The Price of His Mercy

In the seventh year of our marriage, Rhett once again gave something of mine to Lauren without asking my permission. By the time I found out, she was already wearing the brooch my mother had left me at a family gala. I went straight to the study. "Why did you take my things?" Rhett glanced up at me, then rose from his chair and walked over. He slipped an arm around my waist. "She's only borrowing it, Nancy. I know how generous you are. Surely you can let this go. "Lauren has only just taken over the South District, and the old guard are watching her every move. Your mother commanded a great deal of respect within the family. Wearing that brooch might at least make those old men think twice before giving Lauren a hard time. "Besides, her father sacrificed so much for this family. I have a responsibility to help her get back on her feet." There it was again. The same excuse Rhett had used for years whenever he wanted me to give in where Lauren was concerned. At family dinners, he had pressured me to give up my seat at the head of the table. At work, he had handed my resources to her piece by piece. He had even let Lauren come and go as she pleased in the old house my mother had left me. This time, though, I was done putting up with it. Without another word, I walked out of the study and called my assistant. "Book me a flight. I'm leaving in three days." Chapter 1 As usual, I called out to my second-in-command, Matthew. "Take six men to East Pier and recount last night's shipment. I want the results before this afternoon." I lowered my head and opened the ledger, but before I could begin, I heard Matthew mumbling behind me. I frowned and looked up. He was still standing there, looking uncomfortable. "Donna, I..." "What is it?" He opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking as though he did not know how to break the news. Just then, a voice rang out nearby. "Matthew." Lauren came down the steps, and Matthew immediately turned and hurried over to her. "Miss Lauren." The ledger in my hands slowly closed. Lauren walked up to me with a smug smile. "Donna, haven't you heard? The Boss transferred the entire Guardia to me this morning." I looked at Matthew. He immediately lowered his head in shame, unable to meet my eyes. Lauren's smile widened as she put on an apologetic expression. "I didn't want to take your men away from you, but the Boss said I needed a well-trained team now that I'd taken over the South District. "Oh, and one more thing. The transfer order has no expiration date, so I'm afraid they'll be mine indefinitely." With that, she turned and gave her orders. "Matthew, we leave in ten minutes." "Yes, Miss Lauren." Matthew quickly led the men to their vehicles. I had personally selected and trained this team. I had commanded them for six years. Now, with a single word from Lauren, every last one of them was leaving at her command. Lauren had already taken a few steps away when she suddenly stopped. She glanced over her shoulder at something behind me, then turned and came back. "Donna," she said, lowering her voice. "Honestly, you don't need to be so upset. "If the Boss wants to give them to me, there's nothing you can do to stop him. I know you aren't really upset about losing the team. It's because..." She smiled sweetly. "Because the Boss is willing to give me everything." I stared at her calmly, my chest rising and falling so violently that I felt as though I might explode. She smiled again. "Just like that brooch. If I don't agree to give it back, do you really think you can get it from me?" Furious, I raised my hand and pointed at her. Lauren seized the opportunity to stumble backward and collapse onto the ground. Her long hair spilled across her face, hiding the smirk tugging at her lips. A car door slammed behind me. I whipped around and saw that Rhett had arrived without my noticing. He walked over from his car, his gaze landing first on Lauren sprawled on the ground. His expression darkened instantly. "What happened?" Lauren covered her face without saying a word. Her eyes reddened as she shook her head. The underboss standing beside Rhett immediately stepped forward to help her up. Lauren looked at me with wounded eyes. "I'm fine. Donna is just in a bad mood." I clenched my fists and glared at the tall, broad-shouldered man standing before me, my own eyes burning with unshed tears. Rhett rubbed his forehead irritably. "Is this all because of the Guardia?" The corners of my mouth curled into a bitter smile. Even Lauren knew why I was hurt and angry, yet Rhett thought I was simply upset about losing my men. I stood my ground and refused to back down. Rhett's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. The next second, he scooped me up and half carried, half dragged me toward the car. My head spun, and before I could regain my balance, he shoved me into the back seat. I was still reeling when Rhett's icy voice crashed down on me. "Nancy, what the hell is wrong with you? You never used to act like this!" "Never used to? She needed men, and I gave them to her. She needed a place, and I made room for her. You said her father sacrificed his life for the family and that we owed it to her to look after her. I accepted that too. However, Rhett, I'm done giving things up for her." Rhett still did not seem to understand. Instead, he stubbornly defended his decision to transfer the Guardia. "Lauren just took over the South District. She has no one she can rely on, and those old-timers won't respect her. I gave her a capable team. What's wrong with that?" I looked at him in despair. "I don't care about the Guardia! I never cared about what you gave her. What hurts is that you keep going behind my back and giving my things to another woman!" His expression slowly hardened. "The Guardia belongs to the Wilson Family. As Don, I had the right to decide how they were deployed. Besides, you're my wife. Do you really have to twist this into something so ugly?" A wave of helplessness washed over me. I had nothing left to say. I turned my head away in anger, silently making my refusal to give in perfectly clear. Rhett stared at me for a long moment. Then he pressed my head against his chest. "Come on, be good." I tried to pull away, but his arms tightened around me. "You've been far too emotional these past two days. You're going home first." Half an hour later, I was back at the estate. However, instead of taking me upstairs, Rhett led me down to the basement. The place was dark and damp. The bedding reeked of mold from years of disuse, and there was not even a window. I immediately understood what he intended to do. I stared at him in disbelief. "You're grounding me?" "I'm just giving you one night to calm down." "For Lauren?" A flicker of irritation crossed Rhett's eyes. He stepped closer and cupped my face in his hands. "Why do you keep bringing her into this? Don't you know who I love?" With that, he leaned down to kiss me. I turned my face away, and his lips brushed my cheek instead. Rhett paused, his expression growing even darker. "Nancy." My eyes burned, but I no longer argued with him. He studied me for a moment before finally lowering his head and kissing my forehead. "Think about what you've done. I'll come get you tomorrow." The door closed behind him. A moment later, I heard the lock slide into place, leaving me alone in the cold, desolate room. Three years ago, I had been shot at the port. The bullet had only grazed my shoulder, yet Rhett had spent the entire night smoking outside the operating room. When I woke up the next morning, he was holding my hand and repeatedly asking the doctor whether I would be all right. The doctor assured him I would recover, but Rhett kept pressing him, demanding to know whether I might suffer any lasting effects. When the nurse changed my dressing, I frowned from the pain. Rhett immediately waved a hand and ordered an entirely new team of nurses to take over. Back then, I truly believed this man could not bear to see me suffer even the slightest injustice. A series of squeaks suddenly came from the corner. Goose bumps broke out across my skin, and I scrambled to curl up at the foot of the bed. My phone vibrated. A message from my assistant appeared on the screen. [Donna, the divorce papers are ready. The first batch of transfers for the personal assets you asked us to handle can be completed tomorrow afternoon.] I replied with a simple "Okay," then rubbed my palm, damp with cold sweat, against the bedding. After that, I carefully checked my departure arrangements one more time before I finally managed to steady myself. In two days, I would leave this place for good. Chapter 2 Rhett stood outside the door, holding a gift box. "Come out and eat." I had barely slept all night. When I heard his voice, I did not even bother looking up. He walked in and placed the box on the bed. Inside was a long black dress. "The anniversary banquet is tonight. Representatives from every district will be there. Come with me." I lowered my head and continued flipping through my book. "What about Lauren?" "Of course she's coming too. We'll make a public appearance together to show our support for her." My fingers froze between the pages. Lauren again. Rhett walked over and took the book from my hands. "Still angry?" I raised my eyes to meet his. "You locked me up all night yesterday. Was that supposed to make me feel better?" "You were acting like that yesterday. What else was I supposed to do? Let you run around freely?" He said it as though his decision had been perfectly reasonable. The next second, he bent down and wrapped his arms around me. "All right. I'll make it up to you when we get back tonight." I did not respond. Rhett lowered his head and kissed the corner of my mouth, just as he always did after one of our arguments. He probably believed that as long as he held me and kissed me, everything would go back to normal. Keeping my expression stern, I said, "What if I simply refuse to go?" Rhett paused. "All right, be good. Once this is over, I'll get your mother's brooch back for you." He gently stroked my cheek, his voice still warm and tender. By evening, I had changed into the black dress after all. The anniversary banquet was being held at the Wilson Family's old estate. When I entered with my arm linked through Rhett's, the hall was already packed. "Boss." "Donna." People rose to greet us as we passed. Rhett rested a hand against the small of my back and guided me all the way to the head table. As we passed the South District's section, I spotted the Guardia. All 24 men were standing behind Lauren. They had served under me for six years. No matter how chaotic a situation became, all it had ever taken was a glance from me for them to know what to do next. Now, when they saw me, all they could do was bow their heads in accordance with family protocol. "Donna." Then they returned to their positions behind Lauren, who wore a smug smile. The banquet had barely begun when a commotion broke out at the South District's table. A Capo nearing 60 set his wineglass down. Lauren had only recently taken over the South District, and tonight was her first official appearance at a family banquet as its leader. Yet when she approached the South District's table with a glass of wine, the man did not even bother to stand. "When your father was alive, I respected him." The old man raised his eyes to look at her. "However, the South District isn't an inheritance that automatically belongs to whoever comes next. If you want me to take orders from you, you'll have to prove you're capable of leading." The hall fell silent. Lauren gripped her wineglass, her face paling. Rhett sat at the head of the table without showing any anger. He simply raised a hand and beckoned to Lauren. "Come here." Everyone froze in surprise. There were two seats beside Rhett, one on either side. According to Wilson Family tradition, Donna sat on his right, while the other seat was usually reserved for the heir. Rhett and I had been married for seven years, but we had never had children, so that seat had remained empty all this time. Tonight, however, Rhett signaled to a waiter in front of everyone and had him pull out the chair. "Sit here." The entire hall went utterly silent. For one brief second, Lauren hesitated. Then overwhelming delight flooded her eyes. This was practically a public declaration that Lauren stood on equal footing with Donna. As she walked over, she shot me a smug look and curled her lips into a smile, as if to say, "You held that seat for seven years. I can take it from you whenever I want." Once she sat down, a few people around the table exchanged knowing laughs. Several guests raised their wineglasses and looked Lauren over with newfound interest. Even the Capo who had refused to stand a moment earlier seemed to change his mind. Everyone understood what Rhett was telling them. Whether Lauren had earned her position was one question. The fact that he personally protected her was another. With her seated in that chair, no one could continue treating her as a little girl who had risen through the ranks solely on the strength of her dead father's reputation. Before long, the people who had been holding back began to rise one after another. "Miss Lauren." Wineglasses lifted around the room. Just like that, Lauren had established her authority. I sat motionless beside Rhett, my fingers digging painfully into my palm beneath the table. On the drive home, I remained silent. The luxurious interior of the car felt suffocatingly tense. Rhett studied my profile and sighed. Then he reached over and pulled me against him. "Nancy, about tonight... I didn't mean anything by it. I was just helping her save face." I looked at him for several seconds, my eyes red, before finally turning away. He probably thought he had managed to soothe me again. Satisfied, he kissed the top of my head. What he did not know was that in just one more day, I would disappear without a trace. Chapter 3 I had just changed out of my formal gown when the butler knocked on my door. "Boss, something has happened to Miss Lauren!" Her car had gone out of control on the way back to the South District and crashed into a guardrail. Fortunately, she had escaped serious injury, though shattered glass had cut her arm. Rhett hurried downstairs at once. Several items recovered from the accident scene had been laid out in the middle of the foyer. Among them was a silver access token that I recognized immediately. It had only ever been used by the Guardia. Matthew stood nearby. "This token was issued exclusively to our Guardia. Miss Lauren changed her route at the last minute tonight, and the only people who knew her whereabouts were members of our team." Rhett's expression darkened. "What about the car?" "The brake lines were tampered with." Just then, Lauren walked in from outside, her arm wrapped in bandages. "Boss!" Her face was pale, and she spoke urgently. "This definitely has nothing to do with Donna!" With that single sentence, she managed to turn everyone's attention toward me. Rhett walked over to her. "The doctor told you to rest. What are you doing out here?" "I was afraid you might misunderstand Donna." Her eyes reddened. "After all, the Guardia served under Donna for so many years. Now that they've suddenly been transferred to me, it's only natural that some of them might need time to adjust." My hands clenched into fists. "What exactly are you trying to say?" Lauren immediately shook her head. "I'm not saying Donna ordered them to do anything. I just think someone might be trying to stand up for her..." After hearing that, Rhett actually turned to look at me with suspicion. He ordered someone to escort Lauren back to her room. Only after the foyer had emptied, leaving only our own people behind, did he approach me. "You argued with me about the Guardia last night, and today Lauren's car was involved in an accident." I stared at him. "So?" "Lauren's theory isn't unreasonable," he said calmly. A bitter laugh escaped me. "Rhett, are you actually suspecting me because of something Lauren said?" His brows drew together. "I'm just trying to get to the bottom of this." "Then do it." I turned to leave. "Nancy." Rhett's voice stopped me. "Until this matter is resolved, I'm suspending you from all family business operations." I slowly turned around. "What did you just say?" "All orders issued under Donna's name must receive my approval for the time being." He avoided my gaze. "It'll only be a few days. Once the investigation is complete, I'll restore your authority." My chest tightened painfully. I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing. "You already believe her." "I don't." He sounded almost defensive. "Then why are you taking away my authority?" Rhett's expression hardened as well. "Because someone nearly died! Lauren's father already gave his life for the Wilson Family. I won't let her die under suspicious circumstances on my territory too." There it was again. I looked at him as wave after wave of helplessness washed over me. This time, I did not argue. Rhett probably thought I had finally accepted his decision. He stroked my hair, his voice softening. "Get some sleep tonight. I'll finish the investigation tomorrow and come see you myself." I closed my eyes. After a long silence, I managed a single word. "Fine." Rhett lowered his head and kissed me. "That's my good girl." After Rhett left, my assistant delivered the final batch of documents to my study. The divorce papers were ready, and all my personal accounts had been separated from the family's finances. The properties I owned had also been withdrawn from the Wilson Family's shared interests. I read through the documents page by page, then signed my name. Outside the window, the world was pitch-black. I collapsed onto the bed. Only a few hours remained before I left Sicellia for good. Chapter 4 My phone rang. I glanced at the time before answering. "Donna, still awake at this hour?" Before I could reply, she added in a leisurely voice, "Waiting for the Boss? He's still here with me, you know." I leaned back in my chair, my expression unchanged. When I failed to react, the woman on the other end of the line began to lose patience. She let out a mocking laugh. "Actually, I've always found something rather strange. Everyone says the Boss loves you so much." She chuckled softly. "However, why is it that whenever he has to make a real choice, he always ends up choosing me? "The Guardia was one example. Your mother's brooch was another. "Now that something has happened to me, he's suspended your authority over family affairs before he's even finished investigating." She paused. "Donna, I honestly can't see how much he supposedly loves you." Her attempt to drive a wedge between Rhett and me was painfully obvious. She and Rhett had grown up together, and she had been in love with him for more than a decade. She had always believed I had stolen him from her. In her mind, if I were out of the picture, she and Rhett would finally be together. When she finished speaking, I let out a cold laugh and hung up. My suitcase lay open beside the bed. I had less to pack than I expected: a few photographs my parents had left behind, my essential documents, several books I often read, and a handgun for self-defense. As for the jewelry, gowns, and accessories Rhett had given me over the years, I left every last piece behind. At the very bottom of my vanity drawer sat the box containing my wedding ring. I sat there for a while, staring at it. Seven years ago, Rhett had slipped that ring onto my finger himself. Holding my hand in front of everyone, he had declared, "From this day forward, her orders carry the same authority as mine." Now, in that very same estate, I could not even issue a single order under Donna's name without his approval. I removed the ring and placed it back in its box. On the desk in my study, I laid out everything connected to the family, one item after another. At the very bottom lay the divorce papers. At five in the morning, the car my assistant had arranged pulled up to the back entrance right on time. The driver loaded my suitcase into the trunk. "Donna." I turned and glanced at the estate one last time. "Don't call me that anymore." He stared at me in surprise, but I was already getting into the car. At nine that morning, Rhett was still in the South District. His underboss, Felix, hurried into the room carrying a stack of documents. Rhett was listening to a report about the previous night's accident when Felix approached him. "Boss, all the personal accounts under Donna's name have been completely separated from the family's finances." Rhett looked up. "What?" "The paperwork was finalized this morning." Felix handed him the documents. "Her personal accounts have also been completely removed from the family financial system." Rhett slowed as he flipped through the papers. "When was this arranged?" "Three days ago." The room fell silent for a moment. Then Rhett suddenly looked up. "Where is Nancy now?" He pulled out his phone and called me. My number was switched off. Rhett shot to his feet. "Get the car ready." His underboss hurried after him. "Boss, what about Miss Lauren?" "Let the doctors look after her." The car sped all the way back to the estate. The moment Rhett arrived, he headed straight upstairs. "Nancy!" No one answered. He pushed open the bedroom door. The bed had been neatly made, and dozens of gowns still hung in the closet. Not a single piece of jewelry was missing from the vanity. He stood in the doorway for several seconds. Perhaps, even then, he still believed I had simply gone out. Then he walked into the study, only to stop short when he spotted Donna's seal lying on the desk. He walked over and picked it up. Beneath it were the keys and access cards that had once given me authority within the family. At the very bottom lay a document. [MARRIAGE DISSOLUTION AGREEMENT] His fingers stiffened, and the color drained from his face.