Chapter 3

Aurora's POV

The driver, Marco Rinaldi, dropped me back at the estate. I didn't ask where Leonardo had gone.

The following days were eerily quiet.

The vast villa had always felt desolate. Before, there had at least been the sound of two people's footsteps. But now, with Leonardo gone, the silence was heavier than ever.

Like a ghost drifting through old memories, I wandered from room to room each day.

Until one day, Leonardo's Consigliere, Francesco Moretti, showed up at the door with a familiar folder in hand.

"Don Bianchi asked me to deliver this," he said. "Consider it compensation for what happened at the party."

It was this playbook again.

I lowered my head and took the document. I didn't even need to open it to know what was inside.

After Francesco left, I sat alone in the study and opened the folder. Sure enough, clipped to the first page was a new property deed for an entire commercial building in the prime downtown area, worth far more than any of the previous ones.

I stared at the deed for a long time, then picked up a pen and slowly wrote the number "98" on the first page.

The moment the ink bled onto the paper, I felt a sharp pang in my chest.

I stood up and walked over to the bookshelf. Then, I reached out and pushed aside the oil painting on the wall.

Hidden behind it was a secret compartment, and inside were neatly arranged identical folders. They were numbered from one to the latest number, stacked in perfect order.

Behind me, the butler, Matteo Ricci, couldn't help but remark, "Don Bianchi truly dotes on you."

The household staff nearby chimed in as well.

"Yes, he used to send gifts only once every few months. But now, hardly a fortnight passes without something new."

"It's clear that you are the one Don Bianchi truly holds closest to his heart."

I listened quietly and finally just smiled, offering no explanation.

They mistook compensation for love. But those two things were never the same.

Love was favoritism, steadfastness, and always taking my side. Compensation, on the other hand, was just a chip he cashed in to soothe his own conscience after the damage was done.

I had just closed the hidden compartment when Camilla Costa, the assistant Leonardo had assigned to me, called.

"Donna Bianchi, what on earth did you do?"

My heart sank. "What are you talking about?"

"Go see for yourself online." She sounded utterly panicked. "Oh my god, everyone is talking about you."

Camilla hung up and sent me a link.

When I tapped it open with trembling fingers, it felt as if all the blood in my body had frozen solid in an instant.

The top ten trending topics were dominated entirely by terms such as "Perfect Aurora Esposito Exposed", "Donna Bianchi Uncensored HD", and "Donna Bianchi Secret Rendezvous with Male Escort".

A video thumbnail seared itself into my eyes. In the footage, my hair was a mess, my cheeks flushed, and I was so drunk I could barely sit upright.

The shot had been deliberately cropped to cut out everyone else around, leaving only the angle most likely to invite misunderstanding. Anyone who saw it would jump to the filthiest conclusions.

The number of comments had already reached hundreds of thousands.

"The perfect Donna? More like a perfect slut."

"So, this is what she's really like behind closed doors. She definitely slept her way to the top."

"A gold-digging attention whore like her isn't fit to be the Donna of the Bianchi family."

Each word needled its way into my eyes. My breathing grew rapid, and a dull roar filled my ears.

My phone tumbled from my hand as all the strength left my body. Just as I was about to collapse, someone caught me firmly.

The familiar scent of cedar enveloped me, and a deep voice sounded above me.

"Don't look."

Leonardo had come back. This was the first time he had come home since the party that night.

He gathered me into his arms and gently covered my eyes with his hand, as if afraid I might see those venomous insults again.

"I'll handle this," he said, his voice tight with barely suppressed anger.

I looked up blankly and saw his expression had turned ice-cold.

The next second, he glanced over his shoulder at his Soldati, his gaze so sharp it was terrifying.

"Look into this! Spare no one who had a hand in this."

In that moment, a small flame of hope flickered back to life in my dead heart. I almost believed that this time, Leonardo would finally take my side.

Just then, a relaxed and teasing voice drifted in from the doorway.

"Leonardo, why are you so angry?"

Sofia was leaning against the doorframe, absentmindedly admiring her manicured nails.

"I'm the one who posted the video online. Aurora's so beautiful—it'd be a shame to keep her hidden. Besides, good things are meant to be shared for everyone to appreciate."

Something finally snapped inside of me. Humiliation, rage, grief, and all kinds of emotions intertwined and surged over me like a tidal wave.

I strode toward Sofia. But before I could make another move, someone suddenly seized my wrist with a force so strong it hurt.

I froze and looked up to find Leonardo standing in front of Sofia like an insurmountable wall.

"Aurora, that's enough!" he shouted.

For a split second, I thought I must have heard wrong. I looked from him to Sofia and back again, my eyes searing and raw.

"Sofia did this. How do you plan to handle it?" I forced the words out with difficulty.

Leonardo was silent for a moment. "I'll have my men delete the video and remove all copies."

My heart sank bit by bit.

With reddened eyes, I looked at him. "That's not the point at all. She wanted to destroy me and ruin my reputation!"

"I said I'll handle it."

"Sofia must pay the price."

"Aurora Esposito!" Leonardo finally lost his patience. "Stop this nonsense! As long as I am your husband, no one can truly hurt you?"

I was struck dumb. How could he say that?

What was I supposed to make of the millions hurling abuse at me online? What of my career? And my reputation?

Worse still, Sofia wouldn't even have to face a single consequence.

At that moment, Sofia's eyes quickly reddened, and tears came on cue.

"Leonardo, please don't be mad at Aurora," she said between sobs. "This is all my fault. I never expected things would turn out this way."

As she spoke, she actually moved to kneel before me.

"Aurora, I'm sorry. If this has made you unhappy, I'll confess publicly that I fabricated the video—even if it means my name will be dragged through the mud. I just don't want the two of you to fight because of me."

Leonardo's expression softened immediately. When he looked at me again, his eyes were filled with exhaustion, anger, and disappointment.

"Aurora, Sofia has already apologized. What more do you want? Didn't you always say work was too tiring? Well, now it's a good opportunity to take a break. Just stay at home, relax, rest, and enjoy life a little."

My breath caught, and I looked at him in disbelief.

He, who had once gone against the whole world to save me, now wanted to hide me away.