No Longer Mrs. Vincenzo Chapter 09
Lorenzo’s gaze locked onto the child. Those eyes. They were exactly like his.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
I bent down and scooped up my son, patting his back gently.
“A stranger.”
Matteo nodded, not quite understanding, then wrapped his little arms around my neck.
“Mommy, let’s go home. Aunt Greer already made your favorite steak.”
I nodded, lifted my son, and walked away. I didn’t look back at Lorenzo.
After Lorenzo left, I thought my life had finally returned to normal.
I had my career. I had my sister who loved me. I had Matteo.
I thought the people who had hurt me would never cross my path again.
But I never expected Elara to show up.
That night, I had just finished a shoot and was about to take Matteo home.
As we walked into the parking garage, several figures stepped out from the shadows.
I instinctively moved to shield Matteo behind me. But before I could react, everything went black.
When I came to, freezing wind whipped across my face.
I opened my eyes and found myself on the rooftop of an abandoned building.
Elara was holding Matteo. A knife gleamed in her hand.
“Mommy…”
Matteo’s little face was streaked with tears. The sound of his crying wrenched my heart.
I stared at her, my voice like ice.
“Elara, have you lost your mind?”
She laughed.
“I thought if you left, Lorenzo would eventually see me.”
“But why would he rather suffer alone than look at me even once?”
“If it weren’t for you, Lorenzo would have loved me.”
The blade in her hand crept closer to Matteo’s throat. My blood went cold.
“Elara. Whatever you want, take it out on me.”
“Don’t touch my son.”
She watched the panic spread across my face and smiled with satisfaction.
“Finally. You’re scared too.”
“You want me to let him go? Then jump.”
She pointed the knife at the edge of the rooftop.
I looked at Matteo, sobbing and terrified. I had no choice. I walked toward the edge, one step at a time/
Then Elara suddenly crumpled to the ground. A bullet hole bloomed in her leg.
Lorenzo swept Matteo to safety, then grabbed me and pulled me back from the ledge.
His face was pale. His voice shook.
“I had Elara followed. Just in case. I’m sorry, Ayana. I put you in danger again.”
Elara stared at Lorenzo in disbelief.
“Why couldn’t I have you? Even just once?”
Lorenzo gave a signal. One of his men stepped forward and slapped Elara hard across the face.
“Elara. I gave you a chance. I thought prison would teach you something.”
“But you’re still the same. Obsessed. Refusing to see the truth.”
He had been the one to send her to prison after the medical incident. She had been locked up for a long time. Only recently released.
Lorenzo’s voice was cold. “Take her away.”
Several Vincenzo family guards moved in. Elara thrashed wildly.
“No! Lorenzo! You can’t do this to me!”
“I only wanted you to love me. I only wanted you once. I did nothing wrong.”
The guards grabbed her arms and dragged her back.
She fought them with everything she had. In the struggle, she broke free.
But she lost her balance. She fell over the edge.
Twenty-nine floors. Elara was dead on impact.
Lorenzo stood on that rooftop for a long time, just watching us. His eyes were filled with regret.
“Ayana. I’m sorry. And thank you… for letting me protect you and the child. Just this once.”
“But I know that doesn’t erase what I did to you.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the sapphire necklace. He placed it in front of me.
“This is the last thing I have left to give.”
“I won’t bother you anymore. I won’t come back into your life.”
My fingers hovered for a moment. But in the end, I didn’t take it.
Lorenzo saw that I wouldn’t change my mind. He gave up.
He looked at me and Matteo one last time. Then he turned and walked away.
After that, my photography career soared. Matteo grew up, day by day.
When he turned eight, he picked up a camera for the first time. He took one photo.
It was me. Standing by the window. Arranging flowers. My back to him.
I looked at that picture and couldn’t help but smile.
“Why did you take a picture of Mommy?”
Matteo said, very seriously.
“Because Mommy is the prettiest.”
“And because Mommy smiles every day.”
I laughed and ruffled his hair. “My dear Matteo. Mommy hopes you will be happy every day too.”
Later, Greer told me over coffee that Lorenzo had drowned himself in alcohol. His hands shook too badly to hold a scalpel. He could never be a surgeon again.
He lost the career he was so proud of. And the Vincenzo family slowly stopped caring about their useless son.
Lorenzo faded into the background. He disappeared from everyone’s sight.
