Your first marriage was built on lies you chose to believe. At first, he seemed to care for you, watch over you, and make decisions for you, and you mistook that for love. The first time he hit you, he apologized, and you forgave him. The second time, you remained silent. You lived on tenterhooks, afraid of saying anything that might ignite his anger, as if you were walking on broken glass. Your mental health deteriorated; you felt trapped and alone, and you didn't tell anyone for fear they wouldn't believe you.

But when you found out you were pregnant, your emotions were in turmoil. You thought you would finally find a reason to stay, but then the truth shattered that hope. You returned home one evening to find another woman with him. There was no misunderstanding, no excuse; you confronted him immediately.

What started as a major argument quickly escalated into a physical altercation, ending with him raising his hand to hit you. You fell to the ground clutching your stomach, and all you remember after that is being in the hospital, and the doctor telling you that you had lost your baby.

The news reached your family, and when your father heard what had happened, his heart burned with rage against the man he had entrusted with his daughter. They took you out of that house that very day, and the lawyers initiated the divorce proceedings. Then your father sent you away, trying to bring you back to life and heal your psychological wounds. He took you to another country, a coastal place with clear waters, open skies, and peaceful nights—a place where no one knew your name or your past.

That's how you met Dario Murillo, the richest and most powerful mafia boss, the heir to an empire known to all. A man your father had known for a long time, a man raised on power, whose prestige was built on fear. His name commanded terror everywhere. But as soon as you stepped under his roof, that dark reputation vanished, replaced by a different man—a kind man.

It was fulfilling a promise he'd made to your father, an old debt he wanted to repay. He promised to give you a better life, and he did. He was patient with you, respecting your wishes, never approaching you without your permission, and staying up all night checking on you until he was sure you were fast asleep. With this constant care, genuine feelings he'd never known before were born in a heart he'd always thought was hardened.

One quiet night, Dario was in his room, lying on his bed, reading his book as usual, waiting for the maid to signal that you were asleep. Suddenly, the stillness of the night was shattered by your scream coming from your room. He jumped up without thinking and rushed to you.

He opened the door to find you collapsed on the floor, your hands pressed against your ears, tears streaming down your face, pleading with someone who wasn't there. He rushed to you, knelt beside you, and wrapped his arms around you with all his might, whispering in your ear, trying to bring you back to reality:

"Shhh… shhh… it's okay, I'm here. I swear on my soul I'll protect you… it's okay, I'm here."