The slap rang loudly, and I staggered slightly. Half of my face burned instantly, swelling up as the pain spread.

Still not satisfied, she raised her hand again and began hitting me, just like she used to when I was a child. This time, she didn't even try to hold back, doing it right there in front of the neighbors, in front of anyone who passed along our narrow street where everyone knew the Bellavia name and what little was left of it.

She grabbed the wooden stick leaning by the door and started beating me with it, her strikes fast and forceful. One blow after another landed on my body, each one heavier than the last.

As she hit me, she shouted accusations, her voice sharp and furious. "Dominic already told me everything! Do you have any idea how lucky you are? A man like him is something you'd only deserve after several lifetimes of good fortune!"

"And yet you can't even keep him! Jealous, unruly, acting however you want. You're nothing but a lowly, useless person!" she continued, her words cutting just as deeply as the blows. Somewhere down the block a car idled, its engine low, and I knew one of Dominic's soldiers sat behind the wheel watching this. They were always watching.

Her voice grew louder and more hysterical. "Let me tell you this, no matter what it takes, even if you have to beg or get pregnant, you must find a way to marry Dominic! Otherwise, don't even think about coming back here!"

At that moment, a gust of cold wind swept through the street, and heavy rain began to pour down without warning. The sudden downpour soaked everything within seconds.

Only then did my Hale finally stop. Instead of letting me inside, she stepped forward and blocked the doorway, her body acting as a barrier. She wet her lower lip and let out a small, injured sigh through her nose before she spoke again, and I recognized the ritual. The cruelty was about to dress itself as motherhood.

She threw my belongings out one by one, without care, as if they meant nothing. "Get out!" she shouted. "If you're going to die, then die at the Valente family's house. Don't dirty my doorstep!"

One of my childhood trophies struck my forehead as it was tossed out. The impact made my vision blur for a moment, and warm blood mixed with the cold rainwater as it slowly trickled down my cheek.

I bent down silently, my hands trembling slightly as I sifted through the scattered items on the ground, trying to gather what little pieces of my past I could still hold onto. My thumb drifted to the pale mark on my ring finger where the alliance ring had sat for seven years, and for one breath I let it stay there. Then I forced my hand back to my side and kept gathering.

A black Bentley slowly pulled up beside me, its presence out of place in the pouring rain. The door opened, and Dominic stepped out, holding an umbrella in one hand. His suit was perfect, his signet ring catching the streetlight as rain streaked past it.

With the other hand, he grabbed my arm firmly, his grip tight and unyielding. Without giving me a chance to react, he dragged me toward the car and pushed me inside.

Once the door shut, the rain became a muffled roar against the glass. The interior smelled of leather and cigar smoke and something else. He spoke in a low, controlled tone. "Bianca, have you learned your lesson now?"

He looked at me as if he were granting me mercy. "There's no one in this world who will love you except me. Be a good girl and come home. Apologize properly to Serafina, and you'll still be the future Mrs. Valente."

He took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders. But the moment it touched me, a familiar scent hit my senses. It was Serafina's perfume, lingering unmistakably on the fabric.

I turned my head slowly, looking out the window at the rain-blurred streets. Everything outside looked distorted and distant, just like how I felt inside.

Once, I had believed Dominic was my salvation. I had trusted him with my deepest thoughts, my fears, and my pain, thinking he would understand me better than anyone else.

But now I realized that he had used all of that against me. He had taken my vulnerability and turned it into a tool to control me. Every secret I had whispered in the dark of his bedroom, every fear I had named, he had filed away the way his consigliere filed leverage on judges and union bosses. I was just another asset to manage.

He had never been my refuge. And he was never worth my love.

Only by leaving him, and leaving that so-called home behind, could I truly have a chance at a better life. That thought settled quietly but firmly in my heart.

While I was lost in these thoughts, Dominic's phone suddenly rang, breaking the silence inside the car.

A woman's voice came through the speaker, light and slightly anxious. "Dominic, why aren't you here yet? Everyone's waiting for you."

"They're all teasing me," she continued with a soft laugh. "They're saying how the estate gathering has the boss's wife attending, but the boss himself is nowhere to be seen. I'm running out of ways to explain for you."

Dominic glanced at me awkwardly after hearing that. There was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, as if he was weighing his options.

He clearly wanted to leave me behind, but at the same time, he seemed to realize that doing so might not look appropriate in front of others. Even a Don had to mind appearances when soldiers and associates were watching.

After a brief pause, he said, "Bianca, why don't you come along to the estate gathering?" His tone was casual, as if he were offering me some kind of favor.

In the past, I was never allowed anywhere near his operations. Even when I brought him meals at the social club, I had to wait outside like a stranger, letting his trusted aide come out to take the food so I wouldn't disturb his work.

This invitation, if it could even be called that, was something unprecedented. A rare "kindness" from him.

I took out a tissue and gently wiped the blood from my forehead. My movements were slow and steady, as if nothing could disturb me anymore.

Then I looked up slightly and replied in a calm voice, "Okay."

I arrived completely soaked, my clothes clinging to my body, my hair dripping with rainwater. I must have looked utterly disheveled standing there in front of everyone, out of place and embarrassing. The Valente vineyard estate was warm with candlelight and low conversation, and I stood at the entrance of it like something the storm had dragged in.

Dominic didn't even try to hide it. The moment we entered, he deliberately quickened his pace, walking ahead of me and putting distance between us. It was as if he was afraid people would realize I was with him, afraid of being associated with someone like me.

When Serafina saw me, her lips immediately curled into a pout of displeasure. Her expression was subtle, but the disdain in her eyes was impossible to miss.

As I stood there, I overheard Dominic lean closer to her and whisper in a low voice, "I don't feel sorry for her. I just want to embarrass her."

He let out a faint, almost amused breath before continuing, "I want everyone to see that without me, she's worse off than a dog."

Those words should have hurt. They should have pierced straight through me. But surrounded by the mocking, curious, and judgmental stares of the people around me, I felt… nothing.

Maybe I had already been hurt too many times. Maybe my heart had long since gone numb.

I raised my hand calmly and asked a passing server for a blanket. Wrapping it around myself, I walked over to the sofa and sat down quietly, watching the crowd move about as if I were just an observer, detached from everything.

Associates laughed, capos talked, men toasted glasses of dark wine. The atmosphere was lively, but none of it had anything to do with me. I simply sat there, still and silent, as if I didn't belong in that world anymore.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Adriana.

Her voice came through the line, steady and efficient. She told me she had already contacted several operations overseas for me and that I could go for interviews anytime I was ready. Her words were direct, but beneath them was a kind of quiet support.

I felt a faint warmth in my chest, something I hadn't felt in a long time. I was just about to respond when suddenly, a hand landed on my shoulder.

Startled, I turned my head and saw Dominic standing behind me. His brows were slightly furrowed, his expression carrying a hint of suspicion.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked, his tone sharp. "What interview? Where are you planning to go?"

I met his gaze for a brief moment before answering casually, "Telemarketing."

At my reply, the tension in his expression slowly eased. His frown relaxed, and a trace of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. His signet ring settled against his thumb, still.

"That makes sense," he said lightly. "Your own family doesn't even want you anymore, so where could you possibly go?"

He glanced toward the window and added indifferently, "The rain has stopped. There's nothing for you to do here. Go home."

Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he reminded me, "When you get back, don't forget to wash my coat."

I didn't respond. Instead, I quietly took off the coat he had given me earlier and tossed it onto the sofa beside me.

Serafina tilted her head slightly, her gaze lingering on me for a moment, as if studying my reaction. Then she softly insisted that Dominic walk me out.

When we reached the edge of the gravel drive, everything seemed calm for a brief second. Then, without warning, Serafina stuck out her foot.

I lost my balance instantly. My body tilted forward uncontrollably, and I fell straight into the rose bushes that lined the low stone wall of the estate garden.

"Bianca!" Dominic reached out reflexively, his hand extending toward me.

But in the very next second, Serafina let out a soft cry.

Without hesitation, Dominic turned away from me and moved to shield her instead. He placed himself between her and any possible harm, completely abandoning me.

I fell heavily into the thorns. The sharp rose branches pierced into my skin, scratching and cutting across my arms and legs. Pain spread instantly, sharp and relentless.

The muddy ground beneath me only made everything worse. My clothes were stained, my body aching as I struggled to push myself up.

When I finally managed to lift my head, the first thing I saw was Dominic kneeling in front of Serafina, gently wiping the mud off her shoes with careful, delicate movements. Two of his soldiers stood a few paces back, watching. Neither moved.

For a brief moment, he glanced at me. There was a flicker of guilt in his eyes, fleeting and almost nonexistent.

"Bianca, are you okay?" he asked. "I can take you to the clinic…"

Before I could respond, Serafina's eyes filled with tears. Her voice trembled softly. "Dominic, you promised to stay with me today."

She looked at him with hurt and vulnerability. "It's our anniversary. How can you leave me alone?"

Dominic hesitated, his gaze shifting between the two of us, clearly torn for a moment.

"I'll go to the clinic by myself," I said quietly, breaking the silence. "You're the Don. It wouldn't look good if you left the gathering early."

He seemed to relax instantly, as if my words had given him an excuse he needed.

"Alright," he said with a small sigh. "Take care of yourself."

Then he added casually, "I'll bring you your favorite pineapple cakes when I get home."

I almost laughed. Pineapple cakes had never been my favorite. They were Serafina's. But correcting him felt pointless.

No matter what happened, I was always the one left behind. The one who was sacrificed without hesitation.

Instead of continuing to wait foolishly for something that was never mine, I decided it was time to leave early, while I still could.

At the private clinic, the doctor carefully removed the thorns embedded in my skin, one by one. Each movement was precise, each pull bringing a dull, lingering pain.

It felt as though, along with those thorns, the love I had clung to for seven years was being pulled out of me as well.

By the time it was over, I felt strangely lighter.

The next morning, Dominic made a rare call to my burner line. His voice carried a hint of impatience. "Why aren't you answering your phone?"

"Didn't you block me?" I asked calmly.

There was a brief pause on the other end. Then he replied, "I'll be home in half an hour."

"I brought you fresh pineapple cakes and egg tarts," he continued, his tone softening slightly. "And I also bought a new alliance ring."

After a moment, he added, "I know I've wronged you these past few days. It won't happen again."

I glanced at the time, my expression calm and unmoved. "There won't be a next time for us," I said quietly.

Unfortunately, he had already hung up before hearing my answer.

There were still three hours left before noon.

I walked over to his laptop and opened it. One by one, I tried several passwords, each one failing.

Until finally, I typed in Serafina's birthday. The screen unlocked instantly.

I sat there in front of the computer, waiting. Half an hour passed. Then an hour.

When I picked up my phone again, I saw that Serafina had posted a new update.

She was sitting in the passenger seat of Dominic's car, their fingers intertwined. Both of them were wearing brand new rings, shining brightly in the photo. Alliance rings. The kind that meant a blood promise had been made.

My thumb drifted to the pale mark on my ring finger. I held it there for a moment, feeling the bare skin where his seal had once sat.

Then I let my hand fall back to my side.

I smiled faintly.