All Chapters of After She Walked Away, The Mafia Boss Regretted It: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Cesare stepped off the stage with that lazy, unhurried grace of his.Everyone watched him quietly, their eyes trailing his every movement.When he passed his secretary Clara's seat, he paused.He handed her the brown envelope. The resort voucher was inside. A half-smoked cigar dangled from the corner of his mouth.His smile held that lazy, almost indulgent warmth."Take it," he said.Clara's face lit up. Her pretty mouth curved into something surprised and delighted. She tried to look modest, but her hands were already reaching for the envelope, clutching it to her chest like he'd handed her a crown.She stood up immediately. Her voice carried through the room, bright and teasing."Thank you, Don Moretti! You're always thinking of me—I don't even know how to thank you!"She gave him an exaggerated, playful bow that made a few people chuckle. Then she straightened up, paused for effect, and shot him a sly look that seemed innocent on the surface but carried something sharper underneat

I went upstairs to pack. There was no point in staying any longer—that much I knew for sure.The room felt colder than usual, or maybe that was just me.There wasn't much to pack. I folded my clothes mechanically, one piece after another, and laid them flat inside. The room was quiet except for the soft rustle of fabric and my own shallow breathing. When I reached the back of the closet, my fingers brushed against a small velvet box hidden behind a pile of old sweaters. I pulled it out and opened it.Inside lay a silver bracelet with a single charm: a tiny, imperfect starfish. One of its arms was shorter than the others, and the edges were uneven, as if someone had filed them down by hand.This was the bracelet that Cesare had given me when he confessed his feelings. I could still remember him standing in my kitchen, sweating through his shirt, stuttering like a schoolboy who had forgotten how words worked.He had shoved the box into my hands and mumbled, "Adriana, I don't have much

I left the airport and went to the amusement park by myself.The place looked smaller than I remembered. The paint on the ticket booth was peeling, and the wind carried the smell of popcorn and rust. But I didn't come here for the rides. I came because I needed to feel something real.On our first date, Cesare had taken me to this amusement park. We ate too much cotton candy and almost got sick on the bumper cars. He wanted to win me a stuffed bear from a shooting game."You're awesome," I said, watching him knock down every target."I'm just good," he said, grinning. Then he handed me the bear. "For you. Now you have to keep it forever."We went on every ride that night. The Ferris wheel, the roller coaster, the spinning teacups. He held my hand the whole time, even when his palms got sweaty.We laughed until our stomachs hurt. Like any young couple in love, we were simple and happy.At the end of the night, he brought me to the carousel. It was his favorite. He said it reminded him

Cesare called Enzo's secretary and asked for their flight information. The woman gave him the runaround at first, but he kept calling back until she finally relented.On the morning that they were supposed to return, he woke up two hours earlier than usual.He stood under the hot spray of the shower for a long time, letting the water wake him up. After he dried off, he shaved carefully, running the blade over his jaw twice to make sure he hadn't missed a spot.He picked out a deep blue vintage suit from his closet. The cufflinks were made of silver and engraved with tiny osmanthus flowers. Adriana had given them to him for his birthday last year, and he had never worn them before.He had stopped at a florist on the way home yesterday and bought a dozen pink roses. They were her favorite because they smelled like honey and cloves, and she always said that pink reminded her of the sky just before sunrise.He had also picked out a wedding gift for Enzo and Bianca. It was a custom Beretta

The chance came later than Cesare had expected, and it came in a cruel way than he could have imagined.It was late autumn. The leaves had turned brown and fallen from the trees. The sky hung low and gray over the Vitale estate.Cesare parked across the street like he always did. He had just cut the engine when the iron gates groaned open.Adriana walked out.His hand was on the door before he knew what he was doing. He stepped out of the car and stood on the sidewalk, watching her.She had gained a little weight, and her face was softer now than he remembered. The sharp line of her jaw had gentled into something rounder, almost peaceful.The tiredness that used to live behind her eyes was completely gone. In its place was something bright and alive, something that made her look younger than she had in years.He had always known that Adriana was beautiful. From the first moment that he saw her at Dartmouth College, he had known that.But he had never seen her like this, radiant in a wa