Chapter 7

The sharp sound of the slap echoed through the hospital room. Then, Angelina suddenly dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"Please!" she sobbed, hands clasped together in desperation. "Leave Matteo alone! I'm begging you, just leave him alone!"

I stared at her sudden performance, completely confused about what was happening. I knew she had given birth to a boy, Matteo Rossi, after leaving the country, but I had never even met him.

"Matteo's been kidnapped!" she wailed, her voice sharp and breathless. "The kidnappers said you sent them! They're demanding ten million in ransom!"

Henson shot up from his chair, his face turning pale with rage. "Aurelia! What the hell did you do to Matteo?"

"I..." I opened my mouth, wanting to explain. However, I realized I had no idea what she was talking about.

"The kidnappers threaten to kill him if we don't pay!" Angelina pointed at me, her voice shaking. "Who else would know which preschool Matteo goes to besides you?"

"I didn't..."

"Stop lying!" Henson grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard. "Why would you go after an innocent child?!"

I looked at the two of them, despair and fury crashing together inside me.

If they had already decided it was me, and if Sofia was truly gone, then what did I have left to lose?

"Yes," I said slowly, my voice cold. "I did it."

Both Henson and Angelina froze, and the hospital room fell deathly silent.

"I sent people to kidnap him." I looked at Henson, my eyes empty of warmth. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"Aurelia..." Henson's voice trembled, as if he could not believe it.

"You killed Sofia. Now it's your turn to know what it feels like to lose a child," I said dully.

"You're insane!" Angelina screamed, scrambling up from the floor.

I laughed bitterly. "I'm insane? You're the ones who drove me to this."

I stared straight into Henson's eyes and said, word by word, "If you don't give Sofia back to me, I'll send Matteo to hell to keep her company."

"Sofia is dead!" Angelina shrieked hysterically.

"Then your precious Matteo doesn't get to live either."

The moment those words left my mouth, I suddenly lunged from the hospital bed, launching myself at Angelina like a madwoman.

Just then, urgent footsteps sounded from outside, and several of the family's Soldati came rushing in.

"Stop her!" Henson roared. The Soldati's strong arms grabbed me from behind and pinned me down hard on the bed.

"Let go of me! I'm going to kill her!"

"Enough." Henson coldly stopped the Soldati.

Then, he walked over to the trembling Angelina and gently rubbed her back. "It's okay, I'm here."

All his tenderness went to her, while he tossed me aside like trash.

"Aurelia, you've really disappointed me." He looked down at me from above as I was pinned to the bed. "How could you do something so evil over those two runts?"

I lifted my head and looked at him with bloodshot eyes. "Evil? Who started it first?"

"That's not the same!"

I sneered. "How is it not the same? They're all children, all innocent lives."

Henson's expression darkened further, and he gave the order like a final judgment. "Strip her and throw her into the dock warehouse freezer."

My heart jumped. "What?"

"She can come out when she's ready to tell us where the kid is." His voice held no emotion whatsoever.

I fought desperately. "No! Henson, you can't do this to me!"

As if annoyed, he scoffed. "I can't? As the Donna of this family, you've done such shameless things, threatening the family bloodline."

The Soldati began tearing at my clothes, and humiliation and terror swallowed me whole.

"Henson!" I screamed his name one last time. "I am your wife!"

"Think about what you've done." He turned away, refusing to look at me anymore. "Take her."

...

The cold darkness swallowed me whole. Inside the freezer at the dock warehouse, the temperature dropped to well below zero. I curled up in the corner, my teeth chattering uncontrollably, and every breath felt like knives slicing through my lungs.

Time lost all meaning in there, and I had no idea how long had passed. Finally, the heavy iron door opened, and the blinding light made it impossible to open my eyes.

"Drag her out," someone ordered.

I was pulled from the freezer, barely conscious. Through my blurred vision, I saw Angelina holding a little boy, and the child looked completely fine.

I stared at the scene in shock, my mind completely blank. After that, they threw me back into my room at the estate. I stumbled over to the bed, reaching for my phone with trembling hands.

The screen showed countless missed calls, all from unknown numbers.

With shaking fingers, I sent a message to Vincenzo. [Vince, is Sofia... still alive?]