I Hope You Suffer, My Ex Mafia Husband Chapter 9

Amanda's POV

The boardroom went quiet when I walked in.

Twelve men stood up. Every single one of them watched me with respect bordering on fear.

"Donna Amanda." Sidney Costello, one of our oldest associates, nodded. "Thank you for meeting with us."

I took my seat at the head of the table, right beside Sylvester's empty chair. He was in Chicago handling business, which meant I ran things here.

Three months ago, I would've laughed if someone told me I'd be sitting here. The timid girl who let Dante walk all over her? Leading a family meeting?

But I wasn't her anymore.

For the next hour, I listened to arguments, weighed options, made decisions.

"Your decision is wise, Donna Amanda," Sidney said when we wrapped up. "The Severino family will be stronger for it."

I nodded. "Thank you for your trust."

They filed out one by one, each offering a respectful bow before leaving.

The door closed and I leaned back in the chair, letting out a slow breath.

Who would've thought? Amanda Rodriguez, the girl who couldn't even stand up to her own husband, now making calls that affect half of New York.

My phone buzzed. Sylvester.

"How'd it go?" His voice was warm.

"They agreed to everything." I smiled. "Vincent tried to argue but gave up pretty quickly."

"That's my girl." I could hear the pride in his voice. "I'll be home tomorrow night. Miss me?"

"Always."

"Good. Because I have a surprise for you."

...

Six months after the wedding, I woke up feeling wrong.

Not sick exactly, just... off. My coffee tasted weird, the smell of Sylvester's cologne made my stomach turn, and I was exhausted all the time.

"Amanda." Sylvester found me in the bathroom one morning, staring at the positive pregnancy test in my hands. "What's wrong?"

I looked up at him, tears running down my face.

"I'm pregnant."

His face went white. Then he pulled me into his arms so tight I could barely breathe.

"You're sure?"

"Three tests." My voice cracked. "Sylvester, the doctors said it was nearly impossible. With the PCOS and after... after what happened..."

"Shh." He kissed my forehead, my cheeks, my lips. "It's a miracle. You deserve every miracle in the world, amore mio."

The next day, Sylvester brought in the best obstetrics team on the East Coast. Dr. Sarah Harrington, who'd delivered half the celebrity babies in LA, set up a full medical suite in the east wing of our estate.

"We're not taking any chances," Sylvester said when I tried to tell him it was too much. "You and this baby get everything."

Nine months felt like forever and no time at all.

I was terrified every single day. Terrified something would go wrong, that I'd lose this baby too, that my body would fail me again.

But Sylvester never left my side. He rearranged his entire schedule, moved meetings to the estate, held my hand through every appointment and every moment of panic.

"You're doing amazing," Dr. Harrington said during my 38-week checkup. "Everything looks perfect."

Two weeks later, my water broke at 3am.

Sylvester was out of bed before I could even process what was happening, calling the medical team, getting everything ready.

Labor was... God, it was the hardest thing I'd ever done. Fourteen hours of pain that made me want to scream and cry and give up.

"You can do this," Sylvester kept whispering, holding my hand even when I squeezed so hard I thought I'd break his fingers. "I'm right here, baby. I'm not going anywhere."

At 5:47pm, our son came into the world screaming.

"It's a boy," Dr. Harrington announced, placing him on my chest.

I looked down at this tiny, perfect human. His eyes were closed, his little fists waving in the air, and he had Sylvester's nose.

"Hi," I whispered, tears falling onto his wrinkled face. "Hi, baby. I'm your mama."

Sylvester was crying too, I could feel his tears on my shoulder as he wrapped his arms around both of us.

"What's his name?" Dr. Harrington asked.

Sylvester and I looked at each other.

"Liam," I said. "Liam Severino."

Sylvester kissed our son's tiny forehead, his voice breaking. "Welcome to the world, Liam Severino. We've been waiting for you."

Three years later, I stood on the terrace watching Liam chase butterflies across the lawn.

He was the most beautiful child I'd ever seen. Dark hair like his father, my eyes, and a smile that could light up entire rooms.

"Mama! Mama, look!" He pointed at a monarch that had landed on the rose bush. "It's orange!"

"I see it, baby! Don't touch, just look."

My hand drifted to my stomach, where our second child was growing. Five months along this time, and Dr. Harrington said everything looked perfect.

Two miracles. After everything, I got two miracles.

Warm arms wrapped around me from behind, Sylvester's chin resting on my shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?" he murmured.

I leaned back against him. "Just... if three years ago I hadn't saved you, if I hadn't found the courage to make that phone call..."

"Then I would've found you." His voice was certain. "I would've searched every corner of New York until I did. Because from the moment you saved me, my heart belonged to you. It was always going to be you, Amanda."

I turned in his arms to face him.

This man who'd given me everything. Safety, love, respect, a family. Who'd shown me what it meant to be cherished.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you more." He kissed me softly.

"Papa!" Liam came running over, grabbing Sylvester's leg. "Come see the butterfly!"

Sylvester laughed and scooped him up. "Okay, okay. Let's go see."

I started to follow them but Sylvester caught my hand.

"Wait. One second."

He set Liam down. "Go play, buddy. I need to talk to Mama."

Liam ran off toward the butterfly again and Sylvester turned back to me.

Then he dropped to one knee.

My breath caught.

"What are you doing?"

He pulled out a small velvet box and opened it. Inside was the most stunning ring I'd ever seen, a massive red diamond surrounded by smaller white ones.

"Amanda Severino." His eyes were so full of love my chest ached. "I know we're already married. But I want to do this right. I want to ask you properly, without all the pain and revenge and anger. Just us."

Tears started falling and I couldn't stop them.

"Will you marry me again? Will you spend every day of the rest of our lives with me? Will you let me love you the way you deserve to be loved?"

"Yes." The word came out as a sob. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes."

He slid the ring onto my finger and stood up, pulling me into his arms and kissing me like the world was ending.

Liam came running back over. "Why is Mama crying?"

Sylvester laughed and pulled him into the hug. "Because she's happy, buddy. We're all happy."

I looked at my husband, at our son, at the life we'd built together from the ashes of my old one.

This is what I deserve. Not pain and sacrifice and being second best. This. Love and family and being someone's entire world.

"I love you both so much," I whispered.

Sylvester kissed my forehead. "And we love you. Today, tomorrow, and every day after. Forever."

Liam wrapped his little arms around both our legs. "Forever and ever!"

I closed my eyes and just breathed them in, my family, my second chance, my miracle.

This is my happy ending. And I'm never letting it go.

*THE END*