Chapter 2

Back then, Leonardo covered my eyes with one hand and whispered in my ear, "Don't look, Camilla. It's dirty."

Now, he was covering another woman's eyes and thinking of me as the dirty one.

"Camilla, don't push me to do something even more ruthless," he said coldly with his back to me.

After he left, I curled my lips in bitter sorrow and had someone take Stefano for treatment.

"Burn everything Leonardo ever gave me," I ordered in an eerily calm voice. "Spread the word—whoever that takes Vittoria out is a friend of mine."

The news of my falling out with Leonardo spread through the entire circle like wildfire.

"If you ask me, Leonardo was never really interested in that damaged goods."

"I heard he's guarding his new woman like a fortress, watching over her round the clock. When did Camilla ever get that kind of treatment?"

"Right? Back then, when Leonardo went all out for her, it was only because of her family's influence. Now that her family has lost their power, who would want to marry an assaulted woman?"

Not a single word of those sharp-tongued remarks escaped my ears.

I remembered back when I first had my incident, some trust-fund baby had said something similar during a card game.

The next day, his family's company was ruthlessly crushed by Leonardo. And he himself was cornered by Leonardo in the parking garage and had two of his ribs broken.

Leonardo had only said one thing, "You think you have the right to run your mouth about someone I paid for with my life?"

From that day on, the entire Fairview fell silent.

Leonardo built a wall around me, shielding me from all malice and pity.

But now, the man who built that wall had torn it down himself, allowing the gossip I once feared most to stab me from all sides.

As the gossip grew more intense, Leonardo brought in Vittoria to the organization gathering.

This was the place where the most private matters of the families were handled. No outsiders, and especially no women, were ever allowed to set foot inside.

The only reason I had the right to enter was because my Padre, Giuseppe Marino, traded half our family's empire for that privilege. Yet, Vittoria walked in without lifting a finger.

I remained silent.

Vittoria leaned into Leonardo's side, her gaze occasionally drifting toward me with a hint of provocation.

Suddenly, the massive projection screen in the banquet hall lit up.

What had been playing an elegant scenic video abruptly shifted to a humiliating assault video. The one on screen was me at 18 years old, my face filled with terror and despair.

The video was also paired with unbearably crude subtitles.

"No wonder Leonardo dumped her. She's been completely used up!"

"So disgusting," Vittoria said this while shooting me a smug smile.

Raging fury and humiliation instantly consumed my reason.

"Rip her mouth apart!" I practically roared, pointing at Vittoria as I gave the order to my men.

He immediately stepped forward. But before his hand could even reach Vittoria, Leonardo shot up and kicked him away.

Then, he stepped in front of me in one stride and raised his hand. The sound of an incredibly vicious slap echoed as his hand struck hard across my face.

My ears rang, my vision went dark, and I nearly lost my balance.

Leonardo stood before me, with the humiliating video still looping behind him. The eyes that once looked at me with tenderness and affection now held only cold disgust and raging fury.

"Camilla, aren't you ashamed enough?"

Ashamed?

My cheek burned with searing pain, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. But neither could compare to the ache in my heart.

The video showed the darkest moment of my past, as well as the disaster I endured to save him. His new lover had broadcast it for everyone to see, and yet he thought I was the one who should be ashamed?