The second time Luciano met Tanya, it was during the family banquet.

The family estate would host a banquet at the start of every month, and she stood in the entrance hall welcoming guests.

Anyone in the Ascrofi family with ulterior motives had long been eliminated. Paolo's remaining brothers were the ones willing to submit to him, while the elders had lost all interest in who would inherit the mantle. All they cared about was whether the family and its business continued to thrive.

The latter was tied directly to their income, while the family's value lay mainly in whether it still could allow them to flaunt their power and status.

That was why they hated Tanya, the supposedly bad woman who caused a commotion.

In a pale teal dress, she waited by the door with a soft smile, perfectly balanced between modesty and reserve.

Yet, a few doddering old fossils weren't buying it.

Tanya rarely showed her emotions, but she briefly revealed a flicker of helplessness, as if a crack had opened in her mask.

It made her look fragile.

Even so, her back remained straight, like a magnolia in late spring.

When Luciano approached her, everyone shot them with vicious and mocking looks. Plenty of them were waiting to see the underboss give her the cold shoulder.

That was what Luciano initially had in mind, too.

Yet, when he came to a stop in front of Tanya, she surprisingly cast him a subtle look of dependence, barely perceptible yet unmistakable.

Her eyes seemed enchanted, as if touched by some divine magic.

Any thought Luciano had of giving her a show of authority vanished the moment their eyes met.

Luciano was Paolo's only son now. If nothing went wrong, he would be the next Don.

Meanwhile, Tanya was just a pitiable woman. All that would remain of her, aside from a useless title, was a tarnished reputation.

Oh, well. After all, he was a gentleman.

So, he strode forward, dark and imposing. Fixing his gaze on her, he gave a polite bow. "Madre."

"Luciano, you're here." Her eyes curved into a faint smile as she welcomed him in relief.

Luciano didn't see her again until after he took his seat.

Once everyone had gathered, she came in behind Paolo. Her dress was a little disheveled, but she no longer looked uncertain as before. She now looked composed.

There was even a hint of smug satisfaction in her eyes and brows, with a lingering flush still coloring her cheeks.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Luciano's lips.

Perhaps he had gotten one thing wrong. His stepmother wasn't as fragile as he had imagined.

How interesting. No wonder Paolo was so infatuated with her.

After Paolo exchanged a few casual words with everyone, the family banquet began orderly as usual.

The only difference was that there was an extra person sitting across from Luciano.

Every time he lifted his head, he would see her.

Tanya ate with restraint, using her utensils elegantly. Most of the time, she chewed, smiled, chatted, or served Paolo food. She even wiped the corner of his lips carefully.

Paolo seemed accustomed to Tanya's attentive care. That old thing had incredible luck.

At the end of the banquet, when it was time to see the guests off, Tanya's legs gave way next to Luciano. He instinctively supported her.

The soft, sweet scent of her perfume, tinged with jasmine, drifted into his senses sharply.

Tanya was surprised, then lowered her gaze and stepped backward. "Oh, how clumsy of me. Thank you, Luciano."

Her scent reached him even before her voice.

Luciano had to admit he liked seeing her like this, a tiny crack of vulnerability showing through her otherwise flawless mask of control and compliance, even if only for a fleeting moment.

That way, he could see Tanya in a way that Paolo never did—a helpless and adorable Donna, so different from her usual flawless allure.

When she stood up straight, strands of her hair brushed across his Adam's apple without her realizing it.

Something felt itchy, not just at the throat.

Luciano sighed out loud.

Sleep might elude him tonight, he presumed.

Ever since Tanya moved into the family estate, Luciano rarely stayed at his apartment outside the estate.

Actually, Luciano wasn't the only son. He used to have a younger brother, Dante Ascrofi.

Paolo handed Dante the smaller, peripheral businesses to manage, but the young and ambitious Dante felt an early determination to pull out the old Alpha's fangs.

When ambition outpaced ability, revealing it too soon would only backfire.

Dante vanished in an avalanche at the family's ski resort, his body never to be found. In fact, no one even cared.

Paolo left Dante's funeral entirely in Luciano's hands. "I know you'll be an obedient child, right?"

After hearing that, the young and hot-headed Luciano learned to be compliant and obedient.

Paolo was already used to everyone bowing to him. Anyone who bared their fangs would be swiftly dealt with. Perhaps it was by fate.

Fate also didn't spare his birth mother.

His birth mother, Olga Bianchi, was also a Jarlander, but she was unlike the gentle Tanya. If Tanya were a magnolia tree basking under the spring sunlight, Olga was a sharp blade forged from iron.

She was a noblewoman who always wore dark-colored dresses, forever composed, and her expression was stern.

As far as Luciano could remember, she had never smiled at him.

She had handed power to her husband early on, fueling his rise, only for it to turn back and consume her in the end.

Luciano grew up caught between his parents' conflicts. He was silent and composed, seeming to have neither ambition nor achievement.

The late Dante had been nothing more than the illegitimate child of an inconsequential woman. Paolo didn't love him, or to be exact, Paolo didn't care about him.

It was Luciano, the elder brother who should have hated him, who ended up raising him.

In short, Luciano was born into a twisted family.

He despised everything decaying in the old mansion—the heavy, oppressive floors, the corridors, and the eaves… Everything gave off a suffocating, inescapable stench.

Tanya was the only splash of light. She was like the blooming magnolia tree Luciano had seen as a child, bathed in sunlight in a quiet corner of the garden.

What did that old thing do to deserve moving her into this decaying garden?

Anyway, Luciano moved back to the mansion, which pleased Paolo greatly.

After Dante died, Luciano's leaving was seen as a dangerous signal, proof that he was uncontrollable.

Since Luciano was still an obedient son in other aspects, he assumed Luciano was simply afraid of being stirred by old memories.

As Luciano's father, Paolo criticized his weakness, but as the Don, he found comfort in it.

"Luciano, how did your madre and I bring up such an obedient child like you? How unbelievable."

Luciano never answered that question.

Perhaps he wasn't obedient at all, just hiding sharp, vicious thorns, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

However, there was no need for the old Paolo to find out.

…

Luciano seemed to be constantly busy, handling most of his work at home. In fact, Paolo and Tanya had even more activities than him.

Paolo was often tied up with business, while Tanya kept the household running smoothly and oversaw all the Ascrofi family's public charity events. When Paolo wasn't around, the young Tanya was surprisingly able to handle everything well.

Yet somehow, the house felt a touch warmer than it had when Olga was alive.

Tanya was like a soft-edged blade, gentle as a spring breeze, yet striking with sudden precision, leaving deep, lasting marks.

Once, Luciano was heading out when he bumped into her at the porch.

She was clad in a dress as usual, a pale moon-white gown embroidered with subtle silver patterns, gentle and understated. She looked slender and tall, her hair left free rather than styled in a bun.

Large sunglasses covered half of her face, revealing her delicate chin.

Luciano couldn't see her eyes but only read a hint of unusual coldness at the corners of her lips. It was really unfamiliar.

At home, or perhaps the place they called home, she rarely dressed so neatly. She always dressed in cotton dresses, the long hem brushing the floor to cover her legs, with her bare feet peeking out underneath. Her hair was loosely pinned up, falling in a careless, relaxed manner.

Occasionally, glimpses of her arms or legs revealed bruises tinged with red or pale blue. Beneath the surface, her pale, delicate skin seemed almost translucent.

When she wasn't busy handling the household affairs, she often spent her time arranging flowers or preparing coffee. Those were boring hobbies.

She was languid and relaxed, like a cat.

"Luciano, I'm hoping you'll attend the charity dinner event tonight."

As she spoke softly, her smile was perfectly balanced, neither too warm nor too distant.

After three seconds of silence, Luciano pulled his phone out to postpone his meeting, then accepted her invitation.

"This way, Madre."

As usual, Luciano had always despised these alcohol-filled social scenes, almost to the point of hatred, but this time, things were different because of Tanya.

She was surrounded by a crowd, offering suggestion after suggestion in a soft, measured voice.

Socializing among high-society wives was its own delicate art. Being a former courtesan, she handled it with effortless ease. She was smart but composed and kind, too. She won everyone over without question, the media included.

Hardly anyone mentioned her courtesan background anymore. Everyone addressed her as "Donna Ascrofi" politely.

Countless camera flashes clustered around her, and Paolo was at her side.

Suddenly, Luciano found his father a sore to his eyes.

Paolo was already old. A decaying tree shouldn't be matched to a blooming flower. It should've been Luciano standing beside Tanya right now. That would've felt more right.

A long-suppressed, unfamiliar irritation began to surge within him.

Suddenly, Tanya met his gaze across the crowd and then gave him a gentle smile.

The reporters quickly caught on and turned their cameras toward him.

Luciano quickly composed himself, smiling as he nodded toward the two on the stage.

Pleased with his cooperation, Paolo offered a rare, gentle nod in response.

Luciano knew he'd soon see her photos on the front page, with the headline saying, "Don Ascrofi Appears at Charity Gala with Wife and Son, Donates 200 Million Dollars…"

Tanya's white gown stuck out among the well-dressed crowd. Standing beside Paolo, she was like a honeysuckle, entwined and gentle.

Well, what a happy family…

Luciano left the gala ahead of everyone.

By the time he returned to the estate after handling his affairs, it was already late. It was quiet, without any housekeepers around.

He slipped back to his room silently, but the noises from upstairs caught his attention.

It was Tanya and Paolo.

She was kneeling on the ground, her usually immaculate hair now disheveled, the strands stuck to her face with sweat. Her dress was half taken off, hanging on her body messily.

She was tightly bound with hemp rope, her curvaceous form made even more enticing by the restraint. Under the lights, her pale skin seemed to glow.

Like a lily in full, fiery bloom.

Luciano hid in the shadows, watching her body, observing Paolo pulling the rope to lift her legs.

Her body was exposed to the air. She moaned softly, the voice travelling across the air, wrapping around Luciano's ear like a rising tide.

Luciano's eyes never left Tanya as Paolo's whip lashed across her body in erratic strokes.

Her back, full mounts, perky hips, long, slender legs, and… her private parts.

Luciano saw the messy red marks on her body as she whimpered, trying in vain to escape, like a soft, pleading cat. His breathing became erratic, just like hers.

Liquid from her tears, saliva, and her dripping wet opening mixed together.

The moans got louder.

As Luciano subconsciously reached for his private part, he saw Tanya looking his way, all across the layers of the courtyard and the fence.

Her eyes shimmered with desire and longing, mingled with something else.

She was beneath Paolo, but Luciano shamelessly got hard.

She arched her body, welcoming Paolo's whip as her desire grew.

"Slut."

Paolo unbuttoned his pants and roughly slammed into her body.

With her legs lifted, she was forced to endure Paolo's rough intimacy, but her body betrayed her and got wetter.

When the climax hit, tears slipped out from the corner of her eye. The flush at the corners of her eyes made her look especially vulnerable.

Paolo let out a satisfied groan. Soon, he pulled out of her and pushed it between Tanya's lips. She licked it obediently, but her gaze turned toward Luciano yet again.

Suggestive liquid slipped down the corner of her lips, satisfaction apparent in her gaze.

She trembled in a small, shuddering climax.

On the floor beneath her, a wet patch gleamed in the light.

Damn it!

Luciano felt his breath hitch, feeling as though his boxers couldn't contain his erection any longer.