A Decade as a Replacement, I End It Here

Vittoria has been the secret, unofficial lover of Cassian—a powerful mafia boss—for a decade; by day, she serves as his lowly assistant, while by night, she surrenders her body and youth to him. She fell for him out of a sense of indebtedness after he rescued her from sexual assault when she was eighteen, yet his heart belongs solely to his "ideal love," Serephina. Just as Vittoria grapples with whether to reveal her unexpected pregnancy, Cassian orders her to arrange Serephina’s return to the country and declares—to her face—that he would "never accept an illegitimate child," forcing her to swallow the truth. At a charity gala, Serephina—now back in the country—feigns friendliness, only for both women to be kidnapped. Upon learning of their disappearance, Cassian rushes alone to a rival gang's abandoned casino, where he is confronted with a deadly ultimatum: "Two beauties—you can only take one." Repeatedly ignored, ruthlessly cast aside, and ultimately devastated by the loss of her unborn child, Vittoria leaves with a deadened heart—a departure he coldly accepts. Yet, three months later, their paths cross unexpectedly at a maternity hospital. Serephina publicly picks up Vittoria’s medical report and mocks her for trying to use the pregnancy to latch onto a wealthy mafia family; Vittoria, however, claims the child’s father is someone else entirely... A massive emotional maelstrom, fueled by conspiracy, is poised to engulf them all... Just as she falls out of love, he discovers he is sinking deep into the quagmire of love himself...