A powerful full drama movie filled with love, secrets, and unexpected twists.
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New full drama movies uploaded regularly. Stay tuned for more captivating and trending stories.
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Follow a powerful story where relationships are tested, hidden truths are revealed, and lives change forever. From romantic moments to shocking surprises, this drama keeps you engaged from beginning to end.
Featuring stories about CEO, billionaire lifestyles, family connections, and life-changing decisions, this movie delivers strong emotions and unforgettable scenes.
Watch the full movie and discover what happens in the end.
New full drama movies uploaded regularly. Stay tuned for more captivating and trending stories.
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Estilo de vidaTranscripción
00:00:00En mi casamiento, mi fiancé me abandó en el altar y caminó hacia mi hermana, Hazel.
00:00:06Dios, no seas ridículo.
00:00:08¿Cómo podrías comparar a tu hermana?
00:00:10I'd rather fuck a whore than sleep with you.
00:00:15Hey, Ivy, go beg Hazel.
00:00:17She'd probably lend you a man for the casamiento.
00:00:23Honestly, Ivy nunca ha medido con Hazel.
00:00:29Hazel put on a helpless look.
00:00:31Sorry, Ivy, I was just trying to help you test your fiancé's loyalty.
00:00:36Looks like I've messed up your wedding again.
00:00:48The wedding continues.
00:00:50The groom is now me.
00:00:52Then I became the wife of the most feared Mafia dune.
00:00:57Alex made no attempt to hide his disgust towards Hazel.
00:01:00Shameless slut.
00:01:01Know your place.
00:01:02If you need a man that badly, go spread your legs on the street for any tramp to fuck you.
00:01:07For three years,
00:01:10he spoiled me into the happiest woman in the world.
00:01:13One day, I came home early from a business trip
00:01:16and wanted to surprise him.
00:01:18Don Vitale.
00:01:19The Donna's sister is pregnant with your child.
00:01:21What if she finds out?
00:01:23Hazel and I, it was just a mistake.
00:01:26Ivy must never know.
00:01:28Keep it from her.
00:01:29I'll make it up to her later.
00:01:30I was stunned by the revelation.
00:01:32Instead of confronting Alessio,
00:01:34I turned away and quietly returned to our bedroom.
00:01:37He had promised me honesty when he married me.
00:01:39Yet, now he lied.
00:01:44So I would leave him.
00:01:45And I would never look back.
00:02:01Ivy?
00:02:02I thought you weren't back from your business trip until Friday.
00:02:05I forced a smile.
00:02:07I wrapped things up early.
00:02:09Wanted to surprise you.
00:02:10He crossed the room in three long strides, cupping my face with both hands.
00:02:14The warmth of his palms used to be my favorite thing in the world.
00:02:18Now it made my skin crawl.
00:02:21You're finally back.
00:02:23I miss you so much.
00:02:24His affectionate words made me wonder.
00:02:26If the conversation I overheard was nothing but my imagination.
00:02:30Before I could crumble, I grabbed the stack of papers from the console and held them out.
00:02:36While you're here, could you sign these?
00:02:39Just some household bills.
00:02:41I want to get them out of the way.
00:02:43Sure.
00:02:44He took the bundle without a shred of suspicion,
00:02:46pulled a pen from his jacket, and began signing on the flagged lines.
00:02:50One after the other, his signature flowed elegant, camarily unsuspecting.
00:02:54I watched the pen glide across the divorce papers hidden near the bottom.
00:02:58He didn't even look at the headers.
00:02:59He trusted me that much.
00:03:01Or perhaps he simply never imagined I would do something like this.
00:03:05He finished and handed the papers back with a small smile.
00:03:09Done.
00:03:09Anything else?
00:03:10Or can I finally kiss my wife hello?
00:03:13Before I could respond, he pulled me into his chest.
00:03:15His lips descended toward mine, and I panicked.
00:03:17I turned my face away at the last moment,
00:03:19so his kiss landed awkwardly on the corner of my mouth.
00:03:23Alexio pulled back, confusion darkening his gaze.
00:03:26What's the matter?
00:03:30I ducked my head, letting my hair curtain my expression.
00:03:34Nothing.
00:03:35I'm just wiped out from the trip.
00:03:39Traveling always exhausts me.
00:03:41His brow smoothed with immediate concern.
00:03:43Then why didn't you say so?
00:03:46Sit down.
00:03:50He guided me to the sofa.
00:03:52His thumbs worked slow circles into the base of my neck,
00:03:56then drifted up to massage my temples.
00:04:00You push yourself too hard, sweetheart.
00:04:03I've told you a hundred times,
00:04:04if the job is making you miserable, just quit.
00:04:07I'll take care of you.
00:04:09In the past, words like those would have melted me into a puddle of gratitude.
00:04:14I would have turned around and kissed him.
00:04:16But now every syllable crushed my chest.
00:04:19Maybe you're right.
00:04:20I'll think about it.
00:04:21He pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
00:04:24Good girl.
00:04:26Now let me grab a quick shower.
00:04:28Don't move.
00:04:29I'll be right back.
00:04:33The moment the bathroom door clicked shut and the water started running,
00:04:37I let my mask slip.
00:04:39I sagged against the cushions,
00:04:41my eyes burning but stubbornly dry.
00:04:44A sharp buzz cut through the room.
00:04:47His phone, resting on the nightstand,
00:04:49lit up with an incoming call.
00:04:50I walked over, thinking I'd hand it to him in case it was urgent.
00:04:54Then I saw the name blazing on the screen.
00:04:57Hazel.
00:04:57My stomach plummeted.
00:05:00The phone vibrated twice more before going silent.
00:05:03I stood frozen, the device heavy in my hand.
00:05:06Just as I was about to place it back,
00:05:08a new notification flashed across the lock screen.
00:05:11My fingers moved before my brain gave permission.
00:05:14I typed in my own birthday.
00:05:17The phone unlocked instantly.
00:05:19I navigated to Hazel's thread.
00:05:25The most recent message contained a single image.
00:05:29A sonogram.
00:05:31I opened it.
00:05:32There, in grainy black and white,
00:05:34was the tiny, curled silhouette of a baby.
00:05:36I could already make out the curve of a head.
00:05:39That was my sister's child.
00:05:41And my husband was the father.
00:05:44I pressed my fist against my mouth to keep any sound from escaping.
00:05:48For 18 months, I had been trying to conceive with Alessio.
00:05:52But nothing happened.
00:05:54His relatives grew more vocal about the need for an heir.
00:05:58Yet Alessio had always stood in front of me like a shield.
00:06:01He'd say, kissing my forehead.
00:06:03We have time.
00:06:06I don't need a baby.
00:06:09I just need you.
00:06:11We'll have our own little world, just the two of us.
00:06:18But it was Hazel who had given him what I couldn't.
00:06:20My own sister.
00:06:22The one our parents favored while I faded into the wallpaper.
00:06:24She had always gotten everything I wanted.
00:06:27And now she had this, too.
00:06:28I closed the image and locked the phone.
00:06:30Then I arranged myself on the bed,
00:06:32propped against the pillows,
00:06:33scrolling idly through my own phone as though nothing had happened.
00:06:37Alexio emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later.
00:06:39A towel slung low on his hips,
00:06:41droplets still glistening across the hard planes of his chest.
00:06:43He glanced at his phone and I saw it.
00:06:45The brief flicker of tension in his jaw.
00:06:47The way his eyes cut to me and then away.
00:06:50Everything okay?
00:06:51He tucked the phone face down on the nightstand.
00:06:54Just business.
00:06:55Some gang from the south is trying to muscle in on one of our warehouses.
00:06:59I'll deal with it tomorrow.
00:07:00I felt my heart sink.
00:07:01He was lying again.
00:07:05He slid into bed beside me,
00:07:07his body curving around mine.
00:07:08I forced myself to relax,
00:07:10to play the part of the oblivious wife for just a few more days.
00:07:13The next morning,
00:07:15Alesio mentioned my family gathering
00:07:16while he was nodding his tie in front of the mirror.
00:07:20Day after tomorrow at your parents' estate.
00:07:23You don't have to come, Ivy.
00:07:25I know how much you dread those things.
00:07:30Why would you say that?
00:07:32Because your parents barely look at you when Hazel's in the room.
00:07:34I hate watching you go through that.
00:07:37Every word was true.
00:07:38And once I would have been so grateful for his protectiveness.
00:07:41Now I saw the real reason behind it.
00:07:43He didn't want me there because Hazel would be there.
00:07:46Her belly just beginning to show beneath her designer dress.
00:07:49I suppressed my bitterness.
00:07:51I'm going.
00:07:54It's a family occasion.
00:07:56Everyone will be there.
00:07:57It would look strange if I didn't show up.
00:07:59Something flickered behind his eyes.
00:08:01Guilt, maybe, or unease.
00:08:03But he smoothed it over quickly.
00:08:06All right, if that's what you want.
00:08:09I would go to that gathering and look at my parents, who had always showered Hazel with
00:08:13affection while I stood in the corner.
00:08:15I would see my sister, who had taken everything from me.
00:08:18It doesn't matter anymore.
00:08:20In five days, none of this will have anything to do with me.
00:08:28On Saturday, we went to my parents' estate to attend the family gathering.
00:08:33The moment we stepped into the dining room, I saw my mother descended on Hazel.
00:08:39She cupped Hazel's face and kissed both cheeks while my father hovered nearby, beaming.
00:08:45There she is, my brilliant girl.
00:08:48I stood in the doorway, Alexio's hand on the small of my back, and waited for someone to
00:08:54notice I had arrived.
00:08:55But my parents never paid any attention to me.
00:09:00Alexio then cleared his throat.
00:09:01Alexio, Ivy?
00:09:04My father finally greeted us, his tone casual.
00:09:08You're here.
00:09:11When it was dinner time, everyone took a seat at the table.
00:09:15The dishes were a parade of Hazel's favorites.
00:09:18Truffle risotto, seared scallops, a delicate asparagus tart, and a chocolate souffle.
00:09:24I scanned the spread, searching for a single dish I loved, and found nothing.
00:09:31Mother soon launched into conversation before the appetizers were even cleared.
00:09:36We've been absolutely bursting to tell you.
00:09:39Hazel's jewelry collection won the Galleria Prize.
00:09:42Can you believe it?
00:09:43We're so proud of her.
00:09:49Mom, you're embarrassing me.
00:09:52Nonsense.
00:09:53This is a monumental achievement.
00:09:57My father lifted his glass toward Hazel, his eyes glistening with something I had spent
00:10:02my entire life failing to earn.
00:10:04To our daughter, the award-winning designer.
00:10:08My mother then turned her attention to me.
00:10:11And what about you, Ivy?
00:10:14Still tinkering with that little studio of yours?
00:10:17It's not a little studio.
00:10:19It's my business.
00:10:21A business that hasn't turned a profit in two years.
00:10:25She waved a dismissive hand.
00:10:27Hazel has real clients.
00:10:29Real awards.
00:10:32Maybe you should ask your sister for some advice.
00:10:35Before I could respond, Alessio set his fork down with a quiet, deliberate clink.
00:10:41Ivy's work has an originality that the market hasn't caught up to yet.
00:10:44Her designs have vision.
00:10:46That kind of talent doesn't go unnoticed forever.
00:10:50My father made a skeptical noise and pulled out his phone.
00:10:54Speaking of vision, have you seen Hazel's piece that won?
00:10:58Let me show you.
00:11:00He swiped through his photos and thrust the screen toward Alessio.
00:11:04Look at this.
00:11:06Brilliant, isn't it?
00:11:08I glanced over.
00:11:10And my heart skipped a beat.
00:11:16On the screen was a pair of rings.
00:11:19I had sketched the design three months ago, hoping to gift the ring to Alessio.
00:11:24My fingers went numb, had never left my studio.
00:11:28I had never showed that design to anyone.
00:11:31It's exquisite.
00:11:33Alexo said, and I flinched as though he had struck me.
00:11:39Congratulations, Hazel.
00:11:40Thank you, Alessio.
00:11:42I opened my mouth.
00:11:44The words were forming.
00:11:46That's my design.
00:11:48How did you get it?
00:11:50The next second, Hazel rose from her chair, a glass of sparkling water in her hand.
00:11:56She tapped a spoon against the crystal with a delicate chime, and every head turned.
00:12:01I have some news.
00:12:04Her cheeks flushed.
00:12:05Wonderful news.
00:12:07My mother clasped her hands.
00:12:10Oh, tell us, darling.
00:12:12Hazel's eyes found mine.
00:12:14A slow, deliberate lock of gazes.
00:12:17Then her lips curved.
00:12:19I'm pregnant.
00:12:26The room erupted.
00:12:28My mother gasped and leeched from her chair.
00:12:31To envelop Hazel in a trembling embrace.
00:12:34My father laughed.
00:12:36Who's the father?
00:12:38Do we know him?
00:12:40Hazel placed a protective hand over her stomach.
00:12:43The father's identity is...
00:12:46complicated.
00:12:48I'll be raising this baby on my own.
00:12:50When she said those words, her eyes never left mine.
00:12:54My mother's expression wavered for only a second.
00:12:57Before she rallied.
00:12:59Well, if that's what you want,
00:13:01we'll support you completely.
00:13:03This baby will be so loved.
00:13:06I didn't hear the rest.
00:13:08A roaring had started in my ears,
00:13:10drowning out every congratulation and exclamation.
00:13:13My fingers loosened.
00:13:15The wine glass slipped through them.
00:13:17It hit the edge of my plate and shattered.
00:13:20Shards scattered across the white tablecloth.
00:13:23Every face turned toward me.
00:13:27Ivy!
00:13:28My mother's voice was sharp with irritation.
00:13:31Can't you be more careful?
00:13:33You're killing the mood.
00:13:37I reached out and gathered the shards into my palm.
00:13:42A sharp tyrol sliced through my fog.
00:13:45I looked down and saw a thin line of red welling across my index finger.
00:13:49The blood beaded and dripped onto the white shards.
00:13:54Ivy, stop!
00:13:56Alexia was at my side in an instant, his hands closing over my wrist.
00:14:01Let go.
00:14:02Let the nade handle it.
00:14:04You're bleeding.
00:14:07He pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket
00:14:10and pressed it firmly against my palm.
00:14:13You never pick up broken glass.
00:14:15Never.
00:14:16Do you understand me?
00:14:18A maid soon appeared with a dustpan and a damp cloth.
00:14:22The broken glass vanished.
00:14:24Excuse me.
00:14:25I need to use the bathroom.
00:14:27The guest bathroom was quiet.
00:14:30I ran my uninjured hand under cold water.
00:14:34When I stepped out, Hazel was waiting for me.
00:14:37She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.
00:14:40The picture of casual victory.
00:14:43Congratulations.
00:14:44You must be thrilled.
00:14:47I am.
00:14:49She tilted her head,
00:14:51studying me with the same expression she had worn when we were children,
00:14:54and she had stolen my favorite doll.
00:14:56You look pale, Ivy.
00:14:58Are you feeling unwell?
00:15:00The rings.
00:15:01That was my design.
00:15:04How did you get it?
00:15:09Hazel smiled.
00:15:10I don't know what you're talking about.
00:15:12That was my own design.
00:15:14A very special person in my life gave me the inspiration.
00:15:18Every line of that piece belongs to him.
00:15:21She was telling me that Alessio had handed her my design,
00:15:25the thing I had poured my soul into,
00:15:28and she had worn it into the world as her own triumph.
00:15:31I was heartbroken.
00:15:33Hazel had taken our parents' affection before I was old enough to speak.
00:15:38Every boyfriend I had brought home in high school,
00:15:41I had ended up calling her number within a month.
00:15:45And now,
00:15:47now she had taken the design I had never showed anyone,
00:15:50and the man I had married.
00:15:53She had taken everything from me.
00:15:56You've always wanted everything I had.
00:15:59Haven't you ever had enough?
00:16:01Hazel pushed off the wall and walked past me.
00:16:04No.
00:16:06I never have.
00:16:07Then she was gone.
00:16:10I stood in the hallway,
00:16:12my hand throbbing under Alessio's handkerchief,
00:16:15and felt the last ember of hope inside me die.
00:16:20I didn't return to the table.
00:16:23I found the front door and stepped outside into the cool night air.
00:16:27A few minutes later,
00:16:29Alessio emerged.
00:16:31I told them you weren't feeling well.
00:16:36Let's go home.
00:16:38We drove in silence for a long stretch.
00:16:41I pressed my forehead to the cold glass.
00:16:44Alexio's voice broke the quiet.
00:16:46Ivy,
00:16:47I know that was hard.
00:16:49I know your parents were the way they always are.
00:16:51And Hazel's announcement,
00:16:53I'm sorry you had to sit through all of that.
00:16:56I watched his profile,
00:16:57the strong line of his jaw.
00:17:00He sounded so sincere,
00:17:02yet he had actually betrayed me.
00:17:05I'm fine.
00:17:06I lied.
00:17:07It's just a lot.
00:17:09He was silent for a moment.
00:17:12Then he reached over and held my hand.
00:17:15I have an idea.
00:17:17Let's get away.
00:17:19Just the two of us.
00:17:22Get away where?
00:17:24I have a little island.
00:17:26The one my grandfather left me.
00:17:28There's this house by the shore.
00:17:31And the sunrise there.
00:17:33It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
00:17:36He squeezed my hand.
00:17:38We can watch the sun come up.
00:17:40And forget about everyone else for a while.
00:17:43What do you say?
00:17:44I wanted to refuse.
00:17:46But there was a part of me,
00:17:48the foolish, stubborn part,
00:17:50that wanted one more sunrise with him.
00:17:53Okay.
00:17:55Let's go watch the sunrise.
00:17:56Just one more sunrise.
00:17:58Then I would disappear from his world for good.
00:18:04The next day.
00:18:06I began packing my things for our trip to the island.
00:18:09I folded sundresses into my bag,
00:18:12tucked my passport into the side pocket next to the signed divorce papers,
00:18:16and pretended I was just a wife heading off on a romantic getaway with her devoted husband.
00:18:21By late afternoon, we were cutting across the water on his yacht,
00:18:24the coastline shrinking behind us.
00:18:29Alexio stood at the helm,
00:18:31one hand on the wheel,
00:18:32the wind tunsling his dark hair.
00:18:35Every so often he would glance back at me,
00:18:38with that half smile of his.
00:18:40This is the beginning of our escape.
00:18:42Just the two of us.
00:18:43No business.
00:18:45No family.
00:18:46No distractions.
00:18:48I nodded,
00:18:50pretending I was really happy.
00:18:52The island soon emerged on the horizon.
00:18:55As the yacht glided toward the dock,
00:18:58I spotted something flickering on the beach.
00:19:02Dozens of tiny flames,
00:19:03arranged in a semicircle around a table set for two.
00:19:09Alexio killed the engine,
00:19:10and helped me onto the dock,
00:19:12his hand warm and steady in mine.
00:19:16Surprise.
00:19:20He murmured,
00:19:22and led me down to the sand.
00:19:24The table was draped in white linen.
00:19:27Every dish was my favorite.
00:19:31He pulled out my chair,
00:19:33his eyes reflecting the candlelight.
00:19:35I know things have been difficult.
00:19:39Your parents,
00:19:40the family pressures,
00:19:42all of it.
00:19:43But I want you to know something,
00:19:46Ivy.
00:19:47Even if your family doesn't see your worth,
00:19:50I do.
00:19:51I will always stand by you.
00:19:54I looked at him.
00:19:56His jaw was strong,
00:19:58his eyes earnest,
00:19:59his mouth shaped into the gentlest curver of sincerity.
00:20:03Every word he spoke felt like a vow,
00:20:06but every word was actually a lie.
00:20:09Thank you.
00:20:11That means everything to me.
00:20:14He smiled,
00:20:17visibly relieved,
00:20:18and raised his glass.
00:20:21To us.
00:20:23To our second honeymoon.
00:20:25To us.
00:20:29He had just set his glass down,
00:20:31and was reaching for the wine bottle to pour me another.
00:20:35When his phone buzzed against the tablecloth,
00:20:38the sound was sharp and intrusive.
00:20:40Alexio glanced at the screen,
00:20:42and silenced it with a flick of his thumb.
00:20:46The phone buzzed again.
00:20:47He silenced it again,
00:20:49his jaw tightening almost imperceptibly.
00:20:54I swear.
00:20:56I told them.
00:20:58It buzzed a third time,
00:20:59consistent,
00:21:00the kind of call that would not be ignored.
00:21:03I watched the flicker of indecision cross his features.
00:21:10You should get that.
00:21:11It might be your underboss.
00:21:14Something could be wrong.
00:21:16I already knew who was calling.
00:21:18He told his men to leave him alone.
00:21:21So there was only one person it could be.
00:21:25Hazel.
00:21:26Alexio shook his head.
00:21:28I made you a promise.
00:21:30Today is about us.
00:21:32No business.
00:21:34The buzzing suddenly stopped.
00:21:37Then his screen lit up with a notification.
00:21:41He picked up the phone,
00:21:43read the message,
00:21:44and furrowed his brows.
00:21:46What is it?
00:21:48I asked on purpose.
00:21:50He was already rising from his chair.
00:21:52There's a situation.
00:21:54One of our operations.
00:21:56It's bad.
00:21:58Ivy.
00:21:59I need to go handle it in person.
00:22:02He rounded the table and cuffed my face in both hands,
00:22:06his thumbs brushing my cheekbones.
00:22:08I'll be back before sunrise.
00:22:11I swear it.
00:22:13We'll watch the dawn together.
00:22:15I looked up into his eyes.
00:22:18You're sure you can't stay?
00:22:21Even just for dinner?
00:22:22Something flickered in his expression.
00:22:25Guilt, maybe.
00:22:27Or regret.
00:22:29I'll make it up to you.
00:22:31I promise.
00:22:33He kissed me.
00:22:35And then he was striding up the beach toward the dock.
00:22:41The yacht's engine rumbered to life.
00:22:44I watched the boat shrink until it was a speck.
00:22:47Then nothing at all.
00:22:50I turned back to the table.
00:22:53The candles were still burning.
00:22:56Everything was exactly as it had been.
00:22:59Except I was utterly alone.
00:23:02I didn't eat.
00:23:04I carried my wine glass down to the water's edge
00:23:07and sat in the cool sand.
00:23:09I hugged my knees to my chest
00:23:11and let the wind whip my hair across my face.
00:23:15Midnight came and went.
00:23:17The candles on the table guttered and died one by one.
00:23:21Still, the horizon remained empty.
00:23:24I pulled out my phone and opened Instagram.
00:23:28Hazel's most recent post was 45 minutes old.
00:23:31It was a picture of a man's hand
00:23:33resting tenderly on a woman's belly.
00:23:36On the cuff was a pair of silver cufflinks
00:23:38engraved with an intricate, interlocking pattern of vines.
00:23:42I had designed those cufflinks myself.
00:23:45Two years ago, for Alessio's birthday,
00:23:48I had wanted him to carry something of me wherever he went.
00:23:51I stared at the screen until the letters blurred.
00:23:55My heart hurt a lot.
00:23:57When I confirmed that my husband was really staying with my sister,
00:24:01my thumb hovered over Alessio's contact.
00:24:05I called him.
00:24:06The first time,
00:24:08it rang and rang and then went to voicemail.
00:24:11I hung up and called again.
00:24:14Same result.
00:24:16The third time,
00:24:19someone picked up just as I was about to give up.
00:24:24Hello, Ivy.
00:24:26Hazel's voice was sweet.
00:24:28She sounded quite pleased.
00:24:30Put Alessio on.
00:24:32He's a little occupied at the moment.
00:24:34Our baby was giving me trouble.
00:24:37He's been so attentive.
00:24:39You'd be amazed at how quickly he dropped everything to come to us.
00:24:43A pause,
00:24:45filled with the soft rustle of what I imagined
00:24:47was her settling more comfortably into her pillows.
00:24:50You know, Ivy,
00:24:51I've always told you,
00:24:53there isn't a man in this world I can't have
00:24:56if I want him.
00:24:59Alessio is no exception.
00:25:00And now that I'm carrying his child,
00:25:03she let the sentence trail off,
00:25:05pregnant with implication.
00:25:07Here's some advice.
00:25:08Be sensible.
00:25:09File the papers.
00:25:11Walk away with whatever shred of dignity you have left.
00:25:14You've lost.
00:25:16Ivy.
00:25:17You want Alessio?
00:25:18No, fine.
00:25:20He's yours.
00:25:22Hazel had expected tears.
00:25:24Or maybe a satisfying outburst.
00:25:27Wait, Ivy?
00:25:30I ignored her and continued.
00:25:33My entire life,
00:25:35I've let you take what you wanted and stepped aside.
00:25:38My parents' affection,
00:25:40my boyfriends,
00:25:41my husband.
00:25:43You've helped yourself to all of it.
00:25:45And I've let you.
00:25:48Because some part of me still believe that if I was good enough,
00:25:52I'd eventually have something to call my own.
00:25:56Ivy.
00:25:57But I'm done being patient.
00:25:59I'm not going to let you walk all over me without paying the price again.
00:26:04What is that supposed to mean?
00:26:07Hazel's voice sharpened,
00:26:09losing its honeyed edge.
00:26:11Instead of replying,
00:26:13I hung up.
00:26:15I didn't sleep and just watch the sky.
00:26:18I was still alone.
00:26:20Alexia was nowhere to be seen.
00:26:27¡Suscríbete al canal!
00:27:20¡Suscríbete al canal!
00:27:29¡Suscríbete al canal!
00:27:52Inside were the divorce papers, signed and dated.
00:27:56Clipped to the top page was a small velvet pouch.
00:27:59He loosened the drawstring and tipped the contents into his palm.
00:28:03A ring slipped out.
00:28:05The very emblem of the Donna.
00:28:07Alessio stood rooted to the spot and stared at the signatures at the bottom of the divorce papers.
00:28:13His name, scrolled in his own unmistakable hand, sat right next to hers.
00:28:19Ivy Morris.
00:28:20Her letters were neat and deliberate.
00:28:23Each stroke carrying a finality that made his chest contract.
00:28:27His signature.
00:28:57He had signed the divorce papers himself.
00:28:59She had stood right in front of him, looked him in the eye, and handed him the document that would
00:29:05end their marriage.
00:29:06And he had signed it without hesitation.
00:29:09Because he trusted her.
00:29:12Because the thought of her deceiving him was so foreign it had never crossed his mind.
00:29:16Boss.
00:29:24I came by around 7 this morning to bring your wife her breakfast, like you asked.
00:29:29The villa was empty.
00:29:31Bed wasn't slept in.
00:29:33These were on the nightstand.
00:29:35She just... left.
00:29:38Alexio's fingers tightened around the papers, crunching the edges.
00:29:42Ivy had planned this.
00:29:44She had orchestrated her escape.
00:29:47Please get us back to the mainland.
00:29:50Now!
00:29:53The moment the yacht docked,
00:29:55Alessio was off the boat and into his car.
00:29:58He drove like a man possessed.
00:30:01Weaving through traffic.
00:30:03Running lights he would normally have observed.
00:30:06The city blurred past his window.
00:30:08All noise and motion.
00:30:10And he registered none of it.
00:30:14He burst through the front door.
00:30:16And the silence hit him like a wall.
00:30:19The house felt different.
00:30:21Emptier.
00:30:23Colder.
00:30:24Ivy.
00:30:25He strode through the foyer into the living room.
00:30:28Empty.
00:30:30The kitchen.
00:30:32Empty.
00:30:33He took the stairs two at a time.
00:30:36And threw open the bedroom door.
00:30:38She was not there either.
00:30:42Found the housekeeper in the hallway.
00:30:45My wife.
00:30:45When did she get home?
00:30:49Don Vitale.
00:30:51Your wife didn't come home at all.
00:30:54I've been here since seven this morning.
00:30:58She never walked through the door.
00:31:00Alexio pulled out his phone and called Ivy's number.
00:31:02The line didn't even ring.
00:31:04A robotic voice informed him that the number was no longer in service.
00:31:07He tried again.
00:31:08Same result.
00:31:09He hurled the phone against the wall and it shattered into a spray of glass and metal.
00:31:13The pieces skittering across the hardwood floor.
00:31:15She was gone.
00:31:16His wife was gone.
00:31:17And he had no idea where to look.
00:31:19Why would she do this?
00:31:20It couldn't be about the sunrise.
00:31:22Ivy wasn't petty.
00:31:23She wouldn't dissolve a marriage because he'd missed a sunrise.
00:31:27There had to be something else.
00:31:28Something bigger.
00:31:30Something that had been eating at her long before last night.
00:31:32And then the obvious answer.
00:31:34The one he had been dodging.
00:31:35Slammed into him with sickening clarity.
00:31:38Hazel.
00:31:39The baby.
00:31:40Ivy knew.
00:31:41There was no other explanation for the divorce papers.
00:31:44The careful, quiet vanishing act.
00:31:46Alessia was in his car again before he could think.
00:31:49Driving across town to the apartment building where Hazel lived.
00:31:52He didn't knock.
00:31:53He used the key Hazel had given him months ago and let himself in.
00:31:57Hazel was lounging on her sofa in a silk robe.
00:32:00A cup of coffee steaming on the coffee table.
00:32:03She looked up with a smile that faded the instant she saw his face.
00:32:08Alexio?
00:32:09What's wrong?
00:32:10You look terrible.
00:32:14Did you tell her?
00:32:15He crossed the room and stood over her.
00:32:17His shadow falling across her like a shroud.
00:32:20Did you tell Ivy about the baby?
00:32:23About us?
00:32:24Hazel set down her coffee.
00:32:25Of course not.
00:32:26You asked me not to.
00:32:27And I've kept my word.
00:32:28Why would I tell her?
00:32:30But she knows.
00:32:31Ivy signed the divorce papers.
00:32:34She left her ring.
00:32:35She's just...
00:32:37Gone.
00:32:37For a fraction of a second, something flickered in Hazel's eyes.
00:32:41Alessia was about to press her further.
00:32:45When hurried footsteps sounded in the hallway, and Marco appeared in the doorway, his face ashen.
00:32:53Boss.
00:32:56You need to see this.
00:32:58Alexio snatched the phone Marco was holding out.
00:33:00The screen was open to Twitter, to Ivy's profile, to a video she had posted less than an hour ago.
00:33:06His thumb hovered over the play button for a heartbeat.
00:33:09And then he pressed it.
00:33:13The video opened on Ivy's hand.
00:33:16Her beautiful, graceful hand sketched with a colored pencil across cream paper.
00:33:21The camera was positioned above her drafting table, capturing every stroke as she brought a design to life.
00:33:27Two rings, interlocking.
00:33:29He watched her redrawing until the geometry was perfect.
00:33:32He watched her hold the finished rings up to the camera, turning them so the light caught the gem.
00:33:38Then the video cut to Ivy facing the camera directly.
00:33:41Her eyes sparkled with a joy that made his throat tighten.
00:33:44These rings are specially made for someone.
00:33:46Her voice bright with affection.
00:33:48One for me, and one for my husband.
00:33:52I designed them to represent what we have.
00:33:54She pressed the rings to her heart and grinned.
00:33:57I can't wait to give his to him.
00:34:00The screen went black.
00:34:03When it lit again, it was the present-day Ivy.
00:34:06Her hair was longer now.
00:34:08Her face thinner.
00:34:10The sparkle in her eyes extinguished.
00:34:13She was sitting in what he recognized as the villa on the island.
00:34:16The morning light filtering through the windows behind her.
00:34:19I designed these rings three months ago.
00:34:21She said, her voice steady and hollow.
00:34:23I poured everything I had into them.
00:34:25And then my design was stolen.
00:34:27My sister submitted it as her own work and won an award for it.
00:34:34Alexio's blood ran cold.
00:34:37But that's not the worst part.
00:34:39The worst part is that she didn't just steal my design.
00:34:42She stole my husband.
00:34:43Two.
00:34:44The man who was supposed to love me forever has been lying to my face.
00:34:48She paused.
00:34:49The camera caught the slight tremor in her chin before she steadied it.
00:34:54I loved you, honey.
00:34:56I loved you with everything I had.
00:34:58And I thought that was enough.
00:35:00But I was wrong.
00:35:02So I'm letting you go.
00:35:03You can keep my sister.
00:35:04Her voice dropped to a whisper.
00:35:05Goodbye.
00:35:06The video ended.
00:35:08The screen froze on her face.
00:35:10And Alessio felt something inside him splinter.
00:35:12The design.
00:35:14Hazel's award-winning collection.
00:35:15The one the whole family had celebrated.
00:35:17The one he had congratulated her for.
00:35:19It was Ivy's.
00:35:21Ivy had created it.
00:35:22Nurtured it.
00:35:23Poured her soul into it.
00:35:25And Hazel had stolen it.
00:35:27He turned to Hazel.
00:35:29And the look on his face made her recoil.
00:35:31You told me that design was yours.
00:35:34Alexio, I can explain.
00:35:36It was hers.
00:35:40His voice was quiet, which made it worse.
00:35:43You took her work.
00:35:44And you took her recognition.
00:35:46She was never enough for you.
00:35:49Alexio, you needed someone who could give you what she couldn't.
00:35:52Hazel slowly regains her composure.
00:35:55Don't you dare pretend this was about me.
00:35:58You've been trying to destroy her since the day she was born.
00:36:03Hazel opened her mouth to respond.
00:36:05But Alessio was already walking away.
00:36:08Marco falling into step behind him.
00:36:10Alexio felt so bad.
00:36:12He had signed the divorce papers without reading them.
00:36:14He had left her alone on the island while he rushed to another woman's bedside.
00:36:19He had done everything wrong.
00:36:20And now Ivy had done the one thing he couldn't undo.
00:36:23She had stopped loving him.
00:36:26Once the video was live, I logged out and let go of everything that followed.
00:36:29I boarded a flight overseas and began a new life.
00:36:32I had chosen a small island in the Venetian Lagoon.
00:36:35It was the opposite of New York in every conceivable way.
00:36:38And that was precisely why I had come.
00:36:40I started a bookstore.
00:36:42Nothing fancy.
00:36:43Just a quiet little place.
00:36:45Inside, the space was small but warm.
00:36:48With exposed wooden beams.
00:36:50A few well-loved armchairs.
00:36:52And shelves I had built myself from reclaimed timber.
00:36:55I arranged the books by feeling rather than genre.
00:36:58Customers told me they loved the unpredictability of it.
00:37:00The sense that the shop had a personality rather than a system.
00:37:03Every Monday morning, I created a new book recommendation in the front windows.
00:37:06People started coming from neighboring islands just to see what I would choose next.
00:37:15Some of them took photos and posted them online.
00:37:18I didn't mind.
00:37:20I had stopped checking social media obsessively.
00:37:23But on a rainy Tuesday about two weeks after my arrival, curiosity got the better of me.
00:37:28I opened Twitter and searched my own name, then Hazel's.
00:37:33The results were staggering.
00:37:35The video I had posted.
00:37:37The one showing my design process for the rings.
00:37:40The one ending with my quiet goodbye.
00:37:44Had been shared hundreds of thousands of times.
00:37:51News outlets had picked it up.
00:37:53Design blogs had written lengthy analysis comparing my sketches to Hazel's award submission.
00:37:58And the verdict was unanimous.
00:38:00Hazel had stolen my work.
00:38:02Hazel's social media accounts had been flooded with condemnation.
00:38:06Several brands she had collaborated with had released statements cutting ties.
00:38:10The design award she had won had been rescinded.
00:38:13The committee issuing a public apology for failing to verify the originality of her submission.
00:38:20She was finished.
00:38:21Her career.
00:38:23Her reputation.
00:38:24The carefully constructed pedestal she had stood on her entire life.
00:38:28All of it had crumbled in the span of a single video.
00:38:31A few days later, I saw that Hazel had posted an apology video.
00:38:36I hesitated for a long moment before pressing play.
00:38:39I'm sorry, Ivy.
00:38:42I know saying that can't undo what I did to you.
00:38:45I don't expect you to forgive me right away.
00:38:48I just hope that someday you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
00:38:53I closed the video halfway through.
00:38:56I knew my sister.
00:38:58She wasn't sorry she had hurt me.
00:39:00She was sorry she had been caught.
00:39:02And forgiving her?
00:39:03That was out of the question.
00:39:05I made myself an espresso, straightened a stack of new arrivals, and settled behind the counter with a book.
00:39:12This was my life now.
00:39:14A quiet, uncomplicated, mine.
00:39:23The coffee shop next door was called Tazadoro, and it was run by a man named Owen.
00:39:29He was tall and lean with sandy hair that fell across his forehead, and the kind of easy smile.
00:39:35I had met him on my second day in the city, when I had wandered in looking for caffeine,
00:39:39and found myself staying for an hour, charmed by the warmth of the place, and the unharried way he talked
00:39:46to his customers.
00:39:47Owen started coming by the bookshop regularly.
00:39:51At first, he had genuine questions.
00:39:53Did I have any books on coffee roasting techniques?
00:39:56Was there a guide to Italian espresso traditions?
00:39:58Could I recommend something about the history of Venetian cafes?
00:40:01I found him a volume on coffee cultivation, and another on the social history of European coffee houses,
00:40:07and he returned a few days later with a frothy cappuccino, and a slice of pistachio cake to thank me.
00:40:14After that, his visits became more frequent.
00:40:17He would stop by in the late mornings, when the shop was quiet, and linger over the new arrivals table.
00:40:22He asked me about my weekly displays.
00:40:24He listened to my answers with genuine attention.
00:40:27His head tilted slightly, his eyes never straying to his phone.
00:40:31I recognized the signs, the way he found reasons to talk to me,
00:40:35the slight flush that crept up his neck, when I caught him looking at me.
00:40:43Owen liked me.
00:40:44It was flattering and terrifying in equal measure, and I had no idea what to do with it.
00:40:50I wasn't ready.
00:40:52The wound of Alessio's betrayal was still too raw.
00:40:54I had spent my entire adult life loving one man, and when that love had shattered,
00:41:00it had taken pieces of me with it.
00:41:02I needed time to gather those pieces back.
00:41:04The thought of starting again, of opening myself to the possibility of another heartbreak,
00:41:09made me feel uncomfortable, so I kept things friendly and nothing more.
00:41:13I accept his coffee samples and his pastry recommendations.
00:41:17I let him linger, but I didn't invite him to stay.
00:41:20I answered his questions about books and deflected his questions about my past.
00:41:24And Owen, perceptive enough to sense the boundary, never pressed.
00:41:28They spoke in turn, their voices thick with emotion, and they apologized.
00:41:33They apologized for years of neglect, for the favoritism they had shown Hazel,
00:41:38for the countless ways they had made me feel invisible in my own family.
00:41:54I watched the video twice, then I closed it, and set my phone face down on the counter.
00:42:00The apology was probably sincere.
00:42:02I believed that my parents were genuinely sorry.
00:42:05But sorry didn't erase a childhood spent standing in the corner while everyone applauded my sister.
00:42:10Sorry didn't fill the hollow place inside me that had been carved out by years of being told that I
00:42:15was less.
00:42:16I couldn't forgive them.
00:42:17What I could do was release them.
00:42:20I didn't wish them harm.
00:42:22I just didn't wish to be anywhere near them.
00:42:24One Tuesday in late October, Owen arrived with a new coffee blend he wanted me to try.
00:42:29It was a single-origin Ethiopian with notes of blueberry and dark chocolate, and he was visibly excited about it.
00:42:35What do you think?
00:42:37It's a single-origin Ethiopian blend with notes of blueberry and dark chocolate.
00:42:41I took a sip.
00:42:45It's excellent.
00:42:46Really?
00:42:48I nodded, and he smiled from ear to ear.
00:42:50He glanced down at the counter while I was making notes in the margin of my sketchbook,
00:42:55and his eyes caught the drawing I had been working on.
00:42:59It was a delicate bracelet, a chain of four-leaf covers.
00:43:02I had been playing with the idea for a few days, refining the proportions,
00:43:07trying to capture a sense of luck and lightness in the design.
00:43:10Did you draw this?
00:43:15Ivy, this is beautiful.
00:43:17The detail on the clover leaves.
00:43:20How do you even do that with a pencil?
00:43:22I shrugged, suddenly self-conscious.
00:43:25It's just a sketch, a rough idea.
00:43:29This doesn't look rough to me.
00:43:31He studied the drawing with genuine admiration.
00:43:34Were you a jewelry designer before you opened the shop?
00:43:36I hesitated.
00:43:38I hadn't told Owen anything about my past,
00:43:40but the direct question left me with no graceful way to deflect.
00:43:44I was.
00:43:45His eyebrows rose.
00:43:47And you gave that up?
00:43:48Why?
00:43:49The question hung in the air between us.
00:43:51I wanted a different kind of life.
00:43:53Sometimes you have to leave things behind to move forward.
00:43:56Owen nodded slowly.
00:43:57He didn't push, didn't ask for details.
00:44:00He just looked at the sketch one more time and said,
00:44:04Well, for what it's worth, I think you still have the talent.
00:44:08That design would make a stunning piece.
00:44:10A month later, Owen came into the shop with his phone in his hand,
00:44:13and an expression of barely contained consitement.
00:44:16Ivy, look at this.
00:44:21He turned the screen toward me.
00:44:23It was an announcement for an international jewelry design competition,
00:44:28open to emerging and independent designers.
00:44:31The deadline was three weeks away.
00:44:34The theme was renewal.
00:44:37You should enter this.
00:44:39I stared at the screen.
00:44:41For a long moment.
00:44:43I felt the old pull.
00:44:45The itch to create.
00:44:47The hunger to be seen.
00:44:49The part of me that had never stopped loving.
00:44:51The alchemy of turning an idea into something beautiful and tangible.
00:44:56Then the doubt crept in.
00:44:59I haven't designed professionally in months.
00:45:02My hands aren't what they used to be.
00:45:05I'd be competing against people who do this every day.
00:45:08So?
00:45:09Owen set the phone on the counter between us.
00:45:12Since when does that matter?
00:45:15If you have a passion for something, you don't abandon it just because you've been away from it for a
00:45:20while.
00:45:20You try.
00:45:21You put yourself out there.
00:45:24Even if you don't win, you'll know you didn't give up.
00:45:29I looked at the sketch pad still open on the counter.
00:45:32The four leaf clover bracelet I had been refining for weeks.
00:45:36The design had grown more intricate since that first rough draft.
00:45:41I had added a hidden clasp shaped like a tiny star.
00:45:46Anonymous submissions are allowed.
00:45:51Owen added, clearly reading my hesitation.
00:45:55No one has to know it's you until you're ready.
00:45:59I submitted my entry three days before the deadline.
00:46:03The bracelet, which I had titled Second Spring, was accompanied by a brief artist statement.
00:46:09That said nothing about my past.
00:46:12And everything about the design itself.
00:46:15The symbolism of the clover as resilience.
00:46:19The hidden star as the light that persists through darkness.
00:46:24Three weeks later, I received an email informing me that I had placed second.
00:46:30Out of over 800 entries from designers around the world.
00:46:35I read the email five times before it sank in, and then I sat at the counter and cried.
00:46:41I still had it.
00:46:43The part of me that created beautiful things had not been destroyed by everything that had happened.
00:46:48It had been waiting, patient and quiet, for me to return.
00:46:53I told Owen that afternoon.
00:46:57He showed up at the bookshop ten minutes later, with a slice of tiramisu on a ceramic plate.
00:47:03A single candle stuck in the top.
00:47:06It's not a birthday, I said, laughing.
00:47:10It's a rebirth day.
00:47:12He corrected.
00:47:14And set the plate in front of me.
00:47:17Make a wish.
00:47:19I closed my eyes, and wished for nothing.
00:47:23I already had what I needed.
00:47:26You know...
00:47:30Owen said, leaning against the counter as I ate the tiramisu.
00:47:35You have something special.
00:47:37Not just skill.
00:47:39A lot of people have skill.
00:47:42You have a vision.
00:47:44A way of seeing the world that comes through in your work.
00:47:47Don't ever let anyone make you think you should give that up.
00:47:52I swallowed the last bite of cake, and met his eyes.
00:47:57Thank you.
00:47:59For pushing me.
00:48:00For believing in me when I didn't believe in myself.
00:48:04He smiled.
00:48:05A little shyly.
00:48:09One afternoon, I was sitting behind the counter of my bookshop,
00:48:14bent over a fresh sketch box, with a pencil tucked behind my ear.
00:48:19When the bell above the door chimed, and a familiar voice called out my name,
00:48:25I looked up, and found Hazel standing in the entrance.
00:48:29She was visibly pregnant now.
00:48:31Her belly round beneath a loose coat.
00:48:34Her hair, which I had only ever seen in glossy, immaculate waves, hung limp and unwashed around
00:48:40her shoulders.
00:48:41Her face was bare of the meticulous makeup she had once applied.
00:48:45And without it, she looked older.
00:48:46The fine lines around her mouth were deeper.
00:48:49The shadows beneath her eyes, darker.
00:48:52Ivy.
00:48:56She spit my name like it was a curse.
00:48:59Her expression was a storm front of fury, barely contained.
00:49:03Hazel.
00:49:04What are you doing here?
00:49:06Hazel stepped further into the shop, her gaze sweeping over the shelves, the armchairs,
00:49:11the window display I had spent the morning arranging.
00:49:15Is this where you've been hiding?
00:49:17In this little store in the middle of nowhere?
00:49:20You destroyed my life, and then you just disappeared.
00:49:23Destroy your life?
00:49:25I rose from my stool behind the counter.
00:49:27You destroyed your own life.
00:49:29I just told the truth about what you did.
00:49:31You posted that video and turned the whole world against me.
00:49:35I lost everything.
00:49:36My contracts, my award, my reputation.
00:49:39Everything I worked for, gone because of you.
00:49:42You stole my design.
00:49:43You slept with my husband.
00:49:45You got pregnant with his child and flaunted it in my face at a family dinner.
00:49:50And you're angry at me for telling people what you did?
00:49:53How dare you?
00:49:59Hazel's face contorted.
00:50:00She grabbed a stack of books from the nearest display and hurled them to the floor.
00:50:05The carefully arranged tower I had built that morning toppled with a crash
00:50:09that sent books skidding across the tiles.
00:50:12The other customers browsing looked up with alarm.
00:50:15I met their eyes with an apologetic look and gestured toward the door.
00:50:19I'm so sorry. I need to close up.
00:50:22Something personal.
00:50:23They slipped out, leaving me alone with Hazel.
00:50:27You don't get to ruin me and just walk away!
00:50:30She screamed, sweeping her arm across a shelf.
00:50:33Paperbacks flew, pages fluttering.
00:50:35You were always the victim, weren't you, Ivy?
00:50:39Poor little Ivy, always in my shadow, always so hard done by.
00:50:43Well, congratulations!
00:50:45You finally won!
00:50:46Are you happy now?
00:50:48I stepped around the counter, my hands shaking.
00:50:51Get out of my shop.
00:50:52Now.
00:50:53Not until you fix this.
00:50:56Hazel advanced on me, her belly leading, her finger jatting the air.
00:51:04You're going to post another video.
00:51:07You're going to tell everyone that we collaborated on that design.
00:51:12That you were jealous of my success and omitted the truth to make me look bad.
00:51:17You're going to give me my life back!
00:51:20No.
00:51:21I am never going to lie for you.
00:51:23Not ever again.
00:51:26Hazel's hand flew up, and I saw the wild hatred in her eyes.
00:51:30Before the blow landed, Owen's hand closed beyond her wrist.
00:51:33He had appeared in the doorway without a sound,
00:51:36and his face was harder than I had ever seen it.
00:51:40He said sternly to Hazel,
00:51:42I think Ivy asked you to leave.
00:51:46Hazel yanked her arm free and stumbled back,
00:51:48her eyes darting between Owen and me.
00:51:51A bitter, ugly laugh tore from her throat.
00:51:58Oh, I see.
00:51:59You've already found yourself a new man.
00:52:01That didn't take long, did it?
00:52:03I always knew you were a hypocrite, Ivy.
00:52:07Judging for Alessio while you've got this boy warming your bed,
00:52:10you're one to talk.
00:52:12I said, stepping forward,
00:52:14the difference is that I'm not married anymore.
00:52:16I'm not betraying anyone.
00:52:18And whoever I choose to spend my time with is none of your business.
00:52:21I tilted my head, letting the next words land with deliberate precision.
00:52:26You wanted my husband.
00:52:28You can have him.
00:52:29You can have our parents, too.
00:52:31All that love and attention you've been hoarding your entire life.
00:52:35Keep it.
00:52:36I don't want any of it anymore.
00:52:37I'm done fighting you for things that were never mine to begin with.
00:52:41Hazel's face went red.
00:52:43She opened her mouth to speak.
00:52:44But whatever venom she had prepared was cut off by a new voice.
00:52:48Hazel, shut up.
00:52:54The words cut through the shop like a blade.
00:52:57I knew that voice.
00:52:59I had heard it whisper love in my ear.
00:53:01I looked past Hazel and saw Alexo standing in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling the frame, his dark eyes
00:53:09sweeping the scene.
00:53:10He had changed.
00:53:11He was thinner, the angles of his face sharper, the hollows beneath his cheekbones deeper than I remembered.
00:53:18There were shadows under his eyes that spoke of sleepless nights.
00:53:21The impexably tailored suits he had always worn were replaced by something simpler, darker.
00:53:28He looked like a man who had been hollowed out.
00:53:31His gaze found Hazel, and his expression turned to stone.
00:53:35Get out.
00:53:36Right now.
00:53:38If you ever come near Ivy again, I will personally ensure that you regret it for the rest of your
00:53:44lives.
00:53:46Hazel's bravado crumpled.
00:53:47I watched the color drain of her face as she registered the threat.
00:53:51Alexio did not make Unnal promises.
00:53:54She backed toward the door, her movements jerky and uncoordinated.
00:53:58And then she was gone, the bell above the door chiming in her wake.
00:54:03Then it was just the three of us.
00:54:09Alexio's eyes moved to the man still standing protectively beside me.
00:54:13And something flickered in his expression.
00:54:18Is this your new partner, Ivy?
00:54:20His voice was choir now, stripped of its command.
00:54:23I didn't correct him.
00:54:24I didn't owe him explanations.
00:54:26What are you doing here, Alessio?
00:54:28He took a step towards me and stopped when I instinctively retreated.
00:54:32The hurt that crossed his face was raw and unguarded.
00:54:36And it twisted something inside me, despite everything.
00:54:39I need to talk to you.
00:54:40He murmured softly.
00:54:41Please, just a few minutes alone, that's all I'm asking.
00:54:45I hesitated.
00:54:46Part of me wanted to refuse, to send him away, to protect the fragile peace I had built.
00:54:52But another part, the part that had loved him for years, knew that this conversation was inevitable.
00:54:58If I didn't have it now, he would come back.
00:55:00We needed to end this properly, with words instead of silence.
00:55:04I turned to Owen.
00:55:10Can you give us a moment?
00:55:12Owen's brow fertile-folded with concern.
00:55:15Are you sure I can stay?
00:55:19I'll be fine.
00:55:21I touched his arm briefly.
00:55:23A gesture of reassurance.
00:55:25I promise.
00:55:26I'll come find you when we're done.
00:55:29Owen hesitated, then nodded.
00:55:33He gave Alessio a long, hard look and walked out, the door clicking shut behind him.
00:55:38The silence that followed was suffocating.
00:55:41Alexio stood in the wreckage of my bookshop, surrounded by the scattered books Hazel had thrown, and looked at me.
00:55:49Ivy.
00:55:51He moved toward me, his arms lifting as if to pull me into an embrace, and I stepped back so
00:55:57sharply I bumped into the counter.
00:55:59Don't touch me.
00:56:03Say what you came to say, and then go.
00:56:06He stopped, his hands falling to his sides.
00:56:09The divorce papers.
00:56:11I didn't know what I was signing.
00:56:12You handed them to me and I trusted you, and I signed away my marriage without even reading the words.
00:56:20The divorce papers.
00:56:21That's exactly the problem, Alessio.
00:56:24I wrapped my arms around myself, a barrier between us.
00:56:28I handed you papers, and you signed without looking.
00:56:32That's how much you paid attention to me.
00:56:35That's how little you noticed what was happening right in front of your face.
00:56:39I know I failed you.
00:56:43His voice was harky, scraped raw.
00:56:46I know I lied.
00:56:48I know I kept things from you, that I should have told you the moment they happened, but please, Ivy.
00:56:55Please understand, I was terrified.
00:56:59I was terrified of losing you, and I handled it all wrong.
00:57:03I hurt you, and I will spend the rest of my life regretting it.
00:57:08Regret doesn't change anything.
00:57:11I shook my head.
00:57:13You slept with my sister and got her pregnant.
00:57:16You stood beside me at dinner and told me you loved me, while she was carrying your child.
00:57:22You left me alone on an island to rush to her side.
00:57:26Every single choice you made was a choice against me, against us.
00:57:31I know.
00:57:37His voice cracked.
00:57:39I know what I did.
00:57:43And I will never forgive myself for it, but I need you to know, I will never marry her.
00:57:48I will never be with her the way I was with you.
00:57:51She is carrying my child, and I will provide for that child.
00:57:54But she will never be my wife.
00:57:57The only woman I have ever loved is standing in front of me right now, and I am begging her
00:58:03to look at me and see that I am still hers.
00:58:08I closed my eyes.
00:58:09The weight of his words pressed against my chest, heavy and suffocating.
00:58:15I let out a sigh.
00:58:18I can't trust you, Alessio.
00:58:20You can apologize a thousand times, and I can believe you mean every word.
00:58:26But the trust is gone.
00:58:28It's broken in a way that can't be repaired.
00:58:31I don't know how to come back from that.
00:58:34I don't think I want to.
00:58:38Alexio shook his head and pleaded.
00:58:41Please, Ivy, don't do this to me.
00:58:43Do you remember our wedding vows?
00:58:47His face crumbled.
00:58:53I promised I would never betray you.
00:58:55Never lie to you.
00:58:58You did betray me.
00:59:00You did lie to me.
00:59:01The man who made those vows doesn't exist anymore.
00:59:05And neither does the woman who believed them.
00:59:08Alexio's shoulders sagged.
00:59:10He looked defeated in a way I had never seen before.
00:59:13Not the powerful Don, not the charming husband, but a man who had lost the only thing he had ever
00:59:20truly valued.
00:59:21And knew he had no one to blame but himself.
00:59:24After a long while, he raised his head with a sad smile.
00:59:29Can I hold you?
00:59:31Just once.
00:59:32Just for a moment.
00:59:33As a goodbye.
00:59:35I should have said no.
00:59:38But something in his face, the raw, unguarded grief of it, made me nod.
00:59:44He stepped forward slowly, giving me time to change my mind.
00:59:48And then his arms were around me.
00:59:51He held me the way he used to hold me.
00:59:53In the quiet hours of the night.
00:59:55His hand cradling the back of my head.
00:59:58His face varied in my hair.
01:00:00I felt his body shake.
01:00:03And then I felt the wetness of his tears against my temple.
01:00:07I'm sorry.
01:00:13I'm so sorry, Ivy.
01:00:16I reached up and wiped the tears from his cheek with my thumb.
01:00:19The gesture so familiar, it made my chest ache.
01:00:23I hope you find peace, Alessio.
01:00:25I hope your child is healthy and happy.
01:00:29I hope you live a good life.
01:00:31I will never marry your sister.
01:00:33His voice muffled.
01:00:35You are my wife.
01:00:36There will never be anyone else.
01:00:38He pulled back slowly, his hands lingering on my shoulders, as if he couldn't bear to let go.
01:00:44He looked at me for a long moment, memorizing my face.
01:00:48And then he turned and walked out of the shop.
01:00:51I watched him through the window as he appeared down the street.
01:00:55His silhouette swallowed by the golden afternoon light.
01:00:58I didn't move until he was gone.
01:01:01And then I lowered myself onto the stool behind the counter.
01:01:04And let the tears fall freely.
01:01:06Mourning not just the man I had loved.
01:01:09But the girl I had been when I loved him.
01:01:12Two months later, the news reached me.
01:01:15Filtered through the grapevine of mutual acquaintances I hadn't entirely managed to severed.
01:01:20Hazel had been arrested for fraud.
01:01:22She had been running a scheme that promised investment returns on a jewelry venture.
01:01:27And she had built dozens of people out of their savings.
01:01:31One of her victims had confronted her outside her apartment building.
01:01:34And in the altercation that followed, Hazel had been pushed down a flight of stairs.
01:01:41She had lost the baby.
01:01:47After her release from the hospital, she had been transferred to a detention facility to await trial.
01:01:53Our parents had tried everything to get her out.
01:01:56Lawyers, bribes, pleas to anyone who would listen.
01:01:59But Alessio had blocked every attempt.
01:02:02I knew it was his way of avenging me.
01:02:04A final act of loyalty from a husband I no longer had.
01:02:08I read the news and felt very little.
01:02:11That was the strangest part.
01:02:12The woman who had tormented me my entire life,
01:02:15who had taken everything I had ever valued, had finally faced consequences.
01:02:19And I felt nothing.
01:02:20Not satisfaction.
01:02:22Not pity.
01:02:23Just a quiet, distant acknowledgement that the universe had finally balanced its scales.
01:02:28I looked up from my phone and gazed out the window of my bookshelf.
01:02:32The afternoon sun was pouring through the glass.
01:02:34Warm and golden.
01:02:36The shelves were neat again.
01:02:38The scattered books long since reshelved.
01:02:41The four-leaf clover bracelet sat in its display case on the counter.
01:02:45A small card beside it announcing the competition award.
01:02:48Owen was next door.
01:02:49Probably pulling espresso shots and chatting with the regulars.
01:02:53And in a little while I would close the shop and walk over for my afternoon coffee.
01:02:57This was my life.
01:02:59It was small and simple.
01:03:01But I had built it with my own hands.
01:03:03Piece by piece.
01:03:05Out of the wreckage of everything I had lost.
01:03:08I had finally arrived at the place I had been searching for my entire life.
01:03:12To be continued...
01:03:15To be continued...
01:03:16To be continued...
01:03:16Gracias.