Just as I had anticipated, Silvia's sobbing echoed throughout the villa the following day. "I-I can't find the necklace Mamma gave me!"

She glanced at my closed door and continued, "Rosina was the only one who came into my room last night…"

In that instant, Carlo brought two Soldati with him and kicked my door open. "Get searching! That poor wretch from the slums must have been jealous of Silvia's necklace and stole it!"

They charged inside, tearing through the room and throwing my clothes, sheets, and a full box of survival gear onto the floor. They even stepped on my bulletproof vest and caused my supply of canned food to roll across the floor.

"I found it!" Carlo retrieved the red diamond necklace from under my pillow. He held it up, glaring at me with contempt. "You've been caught red-handed, Rosina! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Upon being informed of the situation, Papa rushed over and took in the scene. He was trembling with rage as he looked at me, yelling, "My own daughter is a thief? You're a stain upon the famiglia's honor, Rosina!"

With that, Papa raised his hand and tried to slap me as hard as he could.

I didn't move away. I even went up to meet it head-on, as I was equipped with my tactical helmet.

In that instant, a heavy thwack rang out as Papa's hand connected with the helmet's reinforced shell. He had put so much power into the swing that the recoil was devastating.

He let out a pained shriek, clutching his red, swollen hand and swearing at the top of his lungs.

I looked calmly at him and asked, "You're done, right? Then you should take a good look at this."

I gestured toward the top of the closet, where a tiny pinhole camera, installed the night before, sat hidden from view.

I took out my tablet and showed them the recorded footage captured just 30 minutes ago. It showed Silvia slipping into my room, retrieving the necklace from her person, and tucking it beneath my pillow. It also showed her pausing to fix her hair in the mirror, looking quite pleased with herself.

It was crystal clear and caught on tape—the evidence was indisputable.

Silvia went pale in a heartbeat, her body trembling. "T-That's not what happened…"

Mamma stood stiffly. She kept looking back and forth between the screen and Silvia, completely lost for words.

Carlo stood frozen with the necklace in his hand. He recovered quickly, though, and doubled down with a weak excuse.

"That doesn't matter! Silvia probably left it behind when she went to your room. It's natural for sisters to go into each other's rooms all the time! She's innocent. She was probably just joking around! You're the real creep here for placing cameras in your own room to spy on people, Rosina!"

I turned off the video and snapped my visor shut. I sounded hollow behind the mask while asking, "You think she's just joking around, huh? I'll play along, then. I'll be leaving this famiglia this instant."

I started gathering my belongings, acting as if I were truly leaving, when Papa suddenly stopped me.

Papa wasn't holding me back out of guilt, but for the sake of the famiglia's reputation.

"You'd better stop right there!" he snapped. "Tomorrow, there is a banquet to announce your real identity, and the invites are already out!

"Your engagement to Carlo is supposed to be made official there, too! You'll make a laughingstock of the famiglia if you walk out now!

"You are to put a stop to this incident and delete that footage this instant. No one is permitted to talk about this again!"

He decided to sweep it all under the rug. To them, the famiglia's prestige was more important than the truth, and the emotional distress of the adopted daughter was deemed more significant than the physical safety of the biological daughter.

I knew, however, that this was just the calm before the storm, as the banquet to acknowledge my identity as the Principessa of the Capone famiglia would be the stage for the ultimate showdown.

…

It was finally the night of the banquet when Silvia suddenly walked into my room with a stunning designer gown.

She looked perfectly innocent, behaving as though our recent conflict was forgotten.

"Mamma had this gown made just for you, Rosina," she said. "You're the star of the night, and in light of your impending engagement announcement to Carlo, your appearance must be impeccable."

I accepted the gown and ran my hand over the fabric, feeling that something was off. I grabbed the scissors on the table and cut open the lining right in front of Silvia, revealing the dozens of razor-sharp blades concealed inside.

Silvia's composure slipped for a second before she feigned astonishment. "Those seamstresses must have messed up! How could they be so careless! You shouldn't wear that gown anymore, Rosina. I'll let you wear mine instead."

I tossed the ruined gown aside and said coldly, "It won't be necessary. I've already had a specialized outfit made for this occasion."

It was time for the banquet to kick off, and the elites from the criminal underworld were all in attendance.

I wasn't wearing a gown when I made my appearance. Instead, I opted for a bulletproof vest beneath a black suit jacket, featuring a pinhole camera embedded in the tie.

It made me look bulky and out of place, lacking any of the elegance expected of a socialite.

Carlo, standing among the guests, didn't bother to hide his contempt. "What a total country bumpkin! How could she show up dressed like that? Those unaware might mistake her for a sanitation worker!"

In the meantime, the guests muttered to one another, looking at me with nothing but scorn.

"Is she really the biological daughter of the Capone famiglia that the Don Capone brought back? Isn't she way too unbecoming?"

"I heard she was raised in an orphanage. It's no wonder she lacks any sense of class. She's completely out of her element."

"Silvia looks like a true Principessa instead. She appears far more suited to Carlo, too."

Silvia, standing under the glow of the chandelier, looked stunning in a white mermaid-cut gown. She held onto Carlo's arm and basked in the admiration of the guests.

It wasn't long after the banquet had begun that the staff brought in a massive, multi-layered cake, nearly three feet in height.

Silvia approached me with a friendly air and linked her arm with mine. "It's your big day, so let's cut the cake together, Rosina. I want the whole world to know you're welcome in this famiglia."

In a position obscured from the guests' view, she leaned toward my ear and whispered, "You're going to be a complete laughingstock once we cut this cake. Go to hell, Rosina!"

Just as she finished speaking, Silvia faked a stumble. She swung the knife toward my chest with a sudden, violent motion.

There was no way for me to dodge it since we were so close, so she managed to plunge the knife through my suit jacket.

Silvia flashed a smile, and I responded in kind.