Out of His Reach

Five years after our breakup, I saw my ex-fiancé, Nico Luciano, showing off his newborn on social media.

The next day, he cornered me at a private club and slid a black card across the table.

“Lena, Sophia finally had a boy, the heir to the Luciano family. Now I can marry you.”

He tried to soften his tone. “Having been widowed to my late brother for five years, she just wanted a child to care for her. I had no choice after the first two were girls.

“Thank you for waiting these extra two years. The wedding is set for next Monday, and the invitations are ready.”

What he didn’t know was that I was already married.

I am now the lawful wife of Vincent Moretti, the don of the North Alumcian Mafia Commission, and a core decision-maker of the Moretti family’s financial empire.

Watching Nico’s confident smile, I sent a message to my underboss.

“Notify the elders of the five major mafia families. Next Monday, I’m removing the Luciano family from power.”

Then I looked up and smiled at him.

“Marry me? Save your own career first.”

“Even if the family’s territory and business shrink this year, you won’t starve.”

Nico let out a mocking laugh and slapped a printed guest list onto the table. “This is the wedding guest list I drafted. Take a look and see if there’s anyone else you want to invite.”

The invitation template had been downloaded online. Even my name was misspelled.

I sneered inwardly. “I’m doing just fine now. You don’t need to concern yourself, Don Nico.”

“Lena, stop pretending.” The sarcasm on Nico’s face deepened. “Everyone knows that five years ago, the Sorrentino family was wiped out and pushed out of the mafia circle. You were like a stray dog, unable to lift your head.

“If I hadn’t shown some mercy, would you have had the chance to run off to Nassau and survive?”

I looked coldly at the man in front of me.

“By mercy, do you mean announcing at my wedding that you’d take responsibility for your pregnant widowed sister-in-law and turning me, the bride, into the laughingstock of New Haven?”

Five years ago, at my wedding to Nico, his widowed sister-in-law, Sophia, arrived with a pregnancy report.

My father, the don of the Sorrentino family, suffered a heart attack on the spot and died despite rescue efforts.

My mother, unable to bear the grief, shot herself.

The Sorrentino family was carved up by rival families overnight. All territory was lost.

I became a target of scorn and fled to Nassau that same night.

Nico’s expression darkened. He stood up abruptly.

“Lena, when did you become so aggressive and petty?

“Sophia was carrying my child. As a man, should I not take responsibility?

“She’s understanding. She endured everything without complaint. Do you know how much she has given to the Luciano family all these years? Why can’t you learn from her tolerance and kindness?”

I let out a