"Godfather Rowe, your wife is gone! She left the private hospital before dawn. There was a document on the nightstand. You need to see it immediately." The subordinate's voice crackled through the receiver, barely holding together.
Samuel's hand froze mid-pour. Wine sloshed over the rim of the glass and dripped onto the expensive velvet tablecloth, blooming into a dark crimson stain. "What document?" His voice could have frosted glass, though something taut lurked beneath the surface.
"It's... an annulment agreement, Godfather."
Six words. They detonated like a thunderclap inside his skull. His grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles bleached white, and he shot to his feet, his expression darkening like a sky about to split open. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He knew he'd gone too far this time, yes. But never, not once, had he imagined that Lois Simmons would dare use an annulment to defy him. To defy him, the undisputed godfather of Sicily's jewelry empire.
A flash of mockery darted through Selene's eyes, gone before it could be caught, replaced instantly by a mask of tender concern. She reached out, her delicate fingers catching the cuff of his tailored suit jacket, her voice dripping with sweetness. "Did something happen to Lois? Let me come with you to the hospital. Maybe I can talk to her, help smooth things over."
Samuel's mind was a storm. He gave a heavy nod, and the two of them left for the private hospital at once. Inside the Rolls-Royce, the air was suffocating. Selene watched his grim profile and extended her slender hand toward his chest, trying to soothe him. "Don't worry. Lois is just throwing a tantrum. She'll be fine."
But the moment her fingers brushed his suit, Samuel flinched. He turned sharply away, offering only a flat "Mm," his irritation unconcealed. It was the first time he had instinctively recoiled from her touch. The gentleness and indulgence he'd always shown her seemed to have evaporated in a single breath.
Selene's hand hung in the air, then withdrew. Her nails dug deep into her palm, leaving angry red crescents in the flesh. She had never imagined Samuel would treat her this way. Jealousy and unease churned inside her, and the moment he turned to stare out the window, she fired off a quick message. The reply came almost instantly: "Relax. Everything's been cleaned up. She won't make waves."