The SevenYear ItchErasing the Donna

On our seventh wedding anniversary, I was straddling my mafia husband Lucian, kissing him deeply. My fingers fumbled clumsily in my pocket, searching for the pregnancy test I had hidden there. I wanted to save the news of my unexpected pregnancy for the end of the evening. Lucian's righthand man, Marco, asked with a suggestive smile in Italian. "Done? Your new little canary, Sophia. How does she taste? " Lucian's mocking laughter vibrated through my chest, sending a chill down my spine. He replied also in Italian, his hand still caressing my waist. but his gaze was distant. "Like an unripe peach, fresh and tender. Just keep this between us. If my Donna finds out, I'm a dead man. "His men chuckled mawingly, raising their glasses and swearing their silence. The warmth in my blood turned to ice inch by inch. The one thing they didn't know was that my grandmother was from Sicily, so I understood every word. I forced myself to remain calm, keeping the perfect smile of a Donna fixed in place, but the hand holding my champagne flasser trembled. Instead of making a scene, I opened my phone, found the invitation I had received a few days ago for a private international medical research project, and tapped accept. In three days, I would completely disappear from Lucian's world.

My eyes began to sting. After leaving medical school, the only medical practice I got was patching Lucian up after his gunfights. As I thought of those nights, an unwanted memory surged up, hot and vivid. Back then, after every dangerous night, Lucian would come back to me covered in blood and bruises. I would carefully tend to his wounds on our bed. But his eyes always darkened with hunger. He'd growl my name like a prayer and a threat, pulling me on top of him despite his injuries. He pulled me close, his hands resting lightly on my back, our foreheads touching as we kissed softly. He moved beneath me with powerful, possessive rolls of his hips. Each motion slow yet intense, drawing desperate moans from my throat. I clung to his shoulders, nails digging into his skin as waves of overwhelming pleasure crashed through me again and again. His mouth never left my neck, sucking and biting, marking me as his while I trembled violently in his arms, gasping his name like I was drowning. He would take me for hours, tireless and insatiable until I was limp and sobbing with ecstasy, my body marked by his passion. In those moments, I truly believed he loved me more than anything. The memory now only filled me with nausea.

Yesterday, I had snuck into his study to leave the anniversary gift I'd prepared for him. It was a restricted area, a place that held many of the Marino family's secrets, a place even I rarely had the chance to enter. But this time, I smelled my sister Sofia's unique perfume there, that cheap clink he sent to the leather sofa, clung to his suit jacket and lingered in the air. The moment I walked out of that study, I knew my marriage to Lucian was over. A sudden vibration from my phone broke my train of thought. Elena, I saw on the system that you accepted the project offer. You gave up your career for Marino all those years ago. I'm so happy to see you're coming back. Send someone to pick you up in three days. You can spend these next few days saying goodbye to your family. At the word family, my knuckles whitened as I gripped my phone. Ever since my parents were killed in a blood feed five years ago, Lucian was the only family I had left. But now that he had betrayed me, he was no longer my family. Professor, that won't be necessary. Please apply for the highest level of security clearance on my behalf and erase all public records of me. My mentor's voice, full of surprise. came through the phone. Why? Once those records are erased, Elena Ada Vatardi will have completely vanished from the face of the earth. Lucian will go insane when he can't. I laughed bitterly. he won't. he betrayed me.

Noticing I hadn't touched the blood orange he'd peeled for me, Lucian gently wiped a smudge of wine from the corner of my mouth with his thumb. Baby, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well? Looking at the deep affection in his eyes, all I felt was disgust. One moment he was discussing my sister's body with his men, and the next he was the perfect husband, deeply in love with his wife. I wondered how long he could keep up this masterful performance. It's nothing, I was just wondering, what were you all talking about just now? Lucian casually pinched my cheek. letting out a dotting chuckle. We were discussing an arms deal. I know you don't like hearing about that side of the business. so we used Italian. He must have been so lost in his debaucheries lately that he'd forgotten my grandmother was Sicilian and that I've understood Italian since I was a child. The smoke and liquor in the air suddenly felt suffocating. I pushed him away. Please, carry on. I'm going to get some fresh air without waiting for Lucian's reply. I walked straight to the estate's terrace as I passed Cast Envy. as my look at truly blessed. The Don throws such a grand party for it for her every year. Yes, the queen of the Marino family. What an enviable position! Hearing such praise used to make me feel proud and happy. I believed I had found the best husband in the world. But now, I only felt the irony, my heart a frozen lake. No one knew the filthy games Lucian, the man who supposedly loved me to death, played behind my back.

I had lost myself and gained nothing in return. My mentor fell silent. After a long moment. he sighed. I thought it was strange when you suddenly accepted the offer yesterday. I never imagined All right, I'll arrange the highest level of security clearance for you. Just get your affairs in order these next three. Hearing my mentor agree, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. The security protocol meant I no longer had to rack my brain for a way to leave Lucian. Thank you, Professor. Just as the words left my mouth, a familiar deep voice sounded from behind me. making me jump. Darling, who did you say was betrayed? I turned to meet Lucian's dark green eyes, which had sharpened with suspicion, and put on my usual gentle smile. Oh, I was just chatting with a friend about one of the West Coast families. The Don betrayed his wife, and now she's filing for divorce and a share of the assets. If he loved acting so much, I would play along. Lucian's gaze was sharp as he scanned my face, searching for any telltale microexpression. Only after confirming there was nothing amiss did his tense shoulders slowly relax. His large, scarred hand slid down my waist as he placed a light kiss on my temple. What an idiot! To betray your woman is to betray your own throne, my queen. That kind of thing will never happen in our family.

I stared into his eyes, as deep as an abyss, and smiled softly. But what if it did happen? For example. Elemona, there is no 'what. if'. Lucian cut me off immediately. I, Lucian Marino, swear on the honor and bloodline of the Marino family, I will never betray you. Of course, I was just speaking hypothetically. Lucian fell silent for a moment, then gently rubbed his slightly rough jaw against my cheek. It was strange. While carrying on an affair with my sister, he also displayed an intense, suffocating possessiveness towards me. As his body pressed close, a heated memory suddenly flooded my mind. That night years ago, Lucy and Martin had pinned me the silk sheets, his breath scorching hot against my neck. His large hands roamed greedily over my body, stroking every curve as if he wanted to memorize me. Nora, he growled low and hungry, his lips devouring my skin, sucking and biting until I trembled uncontrollably. Our bodies moved together in a fierce, passionate rhythm, deep, powerful, and relentless. Skin slid against sweatslick skin, my soft moans mixing with his deep groans as waves of overwhelming pleasure crashed through me again and again. I clung to him desperately, nails digging into his back while my body arched and shook violently in ecstasy. He held me tight until he too sheared powerfully against me, earning a look. The memory now tasted like poison.