Chapter 4
I lifted my head and looked at him calmly.
Vicenzo pointed at Mario, who was lounging on the sofa.
“Yesterday, you injured Mr. Mario. That’s a capital offense.
“But I couldn’t bear to see you die, so I begged for a long time on your behalf.”
He stepped behind me and placed both hands on my shoulders.
“Get down on your knees, lick Mr. Mario’s shoes clean, and he might spare your life.”
Mario swung his leg smugly and grabbed a handful of nuts from the table, tossing them at my feet.
“Kneel, b*tch. Weren’t you impressive last night?”
Elena covered her mouth and laughed softly, her eyes gleaming with malice.
“Eva, don’t be ungrateful. Vicenzo went to great lengths to protect you.”
Luca stuffed delicate pastries into his mouth and mumbled through them, “Hurry up and kneel. If you don’t, I’ll tell Dad to throw you out!”
At six years old, he was already capable of the cruelest words.
This was the son I had nearly died to save.
Vicenzo’s grip tightened, fingers digging into my injured shoulder.
A wave of sharp pain shot through me, and fresh blood quickly soaked through the bandages.
He was forcing me to submit, savoring the thrill of breaking something wild.
“Eva, be good.”
His voice brushed against my ear, cold and low.
“For this family, what’s wrong with sacrificing a little pride?
“Or do you want to watch Luca die because of you?”
I felt the bone in my shoulder grind under the pressure.
If I were still the Eva who lived only for her family, I would already have knelt for my son.
However, the woman standing here now was the principessa of the Moretti family, who had already died once.
I drew in a slow breath, then drove my shoulder backward, instantly knocking Vicenzo’s hands away.
In the same motion, I spun around, snatched the pistol from the nearest soldato’s waist, and with a crisp click, chambered a round.
“Bang!”
The shot struck the floor in front of Mario’s feet, sparks bursting upward.
Mario shrieked and rolled off the sofa in terror.
“Tell Stefano to come see me.”
“She’s insane! She’s completely insane!”
Vicenzo’s face turned ashen as he roared at me. “You dare call Don Carlini by his name? You dare fire a gun in here?”
Elena screamed as well. “You crazy b*tch! If you want to die, don’t drag us down with you!”
Mario pointed at me and shouted at the soldati, “Kill her! She’s trying to assassinate Don Carlini!”
Just as the soldati raised their guns and aimed at me…
A cold, commanding voice came from upstairs.
“I’d like to see who dares.”
I lifted my head, my gaze cutting past the armed men and fixing on the carved railing of the second floor.
A tall figure stood there.
He wore a black shirt, collar slightly open.
It was the don of the Carlini family.
And once, my fiancé.
Vicenzo rushed toward me, reaching for my hair. “You crazy woman! Do you have a death wish?”
I laughed.
The sound echoed through the hall, with slight bitterness, edged with ridicule.
Then I looked up at the man above and spoke softly.
“Stefano, long time no see.”
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