Chapter 3

The pain I expected never came as a pair of strong hands caught me instead.

It was Matteo!

I raised my head and looked up at him. He was dressed in a black suit with the Sorrentino family crest pinned to his collar. His face was expressionless, but a terrifying aura surrounded his entire being.

He held me close, then reached down and helped my mother up from the floor.

"This is a birthday party organized by the Rossi family. Outsiders don't get to cause trouble here." His voice was not loud, but the whole banquet hall went silent. Everyone looked at him, their eyes full of fear and caution.

Vincenzo's men rushed forward at once. One of them slammed a fist into Matteo's face, and blood immediately spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Then, even more men closed in. They punched him from every side as they mocked him and beat him.

"Matteo, you bloodthirsty lunatic. You think you can interfere in Vincenzo's business?"

"Do you think the Don would ever let Sofia marry you? You're just a gangster who only knows how to fight and kill!"

"Get out now, or we'll make sure you die here today!"

Matteo was covered in blood, but he never loosened his hold on my mother and me for even a second. Then, his men finally rushed in as well and started fighting with Vincenzo's people. Tables and chairs crashed over, and wine glasses shattered across the floor.

My mother cried out, "Stop! If this keeps going, I'll call in the Rossi family soldati! I'll make sure that both of you pay the price!"

Only then did Vincenzo call off his men and look at Matteo coldly. Suddenly, Carla clutched her stomach and cried out weakly, "Ah... my stomach… It hurts so much... I drank the wine Sofia handed me just now. Was there something wrong with it?"

With that one sentence, she pushed all the blame onto my mother as Vincenzo's eyes instantly turned red. "Did you drug Carla? You knew she was carrying my child, and you wanted to kill her?"

My mother looked at him coldly. "I never poured her any wine. She did not even have an invitation. She's not worth dirtying my hands for."

"You dare talk back to me?!" Vincenzo roared, his eyes full of cruelty.

"I'm warning you, Sofia. If you don't kneel and beg Carla for forgiveness, then once the Don is gone, I'll make sure you and that fatherless girl die! Don't think I won't do it! The Don is gravely ill now. He can't protect either of you!"

He was using my grandfather's illness to threaten my mother.

Even as I was curled up in Matteo's arms, I reached out to my mother. "Mom, don't be scared. Matteo will protect us. My grandfather's status can only go to Matteo. Vincenzo is a bad man. You can't trust him."

My mother lowered her head and looked at me, her eyes full of heartbreak and hesitation. She reached out and touched my bleeding forehead, tears falling one after another onto the back of my hand. It was unnervingly warm.

After a long time, my mother finally nodded. She pulled me into her arms and said to Matteo, "Thank you."

Matteo looked at my mother, and the hard edge in his eyes softened a little. He gently shook his head. "It's what I should do."

My mother forced herself to stand with me in her arms, then turned to take me away so my wound could be treated.

When Vincenzo's men saw that my mother and I were both covered in blood, they exchanged looks. None of them dared stop us. They could only pretend not to see.

I looked back at Matteo as I rested in Mom's arms.

He was standing there, staring coldly at Vincenzo.

I knew he would protect us.