Chapter 2

Late that night, when everything was quiet, I went to pray for my father in the back garden of the estate.

I knelt on the cold stone floor before the wooden box my father had carved when I was born. My voice was barely a whisper. "Dad, I failed you. I loved the wrong man and put my trust in him. In the end, you lost everything because of me."

"Just wait a little longer. I'll get justice for you. Someday, I'll make Arthur pay in blood."

"Forgive me. I can't even get your ashes back right now, but someday I'll give you the funeral you deserve."

Behind me, I heard soft footsteps.

Lilith walked over, wrapped in an expensive Hermès cashmere shawl. Two maids trailed behind her, and a faint smile played on her lips.

"What are you doing out here so late? It's pitch-dark. It's so creepy."

I looked up, my eyes as cold as ice. "Get out. You're not welcome here."

Instead of leaving, Lilith came even closer. She looked down at the Bible in my arms and suddenly laughed.

"Oh, praying for that old traitor? You think he can hear you?"

She lifted her foot and kicked the box over. The old screws popped right out.

I shot to my feet, shaking all over. "Lilith, do you have a death wish?!"

Her smile faded. She leaned close to my ear and whispered smugly, "I heard your dad got some 'special treatment' in there."

"He ate slop every day, and those South American drug lords held him down in the bathroom and made him drink piss."

"I heard that when he had his attack, he crawled across the floor begging for help. He spent two whole hours in pain before he finally died."

"He died with his eyes still open."

The last thread of my sanity snapped.

I raised my hand and slapped her with everything I had.

Lilith stumbled back a few steps and fell hard on the ground.

She clutched her swelling cheek, her eyes instantly filling with tears.

A tall figure strode out of the shadows and helped her up.

It was Arthur.

"Cecilia, what are you doing?!"

Tears poured down Lilith's face. "Arthur, I heard about Cecilia's miscarriage and got worried, so I came to see how she was doing... But she attacked me for no reason..."

I glared at her. "You know exactly what you just whispered in my ear."

"No matter what, you shouldn't have hit her." His tone softened for a moment, as if giving me a chance to back down.

"Apologize to Lilith, and we'll put this behind us."

I laughed coldly and turned my head away. "I did nothing wrong."

Lilith tugged at Arthur's sleeve and said softly, "Forget it, Arthur. Cecilia just lost her baby, and after everything Mr. Corsica did, of course she's upset. I don't blame her..."

Arthur went rigid, and his face darkened even more.

Lilith seemed to realize she'd said the wrong thing. She let go of him in a hurry and lowered her head.

"I didn't mean to bring that up... I just think Cecilia may have misunderstood you all along. She still thinks you're the one who hurt Mr. Corsica, but we all know he betrayed the family first."

She looked up with a pitiful expression, tears welling in her eyes.

"You love her so much, and yet she's hated you all these years because of a traitor..."

For a few seconds, no one said anything.

Arthur finally spoke, his voice low and tired. "You're right. Her father betrayed the family. It was my duty to clean house."

"If she wants to hate me, let her."

Arthur turned and looked down at me, his eyes cold and unreadable.

"Cecilia, apologize."

"Apologize, my ass! Arthur, marrying you is the biggest regret of my life!"

Arthur's gaze sharpened. His face darkened, and his voice turned cold.

"Fine. Since you refuse to learn your lesson, you can stay in the wine cellar. You don't come out until I say so!"

Two of Arthur's men immediately grabbed my arms and dragged me down to the cold, damp wine cellar.

I curled up in a corner. Arthur's underboss, Marco, came in with a thick wool blanket.

"The Don asked me to bring you this," he said, holding it out to me.

I angrily tossed the blanket aside. Marco hesitated, then left without a word.

Before long, I heard laughter at the door.

Lilith walked in with a group of well-dressed women from the city's mafia families. Leading them was Mandy Gambrelli, the eldest daughter of the Gambrelli family and my longtime rival.

When Mandy saw the state I was in, she laughed mockingly. "Oh my, isn't this our high-and-mighty heiress? What are you doing down here? Oh, right, I forgot. We're supposed to call you the traitor's daughter now."

Someone next to her chimed in right away. "I heard her dad sold out his own people and even tried to force himself on Lilith. Dying was too good for him."

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.

Lilith pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes like she was crying. "Okay, that's enough, everyone. Cecilia's been through so much already..."

Mandy patted her shoulder, all fake sympathy. "Lilith, you're just too kind. That's why people like her walk all over you."

I closed my eyes. I couldn't stand the sight of them any longer.

After a while, Mandy pulled out a jewelry box from somewhere and slowly opened it in front of me.

"Cecilia, Lilith gave me a present today. It looks kind of familiar. Can you tell me what it is?"

I didn't want to give her the satisfaction, but out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a solid gold pocket watch engraved with a lion's head. I froze.

My grandfather had passed it down to my father when he became Don! It was the keepsake my father treasured most!

I jumped to my feet and snatched the jewelry box away. "Lilith! Where did you get this pocket watch? Give it back!"

Lilith didn't say anything. She just took a frightened step back, as if I'd scared her.

Behind me, Arthur's cold voice rang out. "What's all this shouting about?"