What about the years I stood quietly beside him? The achievements I longed to celebrate with the man who claimed I was his partner?
The final fracture came when Zaldy accompanied Maria back to Paris—this time to meet her remaining benefactors, old-money crime families, and influential elders who still held sway in Europe’s underground. Watching him embed himself deeper into her world made the truth impossible to deny.
I had already lost him.
Every instinct in my body screamed that it was time to walk away. When I finally made the decision, it didn’t come with relief—only a dull, aching sadness that had been growing for years.
I signed the separation agreement, relinquished my claim to Corell Manor, and booked a flight to Italy to pursue my master’s degree in Art—choosing a future free from Zaldy’s divided loyalties and looming shadow.
Before I left, I sent him one final message.
[Sami: There’s nothing left for me here. I’m stepping away. You’re free to live the life you want.]
His reply came quickly. Cold. Revealing.
[Zaldy: And how exactly do you plan to survive without me? Without my protection?]