Chapter 1

Lina's POV

A deafening explosion rang through the air.

The shockwave from the second explosion knocked me to the ground immediately after I dashed into the fire.

My eardrums felt like they had been punctured, leaving a piercing, buzzing noise in my ears.

"Papa! Where are you, Papa?" I screamed.

I ignored my bloody hands and crawled past the burning debris, frantically moving deeper into the wreckage.

Just then, a dozen black SUVs screeched to a stop in front of the fire.

Dante Luciano stepped out of the car with a stormy expression. He frowned when he noticed my bloody appearance and subconsciously reached out for me.

"Lina, you—"

He was interrupted by a shrill scream.

Bianca Magoni hid behind Dante, looking like a spooked cat. She grabbed his arm in a death grip and stammered, "Oh my God! What a huge fire! Are you done causing trouble yet, Lina Vittori?"

She pressed a hand to her chest. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she continued, "I just saw your Padre at the grocery store this morning. How could the Genovese family have abducted him?

"You didn't have to do something so extreme. Why did you cause such a fuss just because Dante accompanied me for supper? What if someone innocent was caught in the blast?"

Dante's outstretched hand froze in midair. Any sympathy he had for me melted away and was replaced by disgust.

He looked down at me from the tip of his nose and asked, "How dare you blow up my port just to force me to come back, Lina? Do you have any idea how many police officers you're going to attract with your little stunt? You're insane!"

Tears streaked down my soot-covered face as I pointed at the ruins and said hoarsely, "Papa was inside… You're the one who killed him, Dante. You did this…"

Dante scoffed. "So, you still insist on putting on an act. I can't believe that you would say something so despicable just because you're jealous."

The disappointment in his eyes felt like a blade that stabbed into my heart.

"Since you're so fond of playing with fire, you can stay here and watch it burn everything. You're only allowed to go home after the fire burns out."

The wails of the police sirens were getting closer.

Dante hated dealing with the police more than anything else. He led Bianca away, turning around and heading toward the fleet of cars.

"Andiamo. Let her explain the situation to the police."

The door slammed shut. The fleet of cars disappeared into the night.

I kneeled on the ground and watched the fire devour everything, clutching a scorched watch in my hand. It was the last thing that I could find of Papa.

Rain began to pour from the sky, drenching my burnt skin. The pain was excruciating.

I had lost a lot of blood, so I couldn't hold on anymore and fainted.

…

The next morning, I had just stirred awake among the ruins when two pairs of hands roughly hauled me to my feet.

I recognized the men. They were Dante's bodyguards.

They dragged me along like a rag doll and shoved me into the trunk of a car.

The road was extremely bumpy, making my stomach churn.

When the car slowed to a stop, one of the bodyguards grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me into the hall.

All the core members of the family were present. The way they looked at me was as if they were looking at a piece of trash.

"That's her. She's the one who blew up the port because she wanted Dante's affection."

"How ruthless. No man would want a woman like her."

I was thrown on the marble floor. I was covered in blood and mud, and a burned smell clung to my body.

Dante looked down at me from the tip of his nose and said, "I've already smoothed things over with the police for you. However, you went too far this time."

Bianca sat next to him while pressing an ice pack to her forehead. Although her face was rosy red, she whined about having a headache.

"You know that Bianca is terrified of explosions," Dante said. "Not only did you blow up my port last night, but you also scared her. According to the family's rules, you must be punished.

"Get on your knees," he demanded coldly.