Chapter 5
Everyone in the ballroom immediately straightened, standing at attention as they respectfully greeted the Don.
The moment I met those deep, unreadable eyes, mine filled with tears.
"Amore…" I whispered weakly.
Toby immediately threw his little arms wide. "Papi!"
Christopher froze, disbelief filling his eyes.
"The Don is your husband?"
His gaze dripped with mockery, as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world.
"I guess you really do have mental issues, Isla. Think about it—why would the Don possibly marry a nobody like you?"
But before he could finish, Mark's icy gaze swept over him.
Christopher immediately snapped upright and pressed a hand to his chest, nodding respectfully.
"Don Vittorino, this is my ex-girlfriend. She couldn't handle our breakup back then and has since developed mental issues. That's why she offended you."
But Mark didn't listen at all. He just strode over and pulled me into his arms, not caring the least bit that the mud on me was smearing all over his custom-made suit embroidered with dark gold rose patterns.
The arms around me tightened even more.
Lina's eyes widened in shock, and her grip on Toby unconsciously loosened.
Mark gave his assistant a tilt of the chin, signaling him to take Toby away.
The little guy lay on the assistant's shoulder. He had originally wanted me to hold him, but the moment he saw the warning look in Mark's eyes, he immediately shrank into himself, pouting but not daring to resist.
"Bad Papi…"
Christopher's outstretched hand froze in midair, and his face turned deathly pale in an instant.
"Don Vittorino… is she… is she really your wife?"
Mark shot him a cold glare. "You have a problem with that?"
Christopher hurriedly lowered his head and staggered back several steps, nearly falling over. His eyes were bloodshot, but he still stared at me fixedly.
"Isla, I've been searching high and low for you all these years, but you went and married into the mafia behind my back? All just because I didn't place the onyx ring on your finger back then? I only wanted to make sure you weren't after my power and status. If you'd accepted it, I would've proposed to you immediately!
"But what did you do? You threw the ring away, walked off, and disappeared without a trace!"
His relentless pressing finally pushed me past my limit.
"It's been so many years. What's the point of bringing all this up right now? My background and status might not compare to yours, but I've never once coveted yours.
"And have you forgotten about all the lies Lina spread about me back then?"
Christopher's expression stiffened. "What? What lies? What… What rumors did she spread about you? I suffered so much back then trying to find you—"
"Stop pretending," I snapped, cutting him off. "You gave the onyx ring to Lina and proposed to her that very same day. Did you think I didn't know?"
Christopher froze for a second, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Isla, that was just to force you out. Silly, could you really not see that?"
He'd announced his engagement to Lina just to make me show up? I could hardly believe my ears. But then, I didn't care anymore, either.
"Forget it. It's all in the past. I have a family now, and you're about to get married too. Just let it go."
A flash of defiance crossed Christopher's eyes. His voice even trembled slightly as he said, "Isla, I can't forget you…"
"Christopher!"
Mark's cold, sharp voice suddenly cut in. "Do you think I'm invisible? How dare you covet La Mia Moglie?"
With that, he pulled me tightly into his arms and, right in front of Chris, pressed a deep kiss to the side of my neck.
"You'll thoroughly explain all of this to me tonight," he murmured.
I couldn't help pulling my neck back.
Mannaggia! From the looks of it, I definitely wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight.
This was all Christopher's fault! Why did he have to dig up ancient history in front of Mark?
Mark looked at me tenderly, his gaze helpless but indulgent.
"You could've just sent the assistant to look for Toby's lost medal rather than going to so much trouble and getting yourself into this state. Why didn't you just drop my name? Is being the Donna—the Don's Moglie—something to be ashamed of?"
Suddenly, he looked up, and his gaze swept across the entire place, his voice turning icy.
"Or has the Famiglia fallen so low that even the Donna can be bullied at will now?"
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