My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin-Chapter 66: Hope for him… for her… and for Primo.

A few days ago...

Ashley paced back and forth in her room, unable to sleep. When she finally sat on the bed, she gazed down, thoughts swirling in her mind.

"The next big thing that will happen is... another escape attempt I would make with Isabella and June’s help," she muttered to herself, drawing a deep breath as she recalled what originally happened.

Even though Isabella was someone Ashley loathed, she was the only person she thought could help. Besides, Ashley knew Isabella would surely help her for one reason: she wanted the title of matriarch of Dominion.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only thing Isabella wanted.

What Isabella truly wanted was for Ashley to die—to completely disappear from the picture—so she could swoop in and seduce Lucian.

"I could just refuse her help, but that’s dumb... not when Lucian and everyone here still don’t trust me," she muttered, turning her gaze toward the window.

Pressing her lips into a thin line, she pushed herself up and grabbed a silk robe. Ashley made her way out of the bedroom and straight to the garden.

She stood a few meters away, staring at what she was trying to rebuild. The longer she looked, the more she realized how this ruined garden reflected her situation.

It was Ashley who had destroyed this beloved place—something she did out of spite. And it was something that made everyone look at her differently. After all, this garden had belonged to the previous matriarch, something she heard was deeply cherished. Yet she demolished it without hesitation.

"Just like how I ruined everything," she whispered. "This marriage... my life... and everyone around me."

Her jaw tightened as a lump formed in her throat.

The corners of her eyes reddened as a thin layer of tears gathered. She drew a deep breath, trying to ease the heaviness in her chest, but it barely helped.

There were decisions she had made in her previous life that she now wished she hadn’t. Especially during the times Lucian had finally let her go. That fleeting moment of freedom and solitude gave her time to reflect. Maybe that was why she was brought back—because the regret she carried was too heavy, even for hell.

But even though things were better now, it still wasn’t enough.

Lucian still didn’t trust her completely, and no one in Dominion would believe her—no matter what she did.

Just like this garden. No matter how many people worked on it, it still looked... ruined. There were visible improvements, but anyone who looked closely could tell it was far from complete.

As the wind brushed against her, carrying the quiet whispers of the night, Ashley finally made her decision.

"I’ll take this chance," she nodded to herself. "I have to."

If she wanted to correct everything—if she truly and deeply wanted to atone for her sins—she had to risk it all for this one chance. This was the only opportunity she had: a chance to prove to him that she wanted to make things better. That this time, she was sincere... and that she didn’t truly hate him.

If anything, she hated herself more for who she had been.

Moreover, the ambush she had managed to avoid wasn’t the only time Lucian’s life would be in danger. There would be more. And Ashley couldn’t always rely on tantrums—not when she knew there were moments where even if she cried blood, it would carry no weight.

She balled her hands into tight fists.

"This empty title..." she trailed off. "...will be on the way."

With that, determination flickered in her eyes as she finalized her decision.

But what Ashley didn’t expect was to meet Isabella a week earlier. Even so, it didn’t change her plans of agreeing to Isabella’s suggestion.

She had planned to go out—to make it look like she had escaped—and create a misunderstanding.

A misunderstanding was the only way to get through to Lucian and force him into making a mistake. As much as she disliked how manipulative it seemed, she had to do it if she wanted to survive, keep Lucian strong, and protect Dominion.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to go that far.

Primo had asked her for an impossible task, and Nolan helped her because that was just who he was. That was why she went to him, knowing he cared for Primo more than anyone in the world.

But what others didn’t know was that... Ashley had already contacted June.

When she went to the restroom, she approached a stranger and asked for a favor to send an important email. It was a simple request, and the stranger agreed. So Ashley sent June a message, scheduling it to be delivered later.

The message was short: I want to fix my marriage. Please don’t tell Isabella.

Ashley had done it, expecting Lucian to find out later, just in case he wouldn’t listen to Nolan. But it seemed unnecessary because Nolan had already taken her side firmly.

What she also miscalculated was two things—something she realized today—was Lucian’s habit of giving her space. And when he gave her space, he would disappear for months without showing up.

Second, Lucian didn’t know how to apologize, just like she never learned how to. He got a different way of apologizing.

Not surprising, considering apologies were foreign in the world they lived in.

And while Lucian was hard on others... he was hardest on himself.

That was why the emotions in her chest swelled as she shouted, "Don’t go!"

She screamed at the top of her lungs, desperately trying to correct her miscalculations. Her words came out in fragments, but her heart was screaming something else entirely.

Let’s fix us.

One last try.

Just give me one chance, and I’ll do my best to fix what I ruined.

"If you go, then I will—"

She stopped mid-rant as his rough hands cupped her cheeks, stilling her before his calm, soft voice followed;

"Okay."

Her breath hitched, her brows lifting in surprise as her eyes widened, tears pooling at the corners. "Huh?"

"I won’t go," he said, his voice low, but unmistakably gentle.

Her gaze trembled as she searched his expression. Then a deep exhale escaped her, a sense of relief—of victory—finally replacing the anger and desperation in her heart.

And in that moment, she knew.

Deep in her heart... she had succeeded. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

What was once a turning point toward ruining their marriage beyond repair... had now become the exact opposite.

And for the first time, she could finally feel... hope.

Hope for him... for her... and for Primo.