were all well aware of it. However, the timing of his recovery was uncannily precise, as if he had meticulously planned it down to the very second. Just when his uncle had fallen from grace and his illegitimate brother was at his most vulnerable yet also in the throes of overconfidence, he emerged from the shadows and struck a decisive blow, smoothly ascending to the throne as the head of the Falcone family.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t shake off the sense that something was off. The entire sequence of events seemed far too neatly choreographed. It wasn’t until he made a beeline for Alessa the very instant he recovered that the truth began to crystallize in my mind. She, the dream lover of his, was also a capable assistant who could bolster his standing as both the president of Falcone Group and the head of his family. The two of them paraded their relationship with such fanfare that it became common knowledge overnight. It was then that I realized, with a jolt, that he might have been fully conscious all this time, perhaps feigning illness from the very start. He had artfully downplayed his presence, lying in wait for the opportune moment to make his move, pulling off a flawless rendition of “There is always a bigger fish.” And as for me? I was nothing more than a conveniently chosen pawn in his meticulously devised scheme.
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Upon finding out what Claudio had done, my best friend Laura Cruz came up with the pretext of treating me to a sumptuous meal to console me. Throughout the dinner, our mouths were constantly in motion. Engrossed in hurling invectives as she yelled, “Claudio is such a bast**d. You took care of him with all your heart for seven whole years. Hell, even if you’d been raising a dog for that long, it’d wag its tail when it saw you. He’s just unbelievable. One moment he comes to his senses, and the very next, he acts like he doesn’t even know you and spouts all those mean things. Like, who does he think he is? As if anyone gives a damn about being Mrs. Falcone. And that Alessa, she’s no saint either. When he was out of it, I didn’t see her getting all cozy. Now that he’s back on track, she’s all over him. Those two, the sc*mbag and the sl*t, won’t come to a good end.”
She talked until her throat was parched and downed two glasses of water in quick succession. I gave a faint smile and tried to soothe her, saying, “There. There. Don’t be mad anymore. To his family, I was pretty much the same as a nanny. Now that they don’t want me around, it’s normal for them to tell me to scram.”
Laura stared at me with a look of exasperation, as if lamenting my naivete. In the end, she just shook her head in resignation. Trying to shift her focus, I picked up a piece of meat and playfully shoved it into her mouth. After our meal, we hit the streets for some shopping. Suddenly, he clutched my arm. She gestured towards a spot not too far off and blurted out, “See? Are those Claudio and Alessa?”
I looked over and spotted two figures selecting ornaments in a jewelry store. We weren’t that far away, close enough for me to catch every single move they made. Claudio deliberated for
quite a while among a bunch of rings before finally, ever so delicately, sliding one onto Alessa’s hand. In the very next moment, he lifted her hand and brushed a light kiss against it. His gestures were tender, and the adoration he held for her was laid bare for all to see. Had I not been his wife of several years, I might even have been inclined to comment on what a perfect match they seemed and how enviable their relationship appeared.
Laura abruptly shouted, “That son of a b**ch. He’s a real piece of sh*t. Now he’s strutting around with his mistress out in the open like it’s no big deal.”
She was fuming and looked all set to dash over there. I immediately reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her, murmuring, Alright. Calm down. Let’s go somewhere else.”
After saying that, I took her by the hand and led her away. At first, I was of the mindset that if I didn’t have to see it, I wouldn’t have to be bothered. All I wanted was to put some distance between us and to get as far away as I could. But it seemed that the heavens above didn’t deign to grant me such an opportunity. When we wrapped up our shopping spree and were set to depart, Laura went to fetch the car, and I stood waiting for her at the mall entrance. As luck would have it, I happened to cross paths with Claudio and Alessa, who were likewise on the verge of leaving.
Alessa asked in a polite tone, “Is this Dora?”
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Hearing that, we swiveled our heads to seek out the source of the sound. And there, not far behind us, stood Claudio holdina Alessa’s hand. I darted a quick alance at him before shifting mv
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After saying that, I took her by the hand and led her away. At first, I was of the mindset that if I didn’t have to see it, I wouldn’t have to be bothered. All I wanted was to put some distance between us and to get as far away as I could. But it seemed that the heavens above didn’t deign to grant me such an opportunity. When we wrapped up our shopping spree and were set to depart, Laura went to fetch the car, and I stood waiting for her at the mall entrance. As luck would have it, I happened to cross paths with Claudio and Alessa, who were likewise on the
verge of leaving.
Alessa asked in a polite tone, “Is this Dora?”
Hearing that, we swiveled our heads to seek out the source of the sound. And there, not far
behind us, stood Claudio holding Alessa’s hand. I darted a quick glance at him before shifting my
gaze to land on her face. This was the first time I’d observed her up close, and I had to admit, she
was an exceptionally beautiful woman. She had a slender waist, long legs, smooth skin, and a gorgeous face. Especially those affectionate eyes of hers, which were even filled with tenderness
as she looked at me. Not to mention that she came from a wealthy family, and her elegant and
noble aura attracted countless onlookers. As visual creatures, it was hard for people not to be
drawn to beautiful things. For a split second, I even understood him. If I were a man, I’d want a
woman like her too. My line of sight slipped downward, and I saw their hands intertwined firmly,
each donning a matching ring.
The moment he detected my gaze, his brows knitted together in annoyance as he asked, “Why are you here?”
I froze for an instant, but almost immediately, it dawned on me what my present standing
was. Plainly, he was afraid that I’d be a nuisance in Alessa’s eyes. I forced a wry smile and
explained, “I’m here with Laura. We’re heading back now. She’s off to take the car.”
Alessa curved her lips into a smile and started to say, “Didn’t you buy yourself something?”
With those words, she tugged her hand out of Claudio’s grip and brandished the ring on
her finger right in front of me, making sure I got a good look. Then she continued, “Dora, is this
beautiful?”
I nodded and replied with a smile, “Yes. It suits you.”
She responded with a coy giggle, “I think it looks real pretty too. Claudio picked it out himself.”
I couldn’t help feeling somewhat amused. All this hullabaloo, and it turned out she was here
to flaunt it in front of me.
Out of politeness, I said, “Mr. Falcone has great taste. You two look perfect together with
these on.”
Somehow, as soon as the words left my mouth, I keenly caught Claudio’s gaze. There was a glimmer of surprise and a tinge of scrutiny in it, which made my heart skip a beat for no reason.
Just at that moment, my phone buzzed. Looking down, I unlocked the screen and saw that it
was a message from Laura. She said she had something urgent, had to leave first, and asked me to go back by myself. After reading the message, I pursed my lips slightly and casually stuffe~ the phone back into my pocket. Then, I raised my eyes, looked at the two people standing in
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of me, and said, “Mr. Falcone, Ms. Gallo, if there’s nothing for me here, I’m gonna head out. I won’t disturb you guys while you’re shopping.”
I hadn’t so much as turned around when Alessa’s plaintive voice came through as she said
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these on.”
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Somehow, as soon as the words left my mouth, I keenly caught Claudio’s gaze. There was a glimmer of surprise and a tinge of scrutiny in it, which made my heart skip a beat for no reason. Just at that moment, my phone buzzed. Looking down, I unlocked the screen and saw that it was a message from Laura. She said she had something urgent, had to leave first, and asked me to go back by myself. After reading the message, I pursed my lips slightly and casually stuffed the phone back into my pocket. Then, I raised my eyes, looked at the two people standing in front of me, and said, “Mr. Falcone, Ms. Gallo, if there’s nothing for me here, I’m gonna head out. I won’t disturb you guys while you’re shopping.”
I hadn’t so much as turned around when Alessa’s plaintive voice came through as she said, “Claudio, does Dora dislike me? Why is she so eager to leave when she sees me?”
In the very next second. Claudio’s frigid vaina alle
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In the very next second, Claudio’s trigid voice sliced through the air, “Stop there.”
