Chapter 4

At the beginning of the month, Sofia carried the invitation Aurelio had given her and entered the Moretti family's villa. To her surprise, Aurelio was there too.

He stood in front of her and looked her over with a cold gaze. "You actually showed up. You really are desperate to find someone new. Everyone knows you've already been used up by me. Do you think anyone decent would still want you?"

Sofia gave him a sideways look. "Thanks to you, everyone knows I'm good in bed. Your friends have been falling over themselves to ask me out."

Aurelio's expression darkened as he grabbed her wrist. "You shouldn't be here. I'll give you more money, enough to keep you comfortable for the rest of your life. Leave right now."

Sofia had a vague sense that Aurelio might know something. Just then, Elena's voice drifted over. "Aurelio."

She hurried over and wrapped her arms around Aurelio's arm. "You promised me that you wouldn't get involved with her anymore."

Aurelio's face stiffened. Elena's eyes reddened, and she turned to run away. He immediately chased after her but couldn't help glancing back at Sofia, his eyes showing both warning and a trace of pleading.

After they left, Sofia let out a sigh of relief. She quietly observed her surroundings and, when no one was watching, slipped up the staircase that led to the top floor.

Around the corner, two bodyguards stood before a heavy, carved wooden door. Sofia pretended to be drunk and staggered toward them. One of the bodyguards reached out to steady her. "Miss, this isn't a place for you."

With a quick flick of her wrist, she jabbed a needle into the side of his neck and injected a sedative. The other guard's face drained of color, and she struck the back of his neck. Both men crumpled to the ground without a sound.

She pulled out a key and unlocked the door. What she found inside made her blood run cold. There were handcuffs, whips, iron cages, and a large screen.

Sofia turned on the projector. The footage showed harsh white lighting, distorted figures, desperate sobbing, and deranged, obscene laughter. She finally understood that what the people at this so-called family banquet were consuming was the lives of young women, one after another.

Before midnight, the event served as a gathering for the city's elite. After midnight, Antonio would invite his carefully chosen members upstairs to abuse these young women.

If anyone died in the process, victims with no connections were hastily disposed of, while those from prominent families had their deaths staged as suicides or accidents. Antonio had also been recording everything for his own amusement and to share with his associates.

And this was only the surface of it. A criminal operation of this scale certainly involved a massive drug supply network and a money-laundering chain that ran deeper than anyone could fathom.

Sofia's hands trembled as she copied the evidence files. She told herself that she had to get it out of there. Once the copy was finished, she wasted no time leaving the room.

Unexpectedly, the alarm went off the moment she opened the door. She hurried downstairs and found that every exit in the ballroom had been sealed off. Guests whispered in panic as the scene grew chaotic.

Antonio appeared on the spiral staircase and said loudly, "There's no need to panic. We've unfortunately lost a rare antique and need to temporarily close the area for investigation."

As soon as he finished speaking, Elena suddenly pointed at Sofia and shrieked, "It was her! I saw her sneaking upstairs! She has to be the one who stole it!"

Every eye in the room turned toward Sofia at once, and murmurs spread through the crowd.

"Isn't that the woman Aurelio used to keep? How did she end up stealing?"

"Aurelio dumped her. She probably ran out of money."

"I heard that Aurelio gave her money when they broke up. Why is she still short on money? Could it be because she's on drugs?"

Antonio's cold eyes locked onto Sofia, and a playful smirk curled at the corner of his lips. "Sofia?"

Aurelio looked at her from the crowd, his expression unreadable. Eventually, he let out a disappointed sigh. "Sofia, if you needed money, you could've told me. Why would you—"

Antonio closed in on her step by step, his gaze fixed on her like a predator. "Hand it over, Sofia. You know this is… very important to me."

Sofia stared at him calmly and raised her clutch. "I didn't take anything. You can search me if you don't believe it."

He narrowed his eyes and reached for the bag. In a swift motion, Sofia pulled a small pistol from the holster strapped to her thigh beneath her skirt with her other hand. The dark barrel pressed firmly against the center of his forehead.

She straightened her back, her voice clear and cold. "Antonio Moretti, you're under arrest."

At that moment, the front doors of the villa burst open. Fully armed federal agents streamed in and swiftly took control of the premises.

The lead agent strode over to Sofia's side, stood at attention, and saluted. "Agent Marino, the special operation team is in position. Awaiting your command."