The Don's Pet Breaks Free

I was the lowliest orphan in the Moretti family. Other women dreamed of becoming the Donna who ran the household and pulled the strings. Old Mary, the former Don's lover, taught me only two things: how to obey and how to stay alive. Once you've caught the eye of a powerful man, you give everything you have to please him. But the moment another woman shows up at his side, even if he only glances at her, you disappear. Immediately. I never understood why, but I followed those rules to the letter, always on edge, and so far, they had kept me safe. Then one day, Antonio Moretti, the youngest Don in the family's history, turned his attention to me. I used every trick Old Mary had taught me and tiptoed around him day after day, waiting on him hand and foot. To my surprise, cold, ruthless Antonio fell for it completely. He showered me with affection like no one else. Whenever he went somewhere dangerous, he always let me know beforehand so I wouldn't worry. He never left me wondering if something terrible had happened to him. Jealous women from the branch families tried everything to get close to him. He looked right through them and sent them packing on the spot. Everyone was sure this lowly pet of his would finally be named his Donna. Then, out of nowhere, a brilliant lawyer from an allied family appeared at Antonio's side. She held the key to legitimizing the family's businesses and was constantly at his side during negotiations. The first time Antonio left without telling me where he was going, the survival rules came rushing back to me. If I can't afford to cross her, I can at least stay out of her way. Chapter 1 I had just booked a ferry ticket to the Scottish Highlands and switched my phone to Do Not Disturb. At six in the morning, I heard the front door of the main house open. Without thinking, I put on the obedient smile I had practiced countless times and hurried to greet him. When I saw the woman leading the way, I stopped short. It was Isabella Rossi, the lawyer from the allied family. "Good morning, Ms. Rossi." I hid my feelings and helped Antonio out of his coat as smoothly as ever. "Ella, get Ms. Rossi a cup of coffee." I nodded, filled a cup at the machine, and handed it over. "Here you are, Ms. Rossi." Isabella didn't take it. She walked straight into the living room. "Antonio, I don't like coffee from a machine. Since we're going to be working together, could you have your little pet learn how to make pour-over?" Antonio sounded tired when he answered. "Ella, did you hear that? "Get a guest room ready for Isabella. She needs to get some rest." She looked me up and down, and humiliation burned through me. Everyone knew Antonio treated me like a priceless treasure, shielding me from the slightest harm. But her look seemed to mock me now. Some priceless work of art. Just a decoration that happened to breathe. And who was I kidding? Isabella was a brilliant business strategist Antonio had paid a fortune to recruit. The future of the family rested in her hands. How could a pet like me compare? I pushed the thought away and took the suit jacket he had shrugged off to be pressed. He had worn it yesterday, but now an unfamiliar perfume lingered on the collar. Isabella saw me stiffen and came over to explain. "Ella... right? I got dizzy at dinner last night and twisted my ankle. Antonio caught me. "If you're worried about it, you can check the security footage from the banquet hall." I swallowed my unease and shook my head. "Ms. Rossi, you work day and night for the family business. Of course the Don should look after you as his guest." Antonio looked at me in surprise. "I'm glad you understand. I thought you'd get upset and demand an explanation like you used to. "Ella, you've really grown up." I kept smiling. Grown up, my foot. I'm just done bending over backward for you. I was mentally making a packing list for Scotland when my foot slipped. "Ah... Antonio!" I cried out, instinctively turning to Antonio for comfort. Normally, Antonio would have scooped me up and checked me over. This time, his attention was elsewhere. He was absorbed in the documents Isabella held. He didn't look up until I had called his name several times. "Ella, what's wrong?" He started toward me, but Isabella caught his sleeve. "Antonio, we just heard from the board. There's an urgent legal matter we need to sort out. "Can we head back to your study and discuss it?" Antonio nodded and hurried off. "Be a good girl and wait here," he called over his shoulder. "I'll have someone bring you the newest diamond necklace later, all right?" Still sprawled on the floor, I mentally calculated how much the necklace was worth, then nodded obediently. The moment the door closed, I looked up and met Isabella's mocking eyes. Old Mary always said that when another woman appears at your master's side, you don't just run. You run as fast as you can. Chapter 2 I looked at the jewelry box Bruno, the butler, had delivered, then quietly got up off the floor. When I was little and living on the streets, I could fall and split my head open, scream myself hoarse, and no one would care. Now one slip earned me a diamond necklace worth a small fortune. I should have been happy. Another full day and night went by, and the business pages were full of stories about Antonio and Isabella. The two had joined forces to turn the Moretti family's dirty money into legitimate assets. A woman from one of the branch families called, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Ella, have you milked Antonio for enough gifts yet? "Take it from me. Men are all the same. And look at who Isabella is. A law school prodigy. How are women like us, who live off men, supposed to compete with that?" For a moment, I wanted to argue. We're all human. Why can't we measure up? But then I saw Antonio take Isabella to the family's annual gala. And the fight went out of me. Just a month ago, Antonio had sworn to me, "Ella, at this year's gala, I'm going to tell everyone you're my one and only." Old Mary had told me never to ask the master for a title as a reward. Even if he offered, I was supposed to play it cool and hold out for more. After all, money and protection were what really mattered. For the first time, I broke the rules. I blushed and said yes. I'd waited all day, only for Bruno to show up and take the couture gown from my closet. "Ms. Ella, something's come up with the Don. You won't need to go to the gala tonight." I didn't cry or make a scene. I even pressed the gown smooth before I let him take it. Then I stood and looked around the lavish suite. The safe was full of jewelry and cash Antonio had given me. I never used to understand why Old Mary had made that harsh rule. If the master looks twice at another woman, grab everything valuable and run. Never ask why. Not once. But now, I finally understood. Those rules were meant to keep us from getting carried away by the illusion of being loved, so we could walk away before we got in too deep. Antonio had spoiled me for two years, and I had begun to believe I was the exception. So much so that I had forgotten the most basic rule of being a pet. It's business, not love. I took a deep breath and did my best to push down the ache. I grabbed a duffel bag and began neatly sorting my jewelry into it. If this wasn't love, I was taking every cent of what I'd earned. I heard the door lock turn as I calmly tucked a stack of cash into the bag. Antonio frowned as he watched me. "What are you packing all this for in the middle of the night?" I looked up, and my eyes landed on Isabella behind him. She wore the champagne-colored gown she had taken from me that afternoon. It was a size too small, stretched tight across her body, and the zipper was starting to strain. "Antonio, you should've told me the dress was for Ms. Rossi. I'd have helped her find one in her size. That one looks so tight she can barely breathe." Isabella's face darkened. "You're overthinking it, Ella. This is what a healthy working woman looks like. I'm not like you pets who live off men and have to stay frail to please them." Without dropping my smile, I turned and looked at Antonio in silence. Two years ago, an heir from one of the branch families had made a snide remark about my humble origins. In front of the entire family, Antonio broke the man's hand. He even declared that he was cutting off all business with them. From that day on, everyone knew I belonged to Antonio. I might have been his pet, but I was his most prized possession. But now, when Isabella openly humiliated me, all Antonio did was frown. "Ella, don't start," he said wearily. "Isabella's new here. She doesn't know our rules yet. Just let it go." Looking at Antonio's handsome yet strangely unfamiliar face, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Thank God. Thank God I listened to Old Mary. Chapter 3 Perhaps because I was so calm, Antonio took me back to the bedroom. He rested his chin in the crook of my neck, his voice softening. "Ella, we're at a critical stage of the merger. Isabella's been a huge help, and I can't offend her now." As he spoke, he took out his phone and switched our location sharing to always on. "You can see where I am anytime. I promise, once this busy stretch is over, I'll make time for you. Okay?" I lowered my eyes to the red dot marking his location on the screen. I'd spent countless nights wondering whether his affection was genuine, terrified of losing him. Now I finally had my answer. I'd been so afraid of losing him because I loved him. But I was slowly letting go of that love. Whether he'd ever truly cared for me no longer mattered. "Okay," I said sweetly, patting the back of his hand. "I'll wait for you." The next afternoon, while stuffing some everyday clothes into a suitcase, I opened the location app. Antonio's red dot had crossed half the city and stopped at a hot spring spa in the suburbs. I opened our chat. His last message still said he was attending a family meeting that morning. I raised an eyebrow and called him. The phone rang for a long time before Isabella answered. "Antonio wore himself out working earlier. He's in the sauna right now. If it's urgent, I can pass along a message." I knew Isabella was testing how far she could push me. She was waiting for me to lose it, just so she'd look calm and collected by comparison. I paused for two seconds, then said sincerely, "Thanks for all your hard work, Ms. Rossi. Running the family accounts and keeping Antonio company in the sauna, too. That must be exhausting." Then I hung up without another word and went back to packing. Just as I zipped the suitcase shut, Antonio burst in, his eyes bloodshot. "Ella, what did you say to Isabella on the phone?" I frowned. "I didn't say anything. "Antonio, you're hurting me." "You're still denying it?" Antonio stared at me, disappointment written all over his face. "After your call, Isabella was so shaken that she rushed out of the spa and got into a car accident. "If anything happens to her, the entire merger could fall apart!" He was blowing up at me over another woman. I looked at him and said calmly, "I told you. I didn't do anything." "Enough!" He shoved my hand aside and looked down at me. "Ella, you've spent so long relying on me that of course you'd feel threatened when a more accomplished woman comes along. It's only natural to feel angry and jealous." He paused, his voice turning cold. "But that doesn't give you the right to provoke Isabella. She's not some pampered pet who spends her days cooped up in a mansion like you. Keep your underhanded tricks away from her." My ears rang. Old Mary's words flashed through my mind. A pet has to know she's a pet. Never ask the master where he is. Never ask for so-called equality or dignity. Because to them, we're just an expensive asset. Old Mary was right. But I was done living by her rules. Antonio's phone rang. He answered, and his face changed. "A mild concussion? I'll be right there!" He seized my wrist and dragged me toward the door. "Antonio, let go! It hurts!" I stumbled along as he dragged me out of the living room, into the elevator, and down to the underground garage. And just like that, I knew what I had to do. I might have been a nobody, but I was done being anyone's caged pet. Chapter 4 "Apologize." Antonio dragged me into a VIP room at the private hospital and gave the order in an icy voice. The old me would have teared up and demanded to know why he was treating me this way. But when I met Isabella's taunting eyes, I put on my practiced smile. "I'm sorry, Ms. Rossi." I bowed my head. "I should've known better than to upset you. You're the Don's right-hand woman, after all. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me." Antonio stiffened when I said exactly what he wanted to hear. Seeing me so humble seemed to unsettle him. "I've apologized, Don. May I leave now?" By my count, it was time to leave for the port. I didn't look at Antonio's face. I turned and walked out of the room. "Stop right there." Isabella was propped up in the hospital bed, looking me up and down. "Antonio, there's something I should remind you." Isabella turned to him, her tone suddenly businesslike. "I've been reviewing the family accounts, and the amount you've spent on Ella is outrageous. "The cashmere loungewear she's wearing alone costs $10,000, not to mention her jewelry and sports cars. Antonio, even if you're keeping an obedient pet, nobody throws money around like this. "Do you know how much profit that money could earn the family if you invested it in this merger?" Antonio seemed to understand what Isabella was getting at. He took out his phone and called Bruno. "Cancel all of Ella's credit cards billed to the family accounts. And tell the luxury boutiques to stop sending her anything." Bruno hesitated on the other end of the line. "Don, Ms. Ella already contacted all the luxury brands two days ago and told them not to send her anything else at your expense." Antonio froze. A flicker of approval crossed his face as he looked at me. "Ella, you really have learned how to behave." "Is there anything else? If not, I really need to go." Scotland. I can't wait to get there. I had sold Antonio's gifts for a good price. I had even mortgaged the apartment he'd given me. There was enough money in my account to live comfortably for the rest of my life. "What's the rush?" A cruel glint flashed in Isabella's eyes. "Since Ella is so determined to stand on her own two feet, why not go all the way? "That loungewear was paid for with family money too, wasn't it? Which makes it family property. As the Moretti family's new financial manager, I have every right to reclaim anything purchased with improperly used family funds. "Ella, take it off." I turned to Antonio in disbelief, expecting him to stop her. But when he met my eyes, he looked away. Antonio's silence crushed the last shred of my dignity. He cared about me. But not enough to defy Isabella when the family's interests were on the line. Calmly, I started undoing the buttons of my loungewear. The first button. The second. The harsh light fell on my exposed skin. The clothes slid to the floor, and suddenly a black coat wrapped around me. It should have made me feel safe. Instead, it made me sick. "Ella, be a good girl and wait for me at home," Antonio said as he pushed me into the waiting car. I looked at the face I had traced in my mind on countless nights and put on a perfect smile. "Okay. I'll wait for you." Only when he was completely out of sight did I speak softly to the driver. "To the port, please." I'd once believed that if I was obedient enough, I'd have a place in his world of wealth and luxury. But now I knew better. Affection you have to beg for is never yours to keep. It's gone the moment the sun comes up. The ferry cut through the water, roaring north.