Chapter 7: The Bullet He Asked Me to Use

The banquet hall fell into complete silence.

Every elder present turned toward the entrance.

Rafael Holloway stood there alone.

He carried no bodyguards.

He wore no Don's cloak.

His black suit was covered in dust from the long journey.

Dark circles surrounded his bloodshot eyes.

For the first time since I had known him, he looked exhausted.

Father's expression immediately darkened.

"Southern Silenzio has a lot of courage entering my territory uninvited."

Northern guards instantly surrounded Rafael.

Dozens of guns pointed directly at him.

Yet he never looked away from me.

"Gianna... I came to take you home."

I calmly placed my wine glass on the table.

"Home?"

"Yes."

"Which home?"

He hesitated.

"Our home."

A faint smile appeared on my lips.

"You mean the estate where I spent three years waiting to become your wife?"

His face turned pale.

"I know I hurt you."

"You don't know anything."

The room remained perfectly still.

"You know how many wedding dresses I wore?"

"Seventeen."

"Do you know how many times I defended you when everyone mocked me?"

He lowered his head.

"Too many."

"Do you know when I finally stopped loving you?"

He slowly shook his head.

"Yesterday?"

"No."

"It happened little by little every time you chose Natalia over me."

"By the seventeenth wedding, there was simply nothing left."

His breathing became uneven.

"Gianna... please give me one more chance."

"One more?"

I laughed softly.

"That's exactly what you asked after every broken promise."

"One more wedding."

"One more apology."

"One more explanation."

"One more sacrifice."

"But strangely, I was always the one making those sacrifices."

Rafael closed his eyes.

"You're right."

He slowly reached inside his jacket.

Every guard immediately raised their weapons.

"Don't move!"

"It's alright," Rafael quietly said.

He removed a familiar velvet box.

Inside lay the golden revolver I had returned.

The seventeen marks still scarred its barrel.

He walked several steps closer before kneeling.

"Three years ago I told you that if I ever betrayed you, you could use this bullet on me."

"Today I intend to keep that promise."

He opened the chamber.

One bullet remained inside.

Without hesitation, he handed the revolver to me.

"If killing me helps you move on... do it."

Gasps echoed throughout the ballroom.

"Don Holloway!" Matteo shouted.

Father narrowed his eyes but remained silent.

I accepted the revolver.

It felt just as heavy as the day he first gave it to me.

Rafael closed his eyes.

"I deserve it."

Everyone waited.

Seconds passed.

Then I quietly removed the single bullet.

It landed on the marble floor with a soft metallic sound.

Clink.

I handed the empty revolver back.

"I'm not wasting another second of my life on revenge."

"The greatest punishment isn't death, Rafael."

"It's living with every choice you made."

"From today onward, your regrets belong only to you."

His shoulders trembled.

For the first time, tears rolled down his face.

"I've lost everything... haven't I?"

I answered without hesitation.

"Yes."

"You lost me long before I walked away."

Father finally stepped forward.

"Escort Don Holloway safely to the Northern border."

"From today onward, he enters Rossetti territory only as a guest—not as family."

The guards surrounded Rafael.

He didn't resist.

As he reached the doorway, he stopped one final time.

"Gianna... I truly loved you."

I looked directly into his eyes.

"Maybe you did."

"But love without respect destroys everything it touches."

He lowered his head.

Without another word, he disappeared beyond the palace doors.

Outside, heavy snow had begun to fall.

It covered every footprint he left behind.

As if fate itself had decided to erase the path between us forever.