Chapter 1

It was already late when I sent that email. As I gazed at the photo of myself and the two Battaglia brothers on my bedside table, memories came flooding back to me.

After my mom died, Dad brought Anna Constanza and her mother to our home immediately, while I was left to live with my grandmother.

The Battaglia brothers lived next door. Their father, Daniele Battaglia, was a notorious Ivernian Don. As the Battaglias' heirs, Dante and Dario were groomed from a young age to take over the family in the future.

Dante, being a little older, showed leadership potential from a young age. He constantly behaved like a tiny adult, patting me on the shoulder and saying, "I'll protect you from now on, Julia."

Dario, on the other hand, was gentle and kind. He stayed by my side quietly, offering me the most thoughtful care.

We were all young then, and they had both said they'd marry me. They'd leave it up to me to choose who it was.

On my tenth birthday, they gave me a puppy whom I named Spot. When Spot first arrived, the neighbors' kids picked on him. They kicked and beat Spot mercilessly until Dante rushed over and gave them a sound thrashing. From that day on, nobody dared lay a finger on Spot.

Dario also adored Spot, throwing him a birthday party every year. Yet, everything changed after Anna came along.

Ever since she arrived, the Battaglia brothers began doting on her. As soon as she mentioned disliking Spot, the brothers allowed their underlings to throw him out. I brought Spot back each time, only for them to throw him out again.

Anna constantly flaunted her new bags, gifts, and jewelry in front of me, whether intentionally or not.

"Look at this bag, Julia! Dario got it for me from Fiorland. It's a limited edition item with only a few of its kind worldwide!"

"Look at this outfit Dante gave me! He says I look gorgeous in it!"

"Julia, doesn't this necklace look lovely? Dario said it was the only one worthy of me!"

I knew she wasn't flaunting the items themselves but using them to tell me that the Battaglia brothers no longer put me first. She was now their priority.

Spot's death was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

Just then, the phone rang abruptly. Dario spoke, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Anna was hospitalized due to asthma because you brought that dog back. Make her a crostata and bring it to the hospital immediately to apologize."

Before Dario finished, Dante took over and listed Anna's dietary restrictions. His icy voice came through the receiver, exuding the weight of a leader's command. "Remember. Anna doesn't eat bananas or blueberries, and she's allergic to nuts. You'd better deliver it in half an hour. Don't keep her waiting."

I gripped my phone tightly, my fingers turning slightly white from the pressure.

After the call ended, Anna's new post popped up on my screen. The photo showed Dante peeling apples for her as Dario fed her a sweet drink.

The caption read, "I'm blessed to be cherished by two knights in shining armor."

In the comments section, a friend of the Battaglia siblings couldn't help but ask, "You're being so nice to Anna. Won't Julia get upset and leave you?

Dario's nonchalant reply to the comment was, "She won't get upset. Her parents are gone. Where else could she go if she leaves?"

Dante then commented, "Anna was hospitalized because of her, and I've yet to settle the score with her. If Julia dares to get upset, I won't marry her."

These harsh words were like a dagger to my chest. The pain was so intense that I could barely breathe. They took advantage of my affection for them, recklessly abusing my sincerity.

The words, "I'll marry nobody but her," had now become the blade that cut me the deepest.

Anna was in the comments, feigning concern as she tried to smooth things over. "Come on, now. Julia didn't mean it. Don't hold it against her."

I fought back my tears as I silently opened my email inbox to type out a reply. "I'm willing to join the national research laboratory. I can depart in three days."