Chapter 4

When two bodyguards marched me into the tribunal hall, every seat inside was already occupied.

Marco sat in the presiding seat, his expression cold and stern.

He tapped the table. "Now that everyone is here, let's begin."

Violetta's eyes immediately reddened.

"Leah has resented me ever since I reported her three years ago, so the moment she got out of prison, she tried to kill me."

"Just last night, she even fired a gun at me. The Don saw it with his own eyes!"

Low murmurs immediately spread through the tribunal hall.

"I can understand why Leah might hold a grudge, but no matter how angry she is, she has no right to pull a gun on another member of the Family."

"I heard she suffered quite a lot in prison. Do you think something is wrong with her mentally?"

"Is a madwoman like her really qualified to become our Donna?"

One accusation after another reached my ears, buzzing around me like flies swarming over rotten meat.

I swept my gaze around the tribunal hall, a cold smile forming on my lips.

I had saved the life of every person accusing me.

Some of them more than once.

Back then, they had wept with gratitude and sworn that they would never forget that I had saved their lives.

But now, the sight of their faces made me sick.

I looked away and said calmly, "If I had truly wanted to kill her, she would never have had the chance to stand here and accuse me."

Violetta's expression shifted, but she quickly put on an injured look again.

"That's only because you spent three years in prison. Your skills aren't what they used to be."

She looked up at me, her voice filled with mockery. "Do you still think you're the best assassin in the Family, you jailbird?"

Laughter immediately broke out around the room.

One of the elders raised a hand to silence them, then turned toward Marco. "Don, was there any surveillance footage from last night?"

Marco remained silent for a moment before answering in a low voice, "The terrace is a surveillance blind spot. There was no footage."

The elder frowned. "In other words, there is no direct evidence?"

"No." Marco lowered his eyes. "But when I arrived, the gun was in Leah's hand. Violetta's arm had also been injured when Leah twisted it."

I stared at him as the warmth in my chest slowly drained away.

It was just like last time.

As soon as Violetta cried, Marco would instinctively take her side.

The elder asked again, "Don, how do you think she should be dealt with?"

Marco's brows drew together.

His fingers tapped lightly against the table.

Once.

Then again.

He was hesitating.

As I looked at that familiar face, a faint trace of hope rose inside me.

After all, I had once been the person he trusted most.

But beside him, Violetta suddenly dropped to one knee.

"Don, you cannot shield her simply because she is about to become your Donna."

She looked up at him as tears slid down her cheeks.

"Even a Donna cannot stand above the Family's laws. I ask you to give me justice."

Someone in the back immediately called out, "She's right! Authority must be built on justice!"

Another voice followed at once. "Since Leah dared to fire the gun, she must pay for what she did!"

Marco finally stopped tapping the table.

He raised his head and looked at me.

The blue eyes that had once gazed at me with tenderness now held nothing but cold scrutiny.

"There is no evidence proving who fired first," he said. "But you did injure Violetta."

My heart abruptly sank.

"Apologize to Violetta," he said in a low voice. "In front of everyone."

For a moment, I almost thought I had heard him wrong.

"She fired a gun at me and tried to kill me," I said, enunciating each word. "And now I have to apologize to her?"

Marco's brows drew together, and a trace of impatience flashed through his eyes.

"Leah, this is the final ruling. It will not be changed."

With that, he walked straight out of the tribunal hall.

Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward and pressed the cold muzzles of their guns against my waist.

If I refused to obey the ruling, they would shoot me on the spot.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

The taste of blood spread through my mouth.

A long time passed before I finally said, "I'm sorry."

Violetta turned her face aside, pretending she had not heard me clearly.

"If you're apologizing, shouldn't you at least make it clear whom you're apologizing to? And you were speaking too quietly. I couldn't hear you."

Suppressed laughter rippled through the tribunal hall.

The gun muzzle pressed against my waist dug another inch deeper.

I lifted my wrist and checked the time.

Only thirty minutes remained before I forgot Marco completely.

The rage churning inside me was tempered into cold hatred.

I reached into my pocket, took out the white pill, and dropped it onto the floor.

Then I slowly crushed it beneath the toe of my shoe.

After doing that, I raised my head and looked at Violetta, my voice clear and completely steady.

"Violetta, I'm sorry."

Violetta smiled with satisfaction and put on an expression of generous forgiveness.

"Since you have recognized your mistake, I choose to forgive you."

Scattered applause sounded around the room.

I only found the entire scene absurd.

As soon as the trial ended, I left the Bellini estate.

In the final minute before my memories disappeared, I opened the black notebook I always carried with me.

With a red pen, I carefully wrote a single sentence, one stroke at a time.

Never forgive Marco Bellini.