52I give her
26:52back? Luca stood there, as if all his strength had been drained from him. Dante was right. He had never
27:00truly had her, and because of her, he had lost everything. Six months later. Winter came to Sicily
27:09again. Luca sat inside a cheap apartment in Palermo. The sky outside veiled in dull gray.
27:15The old Russo died in the hospital. His last words were a curse. Black sheep. Luca didn't argue. For six
27:23months, he'd tried everything. Sent messages through intermediaries. Wrote letters. Even stood outside
27:30the Moretti's territory for an entire night. All he got was being chased away by bodyguards.
27:35And a warning from Dante Moretti. He knew he needed to let go. But every time he closed his eyes,
27:42that pregnancy test report kept haunting his mind. If that night hadn't happened, his phone rang.
27:48An unknown number. Luca Russos. I'm her mother. I'm not calling for her sake. She doesn't know about
27:56this call, and I don't want her to. Then why? There's something you should know.
28:02The baby survived. She knows. She's always known. I wanted to keep it from her, but the first thing she
28:09asked when she woke up was whether the baby was still there. I couldn't lie to her. So she kept
28:14that
28:14child and married Dante. My adopted son is an excellent man. He's loved Tori for years. They're
28:18very happy now. I'm not telling you this because you're worthy of knowing. It's because she wants
28:22me to pass you a word. What does she want to tell me? She said, the child carries the Moretti
28:25name,
28:26not Russo. But her eyes are like yours. That's the only part of her you'll ever have,
28:29but don't ever think of getting close to her. Why are you telling me this? You should know what you
28:32lost. That's the only way this pain will last. The call ended. The light from his phone screen
28:38illuminated his tear-streaked face. This was his punishment. Three years later, Los Angeles,
28:46Sunny, in the gardens of the Moretti estate, a little girl with pigtails chased butterflies
28:50across the lawn. She looked pretty, round cheeks, gray eyes. Nana! Nana, look! A butterfly!
28:58All right, sweetheart. Go find your mama. The little girl hopped back toward the house.
29:03What's up, my little butterfly? Then to the beach we go.
29:09Dante stepped out of the study, a file still in his hand. When he saw this scene, he smiled lightly.
29:15Sunlight fell on her, and her white skirt fluttered in the wind. She looked relaxed,
29:20and totally at ease, smiling as if nothing had ever hurt her. Same day, Palermo, a city street. Luca
29:27stood at the entrance of an Italian restaurant. A cigarette clamped between his fingers. He'd lost
29:32a lot of weight, with heavy dark circles under his eyes. Dressed in a plain jacket, he looked ordinary.
29:37The Russo family was history. Now he was just a nobody, making a living as an accountant. In his
29:43phone was a photo, one he'd spent all his savings to buy from a paparazzo. It's a photo of a
29:48little
29:48girl running across a lawn, a small dimple at the corner of her mouth when she smiled. He looked at
29:54it
29:54every day, and every time, he smiled first, then cried. If there had never been that mistress
30:00agreement. If he hadn't been so greedy and cowardly, if only when she'd said,
30:05if I said I planned to, he'd let her finish. Perhaps the story wouldn't have ended this way.
30:11But there are no what-ifs in this world, only consequences. You live what you choose. He chose
30:18betrayal, so he suffered loss. And she chose to endure pain, so she finally found freedom. The only
30:25regret left was the little girl with grey eyes. She would never know that on a street somewhere
30:30in New York, there was a man who cried over her photo every day. Nor would she ever know that
30:35her existence was the only pure thing between two people who owed each other far too much.
30:41Laugh..
30:42Laugh
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