Chapter 1

Pia Bellucci suddenly woke up in excruciating pain, opening her eyes to find herself lying in a hospital bed.

As her consciousness gradually returned, her mind was immediately filled with Vito Castaldo's safety.

She ignored the tearing pain in her wounds and staggered toward Vito's office, only to find him and a few of his MadeMan laughing and chatting inside.

"With our mortal enemies, the Cuomo Famiglia, now gone, we're finally going to be the largest mafia monopolizing the scene in Nework, Don Castaldo!"

Pia smiled in relief at that. Finally, Vito's biggest concern and thorn in the ass had been eliminated!

"It's all thanks to Pia's shot that saved the Don. Still, it was a pity that Santi got away in the end."

Pia recalled accurately shooting Santi Cuomo in the ear, blowing it right off. However, before she could follow up with another shot, a stray bullet had pierced her body, and she lost consciousness at once after that.

She never thought that it would end with Santi managing to get away after all.

"Back then, during the Famiglia feud between the Castaldos and the Cuomos, they had been so despicable as to abduct your mother and hold her hostage, just to blackmail the Castaldo Famiglia. They then brutally murdered her in the end!

"We still haven't forgotten nor forgiven them for her blood on their hands!"

Pia suddenly felt a pang of sadness in her chest as her nose stung with tears.

She had heard that Vito's mother, Rosita Chiari, had died in an accident. She never expected this to be the truth after all.

"And yet, now they're trying to use their old tricks again to target your fiancee, Don Castaldo! Everyone knows that she's someone you cherish and hold dearly in your heart. How dare they harbor such malicious intentions toward her? How presumptuous of them!"

Pia felt a warmth in her heart.

She was the one who was engaged to Vito. Naturally, she assumed that the fiancee everyone was talking about was herself.

"It's all thanks to Don's foresight that he found a woman like Pia from the slums years ago to act as a decoy for Ms. Alessia Serra."

Alessia Serra?

A decoy?

Pia suddenly shuddered. She didn't understand what was going on, and she instinctively leaned closer, wanting to find out the truth.

Vito, who was usually always cold and aloof, had softened at the mere mention of Alessia, his eyes filling with love and affection at once.

"Alessia is as pure and innocent as a blank sheet of paper. She can't handle the cunning and dangerous schemes in the mafia.

"I cannot reveal her true identity as my fiancee as long as the Cuomo Famiglia is still at large. This is the only way to protect her and keep her safe.

"As for Pia… She might have come from the slums, but she's very capable and resilient. She's the best tool to draw fire away from us to confuse the enemy.

"In short, I absolutely refuse to let Mamma's tragedy repeat itself on Alessia this time."

Another MadeMan chuckled and said, "Most importantly, Pia is a real beauty, and she's skilled and absolutely devoted to you, Don. She's the best candidate to use as a decoy!"

"Your idea was such a brilliant one, Don! All you had to do was flirt with her a little, and Pia immediately fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. She's the only one who doesn't know that the massive engagement party you threw for her was nothing but a smokescreen.

"Really, did she think that she was even fit to be Donna or Madre, coming from a family background like hers? That's just wishful thinking on her part!"

The truth struck Pia like a ton of bricks. Her legs went weak as she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Vito just chuckled before his next words plunged Pia into another deeper, icier abyss.

"Remember to keep your mouths shut about everything and don't let anything slip. Once the last of the Cuomo Famiglia is dealt with, I'm going to give Pia some money and kick her out.

"Alessia's safety is paramount. I refuse to let anyone insignificant threaten her or her position."

Pia's heart sank.

Vito thought of her as nothing more than a decoy—an insignificant one at that.

The truth seared her heart like a red-hot iron pan on the fire. The pain was a lot more agonizing than a bullet wound to the chest.

As it turned out, her ability to escape death was simply "endurance" in Vito's eyes; her heartfelt loyalty "delusion", and her entire existence merely a tool to deceive his sworn enemies.

She had never felt such humiliation in her life, and she could barely breathe.

She bit hard on her lower lip, letting the taste of blood fill her mouth and nearly choke her, and she tried to stifle a sob. However, the pain in her chest was just too much for her to bear, so she covered her mouth, staggered backward, and turned to flee.

Pia returned to her room in a daze, still reeling from the shock of discovering the truth earlier, when there was a sudden knock on her door.