The Wife He Sacrificed Was His Last Mistake

On the night of my twenty seventh birthday, I was sitting in a private room above my family's supper club when my husband called.

His voice came through the phone, strained and shaken. He told me that on his way to meet me, his car had struck a man, leaving him lying on the road. Then he begged me to take the blame for him.

I spent several minutes calming him down. When he finally stopped panicking, I simply told him to stay where he was.

Then I picked up my keys and walked toward the door.

The entire room fell silent.

My friends immediately stepped forward, blocking my path.

"Adriana, have you lost your mind? A case like this could destroy your entire life. You could spend ten years behind bars. You cannot throw away your future for Salvatore. Your son still needs you, and you're carrying another child."

I lowered my hand to my pregnant belly and smiled softly.

The man I was saving was my husband, Salvatore.

We had been married for seven years. He was the man I had loved, the man I had promised to stand beside no matter what happened.

For him, I was willing to give up everything.

I ignored everyones warnings and drove through the dark streets toward the scene of the accident.

When I arrived, my parents were already there. They rushed toward me with tears in their eyes, begging me not to do this.

Salvatore stood nearby, his expression heavy with guilt. He held my hand tightly, as if afraid I would disappear.

But my decision had already been made.

Nothing anyone said could change my mind.

My mother fell to her knees in front of me, crying and begging me to reconsider. My father, overwhelmed by the shock, suffered a severe asthma attack and had to be taken to the family's private clinic.

Even then, I didn't hesitate.

In the end, I confessed in Salvatore's place.

When the authorities arrived, they took me away.

In court, the evidence was presented, and the judge placed the entire crime on my shoulders.

Ten years.

That was my sentence.

The moment those words fell, my parents collapsed from the shock.

Wearing the gray uniform of a prisoner, I was escorted away.

That was when Salvatore appeared.

But he wasn't alone.

Beside him stood Gia, his childhood sweetheart.

She placed one hand over her pregnant belly, looked at me with a cold smile, and threw the divorce papers at my feet.

"You have controlled Salvatore for years, and now you even have a life on your hands. You don't deserve the Ortega name anymore."

"Sign the papers. You leave with nothing. Your son will never have to see you again."

Behind Salvatore, my son Matteo looked at me with fear and disgust in his eyes.

"Daddy said you killed someone."

"You're a bad person. I don't want you anymore. I want Aunt Gia to be my mommy."

Every word cut deeper than the chains around my wrists.

I stood there, humiliated in front of everyone I had once loved.

But I said nothing.

I forced my shaking hands to remain steady and signed the papers.

One stroke after another.

I gave up my marriage.

I gave up my family.

I gave up the name I had protected for seven years.

But as the guards led me away, my heart remained strangely calm.

Because I had already prepared everything.

Before I was transferred, I made one final call.

First, I said goodbye to my parents.

Then I dialed another number, one that no one in the Ortega family knew existed.

The moment the call connected, I knew everything was about to change.

Seven days later, the truth would come to light.

The Ortega family would lose everything they thought they owned.

Salvatore would finally understand what he had destroyed.

And everyone who had pushed me into the darkness would learn one thing.

The woman they abandoned was the one person who could bring their entire world crashing down.

When I arrived at the scene, I was already five months pregnant.

Salvatore stood beside the wrecked car, frozen in place. His clothes were stained with blood, and his face was filled with fear and guilt.

The moment he saw me, his eyes turned red.

"It's my fault, Adriana. All of this is my fault. I'm sorry."

I walked toward him and gently touched his face.

"It's alright. I'll handle it."

I brushed his hair back and whispered those words to him like I had done countless times before. I promised him that everything would be fine.

Then, ignoring the pain in my body, I climbed into the driver's seat of the damaged vehicle.

Before leaving, I told him exactly what to do.

"Call the ambulance. Then disappear."

He hesitated for a moment before finally stepping into the darkness.

Not long after, the sound of sirens cut through the night.

The authorities and emergency workers arrived almost at the same time.

Everything was chaotic.

The victim's identity was still unknown, but the strange black birthmark on his arm immediately caught everyone's attention. The paramedics rushed him to the hospital.

I smeared the blood from the vehicle onto myself and forced my expression into panic and fear.

When they questioned me, I gave them only one answer.

I confessed.

I took responsibility for everything.

The news reached my parents quickly. They arrived with Enzo, the family's trusted lawyer.

Before the officers could take me away, my parents rushed toward me.

My mother's tears fell as she grabbed my hand.

"Don't do this, Adriana. You're all we have. If they send you away for ten years, what happens to us?"

I held her hand and tried to comfort her.

"Mom, everything has already been arranged. Marco will take care of you both for me."

My father stood beside her, his expression filled with pain and anger.

"So the person who caused this hides behind his wife and lets her carry everything?"

His voice was low and bitter.

At that moment, Salvatore appeared again.

He had changed into a clean, perfectly tailored suit.

The contrast between his polished appearance and my blood-stained clothes was almost cruel.

Yet he continued pretending.

His eyes were filled with tears as he took my hand and looked at my parents.

"You both know the family is preparing to move into legitimate business. We are so close to bringing everything into the light. If this scandal spreads, everything we've built will collapse."

He tightened his grip on my hand.

"I will never forget what Adriana has done for me. I will take care of the baby. I will take care of both of you."

His eyes met mine, filled with false tenderness.

When I asked why he had changed clothes, he answered softly.

"I wanted to look proper for what comes next. The trial won't be easy."

He looked more frightened than I was.

So I said nothing.

Not far away, Enzo pulled Salvatore aside.

"Mr. Ortega, this isn't right. If Miss Adriana changes her mind, she can still withdraw her statement. You need to face this yourself."

Salvatore interrupted him immediately.

"Don't worry about that."

His voice carried absolute confidence.

"Adriana loves me. She would never betray me. Just focus on getting her the lightest sentence possible."

He said it casually, as if my sacrifice was something he had already accepted.

My father noticed something was wrong.

He pulled me aside and lowered his voice.

"Did he threaten you?"

His eyes were filled with worry.

"Don't be afraid. No matter what happens, we will stand with you."

My mother held onto me, crying uncontrollably.

"You still have a child inside you. When you gave birth to Matteo, you almost died on that operating table. How can you survive in prison? Who will take care of you?"

I couldn't answer.

I only begged them to take care of themselves.

My father couldn't handle the pain. His breathing suddenly became difficult, and another asthma attack struck.

My mother quickly gave him his medicine before the family members carried him away to the private clinic.

The officers were preparing to take me when my mother suddenly collapsed to her knees.

"Please, my daughter."

Her voice broke apart.

"Just tell them the truth. Tell them you didn't do it. We will find another way."

My eyes burned.

But no words came out.

Before I could reach for her, the officers pulled me away.

Salvatore stepped forward and held my hand.

"I'll take care of your parents. I promise."

Only then did I stop resisting.

I allowed them to take me away.

At the detention center, I gave my statement for six hours.

Every question they asked received the same answer.

I admitted everything.

Outside the interrogation room, Enzo paced back and forth, helpless and furious.

Before coming here, he had returned to the supper club where I had celebrated my birthday. He wanted to retrieve the surveillance footage and reservation records to prove that I had never been at the scene.

But everything was gone.

The cameras.

The records.

All of it.

They claimed it was a simple "system failure."

During my statement, another piece of news arrived.

The victim was still unconscious, and his condition was worsening.

The authorities finally discovered his identity.

Adrian Falcone.

A powerful underboss of the Falcone family.

With the evidence against me and my own confession sealing my fate, the case moved forward immediately.

The trial began the following day.

Despite everything Enzo tried to do, the verdict was already decided.

Ten years.

When the judge announced my sentence, my parents collapsed in the courtroom.

During the recess, the officers ordered me to change into the prison uniform.

My parents ignored every objection from the staff and insisted on seeing me.

After arguing for several minutes, the officers finally allowed them thirty minutes together.

"My child... how could you do something so foolish?"

My mother held me tightly, her tears soaking into my shoulder.

"Ten years, Adriana. Do you know how long ten years is? A person only gets so many years in their life."

Her voice broke as she cried.

Even after the verdict was delivered, Enzo, the family's trusted legal adviser, still couldn't accept what had happened.

He removed his glasses and slowly wiped the lenses, using the small movement to gather his thoughts.

"Adriana," he finally asked, "you were at your birthday dinner that night, weren't you?"

His eyes sharpened.

"Then why did every surveillance camera nearby lose only the footage from that exact evening?"

I fell silent.

I wasn't sure how much truth I should reveal.

Before I could answer, the sound of high heels echoed through the hallway.

Each step struck the concrete floor like a warning.

"So you're Adriana."

A sweet voice carried through the room, soft on the surface but hiding a blade underneath.

Gia appeared.

Salvatore's childhood sweetheart.

The woman who had always remained in his heart.

She wore a crimson dress that hugged her figure, walking toward us with the confidence of someone who already believed she belonged there.

Her hand was intertwined with Salvatore's.

Their eyes met with the kind of intimacy no husband should show another woman.

My father's expression darkened instantly.

"How dare you come here?"

His voice was filled with disgust.

"Did you come to watch Adriana fall?"

In our world, a man's loyalty was everything. To my father, seeing Salvatore bring another woman here while I was being taken away was an insult he could barely tolerate.

I quickly tried to stop him with my eyes.

I didn't want things to become worse.

But Gia only laughed.

A sharp, pleased laugh.

"Adriana, you really are exactly as everyone says."

She tilted her head, looking at me with fake admiration.

"The kind, gentle woman who would sacrifice everything for the man she loves."

"Ten years in prison, and you didn't even complain."

She smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of Salvatore and Matteo from now on."

Every word felt like poison.

My mother's face changed with anger.

She turned toward Salvatore.

"Adriana is still your wife. What exactly are you doing, standing here holding another woman's hand?"

But Salvatore remained calm.

Almost too calm.

"Mom, don't misunderstand."

His voice was gentle, as if he was the one being wronged.

"Gia and I grew up together. Adriana knows that. She gets nervous around too many people, and her hands shake when she's stressed."

He glanced at their joined hands.

"I was only holding her hand to help her calm down."

As he spoke, he casually wiped his palm against his trousers.

It was a small habit.

One he had never noticed.

One that always appeared whenever he was lying.

Gia leaned closer to him, wearing a fragile expression, looking like a woman who had been hurt.

My father's face turned red with anger.

My mother's hands clenched into fists.

I silently begged them not to lose control.

At that moment, the guards approached, preparing to take me away.

Gia immediately seized the opportunity.

She "accidentally" dropped a document, and the papers flew directly toward me.

The corner struck my face.

I lowered my head and picked it up.

The moment I saw the title, my expression froze.

A dissolution agreement for our blood-bound marriage.

Gia smiled.

"You should sign it while you still have the chance."

"You've occupied Salvatore's side for long enough. Now that you're a convicted criminal, you should leave the Ortega family."

I looked at Salvatore.

Waiting for him to say something.

Anything.

But he remained silent.

Instead, he tightened his grip on Gia's hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

Right in front of me.

Right in front of everyone.

My father stood frozen.

He had nothing left to say.

I lowered my eyes and prepared to sign.

Then Matteo spoke.

My son.

He had been hiding behind Gia the entire time.

"People who kill others don't deserve to be mothers."

His voice was cold and unfamiliar.

"I want Aunt Gia to be my mommy."

My mother stepped forward, wanting to pull him away.

But Matteo bit her hand and pushed her down.

Then he ran back behind Gia, laughing.

As if nothing had happened.

My mother stared at him in disbelief.

Only a few days ago, he had still been the sweet child who held onto my hand and called me Mommy.

The guards began urging me forward.

Salvatore looked impatient.

My father quietly shook his head, telling me not to sign.

But I turned away from all of them.

No one could see my expression.

No one could see my hand.

I slowly turned my wedding ring around my finger once.

Then I threw the papers aside.

The moment the documents fell, Salvatore released Gia's hand.

He rushed forward and picked them up.

For the first time, genuine panic appeared on his face.

"Don't sign it, sweetheart..."

His voice changed.

"This is all my fault. I was the one who let you marry him."

My mother cried as she chased after me down the corridor.

Her grief was so overwhelming that even the guard stopped.

The prison rules were strict, but after a moment of hesitation, he sighed.

"I need to use the restroom."

It was an obvious excuse.

But he gave us five minutes.

My mother grabbed my hands tightly.

"It's all your mother's fault."

"I'll go to Enzo. I'll tell him everything. I'll tell him Salvatore was the one who did it. You were only protecting him."

I gently pressed her hands, stopping her from saying his name.

Not here.

Not inside these walls.

In our world, some names carried consequences.

And prison walls had ears.

Even from the end of the corridor, I could feel Salvatore and Gia watching us.

A few people had gathered nearby, whispering and staring, enjoying the scene like they were watching a performance.

"Mamma, don't worry about me."

I looked into her eyes.

My voice was calm.

"I'll take care of myself."

"Before I came here, I already told Enzo everything."

"He and I studied law together. He knows what to do."

"He'll protect you and Papa for me."

The certainty in my voice made those words sound almost like a goodbye.

And perhaps they were.

Enzo and I had once walked the same path.

We met in law school, studying the same craft. We spent years buried in legal codes, analyzing loopholes, and learning how to protect the interests of powerful families without leaving a trace behind.

Enzo was disciplined and ambitious. After graduation, he passed the bar and became the kind of legal adviser that families like ours trusted with their most dangerous secrets.

I passed as well.

But instead of joining a firm, I chose another road.

I married Salvatore.

After becoming his wife, I took over the legal matters of the Ortega family and handled the countless problems that came with their world.

Enzo and I both understood what it meant to carry another person's burden.

In our world, once a verdict was finalized, escaping it was almost impossible.

Unless someone could produce undeniable evidence strong enough to overturn everything, the person who took the blame would spend the rest of their life behind bars.

Wronged.

Forgotten.

Silent.

That was the price of loyalty.

That was the meaning of omert.

Thinking about it now, I couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh.

I had always known this path was dangerous.

I knew every step was filled with risks.

Yet I still chose to believe Salvatore.

I still chose him.

I lowered my head and said nothing.

My mother noticed the tears gathering in my eyes.

She leaned closer across the old table, her voice trembling.

"Adriana, did Salvatore threaten you?"

"Tell me the truth."

"Your father and I will stand beside you, no matter who we have to face."

She held my hand tighter.

"Or is it because you truly love him that much?"

"Do you really love him enough to sacrifice your entire life?"

I looked at her and forced a small smile.

Then I slowly shook my head.

Salvatore and I had been married for seven years.

But we had known each other for nearly ten.

He had become part of my daily life, part of my memories, part of the future I had imagined.

A future where I never considered the possibility of him not being there.

After a long silence, I finally nodded.

My mother understood she couldn't change my mind.

So she gave up trying to persuade me and turned to the things mothers always worried about.

"Adriana, when you go in there, don't trust anyone."

"Protect yourself. Protect the baby."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Even if we lose everything, your father and I will find a way to bring you home."

"You have to promise me..."

Before she could finish, the guard looked at the clock.

Then he cleared his throat several times.

The meaning was obvious.

Our time was over.

The guard stepped forward.

As they pulled me away, my mother refused to let go of my hand.

She held on with every bit of strength she had left.

But the moment my fingers slipped from hers, she lost her balance.

She fell heavily onto the cold floor.

My mother remained there, silently crying.

From the corner of the room, Gia watched everything.

She quickly pulled back when she noticed someone might see her.

A satisfied smile appeared on her face.

I still hadn't exposed Salvatore.

Not once.

Not a single word.

To Gia, that meant she had won.

My father stood nearby, his fists tightly clenched.

His anger burned so intensely that his entire body trembled, but there was nothing he could do.

Salvatore watched me being taken away from my mother.

Then his eyes fell on the dissolution papers I had thrown aside earlier.

He picked them up.

His fingers brushed over the pages, and he slowly wiped his palm against his trousers before speaking.

That habit again.

The one he had whenever he was hiding something.

He had never believed I would actually sign.

For seven years, he had seen me as the perfect wife.

Understanding.

Patient.

Quiet.

The woman who never demanded too much, never caused trouble, and always stood behind him whenever he needed someone to clean up the damage.

In his eyes, I was the person who would never leave.

The person who would always forgive him.

He never imagined that a few simple words would be enough for me to cut the bond between us.

A strange emotion rose inside him.

Relief.

Even satisfaction.

But with everyone watching, he forced himself to lower his head and maintain the appearance of a guilty husband.

Then he looked up and met my father's furious gaze.

My father walked over and took the agreement from his hands.

The moment he saw my signature, his expression changed.

He couldn't believe it was real.

"If you still have even a little conscience left, then take care of Matteo."

His voice was cold.

"And from today onward, you stay away from anything involving Adriana."

He threw the signed papers onto the floor and turned back to help my mother stand.

Gia didn't care about my father's anger.

She only smiled.

To her, everything was already decided.

She walked over and wrapped her arm around Salvatore's.

"That was easier than I expected."

Her voice was filled with excitement.

"Come on, Salvatore. You can move my things into the Ortega estate now."

Matteo stood beside Salvatore, tugging at his leg.

"Daddy, I want new toys."

He was too young to understand what had happened.

Too young to know that his family had already changed forever.

Gia crouched down and gently stroked his hair.

"Of course, sweetheart."

"Whatever you want, Mommy will buy it for you."

Matteo smiled brightly and reached for her.

He threw himself into Gia's arms.

Salvatore held her hand tightly.

Then he turned away.

Leaving with Gia.

Leaving with Matteo.

Leaving behind the woman who had once sacrificed everything for him.

His new family.

The whispers of the people around us spread through the hall like a storm.

"She just got sentenced, and they are already forcing her to dissolve the marriage?"

"That woman beside him must be the mistress. She actually stood there and watched the wife get destroyed."

"Her parents almost collapsed because of them. How cruel can they be?"

"The wife is too kind. If it were me, I would make them regret everything the moment I got out."

The voices grew louder.

In a world where people were taught to hide their emotions and swallow their opinions, the crowd no longer cared about silence.

Everyone could see what had happened.

Everyone knew who the real victim was.

My father noticed that my mother was crying uncontrollably.

Her breathing became faster and more uneven until she could no longer stand.

She collapsed.

The family's private clinic later determined that she had suffered severe hyperventilation and showed signs of possible poisoning.

The medical staff rushed in immediately and carried her away in an ambulance.

The entire hall fell into chaos.

The anger of the crowd turned directly toward Salvatore and Gia.

For the first time, Gia's expression changed.

She didn't care about the rumors themselves.

She had already gotten everything she wanted.

She had taken Salvatore.

She had forced me out of the Ortega family.

That was enough.

She grabbed Salvatore's arm and pulled him away.

Before leaving, she glanced at Enzo with a victorious smile.

Enzo said nothing.

He only removed his glasses and slowly cleaned them.

It was the gesture of a man trying to stay calm while watching something he couldn't yet fix.

Salvatore, however, had his own complicated emotions.

Part of him was touched by what I had done for him.

A part of him was relieved.

After years of hiding his feelings, he could finally bring Gia back into his life openly.

On the way home, he had already prepared flowers and gifts for her, treating it like a celebration of her long-awaited return.

Gia was overwhelmed with happiness.

She threw herself into his arms, smiling brightly.

Her joy stood in sharp contrast to the grief and anger they had left behind.

When they returned to the Ortega estate, Gia immediately began removing every trace of me.

She packed my belongings herself and ordered the servants to throw them into the dusty storage room.

The wedding portrait hanging in the center of the living room caught her attention.

To her, it was the last reminder that I had once belonged in this house.

She stared at it for several seconds.

Then she looked at Salvatore.

He said nothing.

That silence was permission.

Gia stepped forward and ripped the frame from the wall.

The photo crashed onto the floor.

The memory of seven years was treated like something worthless.

At five months pregnant, Gia had once appeared gentle and fragile.

But the moment she looked at Matteo, that kindness disappeared.

"We need space for the baby."

Her voice was cold.

"Matteo's room has to be given up."

Salvatore didn't even hesitate.

He was busy helping her organize her things.

"Do whatever you think is best."

Those simple words decided everything.

Gia gathered Matteo's belongings and dragged him toward the attic.

She threw his toys and clothes onto the damp wooden floor.

"This is your room now."

Her tone carried obvious impatience.

"Don't come downstairs unless there is something important."

Then she left without looking back.

Matteo stood alone in the dark attic.

He hugged his favorite toy tightly.

Cold air slipped through the cracks in the walls.

On the floor beside him were the broken pieces of a jade bracelet.

The bracelet I had made for him on his third birthday.

Gia had destroyed it earlier when she became annoyed.

Matteo stared at the broken pieces.

He didn't move.

Then, without noticing the sharp fragments beneath his feet, he stepped forward.

A piece of jade cut into his skin.

He fell to the ground with a cry, clutching his bleeding foot.

No one came.

Before this day, whenever he was hurt, I was always the first person beside him.

I would hold him.

Clean his wounds.

Tell him everything would be alright.

But now there was only silence.

After that first cry, Matteo stopped making a sound.

He had learned that crying did not always bring comfort.

Sometimes it only brought more anger.

So he curled up alone in the attic, letting his tears fall quietly.

Downstairs, Gia looked around the estate with satisfaction.

Finally.

She had everything she had wanted.

She turned toward Salvatore with excitement.

"She already signed the dissolution papers."

A smile appeared on her face.

"Let's complete the ceremony in a few days."

She had waited too long for this moment.

When Salvatore nodded, the last bit of anxiety in her heart disappeared.

But Salvatore was not as calm as she was.

Since returning home, his expression had remained troubled.

I had been too calm.

Too obedient.

That was what frightened him.

He couldn't understand why I had accepted everything so easily.

A thought kept returning to him.

What if one day I revealed the truth?

What if the verdict was overturned?

What if everyone discovered what he had done?

He wiped his palm against his trousers again.

The same habit.

The same sign of unease.

He forced himself to believe it was nothing.

But the fear remained.

Inside the family's private clinic, my mother finally opened her eyes after being unconscious for a long time.

"You finally woke up."

My father broke down beside the hospital bed.

His tears fell as he held his wife's hand.

The moment my mother realized I wasn't there, panic filled her eyes.

"Adri..."

That was the first word she spoke.

Enzo quickly stepped forward to calm them.

"I've already submitted the visitation request."

His voice was gentle.

"You will be able to see her tomorrow."

"Just wait one more day."

Even a short visit to the prison was enough.

That small hope was enough to keep them going.

Meanwhile, in another hospital wing...

Inside the intensive care unit, Adrian's fingers moved slightly.

Then his eyes opened.

Despite his serious injuries and the damage to his body, his mind was already working.

The doctor noticed the change immediately.

After confirming that Adrian's condition had stabilized, they transferred him to a regular ward for further observation.

But no one knew that the man who had just woken up would soon change everything.

On the day of the prison visitation, my parents left before dawn.

They wanted to arrive as early as possible.

Enzo was supposed to travel with them, but halfway there, he suddenly changed direction.

"There is something urgent I need to handle," he said.

The truth was far more complicated.

Through his own network of contacts, Enzo had learned that Adrian Falcone had regained consciousness.

The moment he heard the news, he acted.

Before Salvatore could discover that Adrian was awake, Enzo went straight to the family's private clinic to meet him.

The Ortega family was standing at a critical turning point.

Their businesses were slowly moving toward legitimacy. The front operations they had built were gaining momentum, and everything they had worked for was finally beginning to take shape.

But one accident could destroy everything.

A body.

A witness.

A survivor who could speak.

Any one of those things could drag the entire family back into the darkness.

If Salvatore learned Adrian was alive, Enzo knew exactly what would happen.

Men like them did not leave dangerous loose ends behind.

A living witness meant the possibility of the truth coming out.

A dead witness meant the case could never be overturned.

Only silence could keep me buried behind prison walls forever.

Enzo understood that better than anyone.

So before the halls of the clinic had even filled with people, he was already there.

As always, he had investigated everything carefully.

On the surface, Adrian Falcone was simply the underboss of the Falcone family.

But the truth was far more complicated.

He was Don Falcone's illegitimate son.

A man connected to the family's bloodline, even if his official position had not yet been recognized.

Adriana and Adrian had known each other since childhood.

They grew up in the same world.

But when they became adults, Adrian's people sent him overseas, and the connection between them slowly faded until nothing remained.

Enzo's visit was a gamble.

A single question decided everything.

Would Adrian remember who had truly been driving that car?

When Adrian saw a stranger sitting across from him, his guard immediately went up.

No matter what Enzo said, Adrian remained silent.

Suspicious.

Cold.

Unwilling to trust anyone.

But Enzo had come prepared.

He removed his glasses, cleaned them slowly, then placed them back on his face.

Only after that did he take out the official documents.

He explained everything.

The accident.

The investigation.

My confession.

The trial.

The sentence.

And the fact that I had taken his place.

"She confessed?"

Those were the first words Adrian spoke.

His voice was low.

Almost emotionless.

But something unreadable flickered in his eyes.

Even after Enzo explained their history, even after he told Adrian that he and I had studied law together and that my parents had asked him to handle my case, Adrian still kept his distance.

He did not give Enzo an answer.

Not a promise.

Not even a clear reaction.

Enzo left the clinic empty-handed.

But he knew something had changed.

Something had awakened.

Not long after, Adrian arranged a quiet transfer out of the private clinic.

No one knew where he went.

Inside the prison visitation room, a thick glass wall separated me from my parents.

Only one day had passed since I was sentenced.

But to them, it felt like years.

The moment my mother saw me, her eyes filled with tears.

I had lost weight.

My face looked tired.

The prison uniform made me appear even more distant from the daughter she remembered.

But I forced myself to smile.

I pretended I had accepted everything.

Instead of letting them comfort me, I comforted them.

Then my mother's phone rang.

Her expression immediately darkened.

She looked annoyed before answering, as if she already knew who it was.

And she was right.

When she saw my confused expression, she slowly turned the screen toward me.

Salvatore's posts filled the page.

One after another.

Every single one showed his new life with Gia.

The first post read:

"Gia's first day home. She is sleeping so peacefully."

The photo showed Gia lying in the master bedroom.

The same room that once belonged to me.

She wore my favorite nightgown.

Her expression looked soft and satisfied.

There were faint marks along her neck and collarbone.

I looked away.

The next post appeared.

"Made breakfast for Gia with my own hands. I hope she likes it."

The picture showed a table filled with carefully prepared food.

I stared at it.

The same man who had always claimed he couldn't cook.

The same man who said even boiling water was too much trouble.

For seven years, I believed him.

Even when I was sick with a high fever, barely able to stand, I had begged him for help.

The only thing he made was a bowl of plain porridge.

And even then, he placed it in front of me with impatience, as if caring for me was a burden.

So it was never that he couldn't do it.

It was only that I was never worth the effort.

Then I saw the post he had pinned at the top.

"Some reunions are written by fate. The right person will always be waiting for you."

The picture showed Salvatore and Gia holding hands.

Behind them was a flower wall.

A flower wall I had built for his birthday.

With my own hands.

I had spent months searching for the perfect flowers.

I had cut my fingers countless times while arranging them into a giant heart.

I thought it was a symbol of our love.

But now that same heart had become the background of his public confession to another woman.

The comments were filled with blessings.

And mixed among them were whispers attacking me.

People called me cruel.

Called me a burden.

Called me someone who had trapped him.

How ironic.

I was the last person to know the truth about my own marriage.

I clenched my fists tightly.

My nails pressed into my palms.

My mother noticed the pain in my eyes and quickly put away the phone.

She changed the subject.

"Enzo said the victim woke up."

Her voice lowered as she leaned closer to the glass.

"Adriana, don't give up."

"Your father and I will find a way."

"We will do everything we can to bring you home."

Everything had already been decided.

The truth had already been buried.

But even now, my parents were still fighting for me.

That love hurt more than anything.

My eyes burned.

But I said nothing.

At that moment, my closest friend Bianca called.

My parents stood up and left, giving me a little time alone with her.

Before walking away, my mother turned back one last time.

"The victim is awake now."

"We will go see him."

"We will beg him to help you."

"Maybe... maybe your sentence can still be reduced."

I watched my parents leave the visitation room.

Their backs looked older than when they had arrived.

The pain they carried was something no apology could ever erase.

As they disappeared behind the guard, the phone in my hand pulled me back to reality.

The cold walls of the prison surrounded me again.

"Adriana!"

Bianca's voice came through the receiver, filled with anger and worry.

"I already heard about what that bastard Salvatore did. Are you alright?"

I lowered my eyes.

"Don't waste your energy worrying about me. You need to focus on recovering."

Her breathing became heavier.

"I told you not to go out that day."

"And now look at you. You're stuck in prison, while I'm lying here in a hospital bed doing nothing but staring at the ceiling."

I remembered what had happened before all of this.

When Salvatore had been away handling business for the family, Bianca had offered to come keep me company.

But something happened on her way there.

Her car hit a man.

The injuries were not serious, but the man stayed in the family's private clinic for several days.

Bianca stayed by his bedside until he was discharged.

She never knew his identity.

She only remembered one detail.

A dark birthmark on his lower leg.

At the time, everyone thought the matter had been handled quietly.

But shortly afterward, someone targeted Bianca.

While she was recovering at home, a car suddenly crashed into her.

It was disguised as an accident.

There were no cameras on that road.

No witnesses.

No evidence.

The person responsible was never found.

Bianca could only swallow the injustice.

Later, she discovered the truth.

The man she had hit belonged to the Falcone family.

After learning that, everything became clear.

The Falcones were known for being cold and calculating.

They valued balance above everything else.

Every debt had to be repaid.

Every mistake had a price.

Bianca's father had worked with them before, so she understood their rules better than most.

The Falcones never let a debt remain unsettled.

"Wait."

Her voice suddenly changed.

"What did you say?"

"That man was a Falcone?"

I heard movement on the other end of the line.

Bianca had probably pushed herself upright despite her injuries.

The pieces were finally connecting in her mind.

She had never understood why I had chosen to sacrifice myself for Salvatore.

But now she was beginning to see the truth.

Her fingers moved unconsciously toward the scar on her arm.

For a long moment, she said nothing.

Then she quietly nodded.

"Adriana..."

Her voice softened.

"Take care of yourself."

"When I recover, I'll come see you."

After the call ended, my mother's words returned to my mind.

"The victim is awake now..."

A faint smile appeared on my lips.

Finally.

It was time to move my own pieces.

I still had five minutes before the guards came to take me back.

I reached for the small piece of paper hidden in my palm.

The number written on it was the next step of my plan.

I was about to dial.

Then the phone rang again.

"Bianca?"

I answered immediately.

"What happened?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll find a way out."

I was about to hang up.

Then a low voice came through the receiver.

"Adriana."

"It's me."

My entire body froze.

The phone nearly slipped from my hand.

"You're..."

My voice trembled.

"You're really awake."

I wanted to say more.

I had a thousand questions.

But before he could answer, the visitation time ended.

The call was cut off.

The guard took the phone away from me.

I returned to my cell holding the paper tightly.

The number I never dialed remained in my hand.

My mind was already working.

The next move had to be perfect.

No mistakes.

No hesitation.

If I wanted another chance to contact the outside world, I needed to cooperate.

So for the next few days, I decided to become the most obedient prisoner.

Quiet.

Patient.

Invisible.

That night, I went to sleep early.

But the moment I closed my eyes, memories rushed back.

Memories of Salvatore.

We met when we were young.

I fell in love with him the first time I saw him.

For months, I chased after him.

Slowly, we moved closer.

It felt like fate had placed us on the same road.

On a warm summer night, he suddenly held a party.

In front of everyone we knew, he knelt before me with flowers and a ring.

He promised me his entire future.

We married on my twentieth birthday.

"Adriana, you will always be the only woman I love."

"I can't live without you."

"Adriana, hold on. I'm almost at the clinic. You and the baby have to be safe."

"Matteo is crying again. Can you take care of him? I have something to handle."

"Take the child away. Don't embarrass me in front of my friends."

His words echoed in my mind.

Promises.

Excuses.

Cruelty.

Each memory tightened around my heart like a chain.

Cold sweat covered my forehead.

"Rizzo!"

The guard's voice exploded through the speaker.

"Wake up!"

I opened my eyes suddenly.

I wiped away the sweat on my face and began another day inside the prison.

I had not been here long.

But some of the older inmates had already decided they disliked me.

Because I worked without complaining, they looked for ways to make my life harder.

During meals, they threw their leftovers into my bowl.

Before lights-out, they poured dirty water onto my mattress.

Then one night, they went too far.

I couldn't endure it anymore.

I walked across the cell.

My anger finally broke through.

"What exactly do you want?"

I threw their cruelty back at them.

But instead of backing down, they became even more excited.

One of them stepped forward.

Before I could react, her hand struck my face.

The force sent me crashing onto the floor.

"You filthy bitch! How dare you walk in here like you belong?"

The moment the words fell, I knew there would be no mercy.

I was alone.

They were many.

And inside these walls, the guards looked away as long as the price was right.

I barely had time to react before they surrounded me.

Hands grabbed my hair.

Fists landed against my body.

Then the kicks came.

One after another.

My back hit the floor.

Pain exploded through every inch of me.

A sharp, unbearable agony tore through my abdomen.

Then I felt it.

Something warm slipping down my legs.

My blood ran cold.

No.

Not my child.

Not now.

But they didn't stop.

They had been paid to break me.

And they intended to finish the job.

Only after their anger was satisfied did they finally step away.

The woman leading them, the one who controlled this section of the prison, looked down at me with a satisfied smile.

She stuffed the money she had received into her pocket, then handed portions of it to the others.

The payment was generous.

"Thank you, sisters."

She smiled.

"Easy work, wasn't it? And the money wasn't bad either."

I couldn't speak.

My mouth was filled with the taste of blood.

My hands and feet were bound.

A piece of cloth covered my mouth.

But my eyes remained fixed on them.

Cold.

Silent.

Filled with hatred.

I knew exactly what this was.

This wasn't a random beating.

Someone outside had paid for my suffering.

Someone wanted to destroy me.

Someone wanted to make sure I never walked out of this prison.

I endured the pain until my consciousness slowly faded.

When I woke again, I was no longer in the cell.

A guard had found me the next day.

My face was pale.

My lips had lost all color.

I was carried to the private clinic reserved for the prison's special cases.

The doctor avoided my eyes when he delivered the news.

"The child..."

He paused.

"I'm sorry."

The world went quiet.

My baby was gone.

The women who attacked me gave the same explanation.

A misunderstanding.

An accident.

No witnesses.

No evidence.

Nothing that could challenge their story.

In a place ruled by silence, the truth disappeared easily.

The guards gave them only a warning.

And everyone returned to pretending nothing had happened.

I said nothing.

I didn't cry.

I didn't scream.

But deep inside, I already knew the answer.

I knew who had ordered it.

I knew who wanted my child erased.

When Gia heard that I had been injured and lost the baby, she stared at the message for several seconds.

Then she laughed.

A bright, satisfied laugh.

"What happened?"

Salvatore wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Why are you so happy this early?"

Gia leaned back against him.

"Nothing."

Her eyes were filled with triumph.

"Let's go out tonight."

"I want to celebrate."

Salvatore agreed without hesitation.

Like always.

He followed wherever she led.

The two of them left the Ortega estate together.

But upstairs, in the forgotten attic, another person was waiting.

"Mommy..."

No.

Not Mommy.

"Papa..."

Matteo's weak voice echoed in the empty room.

But no one answered.

Salvatore didn't even look back when the car disappeared through the gates.

The child curled up alone on the cold floor.

He had been hungry for too long.

He was too tired to cry.

Eventually, even his voice disappeared.

The attic became silent.

Completely silent.

Since Gia entered the Ortega estate, Salvatore had forgotten everything except her.

Her wishes.

Her moods.

Her happiness.

He had not stepped into the family's front operation for days.

No one in that house remembered the child locked away upstairs.

When I woke again, I was different.

The prison guard who found me seemed disturbed by what had happened.

Perhaps guilt finally caught up with him.

He arranged another visitation.

When my parents arrived and saw me, my mother's expression changed instantly.

She looked at my pale face.

My weakened body.

Then her eyes fell lower.

The first thing she noticed was my empty stomach.

Her entire world collapsed.

"My child..."

Her voice broke.

"Who did this to you?"

Tears poured down her face.

"I swear, I'll destroy Salvatore myself."

"That coward hides behind Gia while letting you suffer alone."

My father stood beside her, his fists trembling.

Then he told me something.

He had searched everywhere for Adrian.

He wanted to beg him for mercy.

But Adrian had already been transferred.

A different clinic.

A different identity.

No one knew where he was.

But they didn't know something.

Before my parents arrived, I had already found a way to make one call.

A hidden phone.

A forgotten number.

And when the person on the other end answered, that familiar low voice immediately calmed the storm inside me.

He was awake.

He remembered.

That was enough.

I looked at the clock on the wall.

Then slowly turned my wedding ring around my finger.

Seven days.

Only seven days had passed since I entered this place.

Seven days since everyone thought I had lost everything.

I looked at my parents.

"Mom. Dad."

"Trust me."

My voice was quiet.

"Karma is already on its way."

They looked at me with confusion.

They thought grief had finally broken me.

After all, from the outside, Salvatore had never looked stronger.

The Ortega family had announced that their front operations would become completely legitimate in three days.

Everything was about to be washed clean.

Salvatore thought he had escaped.

Gia thought she had won.

But before I could explain...

The visitation room door suddenly opened.

Enzo rushed in.

His clothes were disordered.

His breathing was heavy.

For the first time, the calm lawyer looked shaken.

He removed his glasses.

Slowly cleaned them.

Then looked at me.

"Adriana..."

His voice lowered.

"Salvatore just called me."

The room fell silent.

"He said..."

Enzo swallowed.

"He's going to turn himself in."

My mother froze.

My father stared at him in disbelief.

"He wants to hand over the evidence."

"He wants to confess."

"He said he was the one driving that night."

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then my mother collapsed to the floor.

But I smiled.

Not because Salvatore had finally admitted the truth.

That was only the first crack.

Enzo stared at me.

"Adriana..."

"What is happening?"

Everyone was waiting for my answer.

I slowly stood up.

The fear that had lived in me for seven days was gone.

"Confession?"

I smiled faintly.

"That is not enough."

"Do you really think one apology can erase everything?"

I looked toward the prison window.

"Karma does not arrive with a single punishment."

"It comes with everything someone has earned."

"Salvatore turning himself in..."

I paused.

"That is only the beginning."