THE MAFIA KING DISCARDED WIFE

Sophia Black stood beneath a crystal chandelier, watching her husband enter the ballroom with another woman on his arm. Adrian Black. The most feared mafia king in Europe. A man whose enemies trembled at the sound of his name and whose orders were rarely questioned. And the man Sophia had loved for three years. She wore a beautiful black gown, a diamond necklace resting against her collarbone. She had spent hours preparing for the evening, hoping that tonight Adrian might finally treat her like the wife he once promised to cherish. For weeks, he had barely spoken to her. He came home late, avoided her questions, and looked at her as though she were a stranger. Still, she had hoped. Until she saw Isabella Moretti holding his arm. Isabella was beautiful, wealthy, and the daughter of a powerful family. Adrian had always described her as a business associate. Apparently, business associates received a different kind of attention. Sophia's smile faded. Adrian noticed her across the ballroom, but instead of approaching her, he turned toward the guests and raised his glass. "May I have your attention?" The orchestra stopped. "I have an announcement concerning my marriage." Sophia's heart raced. Perhaps he was finally going to explain his behaviour. Perhaps— "My marriage to Sophia Black is over." The words struck her like a slap. Whispers erupted throughout the ballroom. Adrian continued coldly. "My lawyers will begin the divorce proceedings tomorrow. Sophia will leave the Black estate tonight." Sophia stared at him in disbelief. "Adrian, what are you doing?" He looked at her without emotion. "Ending a mistake." A few guests exchanged startled glances. Sophia approached him, desperately trying to hold back her tears. "Please don't do this here. Whatever has happened between us, we can discuss it privately." "There is nothing left to discuss." "Then tell me the truth. Is there another woman?" Adrian hesitated. It was only a moment, but she noticed. Isabella stepped closer to him. "Adrian has made his decision," she said. "You should accept it with dignity." Sophia looked at the woman, then at her husband. He didn't defend her. He didn't even ask Isabella to be quiet. Instead, he announced that Sophia's household accounts would be suspended and her belongings delivered wherever she chose to stay. Three years of marriage reduced to a list of arrangements. Sophia slowly removed her wedding ring. "Do you remember what you promised me on our wedding day?" she asked. Adrian said nothing. "You promised that nobody would ever make me feel worthless while I was your wife." She placed the ring on the table. "Congratulations, Adrian. You've managed to do it yourself." For the first time, something flickered in his eyes. But Sophia refused to search for meaning in it. She turned and walked toward the exit. Behind her, Isabella whispered, "Do you think she'll survive without your money?" Adrian answered, "She has nowhere to go." Sophia heard every word. And something inside her finally broke. She left without looking back. Outside, the night air was cold. Sophia stood beneath the mansion's stone entrance, struggling to breathe normally. She had nowhere prepared to go, and the thought of returning to the home she had just been expelled from made her feel sick. Then her phone vibrated. An unknown number. UNKNOWN: Leave the Black estate before midnight. She frowned. SOPHIA: Who is this? The reply arrived immediately. UNKNOWN: Someone who knows the truth about your father's death. Sophia froze. Her father had died fifteen years earlier in what her mother had always described as a tragic car accident. But three nights ago, Sophia had discovered an old photograph hidden inside one of his notebooks. Her father stood beside Adrian's father and a much younger Adrian. On the back was a date. November 17. She had intended to ask Adrian about it. Now she wondered whether the photograph was the reason he had become so distant. Another message appeared. UNKNOWN: Your father wasn't killed in an accident. Sophia's fingers trembled. Before she could reply, Daniel Voss, one of the Black family's senior security officers, approached her. "Mrs. Black, Mr. Black wants you inside." Sophia gave a bitter laugh. "Your employer just announced that I'm no longer his wife." "Please. You're in danger." "Does Adrian know?" Daniel hesitated. That was answer enough. Before Sophia could question him further, the mansion doors opened. Adrian strode toward them. His gaze immediately fell on her phone. "Who contacted you?" Sophia stepped back. "Why? What are you afraid I'll discover?" "Where did you find the photograph?" Her heart stopped. She hadn't mentioned the photograph. "How do you know about it?" Adrian's jaw tightened. "Give it to me." "No." "Sophia, listen to me. Your life is in danger." She stared at him. "You humiliated me in front of hundreds of people, threw me out of your home, and now you expect me to trust you?" "I don't have time to explain everything." "Then make time!" For a moment, they stood in silence. Then Sophia asked, "Was my father's death really an accident?" Adrian's expression changed. "No." Her knees nearly buckled. "What do you mean?" "Your father was murdered." Sophia stared at him, horrified. "You knew?" "I know enough to tell you that the people responsible will kill anyone who gets too close to the truth." "Then why didn't you tell me?" Adrian glanced toward the gates. "Because I was trying to protect you." Sophia shook her head. "By lying to me?" She turned toward the driveway. Adrian caught her wrist, but released it when she pulled away. "If you leave this estate alone tonight, you may not survive." Sophia looked directly into his eyes. "Then you should have thought about that before you made me your enemy." She walked toward the waiting car. A gunshot shattered the night. The passenger window exploded. Daniel shouted, and Adrian lunged toward Sophia, pulling her behind a stone pillar as another shot rang out. For several terrifying seconds, Sophia could hear nothing but gunfire and the pounding of her heart. Then silence fell. Guards rushed through the gates. One returned moments later. "Sir, we found the shooter." "Alive?" Adrian demanded. "No, sir." Adrian's expression turned cold. "Find out who sent him." Sophia looked at the shattered car window. Her husband had just destroyed their marriage, yet he had shielded her from the bullets. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Her phone vibrated again. UNKNOWN: Now you understand why he had to discard you. Sophia slowly raised her eyes toward Adrian. Another message appeared. UNKNOWN: If you want to know who ordered your father's murder, ask your husband what he did at seventeen. Adrian saw the screen. His face went pale. "Adrian," Sophia whispered. "What happened when you were seventeen?" He said nothing. For the first time, the most feared man in Europe looked genuinely afraid. And Sophia realised that the man who had discarded her might be hiding a secret capable of destroying them both.