Chapter 1

Aurora's POV

After midnight, the game in the private room began. A deck of playing cards lay on the table, and seated around it were bored Mafia brass and their wives.

The rule was simple—for every round we lost, off came an item of clothing.

Sofia Rossi lost the first round, so she bent down and removed her high heels. In the second round, she took off her dress. In the end, all she had left on her body was a black lace bra and a garter belt.

Her cheeks burned bright red from alcohol and mortification.

She had lost again.

When the host announced that she had to remove one more item, she suddenly snatched up a champagne glass from the table and smashed it against the edge.

The glass shattered. She picked up the sharpest shard and pressed it against her throat, her posture resolute.

"I won't strip!" she said in a trembling voice. "I'd rather die than endure this humiliation!"

The atmosphere in the private room instantly cooled.

Leonardo Bianchi's jaw tightened abruptly. "Sofia, put it down. No one is going to humiliate you, I swear."

He grabbed her wrist and carefully removed the shard of glass.

Then, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and lowered his head to examine the wound, as if nothing else in the room mattered to him—including me.

Just a few days earlier, I had been hospitalized from overwork.

Tonight was my first time going out since being discharged, but he hadn't even asked me once, "How are you feeling?"

Yet, a single scratch on Sofia's neck was enough to send him into a panic.

Only after he made sure she was fine did he finally lift his head and look at me. "Aurora, take the punishment on behalf of Sofia."

A stir immediately rippled through the room.

His meaning was clear to everyone—the loser could name someone to take their place.

If I agreed, Sofia would be able to keep her dignity. But if I refused, she would become the biggest laughingstock of the night.

Sofia bit her lip and took the chance to nestle a little closer into Leonardo's arms.

"Yeah. What's the fun in just me stripping? I think Aurora should join in too."

I had already seen that pitiful, fragile look on her face too many times. Whenever she wanted something, she would put on that exact expression, and Leonardo could never refuse her.

Sure enough, the cold hardness in Leonardo's eyes gradually melted away. When he spoke again, there was a trace of resignation in his tone.

"It's just a game. Why don't you take her place just this once?"

The casual dismissiveness in his voice was all too familiar.

I watched him quietly.

Over the past two years, every time he chose Sofia over me, a new property—high-rise apartments, office buildings, luxury condominiums—would end up under my name.

By now, I'd accumulated 97 properties, each one an apology and a reminder that for him, giving me money was always far easier than staying faithful.

Tonight would make the 98th time.

At the other end of the private room, someone had opened a new bottle of wine while another person had taken out their phone. Everyone was waiting with bated breath to see whether I'd submit to Leonardo yet again.

Sofia was already smiling triumphantly. After all, she had come out on top every single time for years.

I lowered my eyes and gave a slight nod. "Okay."

Relief flashed across Leonardo's face, while Sofia smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Neither of them noticed the look on my face.

I was already counting down silently in my mind. It wouldn't be long before I'd finished repaying the debt I owed Leonardo for saving my life.

And when the count reached zero, I would leave and never come back.