All Chapters of She Was Never Nobody: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

The moment the ice water hit me, I could barely breathe.The conservatory door had been locked from outside, its four walls transparent, the glaring lights leaving my humiliation nowhere to hide.The banquet hall terrace below was packed with people.They stood holding champagne flutes, watching as though it were a carefully staged performance.Some laughed. Some whistled.Others raised their phones, lenses trained on my face as the ice water soaked through it."Matt really knows how to have fun, giving his fiancée a surprise like this the night before the engagement.""What surprise? Didn't you hear what Salina said? It's a test.""A test to see whether she's worthy of becoming the De Luca family's donna."The taunts reached me one by one through the sound of rushing water.My fingers dug into the door handle.The door would not open.An electronic lock hung on the outside of the conservatory, its screen glowing red.Salina stood beyond the glass in a tailored red gown, her makeup fla

Chapter 2

In that moment, the ice water felt like bullets driving through my bones.I stared at him, my eyes burning red. "You know I'm afraid of this!"When I was eight years old, on a night of pouring rain, I was trapped inside a collapsed warehouse. Gunshots rang out beyond the walls, and icy water mixed with blood rose past my knees. My mother drew the killers away from me and died outside that warehouse.After that night, I was afraid of enclosed spaces, afraid of the unrelenting sound of water, afraid of any night with no way out.All these years, I had never told anyone.Only Matt knew.Because back then, when a rival family had put a bounty on his head, he had been locked in a basement for two full days to stay hidden. In the darkness, he held my hand and said: "Evelyn, from now on, whatever you fear, I'll stand in front of it. Anyone who makes you cry will bleed for it."Now he stood below and let my fear become entertainment for a crowd.Salina laughed and picked up where he left off.

Chapter 3

My heart sank.Her smile grew sweeter, like a viper flicking its tongue."Did you think he kept your wounds as secrets?""I'm sorry to tell you, but he told me everything when he was coaxing me to sleep.""He said you were trapped somewhere when you were little, so you never sleep well when it rains.""He said you look tough, but deep down you're still that little girl who's afraid of the dark and afraid of water."A ringing filled my ears.These words felt colder than ice.Three years with Matt.I had shielded him from assassination attempts, negotiated with the five families on his behalf, closed an arms deal for him at four in the morning.The night he hemorrhaged, I stayed with him at the hospital until dawn.When a rival family framed him, I was the one who found the forged ledgers and cleared his name.He took my hand, held my gaze, and said, "Evelyn, without you, there is no Matt De Luca.""Once I become the Don of the De Luca family, I will marry you."I had believed that was a

Chapter 4

Salina thought I was about to break. Her eyes lit up."Matt, is she about to cry?""I knew she couldn't keep it up for long."She raised her phone and pointed it at me."Come on, Evelyn. Look at the camera and say you were wrong.""Just admit you're not worthy of Matt, and I'll open the door."I looked up at her."Salina, are you sure you want to keep going?"She paused, then let out a scornful laugh."You're threatening me? At this point?""Evelyn, you don't actually think you're the De Luca family's donna, do you?""Your position was given to you by Matt.""What he gave, he can take back."I straightened slowly."Then ask him whether the De Luca family can still take anything back from me."A shadow passed through Matt's eyes."Evelyn, what do you mean by that?"I looked at him through the curtain of rain."It means you had better pray nothing happens to me tonight.""Otherwise the De Luca family will be gone from New York by morning."The crowd laughed again. They thought I was just

Chapter 5

The broken glass cut into my calf. The pain turned my vision white.I did not stop.I kicked a hole through the door with my bare foot. As I bent down to crawl through, the shards tore into my shoulder. Blood ran down the length of my soaked gown.Everyone on the terrace fell silent.They had not expected me to come out this way.Salina instinctively stepped back."Evelyn, what are you doing?"I seized her wrist.She screamed. "Matt, help me!"Matt finally strode forward."Evelyn, let her go."I looked up at him."When I called for you to help me just now, did you hear me?"His steps faltered.Salina wept, her tears a picture of delicate ruin."I was only joking. Now she wants to hurt me." She pressed closer to him. "Matt, I'm frightened."Matt's expression hardened."Evelyn, don't make a scene."I stared at him."A scene?""She turned my terror into entertainment, and you're telling me not to make a scene?"Matt lowered his voice."Everyone here tonight is someone in New York. If this

Chapter 6

The color drained from the guests' faces.Someone immediately shoved their phone into a pocket.David stepped forward at once."Hand it over."The man in the grey suit panicked."Miss Evelyn, this is a misunderstanding. We were only watching. Nothing more.""You said just now," I replied, "that you wanted to take a photo of me as a keepsake."His face went white as paper."I'd had too much to drink."I had no patience for him. I raised a hand, and the underboss dragged him away.Matt spoke, his voice low and firm."Evelyn, this is going too far."I turned to look at him."Matt, you still haven't understood.""Whether tonight goes too far is not for you to decide."I signaled for Salina to be locked inside the conservatory. Salina shrieked:"Evelyn, have you lost your mind? Do you know who my father is?"I looked at her."Then you had better ask your father whether he knows who I am."Salina hid behind Matt, weeping with an air of deep grievance."I really was only joking.""I didn't kn

Chapter 7

Matt's face fell."Evelyn, have you lost your mind?""Do you have any idea what kind of losses a dissolved partnership would bring?"I looked at him, calm and steady."I do.""A preliminary estimate: two billion dollars."He stepped toward me sharply."You know perfectly well this is the lifeblood of the De Luca family."I smiled."Of course I know.""Because I built it.""Matt, you don't actually think you can sit in that office signing papers and enjoy everything that comes with it?"The color drained from his face, little by little.Three years ago, when the De Luca family was at its most fractured, Matt had almost nothing to bargain with. It was I who secured the partnership with the Falcone family and used it to expand our reach across the East Coast. Matt rode that to cement his position as Don of the De Luca family.He told people I was his lucky star.I never corrected him.Because back then, I believed that what was good for him was good for me.But now, I was going to pull hi

Chapter 8

An hour later, the terrace was empty.Those who had jeered, taken photos, and played along had all quietly disappeared.Matt was still standing where he had been.He looked at me, words forming and dying on his lips."Evelyn, can we talk?"I reached into my pocket, took out the engagement ring, and placed it in his palm."There's nothing left to talk about."I turned and walked away. His voice followed me from behind.I didn't look back.Everything that came after, I left to David.Within a month, the Falcone family formally terminated all supply contracts with the De Luca family. The lawsuit over the breach-of-contract penalties was still ongoing when three other partners along the East Coast suspended dealings in succession, each citing different reasons, but all arriving at the same result. The De Luca family's supply lines were cut by more than half.By the second month, the De Luca family began to fracture from within. Matt had risen to the position of Don on the strength of tho

Chapter 9

The day my papa called me home, the weather was fine.He sat behind his desk, looked at me, and slid a document across the table."All of the Falcone family's operations on the East Coast, effective today, are yours."I glanced down at the document, then looked up."That's it?"My papa smiled, which was rare."What more do you want?"I thought for a moment."The lines in Europe. I want to renegotiate them.""And a few of the ports in Asia. The current partners are too conservative. I want to bring in new people."My papa looked at me, admiration plain in his eyes."Scarlett, do you know why I let you walk out three years ago?"I thought for a moment."Because you knew you couldn't."He smiled and shook his head."Because some things can only be understood through experience.""Now that you’ve seen Matt for what he is, you won’t make that mistake twice."He rose from his chair, walked over to me, and placed his hand on my shoulder."Welcome home.""My principessa."

Chapter 10

Six months later, I was invited to a dinner banquet.I hadn't planned to go, but David mentioned that several important partners would be attending.So I stayed.Midway through the evening, a commotion stirred outside the hall.I looked up and saw Matt.He was being held at the entrance, wearing a pair of jeans washed so many times they had gone pale.The waiter looked toward me, visibly uncomfortable."Miss Scarlett, this gentleman says he'd like a word with you."I set down my glass."Let him in."Matt walked over to me.He looked at me with something between longing and regret."Evelyn..."I looked at him, composed."What do you want."He reached into his pocket and produced a small box.Inside was a ring.Not the one from the engagement banquet.This one was a silver ring, old and worn.I recognized it.Three years ago, when Matt was at his lowest, we had passed a small shop together. He had spotted this ring and said, "When I have money someday, I'll buy you something better."I h

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