Chapter 2

I hired someone to arrange a new identity for me. Then, I staged my death and took a special drug.

It was an emotional suppressant developed by Antonio's company, designed to strip a person of their passion and desires.

I found a trial sample in his study and swallowed it without a second thought. It was so bitter that I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

I believed that this would be the last time I ever cried for him again.

…

At dawn the next day, Antonio finally returned, bringing the morning chill with him.

He didn't explain. He just deftly handed me a check before pulling me in for a tight hug. "Daniela, you said you'd even die for me. If I've made a mistake, will you help me fix it?"

"Tell me about it."

Only then did he lift his head and force a sheepish smile. "Can we switch the bride at the wedding to Lucia? Dad protected her too well growing up, and she was terrified by what she saw last night, so this is an apology to her.

"We can hold our wedding the next day…"

As he spoke, his voice trailed off, losing its conviction.

I had been fiercely protective since falling in love with Antonio.

There was a time when I was nearly manic. I had threatened to kill myself just to force him to get rid of his mistresses, checked his phone, and tracked his location every single day.

I thought he would resist, but every time, he cooperated with endless patience.

Over time, I finally let my guard down.

"If… you don't want to, it's fine. I'll just find another way to make it up to her," Antonio said, walking over to pull me into his arms, still as gentle as ever.

"You're the one I love most, so I can never bear to see you hurt."

I let him move and kiss me like a marionette on strings, while my phone kept buzzing with messages from Lucia.

"Antonio stayed with me last night, but please don't be mad at him. I begged him to teach me things an adult should know, and he was a good teacher. He taught me how to lift my legs high so I would be comfortable. He showed me how to arch my back so he could go deeper… It was our first time last night."

Her crude words grated on my nerves nonstop.

As Antonio leaned in for another kiss, I gently shoved him away. "Let Lucia have it all. I've recently got a lot on my plate anyway."

"Really?"

Antonio ecstatically lifted me. His fingers put pressure on the bruises I got from my fall the night before, but I barely felt any pain. Perhaps the drug was starting to work.

"You're the perfect wife, Daniela! To have your love is the greatest blessing of my life!"

Even as he spoke, he was already on the phone, ordering his men around to make wedding preparations.

The door clicked shut again, and the room returned to its deadly silence.

Just as I was about to pack my suitcase, Lucia suddenly called.

Her voice was as soft as ever. "Daniela, I was just cleaning up when I found the rings Enrica left behind. Do you want to come over and pick them up?

Enrica!

I had a gut feeling that nothing good was waiting for me at Lucia's, but I had no choice but to go for Enrica Sartori's keepsake.

Antonio's place wasn't far from the main house.

Ten minutes later, I stood in Lucia's apartment while she sat poised at the vanity with a wooden box beside her hand. It contained a pair of exquisite gemstone rings.

"These are the rings Enrica left behind. You were closest to her while she was alive, so I figured you'd want them."

I hesitated, then stepped forward to take the rings. However, when I was two feet away, she suddenly smashed the rings onto the floor.

"That old hag! Why couldn't she just die a clean death instead of getting between Antonio and me? She even arranged for a pathetic loser like you to seduce him!"

She looked like she finally had her long-awaited revenge.

"You think I wanted that ten-year bet? That old hag's will forbade me from joining the Vinci family for a decade!

"Wretched woman! She's such a nuisance even when she's dead!"

Lucia glared at me sharply. "Antonio and I were childhood sweethearts. Who do you think you are? You had ten years, and you still couldn't win his heart. That just proves he doesn't love you!"

With that, she pulled out a fruit knife and aimed it at her heart. Then, she shifted it a few inches to the side and smiled sinisterly.

"Lucia! You've lost your mind!"

I lunged forward to stop her and grabbed the knife with my bare hands, so the tip barely grazed her skin.

"Ah!" she screamed and abruptly shoved me away.

The bedroom door was kicked open before Antonio came charging in. After taking one look at the scene, his first move was to scoop Lucia into his arms.

Then, he turned to shoot me a cold look. "I'm so disappointed in you, Daniela. Go and take your punishment."