Chapter 1

During the three years I was with Guglielmo Muratori, I rarely talked about my family. On the few occasions I did, he would always laugh it off as if I were joking.

The blood loss was making my vision fade. For the first time, I was terrified that I wouldn't see Papa and Mamma before I died.

I turned to Enzo Ferraro, Guglielmo's bodyguard, who was standing watch by the door, and pleaded weakly, "Please. For what I did for you before, get me a doctor. The bleeding must be stopped."

He looked at me emotionlessly. "Don Muratori gave us strict orders that no matter what you ask for, we're not to grant it. Besides, he said your injuries are minor. The medical team is to prioritize Signorina Fontana."

Minor? That word sent a chill down my spine.

A bullet had torn clean through my body, with blood oozing out of the wound and soaking my clothes. Meanwhile, Guglielmo's assistant, Rosa Fontana, was only dizzy from low blood sugar.

Whatever. Guglielmo didn't care about me. Even if I died before him that day, he probably wouldn't so much as blink.

I glanced down at the stream of messages still popping up on my phone. They were from Papa. "Anna, hang on. Your Mamma and I are almost there."

With the last of my strength, I held down the voice message button. "Hurry… I can't hold on much longer…"

At the side, Enzo was still trying to persuade me. "Signora Muratori, the Don gave his orders. Just swallow your pride and apologize to Signorina Fontana. Going against her won't end well for—"

A sudden ring of his phone cut short his words. The moment he answered, he was so petrified that he collapsed onto the floor and stared at me in horror.

"Signora… You're… from the Sartori family."

Sartori… Hearing that family name pulled me back into the past.

When I was a child, people around me would instinctively keep their distance whenever I introduced myself with that surname. I knew why. They were afraid of Papa.

He was a ruthless Don. Betrayal was something he never forgave. If one of his own turned on him, the lightest punishment would be a bullet to the head. If he wanted to make an example out of them, there wouldn't be enough left to bury.

If another family crossed the line, he never let it slide. More than one lavish banquet had ended in bloodshed because someone had made the mistake of offending him.

I was my parents' only child, so they treasured me more than anything. Papa never allowed anyone to bully me. He wouldn't even tolerate the slightest hint of disrespect in the way someone spoke to me.

The memory that stood out the most was the time a boy deliberately cut off my hair. The next day, his family's blood ran through the streets of Sicaro.

Since then, no one had dared to be my friend. So, I had no choice but to hide my surname. Guglielmo became the first friend I ever chose for myself.

It was a rainy day. He walked over without uttering a single word, held his umbrella over my head, and walked me home. He was the first person outside my family to remember all my likes and dislikes, the first to genuinely listen to what was in my heart.

He had asked about my parents before. I was terrified that if he found out who they were, he would keep his distance like everyone else. I had stumbled over my words. "They… I can't…"

Guglielmo misunderstood and thought I had lost my parents. Sympathy filled his eyes as he looked at me. "From now on, I'll be your family. I'll love you for the rest of my life and protect you always."

I believed him. I walked away from everything I had ever known, left my family behind, and followed him as he built his own empire.

Mamma used to tell me, "Anna, never trust anyone outside the family."

Papa would say, "I don't care if you accomplish nothing in this life, but you are never to leave the Sartori family."

The moment I fell in love with Guglielmo, I chose to ignore every one of those warnings. Back then, I truly believed he was different. Then Rosa came into our lives, and everything changed.

…

I looked at Enzo and nodded in acknowledgment. His expression instantly changed before he sprinted out to bring me a doctor. At last, I was dragged back from the brink of death.