Chapter 3

I spent three full days in the cold, damp basement without food or water.

During that time, I kept reliving the past ten years. I thought about the moment my father's library was blown to pieces. I thought about how bravely Domenico had saved me from my adoptive father. I thought about how easily he had given away the ring on my finger to someone else.

It turned out that all his vows were nothing more than idle amusement.

On the fourth morning, the basement door finally opened.

Two bodyguards hauled me off the floor like a sack of trash. My legs had gone numb long ago. I could only hang between them as they carried me.

Domenico stood at the doorway, looking down at me from above. There was no sympathy in his eyes, only impatience. "Alice is shaken up and upset. You'll go to the auction tonight and serve her drinks. Make her happy. Consider it compensation."

I nodded numbly. The person Salvatore arranged should arrive soon. I just had to endure a little longer and it would all be over.

The underground black market auction that night was packed with all kinds of people.

I wore a server's uniform, weaving between lecherous men and serving them drinks.

Alice nestled in Domenico's arms, dressed in an elaborate gown while wearing my ring, basking in everyone's flattery.

Halfway through the auction, the auctioneer introduced the next item with exaggerated flair.

"Our next piece is a self-defense weapon from Signorina Tarantino. The craftsmanship is exquisite, and it has tremendous collector's value!"

The moment the dagger was brought out, my breathing stopped. It was the only thing my mother had left me.

Ten years ago, the Calvetti family faced an unprecedented crisis. Their cash flow dried up, and they were on the verge of being swallowed up by other families.

I secretly pawned this dagger I always carried with me and used the money to help Domenico weather the storm. It was my way of repaying him for saving my life.

I remembered how he had held me, swearing in my ear that he would buy it back for me one day and keep it safe.

Now, here it was, displayed in front of everyone as just another item up for auction.

Almost instinctively, I started to raise the bidding paddle. However, a large hand clamped down on my wrist. It was Domenico.

He did not even look at me. He just tilted his chin toward Alice in his arms, his tone indulgent. "Do you like it? I'll buy it for you so that you can use it to protect yourself."

Alice gasped in delight and pressed her chest tightly against Domenico's arm. "Really? Oh darling, thank you! I've always wanted something like this!"

Domenico clearly enjoyed this. He reached out and ruffled her hair.

The bidding started. Alice raised the price without hesitation. In the end, she won the dagger at three times its market value.

When the dagger was handed to her, she played with it in her hands, seemingly quite pleased.

The next second, she picked up an apple from the table and started peeling it clumsily with the blade. Her movements were awkward and deliberate.

"Ugh, this knife isn't sharp at all. It can barely even cut fruit."

She pouted and tossed the dagger carelessly onto the table with a loud clang.

My blood seemed to freeze. That was my mother's heirloom.

Now, it was being used by some worthless mistress to peel fruit, and she was complaining it was not sharp enough.

My chest felt like someone had carved into it with a blade. The pain nearly suffocated me.

Just then, the large screen at the auction suddenly lit up. A grainy surveillance video began to play.

In the footage, a woman whose figure closely resembled mine was meeting with a man. That man was the Underboss of the Calvettis' rival family.

The image was unclear and the audio had been processed, but the content clearly accused me of selling family secrets and leaking the Calvetti family's transport routes.

Domenico's body went rigid. The temperature around him seemed to plummet. He whipped his head around and stared at me, his eyes burning with murderous intent.

"Lucia! You betrayed me?"

The woman's profile in the video made her look similar to me, but her movements were stiff. It was obviously edited together afterward. However, looking at his furious face, I knew any explanation would be useless.

He would not believe me. In his mind, I was just a wife in name only.

Domenico grabbed me and yanked me up. His grip was so tight it felt like he would tear my arm off. He dragged me all the way to the center of the auction stage.

Then he made a shocking announcement. "This woman has betrayed the Calvetti family. She has betrayed me! Today, I'm putting her body up for auction!"

I struggled and grabbed onto his pant leg, trying to bring him back to reason. "Domenico, even the audio in that video is synthesized. Can't you hear it? Someone's framing me! You can't do this to me!"

"Framing you?" Domenico laughed like he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He shook his hand and flung me away without hesitation.

The back of my head slammed hard into the steps of the auction stage. Blood ran down from my forehead and blurred my vision.

Before I could catch my breath, a leather shoe stomped down hard on the hand I was trying to use to push myself up. The sound of bones shattering was unmistakable.

My whole body convulsed from the pain. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

"This is what you get for betraying me." Domenico's voice was cold as ice, devoid of any warmth.

He snapped his fingers. On the large screen behind him, naked photos of me appeared one after another.