Chapter 2

As it turned out, Christopher had noticed the ruby ring on my right ring finger—a ring that only the Donna was entitled to wear. And now it was on my hand.

I was still thinking of how to explain when Christopher suddenly sneered. "I can't believe you'd go so far as to steal the Don's ring just to get my attention."

"The Don gave me this. I'm not a thief, and I'm certainly not short of money!" I snapped, pulling my hand free quickly.

If my husband saw this scene, he'd probably get so jealous that he'd kill Christopher right on the spot.

Seeing that I still refused to accept his card, Christopher let out a disdainful laugh.

"You're already in this state, so why are you still being so stubborn?"

His blue eyes actually looked a little misty.

"Part of the reason you're like this right now is because I abandoned you back then. Are you refusing my help because you want to punish me by letting yourself suffer?"

Lina, standing to the side, seemed to see right through everything. She immediately stepped forward and pulled Christopher closer to her.

Shooting several hostile glances at me, she said to him, "Darling, this has nothing to do with you. I'm sure she ended up like this because she was caught stealing and got kicked out. You know how she used to steal my things. It's a habit of hers."

At the mention of me stealing, the gazes of the onlookers around us immediately shifted to open contempt. To them, a thief was no better than a sewer rat.

"I'll say it again—I've never stolen anything!" I desperately tried to explain, but no one believed me.

The stares from the crowd stabbed at me like knives, and Lina's lips curved into a triumphant smile.

Christopher seemed to take pity on my embarrassment and stepped forward again.

"Enough. Stop being so stubborn. Even if the ring is fake, you still clearly look like someone who's in desperate need of money.

"I'm not an ungrateful person. Seeing you living like this, struggling, makes me feel bad. So why don't you just take this money as compensation? That way, it'll ease my guilt toward you, too."

His words left me momentarily dazed.

When I was young, I was out one day when I found Christopher in an alley after he'd been accidentally shot. I saved him.

For three whole days, I stayed awake by his side, taking care of him. When he woke up, he fell in love with me at first sight.

I had thought that Christopher and I would naturally get married one day.

That was until Mamma died, and Padre brought home his illegitimate daughter, Lina.

Lina kept slandering me in front of Christopher, saying that I was spoiled, arrogant, uneducated, and completely clueless about business.

Gradually, she grew closer and closer to him.

On the day of our engagement, he placed the ring on Lina's finger—and picked up a soda can pull-tab from the table and handed that to me instead.

He claimed that it was for the greater good and that if I couldn't accept it, I was free to leave.

What Christopher didn't know was that when I was still a kid, I'd lived with my grandmother for a time, so I'd been fluent in Maravenese since I was young. And by the time I was seven years old, Nonna had already begun teaching me how to run the Famiglia business.

But because Christopher had believed Lina so easily, I left.

Now, five years had passed, and I had a husband and a son who loved me. Christopher had long since become a thing of my past.

To completely erase his suspicions, I said, "Chris, you don't need to feel guilty. I'm doing very well now. I'm already married, and I've never thought about coming back to you. You can relax."

A mocking scoff escaped Lina.

"Please. Have you taken a look at yourself in the mirror? Who would ever want you?" she said with a sneer, her eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction.

I looked at her, and my gaze unintentionally drifted to her chest. There it was—the Black Rose Medal I'd been desperately searching for.

"Why do you have that?"

I straightened instantly and reached out to grab it, but Lina sidestepped me before I could reach it.

Seeing me stare at the medal, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes, but she just as quickly tilted her chin up.

"This… This has always been mine. So of course I have it," she stammered in explanation.

"That's impossible! That medal can't possibly belong to you. It's my son's!"

Christopher's eyes bulged at my words, and he stared at me in utter disbelief.

"You have a son?"

I met his stare steadily and answered firmly, "Yes. I'm married. And I love my husband very much!"

He swayed slightly in shock. "There's no way! How could you go behind my back and marry another man?"