جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

Carlo paused slightly. He swept his blue-gray eyes over me indifferently before stubbing out the cigar.Then, he said to his trusted subordinate, "Tidy up the suite in the east wing. Everything my wife uses has to be the best of the best. Make sure to have them prepared."In less than half an hour, my room was filled with haute couture, dazzling jewelry, and extravagant accessories.During the day, Carlo was busy with the affairs of the famiglia, so I helped manage the kitchen. I personally prepared his meals and made sure to constantly switch up the menu. I prepared warm stews in the morning and delectable desserts for afternoon tea. I made every dish with my own hands and carefully delivered them to him.Gradually, I began to sense the occasional, inscrutable gaze he cast in my direction.One night, Carlo was reviewing some documents while leaning against the headboard. When I moved closer to look, he pulled me into his arms in one swift motion.I straddled his lap. When his

I collapsed to the ground, and a puddle of blood appeared beneath me.Mama nervously rushed forward and exclaimed, "Jovi, you hit her too hard! If she dies, this will get troublesome!"Jovina glanced down at me with vicious eyes as I struggled to breathe. "She won't die. She's still useful."She bent down and yanked my hair to force my head up. "I told you to be obedient. You just had to be stubborn. All that you're suffering now is your own fault."Jovina then straightened up and tugged at her evening gown. She said smugly, "To look exactly like you, I lost weight, adjusted my figure, and even got the same curls as yours. I have the perfume you always use prepared too."Tonight, at the banquet, I'll be the one standing by Carlo's side. No one will be able to tell us apart. Once the banquet is over, you'll disappear completely."She leaned in close and added in an icy voice, "I want you to watch with your own eyes as I take back everything that belongs to me."My parents immedia

My parents dragged me into the car. It drove all the way toward the outskirts of the city before finally stopping in front of a secluded villa.This was the pickup location they had agreed on with Paolo. When they failed to deliver me the other day, he nearly turned on them. Only after they repeatedly promised that they would bring me over again in five days did they manage to smooth things over.They managed to bring me here ahead of time. Once the time came, they were going to sell me to that man for money.Papa warned, "Now that you're here, behave yourself and do as you're told. Serve Mr. Zappa well, and don't even think about running!"As I stared at the unfamiliar, gloomy villa before me, my heart sank to my stomach. I couldn't help but ask, "Papa, Mama, I'm your daughter too! How could you do this to me? Jovina stole my identity, and now, you're sending me to an old man. Don't you feel sorry for me at all?"Papa sneered, "Feel sorry for you? If you had behaved and let Jov

My parents instantly started panicking. They clamped down on my arms and refused to let me move an inch, their eyes full of warning.Jovina was so frantic that her voice trembled. "Caro mio, what nonsense is this? She's Nerissa, my younger sister! I'm your wife, Jovina!"Carlo smirked slightly. His tone was calm, yet his words struck them like a bolt from the blue. "That's right. My wife is Nerissa."My whole body shook due to the raw emotions crashing down on me. Tears surged to my eyes at once. Carlo knew… He had known all along!Mama rushed forward, forcing a smile as she argued, "Don Laguardia, you're mistaken. This is Jovina! Don't be confused by their similarity!""Could I mistake my own wife?" The faint smile in Carlo's eyes faded completely. As he swept his gaze over Papa's hands gripping me, his voice turned colder. "What is this? Are you trying to stop me from taking back my wife?"Papa's face went deathly pale, yet he still insisted, "No, Don Laguardia. You really

Mama hurriedly put on a fawning smile. "Don Laguardia, we're all family. What accounts are there to settle? Jovina is young and ignorant. We've realized our mistake too. Please be merciful and forgive us this once!"Carlo raised a brow as his gaze landed on the wounds all over my body. "Family? You injured my wife badly and even joined hands to scheme against her. You tried to let Jovina replace her. Do you think I'll let this go and write it all off?"Papa hastily argued in a flustered tone, "No, Don Laguardia. We never wanted to kill her! She misunderstood us. We only wanted to persuade her to behave herself. We never intended to harm her!"I sneered, "Oh, so you're denying it now? Back at the villa, Jovina held a knife and tried to kill me. You were right there helping her. Why didn't you remember that I was also your daughter at that time?"Carlo's gaze darkened instantly, and his voice turned icy. "You wanted to kill her?""No! Don't listen to her nonsense, Don Laguardia. She