What a joke.

I heard that line plenty, but it was always my dad laying it on someone else.

However, that day, the tables turned, and I was the one with a target on my back.

Little did she know that the Vito family owed its clout to my father's backing.

In that town, nobody could make me eat my words.

A smirk played at the edge of my lips. "Who's making that racket like a wild animal? Bernardo himself wouldn't have the guts to talk to me that way."

"Who are you calling an animal?" Liliana shrieked, her voice laced with rage.

"Does anyone else here sound like they're howling at the moon?"

"You, you're nothing but trash!"

Liliana, red with anger, swung her arm at me in a blind fury.

Pathetic.

As the Olivieri family's one and only heir.

Dad had me training with fighting instructors since I was a kid. Against a poser like Liliana, I could take on three with one hand tied behind my back.

Her hand barely reached out before I snatched her wrist. A swift side kick sent her crashing to the floor.

Liliana's face went white as a sheet, sweat beading on her brow.

"Look at that, you really did a face-plant after I called you an animal. How thoughtful."

Scrambling up, Liliana pointed at me, her finger trembling:

"You lowlife, you'll regret touching me, just you wait!"

I shot back, my voice icy: "Keep spewing trash, and I'll make sure you regret it."

My glare was enough to silence her; she could not muster another word.

Ignoring her, I picked up the black card off the ground, bought the gown I came for, and got ready to head out.

However, there was Liliana, blocking my way again.

Her nagging wore my patience thin.

I was about to give her a shove with my foot when suddenly,

"Stop!"

A deep voice echoed from behind me. Liliana dashed toward it, her face twisted in distress.

"Bernardo, what took you so long? She's the one who took the dress I wanted, and she's been picking on me."

I spun around, my heart skipping a beat.

A man, flanked by bodyguards, approached. His black suit was the epitome of bespoke elegance, the collar casually undone, revealing a glimpse of the Mediterranean in his deep blue eyes, framed by golden locks.

Above all, it was his face: sharp, chiseled, a masterpiece even the heavens would envy.

Dad knew me well; I have always been a sucker for a pretty face.

For him, I was willing to give it another shot.

I flashed a grin and reached out my hand. "Hi, I'm Cecilia. Your bride-to-be."

Bernardo looked at me with a sneer. "You think you, in your pitiful state, are fit to marry me? You're not even worth shining my shoes. Dream on."

His contempt was like a splash of icy water, steadying my pulse.

"Miss your toothbrush this morning, or is your breath always this stinky? Didn't anyone teach you manners?" I shot back.

Bernardo's face clouded over. "Manners? As if you're worthy of any.

"I don't care what sleazy means. You convinced my father to agree to this marriage, but I'll never take you as my wife."

Liliana, hanging off Bernardo's arm, sneered at me. "That's right, you don't hold a candle to Bernardo!"

The crowd chimed in, their voices dripping with mockery:

"Look at her, dressed worse than a maid, dreaming of marrying into the Vito family. Ridiculous!"

"Absolutely! She can't even compare to Ms. Conti's little finger!"

My attire was modest, nothing like the ragged pauper they made me out to be.

It turned out that this world always sided with the mighty and the affluent.

Locking eyes with Bernardo, I declared with conviction, "Even if you're ready to marry, I have no intention of marrying you! Tell your father the deal's off!"

Dad said that our proposed union propelled the Vito family to unprecedented heights of power.

If Oscar Vito, Bernardo's dad, got wind of his son botching the alliance, Bernardo would be in for a world of punishment.

With that thought, I was itching to get home and spill the beans on Bernardo.

As I spun on my heel to leave, Liliana lunged and grabbed my dress bag.

"Think you can just walk out? Not without leaving that dress, you lowlife!"

I liked to keep things understated, but I was no pushover. I seized her wrist with precise force, squeezing hard enough to make her think I might snap it.

"Ah!!!!"

Her scream echoed as the bag slipped from her weakened grasp back into mine.

"Nobody takes what's mine unless I say so."

Liliana's tear-streaked face turned to Bernardo, her eyes pleading: "Bernardo, she's humiliated me, you have to defend me."

With a swift backhand, I silenced her, my voice like ice. "Say lowlife again, and you'll regret it."

The slap wiped the smugness off Liliana's face. She scurried behind Bernardo, playing the victim.

Bernardo wrapped her in his arms, his deep blue eyes then a furnace of fury.

"You dare touch what's mine! I'll make sure you learn your lesson today!"

He spun around to his bodyguard, his voice cutting through the air like a knife, "Grab her!"

I was no slouch in a fight, but it was tough when one was outnumbered. In no time, I was in the iron grip of Bernardo's goons.

Liliana strutted over in her needle-thin heels and delivered two stinging slaps to my face.

"You lowlife, you thought you were so tough? Let's see you strut your stuff now!

"How dare you lay a hand on me. Today, you're going to learn what happens when you cross me!"

She did not stop there. Slap after slap, she hit me until I tasted blood and felt my teeth wobble.

"You'll regret this, you're going to wish you never crossed me," I stared her down, fury burning in my gaze.

If looks could kill, she would have been long gone.

However, Liliana just scoffed; my threats meant nothing to her. The crowd around us watched, their eyes full of pity.

"Her face won't look the same after those hits."

"She was warned not to mess with Ms. Conti. She didn't listen, and now she's beyond saving."

"The last guy who got on Ms. Conti's bad side vanished from the city overnight."

I'll get my revenge, but not now.

I had to stop Liliana before she did something irreversible. Desperate, I blurted out:

"I was wrong! Take the dress, just let me go."

However, Liliana was not done. Another slap rocked my face.

She yanked my head back by my hair, forcing me to meet her fierce gaze.

"What a pushover. If you begged sooner, I might have spared you."

"Now, it's too late. I'm not calming down until I've had my fill of revenge."

Pain seared through my scalp, but I swallowed my rage and said, "I'll pay anything, just let me go!" I pleaded.

Liliana's laugh was icy and mocking. "Sure, come up with a hundred million dollars, and you're free to go today."

I nodded frantically, worried she might retract her offer. "Done. I'll call right now and get the money sent over!"

Bernardo snickered from the sidelines. "A seductress who's charmed her way into my father's graces, claiming she can cough up a hundred million? That's a joke."

His words only seemed to embolden Liliana. She whipped out her phone and set the timer. "Ten minutes. If the cash isn't here, I'll carve up that pretty face of yours and dump you in the slums, naked."

The crowd around us erupted in laughter. I finally got my hands on my phone and dialed my dad in a panic.

"What's the matter, Cecilia?" Dad's voice was a lifeline. I fought back tears and told him everything.

"What? They want to mess with my girl? They've got another thing coming." I added quickly, "They said if they don't see the money in ten minutes, they'll disfigure me and leave me naked in the slums."

Dad's rage vibrated through the phone. "Stay calm, Cecilia. Help is on the way. They'll regret ever crossing paths with us."

I hung up, my heart rate finally slowing.

The seconds ticked away until only ten remained. Liliana's eyes were on me, filled with scorn. "Time's up. Strip down now and save me the hassle." Her words were casual, but she signaled her bodyguards with a subtle hand gesture. They started closing in on me.

Dozens of sleek, armored cars lined up in front of the upscale designer workshop, a show of force and wealth. The lead car's door swung open with a dramatic thud, and out stepped a man whose face was a roadmap of scars. He walked with a purpose, an aura of danger clinging to him like the lingering scent of a battlefield.

The man's booming voice settled over the crowd, "The hundred million is here. Let's see who's got the guts to mess with our Principessa."