ログインSofia's shriek cut through the hall like broken glass.One of Vito's men stepped out of the crowd and slapped her across the face several times until she finally shut up."That's enough!" Luca suddenly snarled. He wrenched himself free from the men restraining him and threw himself in front of Sofia."This has nothing to do with Sofia. I was a blind fool. I'm the one who offended Ms. Borgia. This is my fault. If you want revenge, take it out on me and let Sofia go."Sofia leaned against his chest, her eyes glistening with tears. "Luca, I knew you were the only one who really cared about me."The scene was almost touching in a tragic, ridiculous way. I couldn't help but lift my hands and give them a soft, slow clap. "How touching. Since you're so devoted to each other, I'll let you go."Under everyone's stunned gaze, I went on, "You can leave with her now. In the name of the Borgia family, I give you my word—no one will stop you."Luca stared at me in disbelief, while a spark of
The day of the five families' gathering finally arrived. It was held at the same auction house.The moment my father and I walked into the hall, every gaze in the room swung toward us.I wore a deep red gown that brushed the floor with every step. I wore a velvet glove over my injured right hand in the exact same shade, a graceful cover for the damage that still hadn't fully healed.Antonio hurried over to greet us, his expression tight with nerves. "Don Borgia and Ms. Borgia, thank you for coming."I dipped my head in a polite nod and let my eyes sweep across the packed hall."Bring them up," my father said.Several bodyguards rolled a heavy iron cage into the pool of light at the center of the room. When the people inside came into view, a low wave of shocked murmurs rippled through the crowd. Luca and Sofia were huddled together in the cage, their clothes torn and dirty.Sofia's gold gown hung off her in shredded strips, and Luca's expensive suit was stained with dirt and dri
Luca tried to wrench free, veins throbbing at his temples. "Let me go! I swear, you don't know the price you're about to pay!"My father looked down at Luca and Sofia like they were nothing more than insects crawling on the floor."Pay the price?" His voice stayed eerily calm, making the hall feel even colder. "When you ordered my daughter beaten, did you ever stop to think about the price you'd pay?"Then, he turned to me, and that killing frost in his eyes softened. "Isa, how do you want to deal with them?"I walked toward Sofia. The ache in my fingers turned every step heavy, but the anger burning in my chest kept me moving.I fisted a hand in her perfectly styled hair and yanked her head up so that she had to look at me."Whatever you did to me, I will return to you," I said coldly.I kept slapping her until her cheeks puffed up and flushed an angry red.Sofia glared up at me, eyes burning with hate and lips smeared with blood. Even then, she kept spitting curses, "You bitc
When my father stepped into the doorway, the air in the auction hall seemed to freeze. His sharp gaze swept the room once, then stopped on me. I was still being held down.Sofia still had no idea danger had just walked in. She even let out a dismissive laugh and stepped forward in her stilettos. "So, you're this slut's father? Perfect. Your daughter snatched my ring and slapped me. You two had better apologize right now, or the Marino family won't let either of you walk out of here!"The crowd rippled with whispers. A few guests edged toward my father, their voices low and nervous."Sir, you should back down. Ms. Lopez is Mr. Marino's favorite godsister.""In Norham City, no one dares cross the Marino family.""For your safety and your daughter's, just admit fault. There's no shame in it."My father didn't spare any of them a glance. He simply lifted his hand.The two men behind him moved at once, striding over to me. They kicked aside the bodyguards holding my shoulders and pul
My father told me that Luca's father, Antonio Marino, had pulled every string he could to make this engagement happen. If he ever learned it all blew up because of Luca, I'd pay to see the look on his face.That thought eased my irritation. I couldn't be bothered arguing with this pack of idiots anymore, so I turned to leave.But Sofia wasn't done. She came stomping toward me in her stilettos like a hyena that had caught the scent of blood, with two bodyguards following closely behind her. The black pistols peeking from their holsters were enough to freeze the room."You bitch! You think you can just walk away? You snatched my ring and laid hands on me! We're not done!"I gave her a cold look. "So what exactly do you want to do?"She mistook my patience for fear. Her hand snapped up toward my face. "I'll hit you until I feel better!"Before her palm could land, I caught her wrist, twisted, and slapped her across the face with my other hand.Sofia clutched her cheek, staring at m
In all 26 years of my life, no one had ever dared to talk to me like that."Say that again. What exactly do you want me to shout?" I asked."Are you deaf? I said, 'I'm broke, and I know I was wrong.' Got it now?" Sofia said sharply.The corner of my mouth curled. "Loud and clear. Since you admit you're broke, hurry up and get out of here before you drag down the Marino name."Sofia's face flushed as she finally realized what I'd done. "You! You twisted my words? How dare you make fun of me?"She screeched and hurled herself at me, arms flailing like a furious chicken. It would've been funny if she weren't so noisy.I had trained with my family's bodyguards in Corvina for ten years. I wasn't about to be intimidated by a woman whose punches were nothing but a performance.I drove a clean side kick into her ribs. Sofia went down hard, folding onto the carpet with a pained groan.Gasps rippled through the hall."Oh my God, she actually hit Ms. Lopez!""When Mr. Marino hears about







