My Husband's Stand‑in Awoke the Monster in Me

Giordano Pellegrini, my Underboss husband, is swamped with work every day.

In order to make sure that he can attend my birthday party, I've pre-booked two hours of his time half a year in advance.

But the moment Giordano arrives at the party venue, he receives a message on his communicator.

"Honey, someone has blocked a shipment of firearms. I need to deal with that matter right now. Next time, I'll celebrate your birthday properly with you."

Our son, Fabiano Pellegrini, follows Giordano out of the venue as well.

"Dad and I will deal with this matter. We'll also make it up to you with another birthday gift next time."

Despite feeling a little disappointed, the emergency did come all of a sudden, so I can only nod in acceptance.

But once Giordano and Fabiano leave, I secretly stalk them.

I'd like to see which idiot dares to block the ship owned by me, the Donna of this mafia family.

Also, I'm interested to see what sort of solution Giordano and Fabiano can come up with. After all, Giordano is only an Underboss in name.

After Giordano Pellegrini got into the car with our son, Fabiano Pellegrini, he didn't drive off immediately. It wasn't until a truck carrying 10,000 roses arrived that Giordano finally left.

But he didn't head for the ferry dock. Instead, he drove straight back home.

The villa was brightly lit, and the front garden was packed with people. I felt a pang of confusion. Were they planning a surprise for me? But when I reached the main hall, I saw Giordano holding a woman dressed in a white gown.

Even Fabiano, who had never been close to me, was smiling brightly as he called her "Mom".

The woman was none other than Carina Perrotta, the university student I had personally rescued from the mountains. She had nowhere else to go, so I had brought her into the Pellegrini household, given her a job, and let her live and eat under my roof. But recently, she had suddenly vanished without a trace.

I had searched all over the Costa Solara for her, yet she seemed to have disappeared completely. And now, she was here, entangled with Giordano. As they appeared, the crowd murmured in admiration.

"I've long heard that Mrs. Pellegrini is virtuous. She not only supports Mr. Pellegrini in business but also keeps the family in perfect order."

"This is the first time Mr. Pellegrini has brought Mrs. Pellegrini out with Fabiano. I would keep a woman like her to myself if I were him."

"Mr. Pellegrini is truly lucky."

At the center of the crowd, Giordano held Carina close at the waist, drinking in their praise.

"Of course, having Carina by my side is a blessing I've earned over ten lifetimes. Now that she is expecting, I look forward to everyone celebrating with us and sharing in my son's joy."

Carina stared at him, touched to the core. However, I felt a chill crawl through