Chapter 5

A few days later, the Corleone family’s territory expansion banquet came to an end at the estate.

Before the crystal chandeliers had fully dimmed, Vincenzo’s armored car had already driven out through the gates.

I sat in the back seat. Beside me, Sophia played with her newly acquired family medal, her fingers tracing the window as she spoke with undisguised pride.

“Vincenzo just took three more docks from the Valentino family. From now on, no one in Chicago will dare compete with us in smuggling.”

I didn’t respond. Just as I closed my eyes, a sudden boom rang out.

A black off-road vehicle from the Valentino family slammed hard into the side of our armored car. The vehicle lost control instantly, carving long skid marks across the road.

When I opened my eyes again, Sophia and I were tied back-to-back against cold metal frames. Timed explosives were strapped tightly around our waists.

The red countdown numbers flickered harshly.

Sophia collapsed immediately, crying hysterically. “Vincenzo! Save me!”

Tears mixed with grime on her face, completely ruining her makeup.

I forced myself to stay calm.

Bomb disposal was a survival skill every mafia family child had to learn.

My fingers carefully felt along the wiring, trying to distinguish between the main line and the backup line.

The warehouse door was suddenly kicked open.

Vincenzo charged in with armed men behind him. His black suit was smeared with dust, and blood seeped from his temple. It was clear he had fought his way in.

His gaze swept over the two of us. Without hesitation, he rushed straight to Sophia. “Ella, wait here. I’ll get her out first and come back to save you.”

His hands moved rapidly as he dismantled the bomb on Sophia’s body, efficient and precise. He was nothing like the cold don he usually was.

Sophia clung tightly to his arm, shaking as she cried. “Vincenzo, I’m scared!”

The bomb on Sophia was finally disarmed. She grabbed Vincenzo’s arm and refused to let go.

“Run! Don’t worry about her!”

Vincenzo glanced back at me. I had my head lowered, focused on pulling at the main fuse, cold sweat dripping from my temple onto the device.

He suddenly pushed Sophia away.

“You go first. Wait outside!”

Then he turned and ran toward me.

“Don’t touch me!” I looked up sharply and glared at him. My voice was hoarse but resolute. “I, Ella Rossi, am not someone who survives on your charity!”

Sophia seized the opportunity and grabbed Vincenzo’s wrist tightly, dragging him toward the exit.

“Vincenzo! There’s no time! She can handle it herself!”

The moment they rushed out, I finally pulled the main fuse free.

However, before I could relax, the bomb suddenly emitted a sharp beeping sound.

The backup fuse had been triggered!

A massive wave of heat threw me through the air. My back slammed heavily into the metal frame, and my consciousness plunged into darkness.

When I woke again, I was in the familiar underground clinic.

A piercing pain shot through my left arm, as if countless needles were stabbing into it.

Vincenzo sat beside the bed with a document in his hand. Seeing that I was awake, he spoke in a flat tone. “Sophia’s arm was cut by bomb shrapnel. She’s afraid it’ll scar.”

I stared at the ceiling and said nothing.

He continued, “The doctor said your skin tone matches hers the closest. So I had him take a palm-sized piece of skin from your left arm for a graft.”

“You didn’t ask me?” My voice trembled as I looked at him in disbelief.

“There was no need to ask.” He spoke as if it were a trivial matter. “Once you recover, I’ll take you to a Paris auction for top-tier jewelry. I’ll also get you a seaside villa in Monaco. That’ll be your compensation.”

“Compensation?”

I suddenly laughed, tears spilling down at the same time.

I ripped the IV needle from the back of my hand and screamed at him.

“Do you think money and gifts can cancel out your selfishness?! Just because I like you, you think you can treat my body and my feelings like bargaining chips and trample them however you want? You disgust me!”

The despair in my eyes made his chest tighten. He reached out to touch my shoulder, but I flung his hand away hard.

“Don’t touch me. You make me sick.”

A few days later, Vincenzo received a call from his assistant, saying the Princess Diana limited-edition necklace Sophia wanted would be auctioned in France that night.

He put away his phone and said to me, “I’ll be abroad for a few days. I’ll bring you a gift when I return. I won’t go back on the compensation.”

After that, he pushed open the door and left in quick strides.

The moment the door closed, I could no longer hold on.

I slowly curled up, hugging myself tightly as tears streamed down my face.