Chapter 41 "Betrayer in the Shadows"

**Damon **

*I grabbed the whisky bottle and poured myself a glass. *I needed to distract myself from all of this, from thinking about Elena, from feeling angry, disappointed – from everything, really. I couldn't believe what she had done; it was all just a huge game to her.

It was hard to pretend to be accustomed to disappointment. After all, no one was used to it. Although, in my life, disappointment seemed to be the recurring theme. A boy who lost his parents, who had to deal with loneliness, and on top of that, growing up and assuming the burden of the mafia legacy – it was an immense weight to carry.

I was about to head home when my uncle came down the stairs, saying he needed to talk to me. I wasn't sure if he was triumphing over my disappointment with her or whatever it was. Probably yes, considering that ever since he met Elena, for some reason, he didn't like her. But then again, he didn't really like anyone.

But anyway, right from the beginning, he warned me that this contract marriage was a mistake. I don't know why, but okay, that didn't matter now at all. I was only concerned about what Elena had done. It's funny to remember our wedding vows promising loyalty, but I recall that everything was fake. Even the wedding itself. So how could I demand loyalty from her? Especially when it was clear that she never loved me.

"I need to talk to you, Damon," he approached me.

"Just say it, uncle. What's going on?" I asked, taking a sip of whisky.

I wasn't in the mood to listen to anything he had to say. But I let him talk, hoping that maybe he'd leave me alone so I could go to my damn house.

I checked my phone to see if there were any more missed calls or messages from her. None. She had given up on reaching out. All that questioning about her, only to discover in the end that I was right. Disappointing, Elena.

"Why do you still care about her, you idiot?" I thought to myself.

My uncle sat down in the armchair in his office. He seemed to want to discuss something serious.

"I don't want to hurt you, dear nephew. But remember the fraud gang that caused trouble at the clinic?"

"Yes. How could I forget? What about it?"

"I found out they've been in contact with your wife all along. Yes, she's a traitor."

He walked over to the computer and retrieved transaction records between the fraud gang and Elena's clinic. As he handed me those papers, I crumbled. I couldn't see anything in front of me anymore; anger consumed me. She was a damn traitor if she was doing this to me.

But why was her life in danger? Elena almost died. If she's involved in all this, why was her life at risk? Everything was so confusing; I couldn't make sense of it anymore.

"How did you find this out?" I asked.

"I have my ways. Unlike you, I check everything, Damon."

I simply couldn't believe this. It was incredibly difficult, I won't lie.

I got into my car, started the engine, and raced towards home. I was speeding at a hundred miles per hour; I didn't care about anything else. All I felt was anger, and more anger in that moment. I didn't know if I'd find her at home, or if by now she had already run away from me. I would find her even in hell.

I arrived at the mansion, and I opened the door. I was devastated, my heart was hurting intensely. Like it had never hurt before – well, except for that one time when I lost my parents.

I went upstairs to the room, and silence reigned. I opened the door cautiously, she was sleeping. I observed her; she looked like an angel, eerily reminiscent of my mother – innocent, naive, kind.

I was torn and anguished, unsure whether to believe that Elena was capable of all this. But in the end, hate consumed me; I lost my reason.

"Wake up, damn it," I said, raising my voice.

She woke up, confused. She was still naked; only a sheet covered her. She probably hadn't had the time or courage to put on clothes.

"Damon, you need to explain what's going on," she spoke, her eyes brimming with tears.

"And you don't know, Elena? How cunning you are, damn it," I said, putting my hands on my head. "Put some clothes on, please."

She put on a white robe. What the hell, she was beautiful. This only fueled my anger even more.

"What are you going to do to me?"

"I don't know. I found out that you betrayed me, Elena. That coin in your purse belonged to my parents. How could you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Damon," she cried. "I swear, I swear. Please."

"I wanted so badly to believe you, damn it. So badly. But you're a liar, Elena," I said, pointing my finger at her.

I grabbed her arm and led her to my office. I couldn't stay in these rooms and be reminded of these damn memories, of us loving each other in this bed. How much that hurt.

It felt like a knife had been plunged into my heart.

I was going to mentally torture Elena until she told me everything that had happened.

I took a chair and placed it facing another. I told her to sit down. I couldn't even look at her. I put my gun nearby. I wouldn't hurt her physically; I couldn't physically hurt her. But I had to do something to make her tell me the truth.

"Let's have a chat."

"Damon, we... made love. Doesn't that mean anything?" she said, sobbing. "I thought we liked each other, that we were getting along. Damn it, we loved each other in that room."

"None of that matters anymore, Elena. You betrayed me, and you betrayed my trust. A mafia doesn't forgive."

I was going to mentally torture Elena until she told me the truth. I needed the truth. Only then would I find peace. Or maybe not even then.

"You're going to tell me what happened. What do you have to do with that coin? How did you get it? And what's your objective with me?"

— Damon. I've told you, I've never seen that damn coin in my life.

— Stop lying, damn it!! — I shouted.

— You're hurting me so much, Damon. I've already said I didn't do anything. Someone set me up, can't you see, are you blind?

— To make matters worse, I found out that you're involved with those scammers from the clinic. What do you have to say about that? You lied about that too.

— Damn it. — she yelled. — I've told you I didn't do anything, damn it. You're an idiot. I don't know how I could ever like you. I don't know how.

She cried. I couldn't stand seeing her cry. But she didn't want to tell me the truth, and it would be worse.

— If you don't tell me the truth, I'll threaten everyone at the clinic.

— Threaten whoever you want, Damon. You'll have innocent blood on your hands. I can't confess to something I didn't do. I thought you trusted me. But I see now that you're selfish. That you only think about yourself.

— Since you won't tell me the truth, stay there. Damn it.

I left the office and locked her inside. My world was crumbling. Her words seemed so sincere. I felt sorry for leaving her locked in there; my heart was torn. Even though I wasn't physically hurting her. I wanted to hurt her with words.

Today was supposed to be a perfect day. Our first time together. But everything went wrong. And those papers my uncle showed me, the coin. Everything.

I was going to leave Elena locked in there a bit longer; it was the only way I knew how to torture her without hurting her. If it were someone else, I would've shot them three times in the face without even asking for explanations. My fuse is short; I don't have time for forgiveness. But I simply couldn't hit her, shoot her, or whatever. I had become an idiot.

Love is only good when it's reciprocated; otherwise, love destroys you. It makes you weak, it takes away control. Just like it's happening to me.

I really think I rushed into marrying her. I let myself be swayed by that innocent face, the appearance that reminded me of my mother. And now, I don't know what to do to get her out of my thoughts.

———

Leonardo narrating. (Damon's uncle)

Of course, those documents I handed over to Damon were fabricated. I felt victorious. Oh, poor my nephew, devastated and heartbroken. Now that I managed to ruin their marriage, I was happy. This ragazza wouldn't be a problem on my path anymore.

I asked that imbecile who works with her to forge this for me. Only then would Damon believe me. The way he was blinded by that skirt.

From the way he reacted, it seems he believed what I showed and said. I hope so, because my plans need to work.

After he went home, I heard a celebratory Italian song.

Life has never been so beautiful.