Three gold coins lay on the marble table when I told my maid’s three-year-old daughter she could have any three wishes she wanted. Ellie ignored every toy around her and asked only one question: “Why does Mommy have to say sorry when she didn’t do it?” The moment she said it, I stopped looking at the child and looked at my brother Dante.

I did not hesitate for a single fraction of a second when I saw her go under.

I dove headfirst into the freezing, pitch-black water of the violent ocean.

The icy temperature completely shocked my system, but pure adrenaline forced my limbs to move.

I swam desperately into the dark depths, following the faint trail of bubbles in the water.

I found Ellie struggling weakly, dragged down rapidly by the massive weight of the heavy anchor.

I pulled my combat knife from my belt and sawed frantically at the thick ropes binding her.

My lungs burned with an agonizing lack of oxygen, but I finally cut the last rope free.

I grabbed the unconscious little girl and kicked furiously toward the turbulent surface.

We broke through the water, gasping desperately for air amidst the pouring, freezing rain.

Suddenly, Clara leaned over the edge of my patrol boat and hauled us safely onto the deck.

She had followed me into the storm and arrived just in time to rescue her precious daughter.

Clara performed frantic CPR until Ellie finally coughed up seawater and began to cry loudly.

I looked over at Dante's boat and saw him attempting to aim a rifle at us.

Before he could fire, Victor's massive syndicate yacht emerged from the fog and violently rammed Dante's boat, completely destroying it.

Dante was pulled from the wreckage and officially handed over to the Commission for his ultimate execution.

The bloody war was finally over, and the stolen ledger guaranteed absolute peace between our families.

Months later, Clara, Ellie, and I formed a beautiful, unconventional family in my newly rebuilt estate.

Ellie ran happily through the sunny gardens, finally free from the terrifying shadows of the mafia world.

I had found a profound, lasting peace by keeping my promise to protect the innocent lives around me.

It was a perfectly happy ending that healed the deep wounds of losing my beloved Sofia.

One quiet evening, Clara was cleaning out the pockets of my old, ruined winter cashmere coat.

She found a crumpled, waterlogged document hidden deep inside the secret lining of the fabric.

She unfolded the paper and realized it was the original assassination order for her late husband.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

At the bottom of the document, authorizing the brutal hit, was my own undeniable, handwritten signature.

Clara stared at my name in absolute, freezing horror as she realized the monster she had just married.

Chapter 10 - The Final Wish