Chapter Four

Iris's POV

A Donna's passport stayed locked in the family vault, and the rules said it couldn't come out unless the Don signed off on it himself.

When Adrian's right-hand man took my request, I could see him hesitate.

I understood why he was in a tough spot.

Last year, a jewelry show in Paris had invited me to show my work there. Bianca made an offhand comment at dinner that people would say the only reason I'd made a name for myself was because I'd married a Vitale.

The next day, Adrian turned them down for me. He didn't even ask me first.

Now I wanted my passport so I could leave the country. No wonder he didn't want to make that call himself.

He sat on that piece of paper for most of the day. It wasn't until early evening that he worked up the nerve to go to the study.

Bianca was the only one there.

She and Adrian were going out to dinner that night. Adrian was in the inner room changing his shirt, and she was draped over the arm of the couch, telling him to hurry up.

As soon as he explained why he'd come, Bianca's eyes lit up.

"Hang on. I'll go ask him for you."

She went into the inner room and came out less than thirty seconds later, sounding cheerful.

"He says it's fine. Go ahead and give it to her."

He didn't think twice. He brought my papers to my studio that same night.

I'd been ready for Adrian to block me. I'd even figured out how I was going to work around him.

I never thought it would go this smoothly.

Good. At least nothing would get in the way of Paris now.

I'd just put the passport in my bag when my phone lit up. It was a text from Adrian.

"Having dinner with Bianca. Won't be home tonight."

He didn't ask if I'd eaten. He didn't ask if I wanted to come.

The text was so calm, like last night's fight and this morning's sapphire had never happened.

I turned my phone face down on the desk and started packing up my studio.

A year's worth of design sketches, a few tools I'd gotten used to, a box of small diamonds I hadn't set yet. It all fit into two cardboard boxes.

I carried them downstairs. The driver was standing next to the car, wringing his hands, looking uncomfortable.

"Sorry, Donna. I can't drive you anywhere without the Boss's say-so."

I nodded and didn't give him a hard time about it. I carried the boxes out the front gate of the estate myself.

Behind me, the staff and the bodyguards huddled together, whispering.

I didn't have to turn around to know what they were saying. Something about the Donna getting kicked out, probably.

I'd stopped caring a long time ago.

In the year since I'd married into this family, I'd never once set foot in the study.

He said women had no business in family matters. But when Bianca wanted to sit in on a meeting with the capos, all she had to do was pull up a chair.

At family dinners, I sat across from him. Bianca sat right next to him.

Those rules had only ever been there to keep me in line.

The cab hadn't gone far when we passed an Italian restaurant the family owned.

Through the big front windows, I spotted them right away.

Adrian and Bianca were sitting side by side at a table by the window. He was bent over her plate, cutting her steak into small pieces.

Whenever he and I went out to eat, he sat across from me.

Once, I picked up my plate to move next to him, and he stopped me. He told me not to bother, that he wasn't comfortable with it.

So it wasn't that he wasn't comfortable sitting next to people. He just wasn't comfortable sitting next to me.

I looked away and told the driver to take me straight to the hotel.

For the next two days, I didn't go back to the estate.

By the third day, I only had one thing left to do.

The guest list and seating chart for the family's anniversary gala had always been the Donna's job. I put them together and brought them to the study.

Adrian leaned back in his chair and watched me with a faint smirk. He didn't say a word.

I knew he was waiting for me to give in first.

I set the folder on his desk and turned to leave.

That was when he finally ran out of patience.

"How long are you planning to keep this up?"

He said it like he was scolding a kid who wouldn't behave.

I didn't turn around. I just answered like it was nothing.

"I don't know."

I could hear his breathing get heavier behind me. He let out a harsh laugh.

"Guess I've been way too easy on you. Fine. Let's see how many days you last out there without me."

I didn't answer. I opened the door and walked out.

I'd just made it out the front gate when a notification from the airline popped up on my phone. Check-in was open for tomorrow's flight.

I looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful, sunny day.

This is where it ends, Adrian. From now on, you and your Bianca can live however you want.

On Friday afternoon, Adrian's right-hand man knocked on the study door.

"Boss, the royal blue you had us track down through the family's contacts in Mandalay two weeks ago just came in. Do you want to take a look now?"