Chapter 2

The next afternoon, I stepped out of the basement wrapped in a tattered silk robe.

At the end of the corridor, Lucia was pushing open Matteo's door while holding a bowl of hot stew. Her makeup couldn't hide the traces of last night, and she walked awkwardly, probably because he hadn't been gentle with her.

Her eyes swept from my toes up to my collarbone. A smirk curved her lips, and she tilted her chin slightly. "Ms. Ricci, you must've been busy last night, chasing after men in Caruso Estate to let off some steam. Don't you think that's a little… degrading?"

I glanced at her calmly. "Are you talking about yourself?"

She sneered, "Don't kid yourself. Matteo told me last night that I'm the future lady of the Caruso family. And you? You're nothing."

I pulled my silk robe tighter, a faint smile lifting my lips.

The future lady of the house, huh? In my previous life, it had been a maid who helped Raffaele. She was paid off with a large sum and quietly sent away. This time, I was the one who went in.

I glanced at the bowl in Lucia's hands and raised an eyebrow. "Focus on taking care of your man, then."

Before I could leave, Matteo walked up from behind. He naturally slipped an arm around Lucia's waist and leaned against her, smiling as he murmured in her ear, "You must be feeling worn out. Why didn't you stay in bed a little longer?"

Lucia spoke sweetly, half-pouting. "I still have to go to work. I can't stay here with you all day."

Then, her eyes swept toward me. "Unlike Ms. Ricci, who seems like she has nothing to do. It really makes me jealous."

Matteo snorted coldly and lowered his head to coax her, saying, "She's irrelevant. And don't go working those jobs anymore, amore. You're mine now."

He then looked up at me, his tone sharp. "Did you tell the driver to bring her here last night?"

I stayed quiet.

He scoffed. "I'll give you that. But I want you to know your place. Don't ever think of taking what doesn't belong to you."

In that instant, I could feel the malice of two lifetimes crashing onto me at once. Every word he spoke stabbed straight into my chest.

Back then, I asked him if he truly wanted to marry me. He had sworn without hesitation and said, "Of course, I do. Just focus on the baby, okay?"

In that life, Raffaele was assassinated and died abruptly. Power within the Caruso family never fully transitioned, and the elders refused to submit to a young, unproven adopted son like Matteo.

Hence, Matteo used the businesses my padre had given me as wedding gifts to seize full control of the family. Once he had everything he wanted, I became useless. His so-called devotion was nothing more than a strategy.

Well, since he had chosen Lucia, I would allow this life to go exactly as he wished.

Raffaele was still alive in this life, and he was undoubtedly a much better choice. He could even bring the Ricci family to new heights.

With that thought, I smiled and nodded. "Got it."

I turned to leave, but Matteo suddenly stepped in front of me. His gaze locked on a red mark on my arm. It was a bruise left behind when Raffaele had gripped me the night before.

"Who did this?" Matteo questioned harshly, grabbing my arm and pulling hard. "Are you that desperate for a man? You can't even get through a night alone?"

The moment the mark was exposed, I pulled my robe tight with my other hand and stared at him coldly. "Let go."

His eyes reddened, as though something inside him had snapped. He slammed me against the wall and questioned, "Did you sleep with one of the bodyguards? You're disgusting, Chiara!"

I was just about to strike back when Lucia suddenly screamed and dropped into a crouch. "Mannaggia, it's hot!"

Matteo shoved me aside at once and rushed to her. The stew had spilled all over the floor. Lucia leaned pitifully into his arms, then shot me a triumphant look. I ignored them and walked away.

In my previous life, Lucia was involved with more than one man. Raffaele had even looked into it, which was why he never agreed to let Matteo marry her.

When she realized she couldn't marry into the Caruso family, she chased wealth instead. She went to Eryndor to target old widowers. Things ended badly, and she was abused and kept under watch. Unable to escape, she eventually killed the old man keeping her and then overdosed.

Matteo, however, always believed she had gone abroad for him and had fallen into depression. She killed herself out of despair.

He carried that regret for the rest of his life.

I rested a hand over my stomach and smiled faintly. This life, I had entered Rafaelle's room. I might not have gotten tested yet, but I knew my body well enough to know I would be pregnant soon.

The future heir of the Caruso family didn't have to be Matteo. Not to mention, he would never be fully neutralized from the drug, which meant he wouldn't be able to have children at all. I was curious to see how this would end for them.