Chapter 2

Lucia's POV

"How can I destroy Matteo?" I got straight to the point.

The man, Carlo Lombardi, narrowed his eyes at my words. Then, a smirk crossed his face before he replied, "You've got some nerve to say that out loud."

I had no intentions of beating around the bush. "Just get to the point."

Carlo drummed his fingers against the table before he finally spoke. "Someone like Matteo can't be ruined that easily. But if you can get me a map showing the Castello Famiglia's arms-traficking sites, I can make sure he pays dearly."

"Alright. I'll do it."

My decisiveness caught Carlo off guard. He froze for a beat before asking, "Aren't you afraid of what happens if Matteo finds out you've betrayed—"

"I've already tasted the price of betrayal," I said, cutting him off.

After everything I'd endured this past year, no one knew the cost of betraying him better than I did.

Before leaving, I paused in my tracks and added, "In return, you need to get me out of the Castello Famiglia."

When I returned to the villa, I saw Matteo and Gisella in the garden. I told the bodyguards to carry the shopping bags inside before I approached them slowly.

Matteo's voice drifted into my ears, carrying a gentleness so unfamiliar it almost didn't sound like him. "Alright, don't be jealous. Lucia's return isn't necessarily a bad thing. If anything, she gives us the perfect cover."

Gisella nestled against him with red-rimmed eyes. "What if she exposes our relationship?"

"She wouldn't dare." He let out a cold sneer, his eyes filled with indifference. "If she dares to run her mouth, I'll dig up those three men's remains and force her to identify them again with her own eyes. I'll make sure she never forgets that they died because of her."

The last flicker of hope vanished from my eyes as I leaned against the wall. I took out my phone and snapped a photo before turning to leave, only for my foot to catch the flowerpot beside me.

Matteo immediately turned around. "Who's there?" he snapped.

The next second, the door was pushed open. By then, I was already seated on the couch as I unwrapped the things I'd just bought.

I looked up at him in confusion. "What's wrong, Don Castello?"

Matteo's gaze lingered on me for a long moment before he asked quietly, "When did you get back?"

Pretending to be taken aback, I replied softly, "I just got home. Did something happen?"

As soon as I finished speaking, I acted as though something had just occurred to me. I reached into the pile of gift boxes and took out a tie. Then, I rose to my feet and held it out to him.

"I saw this while I was passing by. I thought it suited you, so I bought it on a whim."

Matteo gave me a long, searching look. A few seconds passed before he finally reached out and took the tie.

Just then, Gisella's voice rang out from behind him. "If we'd known the punishment chamber worked this well, you should've thrown her in there sooner to teach her a lesson."

A frown crossed Matteo's face before he snapped under his breath, "That's enough. Watch your tongue."

Matteo turned back to study my expression, as though he was hoping to find some trace of emotion there. But my face remained completely blank.

I simply lowered my head and continued sorting through the clothes I'd just bought.

It didn't take long before Matteo noticed something was off. "Why is everything here long-sleeve shirts and pants? Didn't you use to love wearing dresses?" he asked.

A faint smile crossed my face.

"People change," I said softly.

That was a lie. I never changed, but the scars covering my body had long since trapped me in long sleeves and pants.

Matteo didn't press any further. Instead, he turned around and asked the housekeeper, Paolo Romano, to prepare our dinner.

The meal was unusually quiet. So quiet that, in the end, Matteo couldn't help breaking the silence. "Why have you become so quiet now, Lucia?"

I tightened my grip on the cutlery slightly. The questioning tone in his voice reminded me of the twisted, hideous faces in the punishment chamber. All of a sudden, a wave of nausea churned in my stomach.

I lowered my eyes and forced down the discomfort before replying softly. "I'm just a little tired from shopping all day."

He didn't ask any further. Before he left, he asked Paolo to take me to the best rehabilitation therapist in the city. "There's a Commissione tonight. You don't have to wait for me," he added.

I gave a soft hum in response. Then, I casually picked up the coat beside me and handed it to him.

"Have a safe trip," I replied.

Matteo's brows furrowed slightly when his gaze dropped to the coat. For a moment, he suddenly felt as though I had become a stranger.

He was just about to speak when his phone suddenly rang.

Matteo glanced at the caller ID before turning and leaving in a hurry. It didn't take much to guess that the call was from Gisella.

But now, it no longer mattered whether it was her.

I turned and headed upstairs. Using dizziness as an excuse, I turned down the rehabilitation session before stopping outside Matteo's study.

After a brief moment of hesitation, I still entered the numbers 0902.

That was the day he'd first confessed his love to me. I hadn't held out much hope, but the door opened with a soft click.

For a moment, an inexplicable feeling washed over me. But there was no time to think. I hurried inside and rifled through the room before taking a photo of the arms-dealing map.

My gaze faltered slightly when I turned to look at the unlocked door. But the next second, the memory of the day my child was tortured to death flashed through my mind.

At the thought, I lowered my gaze and stared at the scar on my finger. Just like that, all my hesitation flew out of the window.

Carlo replied immediately after I sent the photo.

"I'll pick you up in three hours."