The Capos Vow

The penthouse apartment overlooking the city skyline was glowing with candlelight. Elena adjusted the silk hem of her emerald-green dress, checking the digital clock on the wall for the tenth time. It was 9:45 PM.

Tonight was their third wedding anniversary.

Three years of being married to Ethan Vance, the most ruthless, feared billionaire CEO in the country. To the media, Ethan was a cold, unfeeling machine who crushed his business rivals without a second thought. But to Elena, he was her entire world. He was the gentle man who held her tightly in the dark, who whispered promises into her hair, and who had saved her family from financial ruin when her father's company collapsed.

She had willingly given up her own dreams of becoming an architect just to be his perfect, supportive wife. And tonight, she had the ultimate anniversary gift for him.

Elena gently touched her still-flat stomach, a soft smile spreading across her lips. Hidden in her designer purse was a small velvet box containing a positive pregnancy test. Twins. She was pregnant with his heirs. She could already picture the look of sheer joy on Ethan's usually stoic face when she told him.

The heavy oak doors of the penthouse clicked open.

Elena's heart leaped. "Ethan!" she called out happily, walking toward the foyer.

Ethan Vance stepped into the light. He was devastatingly handsome, standing well over six feet tall in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit. But tonight, something was completely off. The warm, soft look he usually saved just for her was entirely gone. His emerald-green eyes-the same eyes her future children would inherit-were as cold as shards of ice.

He didn't smile. He didn't even acknowledge the beautifully set dinner table or the candles. He simply unbuttoned his suit jacket, stepped past her, and poured himself a glass of neat whiskey.

"Ethan? Is everything okay at the office?" Elena asked, her smile faltering as a sudden chill crept down her spine. "I made your favorite dinner. Happy anniversary, my love."

Ethan took a slow sip of his drink, his back turned to her. When he finally turned around, his expression was completely blank.

"Don't bother with the dinner, Elena," he said. His voice was freezing, devoid of any emotion. It sounded like the voice of a stranger.

"What do you mean?" Elena laughed nervously, taking a step toward him. "Did something happen?"

Without a word, Ethan reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a thick white envelope, and tossed it carelessly onto the glass coffee table. It landed with a heavy, sickening thud.

Elena stared down at it. "What is this?"

"Open it," he commanded.

With trembling fingers, Elena picked up the envelope and slid the documents out. The bold letters at the top of the first page seemed to burn straight into her retinas: DIVORCE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.

The room felt like it was spinning. Elena's breath hitched in her throat. She looked up at her husband, searching his face for any sign that this was a sick joke. "Ethan... I don't understand. A divorce? Why? What did I do wrong?"

Ethan let out a short, mocking laugh that made Elena flinch. He walked over, leaning against the edge of the desk, looking down at her as if she were nothing more than a bug beneath his expensive leather shoes.

You didn't do anything wrong, Elena. In fact, you played your part perfectly," Ethan said, his tone dripping with cruel amusement. "You were the perfect, obedient little wife for three long years."

"Then why?" Tears finally spilled over Elena's cheeks, ruining her makeup. "I love you, Ethan. I gave up everything for you!"