I Took Our Daughter's Ashes and Left His Mafia Family

I once believed marrying Luca Romano was the best thing that had ever happened to me. He was the head of the Romano Family. He was calm and powerful, a man who commanded absolute obedience. And I was his wife. I was also the mother of Annie Romano, the Romano Family's sole heiress. But it wasn't until I married Luca that I learned what kind of man he really was. Everyone envied me for being his wife, but Luca never truly cared about Annie or me. According to him, the Family's rules made no exceptions. But somehow, those rules seemed to apply only to Annie and me. That day, I called Luca again and again. The authorization Annie needed for treatment reached the hospital eight hours too late. By then, all I had left of my daughter was a death certificate. While I desperately waited for the signature that could have saved my daughter's life, Luca was spending three million dollars at an auction on a diamond necklace for another woman's child. My attorney, David Hartwell, asked if I was sure about the divorce. I didn't hesitate. "I'm sure. "I'm leaving Luca." Chapter 1 The tiny arm on the morgue table had already turned an unnatural blue-gray. Annie had been dead for two hours. Marco Vitale, the butler, finally reached the hospital with Luca's signed authorization. It contained only one line. I authorize the Romano Family's private medical team to take over Annie Romano's treatment. Signed: Luca Romano Marco handed the authorization to the attending physician with his head bowed, his voice strained. "Don Luca has signed it. "Mrs. Romano, under Family protocol, you may now bring in the private medical team and use the private hospital suite." When I didn't respond, Marco swallowed hard and forced himself to continue. "No one can call in the medical team without Don Luca's signature. "Anyone who does so will be charged with overstepping their authority and have the violation recorded in the disciplinary ledger." His voice grew quieter with every word. "Mrs. Romano... those are the rules." My phone chimed. I checked the notification. It was Luca. "It's just a fever. You've been spoiling Annie. How is she ever going to be strong enough to carry the Romano name if you keep pampering her?" I didn't react. I walked quietly over to the attending physician and took the official death certificate. The authorization had finally arrived. It was simply too late. My phone chimed again with an Instagram notification. My fingers trembled as I opened it. "Emma got her first collector-grade diamond necklace! Luca paid three million dollars for it at auction. I told him it was too expensive, but he insisted on getting it for her." The post was from Olivia Bellini, the widow of Luca's late best friend. In the Instagram Story, Olivia wore a glamorous evening gown and held her daughter, Emma Bellini, in her arms. A dazzling diamond necklace glittered around the girl's neck. "Luca spoils Emma rotten. He buys her anything she wants. "All she had to do was say she liked the necklace, and he insisted on buying it for her." I closed Instagram and opened my messages with Luca. My first message read, "Annie's fever won't come down. The doctor suspects sepsis. Please sign the medical authorization immediately." Then Marco finally reached the hospital with Luca's signed authorization. Eight full hours had passed. My call log showed call after call to Luca. I'd tried so many times that I'd lost count. I sent people back to the estate four separate times to find out what was happening. Each group returned with the same answer: Luca was dealing with something too important to interrupt. In the end, Marco knelt outside Luca's study, pleading for him to sign the authorization. Luca never even responded. No one dared to call in the private medical team without his approval. The attending physician did everything in his power to keep Annie alive. My daughter fought with everything she had. Again and again, her condition became critical. Each time, the doctors asked me the same question. "Mrs. Romano, is the authorization here yet? The moment we see his signature, we can bring in the whole team. Everything is ready." But all I could do was stand there shivering, looking toward the door again and again. "Not yet..." For years, I had to follow the Family's rules whenever I needed to use Family resources. The monthly allowance they gave me barely covered our basic household needs, leaving nothing to spare. Calling in the private medical team required Luca's signature. Hiring a tutor required his approval. Buying a gown, attending a banquet, using the Family accounts. Every single thing needed Luca's permission. Once, Annie got caught in the rain and had a mild fever that night. I worried it might turn into pneumonia, so I filed an emergency request for the private medical team. Less than ten minutes later, Luca's video call came through. On the screen, Annie was curled up under her blanket, her face flushed from the fever. Luca barely glanced at her. "Her temperature's barely a hundred. You really thought that was worth calling in the Family's medical team? "Sophia, is this how you're raising her? "She's learned to fake being sick just to get a little attention?" I froze where I stood. I opened my mouth to explain that Annie was truly sick, but he ended the call before I could say a word. The next day, Marco returned looking grim. "Mrs. Romano, Don Luca asked me to inform you... for misuse of the Family's medical request system, Miss Annie's access to the medical team has been suspended for fifteen days..." I couldn't understand what Annie and I had done wrong. She was still sick and trembling with fever. I gripped Annie's hand. After that day, Annie never cried when she had a fever again. Whenever she felt sick, she would touch her forehead and ask in a tiny voice, "Mommy... I'm not that sick, right? "If we ask for a doctor... will Daddy get mad again?" Marco once confided in me. "Mrs. Romano, my mother told me the old Don had abolished these rules. "But... Don Luca brought them back." Rules were rules, Luca always said. They made no exceptions. Not even for his wife. Not even for Annie, his only biological daughter. Emma was the only exception. All Emma had to do was say she wanted something or shed a tear, and Luca would have Marco open the vault, transfer whatever money was needed, or hire the best tutors for her. Those supposedly unbreakable rules disappeared whenever Emma wanted something. Luca used the Family's rules to shackle his own wife and daughter. Yet he opened every door for another woman and her child. Those shackles had grown too heavy. That signature had arrived eight hours too late. It had cost Annie her life. I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was calm. I picked up my phone and called David. "Draft the divorce papers." Chapter 2 When I returned to the estate, Luca was already sitting in the middle of the living room, waiting for me. Two guards stood behind him. The grand hall was silent. At the sound of the door opening, he looked up and fixed me with a cold stare. "You were gone all afternoon and didn't answer a single message. "Annie just has a little fever. You don't have to make such a big deal out of it just to get my attention." He kicked a gift bag leaning against the sofa, and a fluffy keychain tumbled out. "Annie likes cute things like this, doesn't she? Give it to her. "Tell her to behave and stop making a fuss. I'll spend time with her when I'm done with Olivia and Emma. The same goes for you." I looked down at the tiny keychain and smiled bitterly. It was a free souvenir that came with the diamond necklace Luca had bought at auction that night. The three-million-dollar necklace was now around Emma's neck. Annie only got the free keychain that came with it. "No. Annie won't need it anymore. "She'll never need anything from you again," I said hoarsely. I turned and walked toward my daughter's room. Her room was filled with gifts just like it. A pretty doll had come free with an island resort Luca bought for Emma. A rhinestone-covered bow had come with eight custom-made princess dresses that cost him a hundred thousand dollars. Even Annie's cup was a hand-me-down Emma had rejected as ugly. Luca had commissioned an entire wall of custom display cases for Emma. They were filled with jewelry, collector's edition dolls, handcrafted figurines, and handmade music boxes. I remembered Annie's innocent smile, and pain tore through my chest. "Daddy got Annie another present! Annie's so lucky!" A little girl had no way of knowing that her presents were just freebies and things Emma didn't want. All Annie knew was that each gift came from the father she adored, and she treasured every one as if it were priceless. "Why is Annie's room such a mess? Sophia, you need to discipline her better. We have plenty of staff. How did you let it get this bad?" Luca followed me into the room, frowning at the clutter. How could it not be messy? Every day, as soon as Annie finished cleaning her room, Emma would come over to "play" and mess it up again. Most of the servants in the main house had worked for the Romano Family for generations. Naturally, they were more protective of Annie. But whenever someone tried to help Annie tidy up her room, Olivia would go to Luca with tears in her eyes. "Is everyone unhappy because Emma and I are living here? "If we're making things difficult for your family, Emma and I can move back to the guest house..." After this happened a few times, Luca blamed the servants instead. He warned them, "Take care of Olivia and Emma. "Don't make them feel unwelcome." Gradually, things changed. No one dared to openly help Annie anymore. And every time I tried to help her, Annie would cry and beg me not to clean up. "Daddy said only kids who clean up after themselves are good kids. Please don't touch anything, Mommy. If you help me, I won't be a good kid anymore..." Annie wanted her father's approval so badly that she clung to every word he said. I was about to defend Annie when Olivia called Luca. "Luca, Emma really wants to talk to you. You're not busy right now, are you?" The impatience vanished from Luca's face. His expression softened in a way that made my chest ache. I turned away. "What is it?" A little girl's sweet voice came through the phone. "Uncle Luca, I saw these matching family outfits. They're so pretty! My daddy's gone. Can you wear one with Mommy and me?" Luca's eyes softened. "Of course. If you like them, I'll have Marco buy them for you. Just tell me when you want us to wear them together." He hung up, the warmth still lingering in his eyes. Then he noticed me watching him. There wasn't a trace of guilt on his face. Instead, he spoke as if everything he had just said was perfectly normal. "You know my best friend died protecting our territory. He asked me to look after Olivia and Emma if anything ever happened to him. Emma's still a little girl, and she's already lost her father. I owe it to him to keep that promise." "I understand," I replied coldly. "You're being awfully well-behaved today. If there's anything you want, just send me a picture. I'll have someone buy it for you. No authorization needed." So this time, I didn't need his signature. It was absurd. He expected me to be grateful because he would buy me something without making me ask for authorization first. I shook my head. "No, thank you. I don't need anything." When my daughter and I truly needed something, he treated us like we were asking for too much. Now that we needed nothing from him, he tossed us scraps and expected us to be grateful. I was tired. I had trusted his promises and walked straight into a cage. In the end, I couldn't even save my daughter. I had already booked my flight. I was going to take Annie's ashes and leave this place for good. The crematorium called and informed me they were ready for Annie. As I left the estate, Luca was still lecturing me over and over about not spoiling Annie. He told me to stop raising her to be so bitter and mean, always trying to make trouble for Emma. I looked at him. My first instinct was to explain that Annie wasn't like that, but the words stuck in my throat. I couldn't get them out. All I could do was stare at Luca. Chapter 3 When Annie was born, Luca was not like this. He used to dote on her, treating her like the most precious thing in the world. But everything changed after Olivia and Emma moved into the main house. Under the old Romano Family code, the widow of a fallen brother could be provided for, but she was never meant to live in the main house. The Family had already set up a residence for Olivia and Emma in the guest house on the outer grounds, complete with servants and a monthly allowance. But Luca insisted on moving them into the main house. Several members of the Family Council objected. "The main house belongs to the Don's wife and his direct heirs. "Allowing outsiders to live here permanently will disrupt the order." Luca dismissed their concerns. "They're just a helpless woman and child. "The Romano Family can surely make room for two more people." ... The day Olivia and Emma moved into the main house, Annie clung to Luca's leg and watched as Olivia led Emma inside by the hand. "Daddy, is she going to live here too?" Luca crouched down and smoothed the hem of her dress. "Yes. "But Daddy promises you, no matter what happens, you'll always be my princess." So Annie took Emma's hand and gave Emma her favorite doll. "Now we can play together." During Emma's first year in the main house, Annie secretly tried on the Family's crest ring because she was curious about the symbol she might one day inherit. Afterward, she carefully put it back where she had found it. Emma snatched the ring and ran crying to Luca. "Uncle Luca, Annie said she's going to be the next Don! She said the crest ring will be hers someday. She was trying to steal it..." Luca didn't even bother to find out what had really happened. "Someone as scheming as you has no right to touch the honor of the direct bloodline. Your mother certainly raised a fine daughter!" From that moment on, Luca saw Annie as a greedy, scheming little brat. In front of everyone, he suspended Annie's privileges for six months. Her private tutors and lessons were suspended. She couldn't even enter the library without submitting a new request. That day, the grand hall went so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. At last, Marco stepped forward, unable to stay silent. His face was pale as he spoke. "Don Luca, under Family rules, you can't revoke Miss Annie's privileges without investigating the matter. Any punishment must also be reported to the Council..." Luca didn't even look at him. "I am the Don now. "Are you saying my word means less than some outdated rulebook?" After a long silence, Marco lowered his head and stepped aside. Later, I learned that Marco had recorded the incident in the disciplinary ledger that very day. "The Family's direct heir lost her privileges without an investigation." The disciplinary ledger was regularly submitted to the Council. Before long, the Council summoned Luca to answer for the incident. Salvatore Romano, chairman of the Council, opened the old code and warned Luca in front of everyone. "The Romano Family can accept a ruthless Don, but not one who puts outsiders before his own family. "The direct bloodline is the foundation of this Family. "Bringing Olivia Bellini and her daughter into the main house against the Council's advice was already a grave violation! "If you keep putting outsiders before your own wife and daughter, you won't just break our rules. You'll destroy this Family from within." Luca's expression did not change. He reached over and closed the book. "I bring in seventy percent of the Romano Group's annual profits. "This Family cannot function without me. "As for my private affairs, no one else gets a say." The Council members' faces darkened, but they did not push him further. They filed the report, along with Marco's entry in the disciplinary ledger, in the archives. No one could have imagined what those records would eventually become. Over the years, the evidence against Luca piled up, page by page. One day, those records would help bring him down and strip him of his position as Don. Chapter 4 After Annie lost those privileges, even the simplest parts of her life became a struggle. She had to ask Luca for permission just to see a doctor or continue her lessons. "Annie, Daddy doesn't like liars. Tell me. Did you steal the ring?" Under the constant pressure, Annie finally broke. She burst into tears and started slapping herself across the face over and over. "I'm a bad kid! I stole the ring! I'm a bad kid! I stole the ring..." Bright red handprints appeared on her small face. Annie was falling apart, but Luca just stood there and watched. Only after Annie admitted to her supposed "wrongdoing" did Luca reluctantly restore some of her privileges, as if he were doing her a favor. Another time, I was on my knees in the living room, pleading with Luca on Annie's behalf, when Olivia walked past me. Though I never touched her, she suddenly threw herself to the floor and scraped her palm. "Luca, I'm sure Sophia didn't mean it... it was just me being clumsy..." Olivia smiled smugly as Luca kicked me in the stomach. I blacked out from the pain and woke in the middle of the night to the sound of my daughter quietly sobbing. "Mommy! Please wake up... it's all Annie's fault... it's all Annie's fault!" I held Annie tightly. I was close to breaking down, and I closed my eyes in shame. I couldn't believe I had chosen such a foolish husband, a man who put outsiders before his own family. Olivia had suffered, so apparently that gave her the right to depend on my husband. Emma had suffered, so that gave her the right to take away the love Annie deserved from her father. Luca acted as if keeping a promise to his late best friend gave him the right to mistreat his own wife and daughter year after year. My phone suddenly rang. The caller's voice was sharp and distorted by a voice changer. "Is this... Annie's mother... Mrs. Romano?" "Yes. Who is this?" I immediately tensed. "You don't need to know who... who I am. I just wanted to... to tell you... at last month's charity gala, Miss Annie was bullied!" The caller hung up. Seconds later, a video arrived on my phone. "Annie, you idiot! There's no way you painted something that good! You only did it to make me look bad! Why don't you just die? If you were dead, Uncle Luca would be my daddy!" In the video, Emma screamed at Annie as she ripped apart the painting Annie had prepared for the charity gala. Then she yanked off Annie's dress and pinched her waist and thighs until red welts covered her skin. Olivia stood guard at the door, making sure no one came in. I trembled with rage, but a chill ran down my spine, and sweat covered my back. I couldn't believe a child of eight or nine could say something so cruel and do something so vicious. "Annie... my sweet Annie..." At the end of the video, Annie was curled up in the corner with her arms around herself. Her eyes were empty, and she looked far too broken for an eight-year-old child. Only then did I realize that whenever I wasn't there to protect her, Annie had been suffering in silence. I still remembered what happened at the charity gala. When Annie couldn't present her painting, everyone mocked and scolded her for not taking such an important event seriously. Luca made her kneel in front of the entire ballroom. I rushed to help her up, but a guard blocked me and hit me on the back of the neck with his baton. I blacked out on the spot. That night, Rosa Conti, the estate's former housekeeper, had already contacted Niccolo Romano, vice chairman of the Council, hoping he would step in. But Niccolo was away in Cassili, leading a turf war, and communications were down. By the time he returned to the estate, it was too late to stop it. After that day, Annie never picked up a paintbrush again. I pressed a hand to my chest as a sharp pain tore through me. Then the anonymous caller sent another video. This one proved that Annie had never stolen the crest ring. But the truth came too late. Annie had not lived long enough to see her name cleared. I texted back, "Thank you. It's too late, but I will clear Annie's name." The reply came at once. "Mrs. Romano, what do you mean?" I wrote, "Annie is dead." There was no reply for a long time. Then my phone rang. "Annie... Miss Annie is dead? How could that be..." This time, the voice changer was gone. An older woman spoke slowly, her voice trembling with disbelief. I recognized her immediately. It was Rosa Conti, the Romano estate's former housekeeper. She had served the Romano Family for decades, and she was one of the few people on the estate who had always treated Annie with kindness. I sent her Annie's death certificate. What came back was a heavy sigh of grief and quiet sobbing. Rosa told me that after the charity gala, Luca had confiscated every copy of the security footage. While she was sorting through the recordings, she had secretly made a copy. Afraid of being caught, she divided the video into several files and hid them in the garden flowerbeds, the chapel safe, and a storage room in the guest house. "I will explain everything to the former Don. Whatever you want to do, ma'am... do it."