I stayed silent, saying nothing.

Leo's voice grew more frantic on the other end. "Ava, say something! Don't scare me!"

"I'm fine." I finally spoke, my voice flat as still water.

Leo let out a sigh of relief.

"Good, good…" he muttered. "Ava, just hold on a little longer. I'm working on it. My father's negotiating with the Marcello family. We'll get you back soon."

I tugged at the corner of my mouth, a bitter smile forming.

He still thought he had everything under control.

How pathetic.

"Leo," I said softly, "is Isabella okay?"

The line went quiet.

After a few seconds, he answered. "Everything went smoothly. Isabella… she's safe."

"Good."

"Ava, you…"

"I'm tired. I want to rest." I cut him off.

"Okay, okay. Get some rest. Don't overthink." Leo's voice carried a hint of pleading. "Wait for my call."

I hung up and tossed the phone aside.

How long would this charade go on?

I didn't know.

I only knew that the moment I stepped into this estate, there was no going back.

The next day, I woke to searing pain.

My stomach twisted, as if stabbed by countless needles.

It was my old problem, cramps during period.

They always left me writhing in agony.

Before, Leo would make me ginger tea, hold a hot water bottle to my stomach, cradle me in his arms, and lull me to sleep.

He'd whisper, "It doesn't hurt, baby. I'm here."

Once, the pain was so unbearable I ended up in the ER late at night.

It was pouring outside.

Leo carried me on his back, trudging through the rain, one heavy step at a time.

Rain soaked his hair and clothes, but he didn't care.

At the hospital, he rushed to register, pay, and fetch medicine, drenched and disheveled.

When the doctor treated a cut on his forehead, I learned he'd fallen at the hospital entrance in his haste.

Lying in the hospital bed, I saw the bandage on his head and cried from guilt.

He just smiled and tapped my nose. "Silly, why are you crying? As long as you're okay, I'm fine."

In that moment, I truly believed he'd love me forever.

But now, everything had changed.

I curled up in bed, cold sweat soaking my nightdress.

A knock came at the door.

It was the maid.

"Madam, what's wrong?"

"My… stomach hurts." I could barely speak through the pain.

The maid's face shifted, and she hurried out.

Soon, Alessandro appeared at the door.

He wore his usual black suit, his expression stern.

Seeing my pale face, he frowned. "What's going on?"

"She… seems to be ill," the maid said.

Alessandro approached the bed and touched my forehead.

His cool fingertips made me shiver.

"Call the family doctor," he ordered.

Then he bent down and scooped me up in his arms.

I gasped, instinctively clutching his shirt.

His embrace was firm, surprisingly steady.

"Be quiet," he snapped, glancing at me as he carried me to the bathroom.

He turned on the shower, adjusted the water temperature, and set me in the tub.

Warm water enveloped me, easing the cramps slightly.

I leaned against the tub's edge, looking at him.

He stood above me, his expression unchanged, though his eyes grew deeper.

"Always this bad?" he asked.

I nodded.

He stayed silent for a moment, then left.

I thought he was gone, and a strange sense of loss crept in.

Moments later, he returned.

In his hand was a cup of ginger tea.

I froze.

Alessandro handed me the cup. "Drink."

His tone was commanding, devoid of any warmth.

I took the cup, the hot tea warming my fingers and seeping into my heart.

I sipped slowly, the spicy flavor spreading through my mouth.

It was different from Leo's tea.

His was sweeter; this was sharper.

"How did you…"

"The Marcello family doctor isn't just for show," he said flatly.

I lowered my head, falling silent.

The air felt strange.

A ruthless crime lord caring for a woman during her period?

Who would believe it?

After the bath, the pain eased significantly.

The doctor arrived, gave me a painkiller shot, and prescribed some medication.

Alessandro stayed by my side until I fell asleep.

In a half-dream state, I thought I felt someone gently wiping the cold sweat from my forehead with a warm cloth.

The touch was soft, tender.

When I woke the next morning, Alessandro was gone.

On the bedside table sat a cup of warm brown sugar water and a breakfast tray.

The next few days passed quietly.

Alessandro was busy, and I rarely saw him.

He gave me surprising freedom to roam the estate, except for the front gate.

I spent most of my time in the art studio.

The studio was vast, stocked with supplies surpassing any gallery I'd ever seen.

I picked up my paintbrush again.

Painting let me escape my troubles, if only for a while.

That day, I was painting the roses from the garden.

A maid entered. "Madam, a Miss Isabella Fuller is here to see you."

My hand paused, a drop of red paint splashing onto the canvas like a bead of blood.

Why was she here?

I set down the brush and went to the sitting room.

Isabella sat on the sofa in a white dress, looking delicate and pitiful.

When she saw me, she stood, her eyes red. "Miss Hudson."

"What do you want?" My tone was curt.

"I'm here to beg you… to give Leo back to me." Tears spilled from her eyes as she spoke.

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Leo… he's losing it." She sobbed. "Since you left, he's changed. He's searching for you everywhere, neglecting work, drinking every night… He says he can't live without you. Miss Hudson, I know I was wrong before. I shouldn't have come between you. But we truly love each other. Please, talk to Alessandro. Ask him to let you go. Leo needs you, and… I need him."

She moved to kneel before me.

I stepped back.

Her tear-streaked face only struck me as ridiculous.

They had pushed me into this abyss together.

Now she came begging me to help them?

Was anything ever that easy?

"Miss Fuller," I said, each word deliberate, "first, Leo and I are done. Second, I'm Mrs. Marcello now. This isn't a place you can just waltz into."

"And finally," I smiled, "stop disgusting me with your nonsense. Your love story has nothing to do with me."

Isabella's face turned ashen.

She hadn't expected the docile Ava to speak like this.

"You… how can you be so heartless?" Her voice trembled. "Leo loves you so much…"

"Loves me?" I laughed as if I'd heard the greatest joke. "He loves me, so he sent me to a bloodthirsty maniac? Isabella, do you think everyone's as foolish as you?"

"I…" She was speechless.

At that moment, a cold voice came from the doorway. "When did my wife become someone others can lecture?"

Alessandro stepped inside.