Chapter 3

When I woke up, it was already dawn.

My back burned with pain. Every breath felt like the wounds were being torn open again.

I tried to sit up, but the movement pulled at my injuries, making my face pale with pain. The door opened.

A maid walked in with medicine and placed the tray by the bed. "Madam, the Boss sent this medicine for you."

I looked at the cup of medicine, which had already gone cold, and asked softly, "Where is he?"

The maid paused. "The Boss stayed with Miss Rossi all night. I heard Miss Rossi was frightened and couldn't sleep."

I looked down at my hands, wrapped in bandages. I was the one who had taken twenty lashes, but everyone was worried about Sophia.

After the maid left, the room fell silent again.

Soon, the butler knocked and entered. He placed a document by the bed. "Madam, this is the Boss's order."

I reached out and took it, opening it.

First item.

Suspend the position of head of the Moretti Charity Foundation.

Second item.

Suspend authority over estate financial management.

Third item.

Suspend qualification for organizing family banquets.

Last item.

The Donna's black card is to be retrieved effective immediately.

Just then, laughter came from downstairs. I held onto the wall and slowly walked to the balcony.

In the garden, Lucien was walking with Sophia.

Sophia was wearing a white dress, bending down to smell the roses. She said something to him.

And Lucien actually smiled gently.

I froze. It had been a long time since I'd seen him smile.

Or rather, he had never smiled at me like that.

A moment later, the butler hurried over. "Boss, tonight is the Seven Families council meeting. Will the Donna still accompany you?"

Lucien didn't answer. Sophia quickly waved her hand. "Oh, I couldn't. That's the Donna's place."

She said no with her mouth, but her eyes held expectation.

Lucien was silent for a few seconds, then said flatly, "Sophia will attend in her place tonight."

I stood on the balcony, my body rigid.

Those words were light, but they stabbed into my heart like a knife.

Only the Donna could accompany the Boss to the Seven Families banquet.

That was a rule everyone knew.

But today, Lucien had broken it.

Downstairs, Sophia asked, "Won't Lilian mind?"

Lucien's expression was calm. "She is currently suspended from her duties as Donna."

Just a few words. My last shred of hope shattered completely.

I slowly stepped back. My vision suddenly went dark. Just as my body was about to fall, I forced myself to grab the windowsill.

So this was what it felt like to be dead inside. You couldn't even feel the pain.

In the evening, a maid carried several dresses into the room. "Madam, the Boss asked me to take a few of your dresses from the closet to the guest building for the Seven Families meeting."

I sat up straight, holding the edge of the bed. The wounds on my back tore open, and blood slowly seeped through the bandages. "For whom?"

The maid avoided my gaze. I held onto the wall and walked slowly into the closet. The middle section of dresses had already been taken down.

Those were the ones Lucien had personally commissioned an Italian designer to make for the annual Seven Families meetings.

On our wedding day, he had said, "The Donna of Moretti represents the entire family."

Now, those dresses belonged to someone else.

Footsteps came from the doorway. Sophia walked in, wearing Lucien's jacket.

When she saw me, her eyes immediately filled with apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't know they were taking your dresses."

She turned to the maid. "Better put them back."

The maid stood there, not moving.

Sophia bit her lip gently. "I can wear my own clothes, really."

I looked at her calmly. "If you really don't want them, you can tell them to move them back right now."

Sophia's expression froze, and her eyes quickly reddened. "I just don't want to make things difficult for Lucien."

I smiled lightly. "So it's not that you don't want them. You just want me to give them up willingly."

A low voice came from the doorway. "Enough."

Lucien walked in and stood next to Sophia. "There's a meeting tonight. I don't want any more arguments."

Lucien walked to Sophia's side, his eyes on me. "Apologize to her."

I looked at him for a few seconds. This time, I didn't argue. "I'm sorry."

Sophia was stunned. Lucien frowned slightly.

I bent down to pick up my dresses. The movement pulled at my wounds, and blood seeped from the edges of the bandages.

I didn't stop. As I passed Lucien, he reached out a hand. I stepped aside to avoid him. "Do I need to vacate the master bedroom?"

Lucien's face darkened. "No one told you to move out of the master bedroom."

I walked away with the dresses in my arms.

The maid followed and said quietly, "Madam, let me take those."

"No need."

I walked step by step toward the stairs. Blood dripped onto the carpet behind me.

Lucien stared at the trail of blood, his frown deepening. Sophia suddenly coughed lightly.

He immediately looked away. "The doctor said you shouldn't be upset."

Sophia lowered her head. "I just feel like Lilian really hates me."

Lucien looked toward the end of the hallway, but I was already gone.

Through the French window, I watched the black convoy slowly drive out of the estate gate.

The car door opened, and Sophia, wearing what had been my dress, stood next to Lucien.

And the place that belonged to the Donna of Moretti, for the first time, no longer belonged to me.