Chapter 2

My black veil was so long that it covered even my shoulders as I stood before Damiano’s coffin.

I nodded at those who came to pay their respects and occasionally forced out some tears.

“Is everyone here?”

Seeing that all of the family’s trusted members had arrived, I clapped my hands and had them surrounded.

Before they could even react, I had a tied-up man thrown before them. I pointed at him and said, “This man is a traitor to our family. I found a letter in his secret room.”

Then, I grabbed him by the hair and forced him to look up.

“It was his betrayal that gave away Damiano’s movements.”

The men instantly became enraged and began to chatter about what was happening.

“Doesn’t Don Vestri trust him a lot? How could it be him?

“Why not? So many of our brothers are dead because of him!”

I proceeded to stomp on the man’s face. “Now, everyone, tell me how we should deal with this traitor.”

“Kill him! Make him pay with blood! Avenge our brothers!”

I smiled and crooked a finger. In response, everyone pulled out their guns.

“If there’s treachery in our inner circle, there must be more than one traitor. Everyone is to shoot him. Whoever doesn’t dare to do so must be his co-conspirator.”

With a bang, I shot the traitor in the leg.

My eyes were sharp as I scanned through the crowd. I was glad to see that everyone had looks of approval and awe.

The noise of gunshots and pained screams filled the air. I knew that Damiano would not reveal himself for this person he supposedly trusted.

Nevertheless, I still had more aces up my sleeve.

Everyone shot the traitor. Then, it was Wendy’s turn.

The gunshots petered off, and she trembled as she held her gun. It looked very much like she was too afraid to shoot.

I walked up to her and gathered her in an embrace. Then, I coerced her to point her gun at the traitor.

“What is it, Wendy? Are you unwilling to spill blood because you’re pregnant? Or are you involved with him somehow?”

When the traitor looked at Wendy, there was a glimmer in his eyes.

He was trying to send her a message and ask her to save him.

However, I had already poisoned him so that he could not speak.

Wendy became teary-eyed, and she stammered, “N-No… I’m not involved with him. I’m just scared.”

Right then, Damiano’s parents—David and Victoria—finally stepped forward.

“Magdalena, Wendy’s just a kid. You can’t expect her to shoot someone. In any case, she’s our foster daughter. There’s no way she would betray Damiano.”

I smiled and said, “I’m only asking her to shoot him, not kill him. Of course I’m aware that she has a good relationship with Damiano. But if that traitor fathered her baby, keeping it alive would mean keeping a threat in our family.”

Seeing the unease in David and Victoria’s eyes, I came to a realization.

It was clear that they knew about Wendy and Damiano’s torrid affair.

They were previously not part of the family. I only allowed them to join because of Damiano, and they rose through the ranks to reach their current positions.

It seemed that they had been living too good a life and had forgotten who was in charge.

Wendy began to panic, and she glanced over at a corner.

Following the direction of her gaze, I smiled.

The person she looked at quickly ducked his head and found another place to hide.

I suddenly pressed hard on Wendy’s belly, and it startled her so much that she cried out.

David and Victoria immediately shielded her. “Don’t go too far, Magdalena. We raised Wendy, and she’s family to us. You should trust her,” Victoria said.

I laughed. “I know you dote on Wendy, Victoria. But I can’t protect her in front of everyone.”

Everyone started to grow restless. “That’s right. Even if she’s Don Vestri’s adoptive sister, you can’t defend her from this!”

“It would be a bigger crime for her to betray Don Vestri as his adoptive sister. Donna Bianchi has to avenge Don Vestri!”

Victoria fell silent. She was too afraid to do more than just say, “Don’t be scared, Wendy. I believe that you’re innocent. But it’s true that we have to avenge Damiano.”

In reality, Wendy was not afraid of shooting someone. Rather, she had another unspeakable secret.

However, she lost her chance to make up her mind in the next second.