Reborn Principessa: She's Done Holding On

I had just opened my eyes when I was informed by the nurse that I had been in a coma for 12 days. I, however, knew that I had lived for 12 years in my dreams. I went from being a pampered Principessa to being Marcello Gallo's most lethal weapon during that period.I pleaded with Papa, Vincenzo Sabato, to start a blood war to eliminate the opposing famiglia in a single night when Marcello wanted the underground casino in Veridia. I even remembered that the opposing famiglia's successor was Stefano Lombardi. I had staged a car accident that left him paralyzed for the rest of his life.I found it utterly ridiculous when I didn't even hesitate to sign the consent form when Viviana Sabato, the real Principessa of the Sabato famiglia, suffered kidney failure. Marcello held me and said, "I'm in your debt in this lifetime, Valentina."I merely smiled and told him he didn't owe me anything.It was three months later, at our wedding, that Marcello publicly took Viviana's hand and, before

Marcello instinctively stepped forward. "Why are you doing this, Valentina? Is it because of Viviana? I'm just her friend! I helped her because she's your sister, Valentina. I never once—"I cut him off. "You want to tell me that you never once loved her, right?"Marcello was stunned, while Viviana trembled slightly. I smiled faintly and said, "You're right. You love me. It's always been me, and it always will be. Isn't that right?"Marcello's lips quivered, as if he wanted to speak, but no words came out.I whispered, "Love can change, Marcello."Marcello shook his head in denial, exclaiming frantically, "That won't happen, Valentina! How I feel about you will never change! I—""That's enough!" Papa cut in before he rose from his seat and approached Marcello. "I'm only going to ask you one question, Marcello. What was your true intention in bringing Viviana here today?"Marcello's face grew paler. "Don Sabato, I—""If your only goal was to find the long-lost daughter of the

Marcello fell silent for a long time before the call abruptly ended.I gazed at the darkened phone screen and remained motionless for a long time. I eventually returned to Sabato Estate as the rain started pouring. As soon as I returned, I noticed a familiar silhouette standing in the rain—it was Marcello.Marcello rushed over but came to a halt a few feet back, seemingly wary of upsetting me further. "What exactly did you mean by what you told me earlier, Valentina?"I remained silent, only gesturing for the household staff waiting for me to provide Marcello with an umbrella too.Marcello grabbed my wrist just as I moved past him. "Why would you say that in front of your mother and father? Do you realize how much my hands were trembling as I left Sabato Estate back then, Valentina? "Why would you refuse to see me? Why did you claim that you died once before, and that I was the one who killed you, Valentina?"I looked into Marcello's eyes, finding them clouded with real suffer

It turned out that my new job at DeepBlue Technology was more demanding than I had anticipated. It was still a small company with limited resources, so everyone had to juggle several different responsibilities.I was the marketing director, but I found myself writing copy, handling customer inquiries, and packing boxes for shipment as well. In spite of that, I still felt a strange sense of fulfillment. I was out from dawn until dusk, hashing out strategies, running market surveys, and talking to suppliers. I used to scoff at such "trifle duties", but they had become my reality.Stefano was even more of a workaholic. He used his left hand to code while his right hand was still in a cast, napping at his desk for only two hours when he was tired before getting back to work. He was almost paranoid about the product's quality, tweaking button placements ten times over and rewriting copy dozens of times."You don't need to push yourself this hard," I said at 1:00 am as I handed him a

It was finally the day of the DeepBlue Gen-1 press conference. The venue was packed, and Marcello was there as well.I didn't glance at him. I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on the mic as I headed onto the stage. I spotted Marcello in the third row just as the stage lights flared. He was dressed in a plain gray sweater, a silent figure apart from the crowd.He had become noticeably thinner, his features more angular. He, however, watched me with that same unwavering attention I had known throughout our six years together.In that instant, our gaze met briefly. Marcello nodded at me, but I looked away and tightened my grip on the mic instead. "Good afternoon. I'm Valentina Sabato, the Marketing Director of DeepBlue Technology."I smoothly presented our product. I explained the design concept, core technologies, and use cases of the DeepBlue Gen-1 products, with applause following every section of my presentation. It was all going according to plan when a bespectacled