The Mafia Boss’s Wife

Part 2: The Secret He Stole

Julian Cross had never looked so frightened in his life.

The ballroom remained silent as Dante’s lawyer examined the documents inside the leather folder.

“Mr. Moretti,” the lawyer said quietly, “if Mrs. Moretti is telling the truth, we have a serious intellectual property case. The original software architecture may belong entirely to her.”

Julian immediately shook his head.

“That’s ridiculous! Clara was just an assistant. She helped with a few minor technical details, but I developed the entire platform.”

I almost laughed.

An assistant?

Fourteen months ago, I had spent eighteen hours a day writing code while Julian attended business dinners and took credit for my work.

I remembered the nights I skipped meals because we couldn’t afford another employee. I remembered selling my grandmother’s necklace to pay the company’s server bills.

And I remembered Julian promising that once we became successful, we would build a life together.

Instead, he had built his fortune using my work and thrown me away.

“Do you remember the original development server?” I asked.

Julian frowned.

“What?”

“The private server where I stored every version of the software. You told me it had been destroyed.”

His expression changed.

I continued calmly.

“It wasn’t.”

Dante looked at me.

“You still have the files?”

I nodded.

“Every line of code. Every modification. Every timestamp. Even the original agreements with Julian.”

His lawyer immediately took out his phone.

“Mrs. Moretti, if you can provide those records, we can begin proceedings immediately.”

Julian stepped forward.

“Clara, wait. We don’t need to make this ugly.”

I looked at him.

“You made it ugly when you stole my work.”

Chloe suddenly interrupted.

“Oh, come on! You’re exaggerating everything. Julian gave you a comfortable life. You should be grateful.”

Dante slowly turned toward her.

“Did you just tell my wife to be grateful to the man who stole from her?”

Chloe went pale.

“I didn’t mean—”

“Then choose your words carefully.”

Julian tried another approach.

“Mr. Moretti, please. Whatever happened between Clara and me was personal. It has nothing to do with our business agreement.”

Dante gave him a humorless smile.

“You’re right. It doesn’t.”

Julian looked relieved.

Then Dante continued.

“Your business agreement was canceled because I discovered you were dishonest. What happens next is because you humiliated my wife.”

He turned toward his lawyer.

“Freeze every pending transaction involving Cross Shipping until our compliance team finishes its investigation. Notify our partners that the proposed agreement is withdrawn.”

Julian looked as though the floor had disappeared beneath him.

“Please! That contract is worth fifty million dollars!”

Dante adjusted his cufflinks.

“Then you should have treated people better before asking me for fifty million.”

A security guard approached and quietly informed Dante that the gala organizers were ready to remove Julian and Chloe.

But I touched my husband’s arm.

“Wait.”

Dante looked at me.

“Yes, amore?”

I turned toward Julian.

“There’s one more thing.”

His eyes narrowed.

“What now?”

I smiled.

“You told everyone I wasn’t good enough to stand beside a successful man. So let me introduce myself properly.”

I took a business card from my clutch.

CLARA VANCE — FOUNDER AND CEO, VANCE TECHNOLOGIES.

Julian stared at it.

“Vance Technologies?”

“Yes. I started it eight months ago.”

He shook his head in disbelief.

“That’s impossible.”

“Why? Because you thought I couldn’t succeed without you?”

I continued.

“My company now develops logistics software for several international shipping firms. And unlike yours, every product we sell belongs to the people who actually create it.”

Dante’s lips curved into a small smile.

He looked at Julian.

“That’s my wife.”

For the first time, Julian had absolutely nothing to say.

As security escorted him and Chloe toward the exit, I watched them disappear through the ballroom doors.

I didn’t feel victorious.

I felt free.

Dante gently wrapped his coat around my shoulders.

“Ready to go home, sweetheart?”

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I nodded.

But before we left, he leaned closer and whispered something that made my heart warm.

“You know what I love most about you?”

“What?”

“You never needed me to save you. You only needed someone who would stand beside you while you saved yourself.”

I kissed his cheek.

And for the first time that evening, I forgot about the ruined dress.