Chapter 3

Ignazio looked at me in disappointment and said, "Carlotta, Chiara is critical to the famiglia's grand plan. Can you stop making trouble?"

Time passed by, and there was still no word from the men he had sent out.

Ignazio finally lost his patience.

In an ominous voice, he said, "Chiara told me that you adopted a child from a children's home."

My back instantly stiffened.

He raised a hand to signal to his men. Someone dragged in a burlap sack with a living thing struggling nonstop inside.

Ignazio picked up a steel pipe from nearby with a menacing expression on his face. "Carlotta, this is your last chance. If you still won't tell me where Chiara is, this child won't survive."

"Antonio!" I cried out, my eyes reddening instantly.

I lunged forward, only to be held back forcefully.

Ignazio raised the steel pipe high and brought it crashing down.

"No!" My pupils dilated sharply as I let out a blood-curdling scream.

Everything before my eyes turned red, as though the blow had landed on my own body.

A muffled whimper came from inside the sack. The person inside was struck so hard that the body bounced up before crashing heavily back down into silence. A pool of blood seeped from the opening of the sack.

"Ah!" I broke down completely.

My entire world turned red as the second blow came crashing down.

"Stop hitting him! That's your child! He's your son!" I screamed hoarsely and hysterically as Ignazio's men continued holding me back.

Tears mixed with drops of blood streamed down my face, and my eyes were filled with utter despair.

Ignazio's hand, which was holding the steel pipe, stopped mid-air.

He sneered, "Stop joking around, Carlotta. We agreed we wouldn't have children. Why lie to me about something like this?"

I could no longer care about anything else.

After struggling free, I crawled to his feet and pleaded through tears. "He really is your child. Antonio is your son… Please… let him go. Call a doctor. Save him…"

Ignazio bent down and grabbed my chin. "Be good. Tell me where Chiara is, and I'll let him go."

I shook my head desperately, flinging my tears everywhere. "I don't know. I really don't! Let Antonio go. Please let him go!"

The warmth vanished from Ignazio's eyes.

The second blow came down hard. A muffled groan sounded from inside the sack. Then, all movements stopped.

"Ah! No..." I coughed up a mouthful of blood, and my body began convulsing violently.

The third blow followed, and then the fourth…

Ten vicious blows had rained down on the sack. Not a single sound came from it anymore.

I whimpered, "Antonio…"

Seeing that there was no movement from inside the sack and that the floor had been stained completely red, I collapsed to my knees. My body stiffened as though struck by electricity, and I trembled uncontrollably.

I vomited another mouthful of blood, staining the floor before me.

Ignazio walked over. His black leather shoes stepped into the pool of blood before grinding viciously against the sack.

"You still won't talk, Carlotta?"

He stomped down again.

I heard the unmistakable sounds of bones breaking.

"Antonio!" I screamed in utter despair, crawling forward only to be restrained again.

I roared in fury, "Ignazio, I curse you! You'll never have another child for the rest of your life!"

Ignazio's body suddenly froze.

At that moment, someone rushed in and reported, "Don Corelli, we've found Ms. Linetti!"

Ignazio's hand, which had been stroking my hair, paused at that moment.

"Tell me the exact location!" He got up and rushed out without a single backward glance.

Not long after Ignazio left, two men entered and tried to take Antonio from my arms.

It was as though I suddenly woke from a nightmare.

I clutched Antonio tightly and demanded, "What are you doing?"

"Don Corelli gave orders. We're throwing him into the sea to feed the sharks."

The men showed no mercy. They forcibly tore Antonio from my arms and stuffed him back into the sack with disgust before turning to leave.

"Antonio!" I chased after them hysterically, only to be locked inside the ship's cabin.