Ten years ago, the Ventura family was overthrown, and I fled in a panic. Frank Toscano, a low-level Soldato, risked everything to protect me.

Ten years later, we had fought through blood and fire to seize control of both the criminal underworld and the legitimate world of Chicago.

I decided to step back from the life of bloodshed and violence, to build a real home with him and live a peaceful life.

But he brought home a girl in a white dress, doting on her with extreme care.

Under my stern questioning, he shielded the girl behind him.

“Sophia, I’ve been in the darkness for too long. I want to see a clean life.”

I sneered. The comfortable days had probably made him forget the path he took to get here, forgotten how he got to where he is today.

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1

I glanced at the trembling Ruby Harlow beside me and sneered, “I brought you out of the club, gave you a job, and this is how you repay me?”

Ruby Harlow dropped to her knees before me. “I’m sorry, Principessa, it’s all my fault. I’ll do anything to make it up…”

Frank Toscano’s face darkened. He rushed forward and helped her up.

The undisguised pity in his eyes was like a knife stabbing into my heart.

Ruby Harlow had once saved me by chance. Out of gratitude, I brought her out of a club in the slums and gave her a clerical position in the family’s casino.

I thought I was giving her a safe place to settle down.

I never expected that after only three months of me recuperating, she would become the rare ‘a clean life’ Frank spoke of.

I waved my hand impatiently, and several Soldatos immediately surrounded her.

“I’m not a philanthropist. Betrayers must pay the price.”

Frank shielded her behind him and laughed mockingly. “Sophia, you don’t seem to understand the situation. I’m not negotiating with you.”

His gaze swept over them, and my men flinched, not daring to step forward.

He was right. As my Underboss, Frank had amassed great power and influence over the years.

Aside from some old guards of the Ventura family, many had almost forgotten that I was the true head of this family.

“Frank,” I called out to him, “we can talk about things between us later. But you know the family’s Omertà, the rules.”

His face turned livid, looking utterly grim.

I said nothing, merely drew a dagger and threw it on the ground.

Clenching his jaw, Frank walked forward step by step,

picked up the knife,

and amidst Ruby Harlow’s screams, with a swift motion, severed the tendons in his own hand.

Blood pooled on the floor, staining my expensive carpet.

His voice trembled slightly, “Are you satisfied?”

Ruby Harlow was crying her eyes out beside him. She knelt by Frank’s side and glared at me. “Principessa, Frank just doesn’t love you anymore. Do you have to be so merciless?”

Frank wrapped his uninjured arm around her, pulling her into his embrace.

I looked at the ill-fated couple and swallowed the bitterness in my heart.

With Ruby Harlow’s help, he struggled to his feet and left me with a warning.

“Sophia, you won’t be on top forever.”

I gave a cold laugh and said to my assistant and bodyguard, Aria Donovan,

“Look into all the movements in Chicago over the past three months, and keep a close eye on Frank’s men. Also, call all of our people back.”

Only after everyone had left did I, with trembling hands, light myself a cigarette.

Ten years.

I had seen too much of the world’s fickleness and experienced countless betrayals.

I thought I had long become numb.

But the pain Frank Toscano brought was still so sharp.

He was Frank… the man who had once been willing to trade his life for mine.

That night, Uncle Carlo’s club was smashed to pieces.

Uncle Carlo was taken away by ambulance, but fortunately, his life wasn't in danger.

I clenched my fists. Uncle Carlo was one of my father’s old guards. In Chicago, who wouldn’t show him some respect?

Of course, I knew who did it.

Frank Toscano. He was publicly declaring war on me.

I had the driver take me back to the villa.

As I hung my bag in the entryway, a small medicine bottle rolled out.

I picked it up and couldn't help but laugh mockingly.

For the past three months, I had been recuperating and getting my body in shape.

I had wanted to come back and give Frank a surprise.

I never expected that he was the one with a huge gift for me.

I sat in the living room for a long time before dialing an unfamiliar number.

“Interested in making a deal?”

The next day, I was awakened by a call from Aria Donovan.

Her usually calm voice was laced with a rare urgency.

“The situation is bad. Frank has been using peripheral members to build up his own power over the years. The Capos of several districts have been bought by him. All of our Ventura family’s old guard have been transferred away from key positions under various excuses.”

“And the family businesses—several long-term partners have terminated their contracts and signed with another company instead. I haven’t been able to find out what connection that company has to Frank.”

I sneered coldly, “No need to check. It’s definitely him.”

I was so stupid not to have seen his ambition sooner.

Without my realizing it, the entire Ventura family had been completely hollowed out by Frank Toscano.

I rushed to the family’s real estate company, only to be stopped by an unfamiliar receptionist.

“I’m sorry, miss. Mr. Toscano has given orders that besides him, only Miss Ruby can go to the top floor.”

I frowned. Without a second word, Aria pulled the gun from her waist and pressed it to the receptionist's head.

The receptionist was too scared to utter a word, only able to watch as I stepped into the exclusive elevator.

I heard another person exclaim from behind.

“Are you crazy? That’s Sophia Ventura.”

“Which Sophia?”

“Sophia of the Ventura family. Even if Frank is the boss now, this building, this empire, is named Ventura!”

Ignoring the secretary's attempts to stop me, I kicked open the door to Frank’s office.

Ruby Harlow was sitting on his lap, her face flushed, feeding him grapes one by one, her fingertips brushing his lips suggestively.

Seeing me, she scrambled to stand up but was pushed back down by Frank.

My heart still pricked as if by a needle at the sight of their brazen intimacy.

“Get out.”

Frank patted her back reassuringly. Ruby Harlow shot me a venomous glare before walking out.

Frank lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.

“Sophia, you understand as well as I do that we’ve come this far, there’s too much between us. Forcing a fight to the bitter end won’t do anyone any good.”

“You’ve been tired all these years. Isn’t it better to just rest and recuperate?”

As he spoke, he gently reached out, trying to touch my hand.

I pulled away in disgust. “Don’t touch me with the hand that just touched that bitch. It’s filthy.”

Frank’s expression changed. “Don’t you dare talk about her like that.”

Seeing him defend her so fiercely, my heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain making it hard to breathe.

He stood up, looking down at me.

“Sophia, be a good girl. I will still give you the honor of being Mrs. Toscano.”

He handed me a power transfer agreement.

“And you can investigate all you want. I’ve pretty much cleaned out the Ventura family’s old guard. A smart person knows what choice to make. Things are different now.”

I sneered and threw the stack of papers in his face.

“Frank Toscano, don’t you forget how you got everything you have today. You think you’re worthy?”

His face turned ashen, the veins bulging on his arms. “Then let’s see about that.”

I left without a backward glance.

From that day on, Frank was determined to teach me a lesson.

Those loyal to me were dealt with under various pretexts.

Our territories were harassed every other day.

A group of men even stormed into Uncle Carlo’s hospital room and trashed it.

Even Aria was ambushed on the street, nearly losing her life.

I balled my fists so tightly they cracked, nearly shattering my teeth from gritting them so hard.

If this was how it was going to be, then the last bit of affection between us was gone.