Chapter 4

"It's her!"

All eyes followed my finger.

Seeing me point dead at Caroline, they looked at me like I was insane.

Even Caroline herself laughed out of sheer anger.

"Valerie, do you even hear yourself?"

"I'm Matthew's wife! I'm having an affair with him? Is your brain damaged?"

The Don looked at me with deep impatience.

"If I knew you were this stupid and crazy, I would have just put a bullet in you."

"Drag her down to the fighting pit! I'm treating my VIPs to a bloody man-vs-snake show!"

Following his brutal order, the guards pinned me down and dragged me toward the pit.

I fought like hell, trying to explain, but they violently gagged me.

Right as they dragged me toward the doors, I used every ounce of strength to rip the hidden pocket of my dress. A metal pin hit the marble floor with a sharp clink.

The guards took one look at it, turned pale, and immediately let me go. Shaking, they handed it to Don Cassano: "Don, look at this!"

Don Cassano obviously recognized the crest of the Visconti family.

I smoothed out my messy dress and coldly announced: "For the record, I am the Senior Advisor of the Visconti family."

"I attended this dinner tonight to evaluate if the Cassano family is worthy of becoming our partner..."

"Hahaha!" Before I could finish, Matthew was laughing so hard tears came to his eyes.

He mocked me without holding back.

"Valerie, your con game is pathetic, but I really admire your imagination."

"First an Ivy League genius, now a Visconti Senior Advisor?"

"Do you have any idea what the name Visconti means?"

"The biggest mafia empire in the world. The dirt they sweep out their doors is worth more than you!"

"You're just a lowly toilet-scrubbing maid. Stop flattering yourself and go feed the snakes!"

Caroline sneered. She stomped her stiletto down on the crest, crushing it, and kicked it away.

"Bringing this flea-market garbage out to embarrass yourself? Did you really think you could bluff your way out?"

"You've got a big mouth. One snake probably won't be enough for you."

"Dad, don't we have a python downstairs that's been starving for three days? Why don't we bring it up and give everyone a show?"

The Don's eyes lingered on the ruined pin. Though faintly suspicious, things had already gone too far. He gave a curt nod.

The guards dragged out an iron cage holding a massive python. They even splashed fresh animal blood on me, turning me into the perfect bait.

The hungry python instantly reared up, hissing excitedly at me through the bars.

Matthew yanked my hair through the bars, forcing me to look the beast in the eye.

He lowered his voice, whispering right into my ear so only I could hear.

"Valerie, you really are smart. You almost guessed the truth."

"Shame your luck ran out. Once that python swallows you whole, my secret dies with you."

He let out a deranged laugh and signaled the guards to lift the gate.

I watched helplessly as the heavy iron gate slowly rose. Death was just one step away.

Just as the cage doors opened, the banquet hall doors burst open with a deafening crash.

"I'm late. What's all the excitement about?"

Julian, the Visconti family's North American underboss, strode in.