Back then, Leonardo covered my eyes with one hand and whispered in my ear, "Don't look, Camilla. It's dirty."

Now, he was covering another woman's eyes and thinking of me as the dirty one.

"Camilla, don't push me to do something even more ruthless," he said coldly with his back to me.

After he left, I curled my lips in bitter sorrow and had someone take Stefano for treatment.

"Burn everything Leonardo ever gave me," I ordered in an eerily calm voice. "Spread the word—whoever that takes Vittoria out is a friend of mine."

The news of my falling out with Leonardo spread through the entire circle like wildfire.

"If you ask me, Leonardo was never really interested in that damaged goods."

"I heard he's guarding his new woman like a fortress, watching over her round the clock. When did Camilla ever get that kind of treatment?"

"Right? Back then, when Leonardo went all out for her, it was only because of her family's influence. Now that her family has lost their power, who would want to marry an assaulted woman?"

Not a single word of those sharp-tongued remarks escaped my ears.

I remembered back when I first had my incident, some trust-fund baby had said something similar during a card game.

The next day, his family's company was ruthlessly crushed by Leonardo. And he himself was cornered by Leonardo in the parking garage and had two of his ribs broken.

Leonardo had only said one thing, "You think you have the right to run your mouth about someone I paid for with my life?"

From that day on, the entire Fairview fell silent.

Leonardo built a wall around me, shielding me from all malice and pity.

But now, the man who built that wall had torn it down himself, allowing the gossip I once feared most to stab me from all sides.

As the gossip grew more intense, Leonardo brought in Vittoria to the organization gathering.

This was the place where the most private matters of the families were handled. No outsiders, and especially no women, were ever allowed to set foot inside.

The only reason I had the right to enter was because my Padre, Giuseppe Marino, traded half our family's empire for that privilege. Yet, Vittoria walked in without lifting a finger.

I remained silent.

Vittoria leaned into Leonardo's side, her gaze occasionally drifting toward me with a hint of provocation.

Suddenly, the massive projection screen in the banquet hall lit up.

What had been playing an elegant scenic video abruptly shifted to a humiliating assault video. The one on screen was me at 18 years old, my face filled with terror and despair.

The video was also paired with unbearably crude subtitles.

"No wonder Leonardo dumped her. She's been completely used up!"

"So disgusting," Vittoria said this while shooting me a smug smile.

Raging fury and humiliation instantly consumed my reason.

"Rip her mouth apart!" I practically roared, pointing at Vittoria as I gave the order to my men.

He immediately stepped forward. But before his hand could even reach Vittoria, Leonardo shot up and kicked him away.

Then, he stepped in front of me in one stride and raised his hand. The sound of an incredibly vicious slap echoed as his hand struck hard across my face.

My ears rang, my vision went dark, and I nearly lost my balance.

Leonardo stood before me, with the humiliating video still looping behind him. The eyes that once looked at me with tenderness and affection now held only cold disgust and raging fury.

"Camilla, aren't you ashamed enough?"

Ashamed?

My cheek burned with searing pain, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. But neither could compare to the ache in my heart.

The video showed the darkest moment of my past, as well as the disaster I endured to save him. His new lover had broadcast it for everyone to see, and yet he thought I was the one who should be ashamed?

In that moment, my heart shattered completely.

"Leonardo, I'll remember this slap," I said, wiping away my tears as I looked at him. "From today on, there's nothing between us but a fight to the death.

As the words left my lips, he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me into a secluded corner. There, he kissed and nibbled my lips with brutal intensity.

"Camilla, I already told you I only love you. Vittoria is still young. Her broadcasting that video was just a childish act of jealousy. Why must you make such a big deal out of it?"

So, to him, the video of my assault was nothing more than proof of his new lover's childishness. Even though my heart was dead, it still hurt.

I shoved him away and fiercely wiped off the traces of his kiss.

"Leonardo, you let Vittoria tear open my old wounds and say I'm the one making a scene? Have you forgotten who humiliated me? I was the one who was harmed by your enemies while trying to save you!"

I stepped forward until I was almost pressed against him and jabbed my finger into the spot right over his heart.

"You want an heir? Fine. But what you absolutely shouldn't have done was let her tear open my old wounds, and you definitely should not have poured salt on them yourself!"

With that, I turned and walked away, paying no attention to the way his head hung low.

But his voice still reached me from a distance.

"Camilla, no matter what, don't do anything to her. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless."

I let out a bitter laugh and, together with my assistant, Aurora Romani, walked straight out of the meeting hall while everyone stared.

The slap mark on my face burned with pain, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my heart.

…

The car had barely driven a short distance and rounded the corner when several vehicles forced us to a stop.

Vittoria had brought people to block the way ahead.

"Ms. Marino," Aurora said, her voice tense with a hint of panic, "most of our people are still back at the gathering. What should we do now?"

I looked at the pretentious face outside the car, a cold calm settling deep in my heart.

"It's fine," I said, pushing open the car door. "Wait for me in the car. If something happens, follow the plan."

"Understood."

The moment I stepped out of the car, Vittoria came up to me with an openly smug expression.

"Well, well, Ms. Marino, all alone now? Weren't you so impressive back at the gathering? Weren't you going to rip my mouth apart?"

I looked at her coldly. "Cut the crap. If you want revenge, just get on with it."

But she suddenly smiled in a strange way. "You're overthinking things. Why would I dirty my own hands?"

Before her words faded, my pupils suddenly contracted in shock. Without a moment's hesitation, Vittoria picked up the already prepared dagger and slashed it viciously across her own delicate cheek.

Blood instantly gushed out, staining half of her face red, as her flesh split apart and turned up at the edges.

I stood there stunned, never expecting her to do something like that.

In that split second, Vittoria shoved the bloodied dagger next to my feet, then let out a piercing scream.

"Leonardo, save me!" she shrieked in terror and agony. "I only followed Ms. Marino because I saw her leaving alone and wanted to see her off. Who would've thought she'd just grab a dagger and slash me without any warning."

Hurried footsteps thundered close.

Leonardo came charging over with his men. His eyes immediately fell on Vittoria—lying in a pool of blood, her cheek still bleeding—then on the bloodied dagger by my feet.

His gaze instantly darkened as he stared at me, his eyes as cold as if he were looking at a stranger.

"Camilla, this is the third time I've warned you not to lay a hand on her. Are you going to come quietly or do I have to make you?"

I frowned, my heart sinking to my stomach.

"Leonardo, I never hurt her. She did it to herself. I won't admit to something I didn't do."

"Enough, Camilla!" he yelled harshly, his gaze filled with undisguised disdain. "When did you become so vicious and cowardly that you won't even admit to what you've done?"

Leonardo swept a cold glance, and the two men behind him immediately stepped forward, slamming their feet hard into the backs of my knees.

A wave of excruciating pain shot through me, and I was forced down onto the rough ground with a heavy thud.

"Ms. Marino!" Aurora rushed out of the car and threw herself in front of me. Then, she turned to Leonardo with a frantic explanation. "Mr. Ferrante, that's not how it happened! Ms. Marino never laid a hand on Vittoria. It was Vittoria herself who—"

Before she could finish, a flash of cold steel sliced through the air. Without a moment's hesitation, Leonardo drove the dagger deep into Aurora's leg.

Aurora let out a sharp cry of pain and crumpled to her knees as blood gushed from the wound.

"One more word from you, and the next cut goes in your mouth," Leonardo warned viciously.

Watching Aurora curled up in agony, I felt my breath almost stop entirely.

I had brought Aurora out of the orphanage myself and treated her like my own sister. Leonardo knew that perfectly well, so how dare he hurt her?

I clenched my fists so tight that my nails dug deep into my palms, almost drawing blood.

"Leonardo, I told you I didn't do it. Let Aurora go!" I shouted.

Vittoria chose at that moment to let out an even more pained and feeble whimper.

The last trace of patience in Leonardo's eyes vanished completely, replaced by rage and disappointment at what he saw as my stubborn refusal to admit the truth.

"It seems it's been a long time since anyone taught you the rules." He pointed at me and ordered his pack of burly men coldly, "Teach her properly how to follow my rules."

The moment his words fell, those burly men menacingly closed in on me, who was completely defenseless.

"Leonardo, you said you would protect me for life!"

Terrified and disappointed, I used every ounce of strength I had to scream out those words that were etched into our very bones.

His back, with Vittoria in his arms, suddenly stiffened, and his footsteps halted. He subconsciously tightened his scar-covered hand, causing Vittoria to let out a soft whimper.

But in the end, he didn't look back. He walked on resolutely until he disappeared from my sight.

Despair and pain filled my eyes. Then, I turned my gaze fiercely toward the men closing in.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Haven't you heard that I always settle my debts?"

One of them let out a sneer. "Once that pretty face of yours is gone, and you've been passed around by guys like us one more time, how are you ever going to act high and mighty again? Besides, no one said you get to keep living."

With a flash of the blade, a sharp pain tore across my face, and blood instantly began to flow. That slash severed all my illusions. I let out a bitter, sorrowful laugh.

When I was 18, Leonardo blew up one of his own legs, vowing to protect me for life. Only now did I understand that the man who once risked everything for me could just as easily want me dead for someone else.

…

At the hospital, the doctor had just finished treating the deep, bone-exposing wound on Vittoria's face.

Leonardo stood guard by her hospital bed. His phone rang shrilly, shattering the quiet of the room. He answered impatiently, and a panicked voice came from the other end.

"Boss, something terrible has happened. Ms. Marino… is dead… We killed her."

Leonardo shot to his feet.

"What did you say?" All the color drained from his face in an instant. "She's my woman. Who allowed you to lay a hand on her?"