Chapter 6: The Regret Came Too Late

The attempted assassination became the biggest news in the underground world.

Every Mafia family heard that someone had dared to target Isabella Romano.

The Romano family immediately launched a full investigation.

For the next several days, Carlo barely slept.

He personally led every raid against the Moretti family's hidden warehouses.

One by one, their operations collapsed.

Yet no matter how many enemies he defeated, the emptiness inside him remained.

One evening, Marco quietly entered his office.

"Boss, we've recovered Madam's personal belongings from the mansion."

"She left quite a few things behind."

Carlo nodded silently.

"Leave them here."

After Marco left, Carlo opened the first box.

Inside were dozens of photo albums.

He slowly flipped through them.

Every page held memories he had long forgotten.

There was a picture from their honeymoon.

Another from Isabella's birthday.

One showed her waiting outside the hospital after he had been shot during a mission.

She looked exhausted, but she was smiling the moment he opened his eyes.

At the bottom of the box lay a small notebook.

Curious, Carlo opened it.

It wasn't a diary.

It was a planner.

Every page contained reminders.

"Carlo hates onions."

"Remember his medicine after midnight."

"Buy his favorite coffee beans."

"Anniversary reservation confirmed."

"Cancel my meeting because Carlo has another mission."

Page after page...

Almost every plan in her life revolved around him.

Not once had she written anything she wanted for herself.

Carlo closed the notebook.

His eyes slowly reddened.

For years, Isabella had quietly placed him at the center of her world.

And he hadn't even noticed.

The following morning, Isabella officially accepted her father's offer to manage the overseas division.

"Congratulations," her father said proudly.

"Your first business trip will be next month."

"Thank you, Dad."

For the first time in years, Isabella felt excited about her future.

It no longer depended on anyone else.

Later that afternoon, Carlo arrived at her parents' estate once again.

This time he wasn't carrying flowers.

He wasn't carrying expensive jewelry either.

Instead, he held a single notebook in his hands.

When Isabella opened the door, she looked surprised.

"You came again."

"I found something that belongs to you."

He handed her the planner.

The moment she saw it, she lowered her eyes.

"I forgot that there."

"I read it," Carlo admitted honestly.

She looked up.

"You weren't supposed to."

"I know."

"But I'm glad I did."

"Because only now do I understand how much of yourself you sacrificed for me."

Silence stretched between them.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Not because I got caught."

"Not because you left."

"I'm sorry because I truly failed as your husband."

For the first time since their separation...

There were no excuses.

No explanations.

No attempts to blame circumstances.

Only regret.

Isabella took a slow breath.

"I've waited years to hear those words."

"And now that you've finally said them... they don't change anything."

Carlo nodded.

"I know."

"I'm not asking you to forgive me today."

"Then why are you here?"

"To tell you something I should've said long ago."

"What?"

"Thank you."

"For every meal you cooked."

"Every wound you treated."

"Every sleepless night you waited for me."

"Every sacrifice I never appreciated."

"You deserved better."

Tears slowly formed in Isabella's eyes.

Not because she wanted him back.

But because he had finally understood.

"Goodbye, Isabella," Carlo said softly.

"I'm going to stop chasing you."

"If one day our paths cross again... I hope you'll meet a better version of me."

He turned around and walked away.

This time, he didn't look back.

Watching him leave, Isabella felt something unfamiliar.

The anger she'd carried for so long had finally begun to disappear.

But forgiveness...

Forgiveness would take much longer.

Far across the city, inside an abandoned factory, the surviving leaders of the Moretti family gathered.

"The Romano family destroyed half our empire," one man growled.

"Then we destroy what's left of his heart," another replied coldly.

He placed Isabella's recent photograph onto the table.

"If we can't defeat Don Carlo... we'll make him watch the woman he loves disappear forever."