Chapter 2

"Do it," Damiano commanded.

Following his order, the team of researchers moved in on me instantly.

The cold, heavy metal helmet was clamped down over my head, and multiple fine sensor needles were driven against my temples and the base of my neck.

My body trembled as I struggled against the restraints.

"Don't do this, Damiano. Please, stop…"

But the next second, a massive surge of electrical current tore through me, and I screamed.

It felt as though someone had taken a blade and split my skull right down the center. My ears rang with a deafening screech of static, and a violent spasm seized my stomach.

"My stomach… Damiano, I'm really pregnant," I cried as I begged him.

Alas, the only response from the bystanders was a wave of callous whispers.

"She's still playing the victim. She actually faked being pregnant just to dodge the interrogation."

"No wonder she managed to string Don Caruso along for a whole year."

Damiano stood before the platform, his hands clenching into tight fists at his sides. As he looked down at my bloodless face, a flicker of conflict crossed his eyes.

"Hold on a second," he said.

The moment the researchers stopped, Teresa rushed forward, her eyes red with fury. "Damiano, are you seriously getting cold feet again? We still don't know whether Caterina is dead or alive. Meanwhile, she's survived this entire year by crying wolf and playing innocent!

"The machine barely started, and right on cue, she's screaming about pain and a pregnancy. If you fall for her lies now, what happens to Caterina?"

Damiano hesitated once more. He looked at me, and I met his gaze through my tears.

In the past, he would've given in at the mere sight of my tears. But this time, he closed his eyes, his voice cold and unyielding.

"Resume the extraction."

My heart broke right then and there.

A second later, a far more intense wave of current tore through me, forcing my body to arch against the restraints. It felt as if my stomach was being violently torn apart.

Blood began to seep down my leg, but nobody in that room cared.

Every single eye was glued to the massive projection screen in the center of the chamber.

My memories came out in fragments. The images flickered before finally locking onto a memory from a dinner party shortly after I married into the Caruso family.

Back then, I was still completely out of my depth with the family's rules. Several women from the extended branches of the family had cornered me in front of everyone, smiling as they forced me to down a glass of wine.

"Come on, Bianca. Surely, you're not refusing us over a drink, are you? Or is it that girls from modest backgrounds don't understand how things work around here?"

Everyone had circled to enjoy the spectacle, while I stood frozen, my face pale.

That was when Caterina Caruso marched over in her high heels, took the glass from my hand, and looked at those women.

"Bianca can't hold her liquor, so why are you trying to get her drunk? Besides, my brother chose her himself. Anyone who disrespects her is disrespecting my brother."

The women immediately went quiet as Caterina gave me a reassuring wink. "Don't pay them any mind, Bianca. As long as I'm around, nobody is going to mess with you."

Seeing Caterina vibrant and full of life on the screen, Teresa finally broke into sobs. "My sweet Caterina…"

Everyone in the room knew that while Caterina could be spoiled and arrogant, she had always been fiercely protective of me in front of outsiders.

The screen changed, jumping to another memory.

It was my very first time sitting in on a family council. I had been so nervous that I brought the wrong files, and several elders scolded me right then and there.

At the eleventh hour, Caterina had burst through the doors, clutching the correct documents.

"I'm so sorry, everyone. I packed the wrong files. It wasn't Bianca's fault. Please don't take it out on her."

She took the fall herself, then wrapped her arm tightly around mine with a playful smile. "Bianca, you're not mad at me, are you? Damiano cherishes you like a literal treasure. If he finds out I got you yelled at by the elders, I'm done for."

When the memory ended, the screen went dark, but the council chamber erupted.

"Look at how incredibly nice Ms. Caruso was to her! And yet, she held onto the leads regarding her disappearance for a whole year without saying a word!"

"How dare an ungrateful leech like her have the nerve to pretend to be innocent?"