That night, Serafina lay awake, staring at Luciana's messages as they came in.

Matilde was the Denaro family's illegitimate daughter, who was raised abroad. Alessandro and Matilde had once been inseparable during their time abroad.

However, the Madonia family had kept pressuring him to marry Serafina, which was how the whole diary stunt came about in the first place.

How could he use her sincerity to protect another woman?

Alessandro knew better than anyone that betrayal was what Serafina hated most.

As the image of Cosima cutting her wrists in despair resurfaced in her mind, the ache in Serafina's chest became almost unbearable.

She refused to follow Cosima's path and drown in grief.

Without hesitation, she called her Underboss. "Sherly, have our people lie low at every major port and prepare to reclaim every territory we handed to the Madonia family."

She'd just hung up when Alessandro appeared at the door, surprise lacing his voice. "Why are you awake?"

Serafina studied him for a long moment before offering the same gentle smile she always wore. "Alba woke me. I'm visiting my mother today, so I got up early."

Nothing in her tone betrayed her thoughts, yet Alessandro felt something was off in the way she looked at him and couldn't stop himself from frowning.

Did she know something?

From the kitchen, Alba's booming voice rang out at the perfect moment. "Ms. Greco, Mr. Greco, breakfast is ready!"

Serafina slipped her arm through Alessandro's and walked toward the dining room, her voice light. "We're coming."

Alessandro exhaled in relief.

Footsteps echoed from the staircase as Niccolo Greco carefully supported Matilde downstairs. He cast Serafina a sidelong glance, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop.

"Aren't you going to greet your sister-in-law?"

Serafina lifted her gaze. It was the first time in five years that her brother Niccolo had spoken to her.

Just as she was considering telling him what she had seen the night before, Matilde spread her arms wide and moved toward her with enthusiasm.

"Serafina!"

Serafina finally examined the woman who had appeared out of nowhere six months earlier and suddenly become her sister-in-law.

Matilde's figure was curvy and elegant, and the way her eyes moved was soft and seductive. She was truly a rare beauty.

Serafina intended to push her away, but her attention caught on the brilliant diamond bracelet circling Matilde's wrist.

It was Cosima's.

Her fingers closed around Matilde's wrist. "Where did you get this bracelet?"

"Ouch!"

Matilde let out a soft cry, and both men turned at once.

Alessandro covered Serafina's hand with his own. "Serafina, let go."

Serafina tightened her grip instead, her eyes reddening as she stared at the bracelet Cosima had treasured most. She had no intention of releasing Matilde.

Niccolo's expression darkened as he impatiently rolled his wrist. Then, in a move no one anticipated, he struck her.

The sound echoed sharply through the room, and a bright handprint bloomed across Serafina's cheek.

"Ora basta!"

Alessandro hurried to pull her hand away and immediately examined Matilde's wrist as though no one else existed.

"Did she hurt you? Bring the first aid kit."

Serafina pressed a hand to her cheek while her gaze remained fixed on Matilde's wrist. The red marks from her grip were visible, yet there was no broken skin.

Niccolo stepped forward as well, kissing the faint imprint repeatedly with obvious concern.

Pushed aside, Alessandro stood rigid, his fists clenched so tightly that the veins along his hands stood out. Only Serafina noticed.

When he realized she was watching him, he quickly adjusted his expression and finally noticed the swelling on her face.

He rushed over at once. "Are you okay, Serafina?"

She turned her head away from his touch and walked straight toward Matilde.

"Return my mother's bracelet."

Niccolo stood protectively in front of Matilde, his voice sharp. "Serafina Greco, I'm the heir. I can give that bracelet to whoever I choose."

Greco Group had close economic ties with the top four mafia families. In recent years, because of Alessandro, the siblings had resumed contact after barely speaking.

Alessandro had even partnered with Niccolo to purchase this estate grand enough to rival a palace.

Serafina had once believed that he did it to mend her relationship with Niccolo, but she now realized that it had been for Matilde.

Serafina swallowed the truth at the tip of her tongue as a plan began to take shape in her mind.

Since one of them was eager to rekindle an old romance and the other was willing to play the fool, then she'd make things easy for them.

"Serafina, I truly didn't know it was your mother's." Matilde looked apologetic as she removed the bracelet and placed it on the table. "This is just a misunderstanding. We should try to get along."

Serafina picked up the bracelet and walked away.

Niccolo's temper flared. "What's with your attitude?"

He shoved her hard, and Serafina fell onto the cold floor. A sharp pain twisted her abdomen. She clutched her stomach as blood began to pool beneath her.

"Serafina!"

Alessandro's face went pale as he kneeled beside her and placed his hand over her slightly rounded belly.

"Is the baby okay?"

Guilt flickered across Niccolo's face as he stepped forward to check on her, but Alessandro stopped him with a warning look.

"Don't be afraid, Serafina. I'll take you to the hospital."

All of a sudden, Matilde pressed a hand to her head. "Niccolo, my head hurts…"

Niccolo instantly lifted her into his arms, carried her outside to the only car parked there, and left.

Alessandro held Serafina in his arms, yet his gaze kept drifting toward the corridor. By the time his assistant arrived, Serafina had already fainted from the pain.

"If you'd been a few minutes later, the baby's heartbeat would've stopped."

The doctor chided Alessandro as she adjusted the IV, and he nodded without really listening, his eyes still drifting toward the hallway.

Serafina knew exactly who and what he was waiting for. The realization irritated her so deeply that she closed her eyes and pretended she hadn't woken up.

Only then did he seem to notice the crease between her brows.

She hadn't smiled since the wedding, and he found himself thinking that once she woke, he'd take her somewhere to relax.

As he reached out to smooth her forehead, a faint scent of white magnolia drifted in.

Matilde stood at the door.

Alessandro lifted a finger, signaling her to keep quiet.

She lowered her voice, though the disappointment in her tone was obvious. "So the baby's fine?"

He glanced past her. "Where's Niccolo?"

"He went to the office. Are you worried about her?"

"Not here."

"Why not? I'll say whatever I want, whenever I want! Why does she get to bear your child first?"

Matilde threw herself into his arms, kissing him without restraint.

Her fur coat slid from her shoulders, exposing the lace camisole underneath. The sound of their kisses filled the room.

Just as her hand moved toward his belt, Alessandro groped her butt. "Enough. Go back. Wait for me tonight."

She rose onto her toes as if she meant to continue, but he picked up the coat, wrapped it around her again, and pressed a brief kiss to her forehead.

"Don't overthink it. You know I only love you."

After sending Matilde away, Alessandro leaned against the wall in the corridor and lit a cigarette.

Inside the room, Serafina slowly opened her eyes, and a tear slid down the side of her face.

She'd never pretended to be gentle. When they first started seeing each other, she'd said, "Even if I'm not gentle, even if there are things I have to do and can't be completely honest about, would you still accept me?"

Back then, Alessandro had tenderly reassured her, "That's what makes you cool."

Now, she realized perhaps he hadn't meant it at all.

Once, Serafina had thought he was like the sun, warming her and lighting the way through her confusion.

Alas, the sun had never belonged to her.

She wiped away her tears and quickly texted her private investigator. "The gate code is 9749. Install the pinhole cameras now. The sooner the better."

Serafina gripped her phone, lost in thought, not knowing how to begin sorting the storm of emotions inside her.

Just then, the door opened again.

"Serafina."

Alessandro strode toward her, moving as if he meant to pull her into his arms. "How are you feeling—"

"Don't come any closer!" Serafina shouted.

Every nerve in her body recoiled from his touch.

A flicker of hurt, layered with unmistakable worry and fear, crossed Alessandro's eyes. "What's wrong, Serafina?"

Alba happened to walk in with some food and froze when she saw this. She said worriedly, "Ms. Greco used to have a physical aversion to men. It looks like it's happening again."

Alessandro tamped down the irritation rising in him and deliberately stepped back. "Don't be afraid. I'll stay right here," he said gently.

Serafina looked at the tenderness on his face, and her mind drifted back to the first time they met four years ago.

When news of the alliance between the Greco and Madonia families first broke, the entire city turned it into a wager. The notorious Madonia heir and the untouchable Serafina—who would call it off first?

No one expected Alessandro to trade in his silver hair for a sleek black side part and repeatedly send word through his secretary that he had something important to give her.

He'd sought her out 99 times. On the 100th, she finally allowed him to stand within 15 feet of her.

She only needed one glance to see what he was holding.

It was her diary, the one she'd lost years ago, the one that carried her happiest memories with Cosima, and the one she'd searched for a decade.

He brought her back to every scene written in those pages, carefully recreating the moments, and little by little, the ice around her heart began to melt.

The final entry led them to Nadoria.

Under fireworks that lit up the sky, Alessandro dropped to one knee, gentle and devout like a believer at prayer.

Her heart had opened like those fireworks, and then came the wedding that everyone talked about.

Now, looking at his concerned expression, she felt as if she were looking at a stranger.

Still, this wasn't the time to unravel it.

She'd prepared for this day for five full years. She remembered Cosima's wish to revive Gambino Group as well as her warning that Serafina shouldn't rely on anyone but herself.

At this, she called her secretary. "Notify everyone that the press conference this afternoon will proceed as scheduled."

"Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for attending the launch of Cosima AI."

Applause swept through the venue as Serafina stood on stage and spoke with calm confidence, drawing steady gasps from the audience below.

"This emotional AI system, named by my mother, represents the purest and most flawless love in the world. It will be integrated into our latest companion-style simulation robots. The first batch starts at 8 million dollars, and is limited to 100 units. The bidding begins now."

…

As the numbers climbed higher and higher, tears welled in Serafina's eyes.

She'd gambled everything, pouring all of the Gambino Group's assets into this research team, and she'd been right.

Serafina was about to turn the tide. Years of suppression, Cosima's humiliation, and the secret she'd carried for so long would finally be washed away after today.

When the final unit price was locked at 50 million dollars, she steadied herself and walked toward the podium.

She was about to announce that this successful investment belonged entirely to the once-renowned Gambino Group.

Just as her fingers brushed the microphone, Niccolo stepped forward and took it first.

"Thank you, Serafina, for this thoughtful wedding gift for your sister-in-law. I didn't expect you to put in so much effort, even naming it after our mother so she could bless us from above."

The large screen displayed a patent transfer agreement stamped with the Gambino Group's official seal and Serafina's signature.

The transferee was Matilde.

Serafina went still. For five years, she'd conducted this research in secret to prevent interference from the Greco family. How had he known?

Unless…

Her eyes snapped toward the audience. The one man who had ever made her heart skip was right there, watching her quietly, as if he was waiting for her to demand an explanation from him.

Serafina didn't know how she made it off the stage.

She didn't know how she slipped the sapphire ring off her finger either. All she knew was that it struck the ground in front of Alessandro with a sharp crack.

He froze for a second, then bent down and picked it up, gently brushing the dust from its surface.

"What is it? You're not afraid of getting close to me anymore?"

He reached out casually, as if to take her hand, but the moment he saw the tears streaming down her face, he stopped.

In all these years, he had never seen Serafina cry.

His chest heaved, and something crept into his heart, a hint of panic he didn't even seem aware of.

"Amore mio, it was urgent. The company Niccolo planned to give Matilde ran into trouble. Since you had your launch today, we borrowed your research for now."

When she didn't respond, he lifted his hand to wipe away her tears.

"Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to see you cry?

"I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd get upset, and it would affect the baby. As for Gambino Group, I'll figure out a way to help you revive it. But without this gesture of goodwill from the Greco family, the Denaro family wouldn't acknowledge Matilde."

Serafina avoided his touch and shouted, "Whether the Denaro family acknowledges her has nothing to do with me!"

Alessandro's brows drew together slightly. "Serafina, you've always been levelheaded. Why are you being so petty now? She's your sister-in-law. Her reputation affects the future of the Greco family."

Serafina kept backing up until she caught sight of Matilde walking onto the stage to speak.

The last thread of restraint inside her snapped.

She grabbed the wine glass nearest to her and hurled it at Alessandro, then the vase and the display pieces she had arranged with such care.

Alessandro didn't dodge. He caught each item in silence.

Red wine soaked into his white shirt, spreading across the fabric, and the stark contrast only accentuated his striking features.

The crowd began to close in. As men pressed nearer, Serafina felt nausea surge up violently, and she started retching uncontrollably.

Her female bodyguards rushed in, pushing the approaching men aside, but as Serafina straightened, she saw Matilde looking at her from the stage, a provocative smile curling at the edges of her lips.

Serafina felt her blood boil. She stormed onto the stage, seized Matilde by the hair, and yanked hard, trying to drag her down.

Gasps rippled through the venue.

At the same time, Alessandro and Niccolo gave the same order in unison. "Pull Serafina away!"

In an instant, two groups of tall bodyguards surged forward and overwhelmed Serafina's female guards one by one.

A dark wave of bodies closed in around her. In the chaos, someone tore at her gown, and the fabric ripped. Under the harsh spotlight, her body was laid bare.

Serafina trembled as she tried to push herself up, but she was knocked down again and again. Sweaty hands reached for her like snakes, and tears streamed down her face as she backed away in fear.

"Ora basta!"

A gunshot cracked through the air, and everyone halted.

Alessandro stood there with a gun raised, his expression ice-cold, the pressure in the room dropping so sharply that no one dared make a sound.

He moved through the crowd until he reached her and draped his suit jacket over her shoulders.

When she lifted her eyes to him, the frost in her gaze made him stiffen.

Serafina shrugged his suit jacket off.

She pulled the coat from one of her female bodyguards and wrapped it tightly around herself before walking away under their protection.

Through the crowd, her voice carried back to him.

"Alessandro Madonia, I regret ever meeting you."