Twenty-Four Hours to Forget the Don

Three days before my wedding to Don Marco, I scheduled a memory erasure procedure. "Ms. Leah, are you certain you want to erase the memories from this period of your life and forget the people you knew?" I ran my fingers over the wedding invitation Marco had carefully prepared and said softly, "Yes." Three years ago, on the night Marco and I got engaged, Violetta was involved in a car accident. When she woke up, she identified me as the person responsible. That was when I learned that even an innocent person could become the villain in everyone else's eyes. Marco, the man I loved most, believed her and sent me to prison for three years. "Leah, you nearly destroyed her life. You should be grateful that she's still willing to forgive you." "But I can't keep cleaning up your messes forever. You need to learn to face the consequences of your actions." That was Marco's final decision. The truth was, if he had been willing to investigate a little further, he would have discovered what really happened. During those three years, Marco never responded to my pleas or my cries for help. All he left me was a promise that he would marry me after I was released. An empty vow. But I no longer needed his belated tenderness. Marco, I choose to forget you. Chapter 1 On the day I was released from prison, Marco came to pick me up himself. After the car pulled away from the prison, he handed me a wedding invitation. "This is the design for our wedding invitation. Take a look and tell me if you like it." I took it from him and tore it into pieces right in front of him. His brows drew together. "Leah, if you have something to say, just say it. Don't start throwing a tantrum the moment you get out." I gave a cold laugh. "Sorry. Three years in prison ruined my temper." "Stop this. I've already arranged everything." Marco's expression darkened immediately. "The wedding will take place in three days. The Dons of the other Families will all be there in person." I looked at him and enunciated each word clearly. "I will not marry you." The next second, Marco slammed his foot down on the accelerator. The car shot onto the highway like a bullet leaving the barrel of a gun. He drove with a grim expression while I stared blankly out the window. Memories followed me like a rabid dog snapping at my heels. Marco was the Don of the Bellini Family. And I was the most skilled assassin in the Family. Marco and I had once been in love for seven years. I had believed our happiness would last forever—until the darkest moment of my life arrived. I spent three whole years in a dark, sunless prison. Those three years were what finally made me decide. Once I got out, I would erase every memory I had of Marco Bellini. The sharp screech of brakes pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced out the window and raised an eyebrow. The car had stopped in front of an upscale bridal boutique. Marco's expression had already returned to normal. "As long as you're willing to become my Donna," he said, looking at me, "I'll give you anything you ask for." I pressed my lips together. "Then transfer the trust fund held in your name to me." "Fine." Marco smiled. "Consider it compensation for the last three years." He agreed so readily that I was momentarily dazed. He got out of the car and came around to open my door. "Go inside and try on the wedding dresses." He held out his hand to me. "I'll go with you." He gazed at me with tenderness in his azure-blue eyes. Those eyes were as sharp as a bird of prey's and as blue as autumn mist. To my own surprise, I felt a belated trace of hesitation. Perhaps he had had deeper reasons for what he did back then. Perhaps the wedding really could give us a fresh start. Just as I was about to place my hand in his, his phone rang. He withdrew his hand and answered the call. Violetta's tearful voice immediately came through the phone. "Don, someone is following me… The car has been behind me for two blocks…" "I'm so scared. Can you come and save me?" Marco glanced at me and pressed his lips together. "Don't be afraid. Tell me where you are, and I'll send one of my button men to protect you." "No!" Violetta cried even harder. "You're the only one I trust. Please, Don." Marco's fingers tightened around his phone, and his jaw slowly tensed. He hesitated, but only for a few seconds. "I'm coming." After ending the call, he avoided my eyes and said carefully, "Leah, I need to take care of something. Go inside and try on the dresses by yourself." I got out of the car. As I watched Marco drive away, I suddenly found that brief moment of softness utterly ridiculous. I did not enter the bridal boutique. Instead, I hailed a taxi and went straight to the memory clinic. The clinic performed memory erasure procedures that could precisely remove every memory associated with a specific person. The doctor pushed the surgical consent form across the desk toward me. "The effects of the memory erasure procedure are irreversible. If you're certain, please sign here." Without hesitation, I signed my name on the designated line. The procedure was completed quickly. Thanks to advances in technology, I looked no different than usual afterward. The doctor warned me, "The procedure will officially take effect in twenty-four hours. If you change your mind…" He sealed a white pill inside a small packet and placed it in my palm. "Take this pill before the procedure takes effect. Once twenty-four hours have passed, there will be no way to reverse it." I accepted the pill and left the clinic. The evening glow was fading, and the early moon looked like a faint kiss mark. I felt immensely relieved. Now, there were still three days until my "wedding." And twenty-three hours and fifty-seven minutes until I forgot Marco completely. Chapter 2 I took a taxi back to the Bellini estate. I had returned only to pack my things. And to find the evidence left behind by the car accident three years ago. But the moment I opened the door, I froze. Nothing had changed. The wool rug I had chosen still covered the entryway, and my slippers were still sitting in the shoe cabinet. The thin blanket I always used was still draped over the dark green sofa in the living room. It was as if time had frozen here, leaving everything untouched like some silent memorial. I walked over to the dining table and sat down, staring absently at the photograph beside it. In the picture, I was holding up a finger covered in cream. Marco had turned his head away to dodge me, but his arm was still wrapped tightly around my waist. We were both smiling without the slightest guard, our smiles as pure as clear water. Seven years of love could not be forgotten simply because I had decided to forget. I lowered my eyes and tightened my grip on the white pill in my palm. Twenty hours remained before I forgot him completely. I had no idea how much time had passed when the lock suddenly clicked. Marco walked in. I was about to say hello when Violetta's face appeared from behind his shoulder. My heart slowly sank. "Leah?" Marco asked casually as he took off his shoes. "Did the wedding dress fit?" The smile on Violetta's lips stiffened. "I didn't try one on." Marco's movements paused for a moment, while the smile quickly returned to Violetta's face. "Leah, the wedding is less than three days away." Marco rubbed his brow, impatience in his voice. "You're going to be my Donna. Don't be difficult at a time like this, all right?" "Don't rush her, Marco. Leah is probably just nervous." Violetta slipped her arm through Marco's as though it were the most natural thing in the world and continued, "She just got out of prison, so it's only natural that her figure has changed. Maybe she's afraid the wedding dress won't fit. You should be more understanding…" "Shut up." I cut her off, my voice cold and completely flat. Violetta's eyes immediately reddened, and she turned toward Marco. "I'm sorry. I was only trying to ease the tension between the two of you." Marco glanced at me with a dark expression but said nothing. Violetta suddenly turned back to me. "Leah, you've been angry with me all this time because you spent three years in prison, haven't you?" Tears finally spilled from her eyes. "But all I did was tell the truth…" "Enough!" Marco suddenly snapped. "Leah made a mistake, but she has already paid her debt." He swept his hand through the air. "It's over. No one is ever to mention it again." I stared at him and suddenly found the whole thing utterly absurd. Three years. One thousand and ninety-five days. With a single sentence—"No one is ever to mention it again"—he erased all of it on my behalf. For a moment, my tears seemed ready to fall, but in the end, they did not. Just as some words reached my lips, only to be swallowed again. There was no point in saying anything more. "It's been a busy day, so we'll have to make do with takeout for dinner." Marco set the takeout containers on the table. "Leah, I made a special detour to get these. They're all your favorites." Violetta sat in my seat. I walked over to her. "Get up. That's my seat." She looked up at me with an innocent smile. "It's my seat too. For the past three years, I've sat here at every meal." Just as I reached out to pull her up, Marco caught my wrist. "It's just a seat. Do you really need to make such a big deal out of it?" He yanked me aside. I stumbled and nearly fell to the floor. Marco turned toward me, his face filled with impatience. "Violetta had a frightening experience today. Let her have the seat." From behind him, Violetta gave me a smug smile. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Only nineteen hours remained before I forgot Marco completely. Until I got what I had come back for, I needed to remain calm. I lowered my eyes and quietly finished dinner. That night, when Violetta made a fuss and demanded that Marco stay with her and soothe her to sleep, I did not object. There was no need to argue over someone I would soon forget. Around midnight, when I figured everyone had fallen asleep, I quietly got out of bed. Marco was in the habit of keeping all important documents locked inside the safe in his study. The original records from the car accident three years ago might also be inside. As long as I found them, I would know the truth. I wrapped my hand around the doorknob and gently pushed the door open. But someone was standing on the terrace leading to the study. Violetta turned to look at me. And in her hand was a gun. Chapter 3 "Leah." Violetta gave the gun in her hand a small wave and laughed softly. "So you came back after all." My muscles tensed as my gaze settled on the gun. It was mine. More precisely, it was the first gun Marco had ever given me. Seven years ago, when I had just joined the Bellini Family, my very first mission ended in failure. Marco arrived at the abandoned winery, drove back the enemy, and saved me. He took a bullet in the shoulder while protecting me. I held on to him and cried like a child. He simply wiped away my tears and placed his gun in my hands. "Don't cry. I'm not going to die. I'm giving you this gun." "This is my lucky gun." He forced a smile through the pain. "It will protect you in my place." Later, he personally engraved both of our initials on the inside of the grip. It was a token of our love. The gun stayed with me for seven whole years. Now, however, it was in Violetta's hands. I stared into Violetta's eyes and said in a low voice, "That's my gun." "How are you going to prove it?" She raised the gun and slowly ran her thumb over the grip. "Your name isn't on it." In the moonlight, I saw it clearly. The initials engraved inside the grip had been ground away. It felt as though something had lightly scraped across my chest. The pain was shallow, but it lingered with maddening persistence. I lifted my wrist and checked the time. Fourteen hours remained before the memory erasure took full effect. Since Marco's name had already been erased from the gun, I might as well take back this old companion of mine. I looked at her. "Give me the gun." Violetta laughed, and the fragile look in her eyes finally fell away. "The Don just told me that he has already transferred his trust fund to you." She tilted her head, speaking as though she were trying to reason with a disobedient child. "Why can't you just take the money and leave quietly?" I said in a low voice, "I don't need to explain anything I do to you." "Is that so?" She suddenly pointed the gun at me. "You spent three years in prison. Do you still think you're the one person no one can replace?" I did not respond. She probably mistook my silence for weakness because the smile on her lips grew even wider. "For the past three years, I was the one who stayed by the Don's side." "Even this gun was given to me by him. I've already taken over everything you left behind." Violetta's voice carried undisguised smugness. "Last Thanksgiving, he took me home with him for his family's Thanksgiving dinner." Violetta lifted her chin. "Where were you then? Oh, right. You were in prison." I lost the last of my patience and lunged at her like a released spring. She had not expected me to attack her directly. In her panic, she raised the gun and pulled the trigger. "Bang!" The bullet skimmed past my shoulder. I seized her wrist and twisted it downward with force. She screamed and released the gun, and it fell straight into my hand. Just as I pointed it at her, Marco rushed over. The moment Violetta saw him, she scrambled to her feet and stumbled into his arms. "Don, she's trying to kill me…" Marco wrapped his arms tightly around her and stared fixedly at the gun in my hand. "She took my gun first," I said in a low voice. "She was also the one who fired it just now." "But the gun is in your hand." Marco raised his eyes to mine. "I saw it with my own eyes." Looking at him, I suddenly felt exhausted. Only fourteen hours remained before I would finally be free. I no longer wanted to explain myself to him, nor did I want to keep searching for evidence from three years ago. I only wanted to leave quietly and forget everything completely. With my skills, there were plenty of Families out there begging me to join them. I lowered the gun and let it rest in my palm. "Think whatever you want." I turned and walked toward the terrace exit. "You can't let her leave!" Violetta cried, clutching Marco's clothes. "The Family strictly forbids its members from killing one another. She has to stand trial!" Marco reached out and blocked my path. I snapped my head toward him. "Marco, do you want to put me on trial too?" He reached out, took the gun from my hand, and nodded silently. "It's the Family's rule." Chapter 4 When two bodyguards marched me into the tribunal hall, every seat inside was already occupied. Marco sat in the presiding seat, his expression cold and stern. He tapped the table. "Now that everyone is here, let's begin." Violetta's eyes immediately reddened. "Leah has resented me ever since I reported her three years ago, so the moment she got out of prison, she tried to kill me." "Just last night, she even fired a gun at me. The Don saw it with his own eyes!" Low murmurs immediately spread through the tribunal hall. "I can understand why Leah might hold a grudge, but no matter how angry she is, she has no right to pull a gun on another member of the Family." "I heard she suffered quite a lot in prison. Do you think something is wrong with her mentally?" "Is a madwoman like her really qualified to become our Donna?" One accusation after another reached my ears, buzzing around me like flies swarming over rotten meat. I swept my gaze around the tribunal hall, a cold smile forming on my lips. I had saved the life of every person accusing me. Some of them more than once. Back then, they had wept with gratitude and sworn that they would never forget that I had saved their lives. But now, the sight of their faces made me sick. I looked away and said calmly, "If I had truly wanted to kill her, she would never have had the chance to stand here and accuse me." Violetta's expression shifted, but she quickly put on an injured look again. "That's only because you spent three years in prison. Your skills aren't what they used to be." She looked up at me, her voice filled with mockery. "Do you still think you're the best assassin in the Family, you jailbird?" Laughter immediately broke out around the room. One of the elders raised a hand to silence them, then turned toward Marco. "Don, was there any surveillance footage from last night?" Marco remained silent for a moment before answering in a low voice, "The terrace is a surveillance blind spot. There was no footage." The elder frowned. "In other words, there is no direct evidence?" "No." Marco lowered his eyes. "But when I arrived, the gun was in Leah's hand. Violetta's arm had also been injured when Leah twisted it." I stared at him as the warmth in my chest slowly drained away. It was just like last time. As soon as Violetta cried, Marco would instinctively take her side. The elder asked again, "Don, how do you think she should be dealt with?" Marco's brows drew together. His fingers tapped lightly against the table. Once. Then again. He was hesitating. As I looked at that familiar face, a faint trace of hope rose inside me. After all, I had once been the person he trusted most. But beside him, Violetta suddenly dropped to one knee. "Don, you cannot shield her simply because she is about to become your Donna." She looked up at him as tears slid down her cheeks. "Even a Donna cannot stand above the Family's laws. I ask you to give me justice." Someone in the back immediately called out, "She's right! Authority must be built on justice!" Another voice followed at once. "Since Leah dared to fire the gun, she must pay for what she did!" Marco finally stopped tapping the table. He raised his head and looked at me. The blue eyes that had once gazed at me with tenderness now held nothing but cold scrutiny. "There is no evidence proving who fired first," he said. "But you did injure Violetta." My heart abruptly sank. "Apologize to Violetta," he said in a low voice. "In front of everyone." For a moment, I almost thought I had heard him wrong. "She fired a gun at me and tried to kill me," I said, enunciating each word. "And now I have to apologize to her?" Marco's brows drew together, and a trace of impatience flashed through his eyes. "Leah, this is the final ruling. It will not be changed." With that, he walked straight out of the tribunal hall. Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward and pressed the cold muzzles of their guns against my waist. If I refused to obey the ruling, they would shoot me on the spot. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. The taste of blood spread through my mouth. A long time passed before I finally said, "I'm sorry." Violetta turned her face aside, pretending she had not heard me clearly. "If you're apologizing, shouldn't you at least make it clear whom you're apologizing to? And you were speaking too quietly. I couldn't hear you." Suppressed laughter rippled through the tribunal hall. The gun muzzle pressed against my waist dug another inch deeper. I lifted my wrist and checked the time. Only thirty minutes remained before I forgot Marco completely. The rage churning inside me was tempered into cold hatred. I reached into my pocket, took out the white pill, and dropped it onto the floor. Then I slowly crushed it beneath the toe of my shoe. After doing that, I raised my head and looked at Violetta, my voice clear and completely steady. "Violetta, I'm sorry." Violetta smiled with satisfaction and put on an expression of generous forgiveness. "Since you have recognized your mistake, I choose to forgive you." Scattered applause sounded around the room. I only found the entire scene absurd. As soon as the trial ended, I left the Bellini estate. In the final minute before my memories disappeared, I opened the black notebook I always carried with me. With a red pen, I carefully wrote a single sentence, one stroke at a time. Never forgive Marco Bellini.