Chapter 4

Papa wasn't holding me back out of guilt, but for the sake of the famiglia's reputation.

"You'd better stop right there!" he snapped. "Tomorrow, there is a banquet to announce your real identity, and the invites are already out!

"Your engagement to Carlo is supposed to be made official there, too! You'll make a laughingstock of the famiglia if you walk out now!

"You are to put a stop to this incident and delete that footage this instant. No one is permitted to talk about this again!"

He decided to sweep it all under the rug. To them, the famiglia's prestige was more important than the truth, and the emotional distress of the adopted daughter was deemed more significant than the physical safety of the biological daughter.

I knew, however, that this was just the calm before the storm, as the banquet to acknowledge my identity as the Principessa of the Capone famiglia would be the stage for the ultimate showdown.

…

It was finally the night of the banquet when Silvia suddenly walked into my room with a stunning designer gown.

She looked perfectly innocent, behaving as though our recent conflict was forgotten.

"Mamma had this gown made just for you, Rosina," she said. "You're the star of the night, and in light of your impending engagement announcement to Carlo, your appearance must be impeccable."

I accepted the gown and ran my hand over the fabric, feeling that something was off. I grabbed the scissors on the table and cut open the lining right in front of Silvia, revealing the dozens of razor-sharp blades concealed inside.

Silvia's composure slipped for a second before she feigned astonishment. "Those seamstresses must have messed up! How could they be so careless! You shouldn't wear that gown anymore, Rosina. I'll let you wear mine instead."

I tossed the ruined gown aside and said coldly, "It won't be necessary. I've already had a specialized outfit made for this occasion."

It was time for the banquet to kick off, and the elites from the criminal underworld were all in attendance.

I wasn't wearing a gown when I made my appearance. Instead, I opted for a bulletproof vest beneath a black suit jacket, featuring a pinhole camera embedded in the tie.

It made me look bulky and out of place, lacking any of the elegance expected of a socialite.

Carlo, standing among the guests, didn't bother to hide his contempt. "What a total country bumpkin! How could she show up dressed like that? Those unaware might mistake her for a sanitation worker!"

In the meantime, the guests muttered to one another, looking at me with nothing but scorn.

"Is she really the biological daughter of the Capone famiglia that the Don Capone brought back? Isn't she way too unbecoming?"

"I heard she was raised in an orphanage. It's no wonder she lacks any sense of class. She's completely out of her element."

"Silvia looks like a true Principessa instead. She appears far more suited to Carlo, too."

Silvia, standing under the glow of the chandelier, looked stunning in a white mermaid-cut gown. She held onto Carlo's arm and basked in the admiration of the guests.

It wasn't long after the banquet had begun that the staff brought in a massive, multi-layered cake, nearly three feet in height.

Silvia approached me with a friendly air and linked her arm with mine. "It's your big day, so let's cut the cake together, Rosina. I want the whole world to know you're welcome in this famiglia."

In a position obscured from the guests' view, she leaned toward my ear and whispered, "You're going to be a complete laughingstock once we cut this cake. Go to hell, Rosina!"

Just as she finished speaking, Silvia faked a stumble. She swung the knife toward my chest with a sudden, violent motion.

There was no way for me to dodge it since we were so close, so she managed to plunge the knife through my suit jacket.

Silvia flashed a smile, and I responded in kind.