Locked in His Tower, I Left His Mafia Empire Forever

To make it in time for the birthday of a childhood acquaintance, Lockard locked me inside the tower of our estate. As fate would have it, that very day, the estate was attacked by a rival family. Trembling, I hid in a corner and called the Underboss on his encrypted private line. “Help me… I’m locked in the tower. Someone has broken in—” But the response on the other end was cold and indifferent. “Ma’am, the Godfather instructed us that you might cause a disturbance today just to get his attention. Please cooperate and don’t make this difficult for us.” The line went dead. I contacted the family’s security adviser instead. After verifying the situation, the adviser hesitated before telling me, “Ma’am, your identification code has been temporarily frozen. We need Don Vito’s personal confirmation before we can lift the security alert.” The call was transferred to Lockard, who was attending the party. He said only one thing: “She’s throwing another tantrum. Ignore her.” Heavy footsteps drew closer and closer from the end of the hallway. I twisted the heavy curtains into a makeshift rope and climbed over the third-floor window ledge. I survived. But the family doctor told me: I was pregnant. The baby was gone. And that very night, in the banquet hall on the other side of the estate, Lockard was personally cutting birthday cake for his childhood acquaintance. Chapter 1 “Help! Someone’s broken in! I’m locked in the tower!” I curled up in the corner, trembling as I called the Underboss’s encrypted private line. The commotion in the west wing was growing louder. The wooden staircase creaked under the weight of approaching footsteps, and I could faintly hear low voices and the clatter of metal. The call connected. “Family Security. State your emergency.” “Someone has broken into the estate! The tower door has been locked from the outside. I can’t get out—” I had barely given them my location when there was a pause on the other end. Then a familiar, icy voice replaced the operator’s. “Ma’am, the Godfather already gave us instructions. If you contacted us tonight, it must be because you’re throwing another fit at him.” My entire body went rigid. “I’m not throwing a fit! Someone really has broken in!” “The side door in the west wing was forced open. I can hear them clearly. Please, send someone over—” The other person cut me off impatiently. “Ma’am, the security line isn’t here for entertainment. We have a legitimate security operation to handle.” The line went dead. I stared at the darkened communicator, my fingers stiff and numb. A second later, the door downstairs was slammed open. Then came the rapid thud of footsteps heading straight for the staircase. Cold sweat trickled down my temple. I cautiously slipped behind the curtains and immediately called back. “I’m not joking! Please send someone! They’re almost upstairs—” “Ma’am, the Godfather instructed us that you might deliberately cause a disturbance tonight just to get his attention.” “Beep—” The call was cut off again. An encrypted message appeared moments later. It was from Lockard: [Valentina, it’s just one night. Do you really have to make such a scene?] [I’m only going over to celebrate Camilla’s birthday. Do you really have to make enough noise to alarm everyone downstairs?] [If you keep this up, I’m not coming home tonight.] I stared at those few lines, my throat so tight that I couldn’t make a sound. The intruders were real. And I really was running out of time. But Security didn’t believe me. No. It was Lockard who had made sure they wouldn’t. I clenched my teeth and called the family doctor’s private number instead. “Medical emergency line. How may I—” “Help me… The estate is under attack. I’m trapped in the tower. Someone is coming upstairs… Please, send someone…” The operator quickly began recording my information. “Please provide your location.” I had barely finished when the operator fell silent for several seconds. When they spoke again, their tone had suddenly become cautious. “Ma’am, the system shows two suspected false alarm reports from you. We need Don Vito’s personal confirmation before we can activate the emergency protocol.” My voice trembled from the sheer panic coursing through me. “I didn’t make a false report! I’m really locked in here! Someone is coming up—” “Please hold.” The line remained connected. A few seconds later, another channel opened. There was noise in the background—an orchestra playing, glasses clinking, and laughter from people raising their drinks. Then I heard Lockard’s voice come through the line. “Is that Valentina?” The operator asked, “Don, Mrs. Valentina reports that the estate is under attack. She’s trapped in the tower—” “She’s throwing another tantrum.” Lockard interrupted coldly. “Don’t activate the emergency protocol. Just keep watch on the perimeter.” “Understood, Don.” I gripped the communicator tightly, listening to my own ragged, trembling breaths. The footsteps had reached the door. Heavy blows crashed against the wooden panels, making the entire door shudder. There was nowhere left to hide behind the curtains. The hallway lights cast several shifting silhouettes across the stairwell. If I stayed here, I would be trapped and killed. I rushed into the tower’s sitting room and grabbed a brass candlestick, smashing it against the window. Crash! Stained glass shattered across the floor. This was the third floor. Below was a stretch of shrubs in the estate’s rear garden. If I jumped, I could break my bones. If I didn’t, I would die here. I climbed onto the window frame and shouted down, “Help! Someone has broken in! Somebody—” Servants in the garden looked up. A gardener stopped what he was doing. Someone in the distance blew a whistle to raise the alarm. Behind me, the door was slammed hard. A crack split along the wooden panel, and light spilled through the opening. I had no time left. I gritted my teeth, climbed onto the windowsill, twisted the heavy curtains into a rope, and gripped it tightly. Then I closed my eyes and threw myself over the edge. The curtains pulled taut in midair before slipping from my hands. The instant my back slammed into the bushes, agonizing pain exploded through my entire body as though I had been crushed beneath a truck. A sickening, tearing impact shot through my lower leg and abdomen at the same time, and darkness swallowed my vision. Chaos erupted around me. “Call the doctor!” “There really are intruders by the tower!” “The lady is bleeding!” I lay on my back among broken branches and loose soil, barely able to move. Something warm trickled down between my legs. Before I completely lost consciousness, I was still clutching the communicator in my hand. Lockard’s messages were still displayed on the screen. Chapter 2 “Mrs. Valentina, you’re awake?” I opened my eyes to the cold white fluorescent lights above me in the family’s private clinic. The doctor stood beside my hospital bed, a medical chart tucked under his arm. “Your right arm has a hairline fracture, your left leg has soft-tissue damage, and you suffered a minor spinal contusion. You also sustained blunt-force trauma to the abdomen, along with multiple cuts and bruises across your body. You’re out of danger now.” My lips were cracked, and my throat was so hoarse that I could barely make a sound. “During the emergency treatment, we discovered that you’re six weeks pregnant.” “But unfortunately, the baby couldn’t be saved.” I stared at the ceiling as a buzzing filled my ears. I was pregnant. I was actually pregnant. For this baby, I had spent two whole years taking medication to prepare my body. I had given up alcohol, avoided anything cold, and undergone monthly checkups with a private doctor. Every time it didn’t happen, Lockard would coldly say, “There’s no rush.” Every time I was disappointed, I told myself that next time would be different. But now, I was finally pregnant. And the baby was gone. And the person who had caused his death was his own biological father. I turned my head, picked up the encrypted communicator beside my bed, and called Lockard’s private line. It rang for a long time before he finally answered. The sound of an orchestra flooded through the connection, mingling with the crisp clinking of glasses and the laughter of the guests. Camilla’s voice was close by, sweet and syrupy. “Lockard, come help me cut the cake.” I tightened my grip on the communicator and spoke in a hoarse voice. “Lockard, I’m at the family’s private medical facility.” “So?” His tone was dismissive. “What are you throwing a fit about now?” “I’m pregnant.” There was a second of silence on the other end. I continued, “The baby is gone.” A sharp, hurried gasp suddenly came through the communicator. “What did you say?” His voice tightened abruptly. “You—you don’t move. I’m coming right now—” Camilla’s soft, sweet voice suddenly interrupted in the background. “Lockard, what’s wrong? We haven’t cut the cake yet. Everyone’s waiting for you.” He fell silent. Camilla added, lowering her voice slightly, though it was still just loud enough for me to hear through the line. “Didn’t you just say that she’s always using things like this to manipulate you? Tonight is the day I came back, and she just had to make a scene now. Don’t you think that’s a little too convenient?” Lockard swallowed. When he spoke again, his tone was as cold as if someone had doused him with ice water. “You’re lying in the medical facility with doctors watching over you. How could anything happen to you?” I gripped the communicator tighter. “I jumped from the third floor.” “Enough.” He scoffed. “Tonight is Camilla’s dinner. Did you really have to pick today?” I lowered my voice. “Why don’t you come see for yourself?” There was a long silence on the other end. So long that I thought he might finally relent. Then Camilla’s voice floated over again, soft and coaxing. “Lockard, the candles are almost burned out. Everyone’s waiting for you to make a wish.” The call was disconnected. The dead tone lingered in my ear for a long time before I slowly lowered the communicator and opened the family’s private social channel. Camilla had just posted an update. In the photo, she stood smiling brightly in front of a seven-tiered cake, while Lockard stood behind her with one hand resting on the back of her chair, his gaze lowered toward her with a tenderness reserved for something precious. The caption read: [He said that from now on, he’ll spend this day with only me every year.] I stared at it for two seconds before closing the page and sending an encrypted message to the family liaison officer. [Draft a formal petition requesting the dissolution of my marriage.] The reply came instantly. [Ma’am, have you finally made up your mind?] I replied: [As soon as possible.] Chapter 3 The next morning, the hospital room door was pushed open. Lockard arrived. He was holding a bouquet of flowers, with Camilla following behind him. The moment I saw the flowers clearly, my fingers froze. White lilies. I was allergic to lily pollen. As soon as Camilla entered, she smiled and said, “Valentina, Lockard brought me here first thing this morning to check on you.” Lockard walked to the bedside and placed the flowers on the nightstand. His movement wasn’t exactly gentle, and the bouquet tilted to the side. “Have you calmed down yet?” His voice was lower than usual, but it still carried his usual impatience. The petals brushed against my arm, and the sharp fragrance instantly filled the air. My throat tightened, and breathing became difficult. I raised my hand and swept the flowers onto the floor. “Take them away.” Lockard’s expression darkened. “What are you getting angry about now?” I looked at him. “I’m allergic to pollen.” His brows twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself. His gaze fell on the lilies scattered on the floor. After a two-second silence, his tone softened slightly. “I forgot.” Camilla immediately crouched down and picked up the flowers, speaking in a gentle, apologetic voice. “Valentina, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were allergic to lilies. It’s all my fault. I only wanted to buy the most fragrant flowers.” After saying that, she leaned closer to me and lowered her voice. “But Lockard also went shopping for baby supplies with me today. He said he loves children more than anything.” “Unfortunately, some people just can’t get pregnant.” I looked up at her. The corners of her lips curved upward, her eyes filled with provocation. I grabbed the glass of water from the bedside table and threw it at her. “Get out.” “Ah—!” The glass crashed beside her feet, water splashing everywhere. Camilla screamed in fright and immediately hid behind Lockard. “Lockard, I only came to check on Valentina…” “Enough.” I stared at her. “This is a medical facility, not a place for you to put on a performance.” Lockard grabbed my wrist, his face turning cold. “Valentina, can’t you act like a proper lady of the family?” I pulled my hand free, took the marriage dissolution papers from beneath my pillow, and threw them at him. “Sign.” The room fell silent for a moment. Lockard lowered his head and glanced at the papers, his expression becoming terrifyingly dark. “Say that again.” “Dissolve the marriage.” My voice wasn’t loud, but every word was clear. “I don’t want the assets. I don’t want the estate. I only want to cut all ties with you.” A flash of delight crossed Camilla’s eyes, but she hurriedly tried to persuade him. “Lockard, Valentina just lost the baby. She’s emotional right now. Don’t argue with her…” I suddenly turned toward her. “How do you know my baby is gone?” Camilla froze. Lockard also turned to look at her. She quickly explained, “I…I guessed.” I let out a cold laugh and looked at Lockard. “Do you believe her, or do you believe the medical records?” Lockard grabbed the papers, his fingers tightening around them as he stared directly into my eyes. His voice was extremely low. “Valentina, are you sure you want to do this?” I didn’t answer. I simply met his gaze. He closed his eyes briefly, then slowly tore the papers apart piece by piece. His movements were slow. The scraps of paper fell onto the edge of the bed and scattered across the floor. “Trying to threaten me with a marriage dissolution won’t work.” His voice was raspier than before. “If you want to make a scene, I’ll play along. But don’t think I’ll tolerate you like this for the rest of your life.” I raised my hand and brushed the paper scraps from my face, my voice turning cold. “Fine.” “Then I’ll see you at the family council.” Chapter 4 On the third day of my hospital stay, the family doctor finally agreed to let me return to the estate to recuperate. He said my uterus had been damaged by the miscarriage procedure, I had severe soft-tissue bruising in my abdomen, and a hairline fracture in my leg. I would need to be monitored for at least another week. But I didn’t nod. Instead, I asked quietly, “Can I walk now?” The doctor studied me for a long moment before finally closing my medical file. His tone turned colder. “You can sign yourself out, but once you leave this medical facility, you’ll be responsible for whatever happens next.” “Fine.” When Nina came to pick me up, she was carrying a stack of freshly printed documents. The marriage dissolution papers, a property division list, and a draft petition for the family arbitration court. She placed everything in my arms, then looked at my leg, which was secured in a cast. She held herself back again and again, but finally couldn’t stop herself. “Valentina, are you really sure? Maybe wait another couple of days. In your condition—” “We can’t wait.” I cut her off. “The estate manager just called. The scene of the incident in the west wing has already been documented, and I’m allowed to go back and retrieve my belongings. If I wait any longer, they’ll start clearing and repairing the area, and my things will be even harder to find.” Nina frowned. “Are you sure there’ll be anything left?” I lowered my eyes to the documents resting on my lap, my fingers slowly tightening around them. The attack that night had begun at the side entrance of the west wing. At the height of the chaos, the corridors of the west wing, the lower level of the tower, and the stairwell had been nearly destroyed. The walls were battered and cracked, the curtains and furniture had been torn apart, and even the floors had split from the impact when the family guards forced their way inside. But the family guards had arrived quickly enough. The main tower had not been completely breached. It had only been ransacked, and most of the things inside the cabinets should still be there. My identification documents, the family registry, the estate deed. And the sandalwood box my mother had left me. It contained the keepsakes she had left behind, and it was the only thing I had been unwilling to let get damaged all these years. More importantly, all the original documents I needed for the arbitration court were inside it. If I waited too long, who knew whether I would ever get them back? “Let’s go there first.” I lifted my head and looked at Nina. “I’ll take my things and leave.” Nina was silent for a few seconds before finally sighing and helping me into the car. Once we were on the road, she kept her eyes on the traffic ahead and said quietly, “I’ve already spoken to the estate manager. He has the spare key. Don’t worry. I’ll go inside with you. I won’t let you stay there alone for too long.” I hummed in response and turned to look out the window. The afternoon sky was heavily overcast, and the olive trees along the roadside rustled in the wind. The sunlight wasn’t even harsh, yet my eyes still stung, as if the chaos of that night had left something behind inside me that refused to fade. I had spent so much time arranging that estate. The color of the sofas in the drawing room, the style of the dining tables in the banquet hall, the pattern on the curtains in the master bedroom, the warm light in the hallway—even every plate and bowl in the kitchen had been personally chosen by me. I thought it was home. Only later did I realize it was nothing more than an estate I had built with my money, my effort, and my love—only for someone else to move in and live there. And now, I wasn’t going back to “home.” I simply had to retrieve the last things that belonged to me before everything was completely ruined. By the time the car stopped outside the estate, the wound in my leg had begun to throb faintly. Nina got out first and came around to help me. The oppressive aftermath of the attack still lingered inside the main building. A new security inspection notice from the family guards had been posted on the wall, while several bags of debris that hadn’t yet been cleared away were piled at the end of the hallway. The air was damp and suffocating. I slowly made my way upstairs. Every step felt as though my abdomen and back were being torn open all over again. Afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep going, Nina muttered under her breath, “That bastard better never fall into my hands.” I said nothing. When we reached the master bedroom, Nina inserted the spare key she had gotten from the estate manager into the lock and gently turned it. The door opened. What hit us wasn’t just the oppressive atmosphere that still lingered inside. It was also the heavy smell of alcohol. My brows twitched. Nina froze as well, instinctively stepping in front of me. The master bedroom was even more of a wreck than I had imagined. Large dents and scratches remained across the walls. One corner of the ceiling near the hallway had been shaken until it yellowed and cracked. Debris and footprints left behind by the family guards when they forced the door open covered the floor in dried, grimy patches. Yet in this very room that had nearly cost me my life, the coffee table was covered with empty liquor bottles, takeout containers, and ashtrays. A woman’s shawl and stockings had been tossed across the sofa, along with a pair of glaringly bright red-bottomed heels. It looked as though someone had turned this bedroom, barely recovered from an attack, into a place for drinking and pleasure. My fingers slowly tightened around my cane until my knuckles turned white. Nina’s expression darkened too. “She really moved in?” I didn’t answer. Bracing myself against the wall, I slowly made my way farther into the master bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. Soft breathing came from inside. The moment I pushed the door open, my entire body froze. On the master bed, Camilla was sleeping beneath my blankets. She was wearing my nightgown, her hair spread across the pillow I had bought. Half a bottle of red wine and a basket of unopened imported fruit sat on the bedside table. She looked exactly like the mistress of this estate. Even like a cherished guest who had been carefully taken care of. And I stood in the doorway with my leg immobilized in a cast, my face pale, the scent of disinfectant still clinging to me, along with the remnants of the humiliation and chaos from the night of the attack. I looked like an outsider who had wandered in by mistake. Perhaps hearing the noise, Camilla slowly opened her eyes. When she saw me, she froze for a moment. Then she placed a hand over her flat stomach and gave me a lazy smile. “Valentina, you’re out of the hospital.” Her tone was so casual, as though she were greeting an unwelcome guest. “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming? Lockard isn’t here today, so there’s no one to make you some soup.” Nina took an angry step forward. “Have you no shame—” I raised a hand to stop her, my eyes fixed on Camilla. She sat up in bed and deliberately pulled the blanket higher over her shoulders, revealing the suggestive red marks along her collarbone. Several pieces of men’s clothing were scattered at the foot of the bed. I didn’t even need to look to know whose they were. She followed my gaze, and the smile on her lips deepened. “Don’t look at me like that.” Her voice was soft. “Lockard was worried I wouldn’t sleep well alone last night, so he came back to keep me company.” Something felt like it had been violently driven straight through my chest, leaving me numb with pain. Last night. While I had jumped from the third floor and lain in the bushes waiting for the doctors, he had been with Camilla. And now, after I had barely survived that attack, he had let her sleep in my bed. I stared at her, my voice painfully hoarse. “Get up.” Camilla tilted her head as if she didn’t understand. That was when I noticed the pale yellow blanket beneath her. It was the baby blanket I had bought for our future child. Now it was covered in red wine stains, along with a large patch of vomit. My expression instantly turned cold. “Get up.” Camilla glanced down at the blanket and laughed. “It’s just a blanket. Why are you so worked up?” I walked over, yanked the blanket out from beneath her, and held it against my chest. It was filthy beyond recognition, and one corner had even been burned through by a cigarette. Camilla nearly fell off the bed, and her expression changed. “Valentina, are you insane?” I held the blanket and turned to leave. But she stood up and blocked my path, lowering her voice. “You really think you still matter?” “Lockard doesn’t love you anymore. He just doesn’t.” “While you were in the hospital, he ate with me, went shopping with me, and spent the nights with me. While you were lying in that medical facility losing our baby, he was out buying me breakfast.” “Tell me. What are you to him?” Nina had already raised her phone and started recording. “Keep talking.” Her voice was icy. “Say as much as you want, so you can’t deny it later.” The moment Camilla noticed the camera, something flickered in her eyes. She suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face twice. Then she dropped to the floor, tears instantly streaming down her cheeks. “Valentina, I already apologized. Why are you still hitting me?” “I didn’t mean to sleep in your bed. I really didn’t—” The door was suddenly shoved open. Lockard was back. He had just finished dealing with something outside. He hadn’t even had time to change out of his suit, and there was still sweat on his forehead. The moment he entered, he saw Camilla sitting on the floor, covering her face and crying. “Camilla!” He rushed over and helped her to her feet. Camilla clutched his sleeve, sobbing so hard she could barely catch her breath. “Lockard, don’t blame Valentina… It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have touched her things…” Nina immediately spoke up. “I recorded everything. She just—” “Shut up!” Lockard’s hand was already raised, but the moment he saw my pale face, his pupils suddenly contracted. Nina rushed in front of me. “Lockard! She just got out of the hospital, and you’re actually going to hit her?” Lockard didn’t look at her. His eyes remained fixed on me. Through clenched teeth, he spoke in a dangerously low voice. “Apologize to Camilla.” My head was spinning, the room tilting around me. The things in my hands slipped to the floor, and I had to grab the cabinet to keep myself upright. “You want me to apologize to her?” “Yes.” His voice was slightly hoarse, his gaze sweeping over my cast-covered arm. “Just one sentence. Say it, and this will be over.” I bent down, picked up the marriage dissolution papers from the floor, unfolded them, and held them out to him. “Lockard, let’s dissolve the marriage.” He snatched them from my hand and clenched them tightly, his knuckles turning white. “I told you, I’m not signing.” “Then we’ll take it to the family arbitration court.” With that, I picked up my suitcase and walked toward the door. The moment I reached the doorway, a sudden cramping pain twisted through my abdomen, and everything went black before my eyes. Cold sweat instantly broke out across my back. Nina’s expression changed. “Valentina!” I braced myself against the doorframe, my leg giving way beneath me as I collapsed. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard a low, shocked gasp behind me, followed by the sound of Lockard’s footsteps rushing toward me. “Call the doctor! Get the doctor now!” When I woke up, the first thing I heard was the doctor speaking outside my room. “The patient’s injuries from the miscarriage hadn’t healed yet. She already had multiple fractures, and the shock she suffered just now caused the wound in her abdomen to reopen. If she had been brought in ten minutes later, we wouldn’t have been able to save her!” There was a moment of silence outside the room. Then Lockard’s voice came, completely shaken. “…Miscarriage?”