The Don's Favorite lover Vanished (by Melissa Z) novel Chapter 23

**TITLE: The Story of a Girl Who Loved a Man Made Entirely of Secrets**

**Chapter 23**

The dawn broke over Florence, casting a soft golden light that illuminated the cobblestone streets, but it felt as if a shadow had swept through the city. Vincenzo and his men had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only the faintest whisper of their presence, as if they had never existed at all.

For a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to believe that perhaps he had finally made the decision to walk away, to let go of the tangled web that bound us.

But I was mistaken.

The clock struck three in the afternoon when Alessandro burst into my gallery like a tempest, his face as pale as a ghost, a newspaper clutched tightly in his trembling hands.

“Bella! It’s a disaster!” he exclaimed, slapping the paper down onto my desk with a force that echoed through the quiet room. “My family’s bank… it’s been gutted! A coordinated short attack overnight! We’re ruined!”

My gaze fell upon the glaring headline, and my heart plummeted into a pit of despair.

“And,” he continued, his voice quivering as he extended his phone towards me, “my father… he was just arrested! They have fabricated evidence of him forging art deals!”

The image on the screen was haunting—a photo of his father, handcuffed and being led away by police officers, his expression a mix of confusion and fear.

“How could this have happened…” Alessandro sank into a chair, his body collapsing under the weight of despair. “My family is ruined… Everything is gone…”

I looked into his eyes, filled with desperation, and felt a chill run through my veins.

This was no ordinary market crash; it was an execution—precise, ruthless, and silent.

And there was only one person capable of orchestrating such a cruel maneuver.

Vincenzo.

He had kept his promise to “leave,” but he had done so in the most sinister way possible, announcing his presence through chaos and destruction.

He was intent on obliterating everything I had built, shattering the new life I had dared to embrace, and dragging me back into the shadows where only he thrived.

“Bella,” Alessandro grasped my hand tightly, his eyes glistening with a flicker of desperate hope. “You know powerful people… Can you help me?”

My heart ached with guilt as I met his pleading gaze.

I was the one who had pulled him into this brutal war.

“Don’t worry,” I said, placing my hands firmly on his shoulders, my voice steady and resolute. “I will handle this.”

After ensuring he was settled, I reached for my phone and dialed an encrypted number.

My father.

“Dad, I need you to connect me to someone,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the turmoil within me.

“Who?” he asked, his tone curious yet wary.

“Vincenzo Russo.”

Half an hour later, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. An encrypted number from an unknown location flashed on the screen.

I answered, my heart racing.

“Chiara.” His voice came through the line, smooth and unnervingly calm.

“You did this,” I accused, my voice cold as ice.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replied, feigning ignorance.

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