Marco didn't come home until noon the next day. When he pushed open the door, I was wearing gloves, tidying up. He rubbed his brow and gestured at the pile of black bags by the door.

"Do we have this much trash at home?" he asked.

"Yeah, we do."

They were, after all, everything he had given me over the past five years.

I had spent the whole night scrolling through Sofia's Instagram. Every single thing Marco had gifted me was something she had mentioned, bought, or liked. He had poured all his devotion for her onto me.

Meanwhile, I had been a fool to treat his false affection like it was treasure. Now, the trash had to go into the bin.

He didn't press on or linger, just went straight past. It wasn't until he saw the half-eaten cake on the table that he stopped and dabbed a little cream onto the tip of my nose.

Seeing me freeze, he raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Look at you, little glutton. Suddenly craving cake, huh?"

Marco had beautiful and intense eyes. Over the past five years, those eyes had smiled at me countless times. However, this was the first time I looked deeply into them, and I still couldn't see a trace of deceit.

What a top-tier actor he was.

A few seconds of silence passed before I answered softly, "It was my birthday yesterday."

His smile froze instantly. He smacked his forehead, frustration written all over him, and pulled me into a tight hug. "Sorry, amore. I've been too busy and completely forgot. Enzo's throwing a party tonight. Let me take you there to celebrate, alright?"

Enzo Ferrari was the Underboss from the night before, the one who had gotten drunk and run his mouth freely.

I was about to refuse when Marco's phone rang. He glanced down, eyes flickering, and forced a smile at me. "It's my Consigliere. I need to take this. I'll come for you tonight, okay? Ti amo."

I pretended not to see Sofia's name flashing on his screen and nodded quietly.

It had been five years. Even if we were separating, I wanted us to part amicably. This dinner would be our last farewell.

When the agreed time came, Marco didn't show. Instead, a young family member arrived. He had just turned 18, wide-eyed and eager, rambling on about his admiration for Marco.

"Mr. Rossi is amazing. He's the Don, yet he's still so thoughtful toward his woman."

Meeting my eyes, he got even more excited. "Last night, Sofia had a headache, and Mr. Rossi was freaking out, rushing her to Dr. Giacchi. I've been following him for two months—never seen him so flustered.

"He stayed with her all night, giving her medicine, pouring her water, doing everything. He's so devoted and considerate… If I were Sofia, I'd be the happiest woman alive. I heard they're getting married next week.

"Well, at least Mr. Rossi and his true love are getting their happy ending.

He jabbered on until he noticed my silence was… deafening. "Signorina, you're… Mr. Rossi's younger sister, right?"

I turned away. My hollow reflection in the glass was shattered by the streetlights outside. I lifted the corners of my mouth faintly and whispered, "Yeah, I am."

Near the party, I sat in the car as a ruckus rose inside. "Kiss her! Kiss her!"

The young man opened the car door for me. As soon as I stepped out, two figures were standing in the middle of the spotlight, face to face, just inches apart.

Marco saw me and jerked his head away. When Sofia's lips landed on his cheek, I caught the flash of regret in his eyes that vanished almost instantly.

Marco hurried over, nervously grabbing my hand. "Anna, don't get the wrong idea. We were just playing a game. I—"

I laughed and cut him off. "It's fine. I don't mind. I trust you."

He stammered, flustered, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Everyone, keep it down! I won't forgive anyone who even scares my lady the slightest."

Sofia appeared, gliding toward us in a tight slip dress, her sway all confidence. "Long time no see, Anna. I heard you two are getting married. Congrats. You're so lucky to find a man who loves you… unlike me."

Before I could respond, Marco blurted out, "Who says no one loves you?"

She covered her mouth, giving an ambiguous smirk. The party fell into an awkward silence until someone tactfully changed the subject, and the noise picked back up.

Marco kept glancing at me nervously, like he wanted to explain, but I didn't care anymore. I ignored his hesitations and walked to a corner to sit.

He followed, poured me a drink, but his eyes couldn't stop darting toward Sofia, laughing and drinking a few feet away.

The drink sloshed over the rim of my glass. I was about to warn him when he suddenly shot to his feet, yanking Sofia, who had just lost a game and was about to take off a piece of clothing, away.

"Are you insane? Do you even know what you're doing?"

She shrugged him off, half-drunk, half-aware, and smiled slyly. "What's it to you? Who do you think you are to me? Don't you know I'm single? Never mind taking off some clothes—if I wanted, I could sleep with anyone I want!"

The commotion slammed the room into silence. Enzo, still drunk, elbowed Sofia lightly, and she nearly toppled over. Without a second thought, Marco caught her in his arms.

She started struggling, crying violently. "Let go of me! Neither you nor Luca wants me anymore! None of you wants me, so just leave me alone! I don't need your pity!"

Marco's face twisted with raw pain, his eyes red as he yelled, "I do, okay? I want you! You're the only one I want!"

Sofia froze for a moment, then shook her head, crying harder. "You're lying! You're about to get married, so there's no way you want me! I'm going to find someone right now—whoever wants me, I'll sleep with them!"

She staggered toward the door, tears streaming.

Marco was livid. He couldn't take it anymore. Without a word, he strode forward, scooped Sofia up in his arms, and marched out of the private room.

Most of the people here were his friends and family. They all seemed so used to scenes like this. A few murmurs, a shake of the head, and they went back to their fun.

No one remembered my existence in the corner, except for the young man who had driven me here. "I'm sorry, Signora. A-Are you okay?"

I must've looked so pathetic to make him on the verge of tears. I tried to force a smile, but couldn't even manage a fake one. In the end, I turned and left alone.

No sooner had I stepped out of the room than someone suddenly clamped over my mouth and nose and yanked me backward. Fear shot through me, and I struggled wildly.

However, their grip was astonishingly strong, and the stench of sweat and alcohol from him made my hair stand on end.

"Sofia wasn't lying. You're young and beautiful. I bet you'd be a fun one to play with," a man said.

I was forcefully thrown into an empty private room. By then, I could feel my limbs going weak.

The second the man lunged onto me, I bit my tongue to keep myself awake while flinging a few beer bottles from the table in his direction.

"Puttana! You really thought you were some hotshot? You're nothing but a used whore!"

He was ready to throw himself on me again when a smashing sound came from the door. Flustered, he covered his bleeding forehead, cursed at me, and made a run for it.

I forced back my tears and tried to steady my trembling arms. Without wasting a second, I bolted out of the private room. As soon as I turned a corner, I saw Sofia standing there.

A malicious smile tugged at her lips when she saw my torn skirt. "You're done so soon? I bet you're not satisfied yet. Should I find you a couple more eager men?"

I knew Sofia was wicked to the core. She had never bothered to conceal her cruelty. From Luca to Marco, she had used every underhanded trick in the book to get what she wanted. Honestly, I was impressed.

Still, recalling the man's words earlier, I knew I couldn't hold back anymore. I slapped her, but not only did she not dodge me, she even wore that same, wicked smile.

By the time I realized something was off, she was already rolling down the stairs.

"Sofia!"

A violent force slammed into me, throwing me hard against the railing. Sharp pain exploded along my spine, and half my body went numb in an instant.

By the time I could process the agony, Marco's gaze was locked onto me. It was a look I had never seen in five years together—cold, furious, full of lethal rage.

"Marco, Anna only hurt me because she lost Luca once," Sofia said. "She was scared I'd take you away again, but I'm fine. I know she just cares too much about you. Don't be mad, okay?"

Her words barely left her mouth before she gasped, clutching her wrist, as if she was experiencing some agonizing pain.

Marco's face darkened instantly. He looked at me and spoke calmly, but his words carried a suffocating weight. "Anna, apologize to her."

I bit my lip so hard it hurt, tears threatening to spill. Red-eyed, I shot back, "Apologize? Aren't you going to at least ask what she did to me first?"

His expression turned colder. "No matter what she did, it's not an excuse for hurting someone. If I hadn't gotten here in time, would you have killed her? I never knew you could be so cruel, Anna. I'll ask you one last time—will you apologize?"

My heart felt like it had been stabbed through with a blade. Five years together, and he knew me better than anyone. I was kind, innocent, and never once hurt anyone—not even a small animal.

He always worried someone else might take advantage of me, but now, just the mention of Sofia was enough for him to accuse me without checking the facts.

I fought back the tears and stared stubbornly at him. "No. I did nothing wrong, so I'm not going to apologize, Marco. She's the one who did wrong. She tried to—"

Sofia cut me off suddenly, crying. "Marco, don't fight with her because of me. It's my fault. I shouldn't have been in Anna's way. Even if she hurt me, I deserve it. Please, just stop arguing."

Marco held her tightly, brushing her hair gently with soft kisses to calm her. Then, she turned to me, expression blank, and gave an eerie smile.

"I'm taking her to the hospital. Anna, you should head home first."

With that, he scooped her up in his arms and left without looking back.

I collapsed at the foot of the stairs, the pain and fear in my body unbearable. I hung my head and let the tears fall. When I had cried enough, I hobbled away, each step stabbing through me like needles.

When I got home, I took a long, hot shower and wrapped myself tightly in the blankets. While half asleep, I felt someone sit beside me and gently brush along my arm.

I jolted awake.

For a split second, Marco's figure overlapped with the man who had assaulted me earlier. The terror hit me all over again. I screamed, but Marco's hand clamped over my mouth.

"I spoiled you too much, Anna… But you need to understand one thing. In this family, when you do wrong, you pay the price…"

He leaned closer to my face, ignoring the fear shaking through me. Then, he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.

"It's alright. You don't have to apologize. But you broke Sofia's right hand, so you'll have to give her one of yours. Don't worry, our wedding will carry on as planned. I'll take care of you and won't mind your broken hand."

With that, he lifted the hammer and aimed it at my wrist…