My cousin, Isolde Gallo, the crown jewel of our crime family, always took pleasure in destroying my life, especially by stealing the men I was with.

Once she had them, she would cast them aside and boast to the family about how they had fallen head over heels for her.

When Isolde pulled the same old trick again, she had no idea she was stepping right into the grave I had dug for her.

I was certain that this time, she would be dragged into a bloody abyss from which there was no return.

————————

1

My cousin, Isolde Gallo, had been single for three years since breaking off her engagement, but she still lived an extravagant lifestyle, funded by the monthly checks from her ex-fiancé, Silas Croft.

I’d heard she amused herself with the family's Soldatos, keeping any handsome face she fancied as her plaything. She was, by all accounts, living a dream life.

Recently, she had found her next target—my boyfriend of six months, Christian Thorne.

To be honest, I wasn't surprised Isolde found out about him so quickly. After all, my vain mother, Caterina Marino, had stumbled upon him when she visited my apartment.

My mother’s fatal flaw was a fanatical obsession with one-upmanship.

Isolde's former engagement had brought immense benefits to the family. So much so that even after it was called off, she remained the most dazzling Principessa of the Marino family. My aunt, Bianca Gallo, loved to flaunt the status and wealth Isolde had secured in my mother’s face.

Because of this, my mother made it her personal mission to find me a husband more powerful than Silas.

So, the fact that I was still single had become a constant source of her frustration.

I first met Christian at an art auction. He had caught my eye from across the room, and I spent the better part of a year orchestrating ways to catch his attention.

He was younger and more dangerous than Silas. If that wasn't enough, Christian had the entire Thorne family behind him.

As a potential son-in-law, he was everything my mother had ever dreamed of.

She couldn't wait to show him off at a family gathering. In fact, she even declared that I would soon be marrying into the Thorne family.

Watching her, I squeezed my eyes shut in weary resignation. Then, I bowed my head before everyone and said softly, "It's not that serious. Please, don't read too much into it."

My mother immediately shoved a photo in my face and whispered harshly, "Not serious? A man this striking, this powerful—and you're telling me it's not serious?"

Isolde immediately interjected, "Wow, Adeline. Where did you find such a dangerous-looking man? Want me to vet him for you?"

I didn't bother to reply, because I knew she would do as she pleased whether I liked it or not.

Fortunately, this time, I had a special "gift" prepared for her.

...

On the very first day we started dating, I had warned Christian about Isolde. I told him she was beautiful and arrogant. I also told him she had a habit of poaching my boyfriends.

Christian teased me, "Are you afraid I'll fall for her?"

I just smiled and replied, "No, I'm just worried she'll eat you alive. After all, every one of my exes ended up stripped of their dignity."

He pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear, "I promise you, that won't happen this time. I only want you, Adeline."

He took my warning to heart. When Isolde first sent word, he ignored her.

He even complained to me about her repeatedly. "Your cousin Isolde is relentless. She keeps trying to get in touch with me in every way imaginable."

I kissed his cheek and praised him, "You need to stand firm, my hero. Don't even think about responding. She knows all the tricks."

Without a second thought, he ignored Isolde's invitation again, then looked me in the eye and said, "My father wants to meet you. I've been singing your praises, and he's eager to finally meet you."

"He keeps pointing out that we've been together for six months and he still doesn't even know what you look like."

My body tensed. I forced a smile, ruffling his hair. "Just give me a little more time, okay? There's been a lot going on with the family lately. I promise I'll visit your father as soon as I'm through this."

"Don't be nervous. Trust me, my father will be thrilled just to meet you. We can grab a simple meal at a hotel my family owns."

Perhaps seeing that Christian was consistently ignoring her, Isolde grew impatient and suddenly announced she wanted to stay with me for a few days.

I flatly refused.

Unfortunately, my mother was eager to show off the new apartment Christian had arranged for me and promptly gave Isolde the security code.

As a result, when I came home from work, I was greeted by the sight of Isolde and Christian sitting side-by-side on the sofa, both staring out the window, lost in their own thoughts.

The moment Christian saw me, he dragged me into the bedroom. "I swear I didn't even look at her," he complained in a low, angry voice. "How dare she just barge in here?"

"My mother probably gave her the code," I said with a casual shrug. "Isolde is just like that. You just have to ignore her."

Despite Christian's repeated assurances that he had truly ignored Isolde, I couldn't shake the unease coiling in my gut. The image of them sitting together on the sofa burned in my mind, each replay twisting the knot in my stomach tighter.

Christian wouldn't do this to me. Would he? After everything? One night with Isolde, and he’d just… fall for her?

No matter how hard I tried to think positively, I couldn't silence the insecurity gnawing at me. It was partly my own damage, but mostly, I wasn't sure how long Christian could really hold her at bay.

...

Christian didn't stay the night. He had a private residence a few blocks away, so he went there instead.

But he still appeared the next morning with breakfast.

He brought a full spread from the most famous French patisserie in the city. When Isolde saw it, a triumphant smirk spread across her lips.

"Did you bring so much because you knew I was here, Christian?" she purred. "Oh, and you even bought me macarons from that little shop I love. It's a shame they never deliver. You must have gotten up at the crack of dawn to pick them up."

Christian glanced at her. "No, I actually forgot you were here, so now we're two portions short. Adeline isn't a big eater in the morning, so I just bought some options for her."

Isolde hummed, but her hand was restlessly drumming her freshly manicured nails against the table. It was a little habit of hers when her competitive streak was fired up. I knew right then that her mild interest in Christian had hardened into a determination to conquer him.

I couldn't help but squeeze his hand. His confused glance told me my grip was too tight. I quickly apologized and excused myself from the table.

That evening, when I came home from work, I found the two of them on the sofa together again. Christian saw me and immediately stood up, intercepting me.

Then, he lowered his voice and fired off a series of questions. "Doesn't Isolde have a life of her own? Why is she here every day? Doesn't she have her own place? What is she even doing here?"

I looked up at him. "She'll probably leave you alone once you stop ignoring her."

He froze at my response. He hesitated. "I already agreed to meet her for a drink. She promised she’d leave tomorrow if I did."

I just hummed and walked into the bedroom. Christian followed me in, wrapping his arms around me and asking if I was angry.

"I just don't want to see her here all the time. Besides, I can just mute her," he said, holding up his phone to prove his point. "See? I've already blocked her on everything."

I said nothing. My disappointment must have been written all over my face, because he spent the next hour trying to win me back over.

He spent the entire dinner trying to placate me, piling food onto my plate and telling stupid jokes.

From across the table, Isolde just smiled. "You're so considerate, Christian."

Christian pointedly ignored her, turning his full attention to me. He began detailing some trouble the Thorne family business was facing with its expansion into new territory.

Isolde, annoyed at being ignored, deliberately clattered her silverware. When we both looked over, she smiled sweetly. "My apologies. I got a little excited when you mentioned that topic. After all, that's my strong suit."

Seeing the confused look on his face, she elaborated, "My ex-fiancé has connections at the ports. He’s always been generous about letting me use them. For Adeline’s sake, I can help you move that 'cargo'."

She even described in detail the shipping routes she could access.

I could tell Christian was tempted. He glanced at me awkwardly, then turned to Isolde. "Wouldn't that be an inconvenience? After all, those connections are tied to your ex-fiancé."

"Oh, please," she replied breezily. "It's a small favor. Just wait for my good news."

This time, Christian didn't refuse her. I knew instantly that he would unblock her number.

Sure enough, he followed me into the bedroom later and said, "Isolde doesn't seem so bad after all. She seems quite genuine."

I just glanced at him, my eyes already stinging.

He immediately started to backtrack, his voice gentle. "I didn't mean anything by it. Besides, do you really think I'd be interested in a woman who's still entangled with her ex?"

...

Isolde left my place the next day. Coincidentally, Christian didn't come over for several days after that.

Christian claimed he was out of town on family business, juggling operations in several cities at once.

Despite this, during one of our rare video calls, I noticed the tattoo of his family crest on his chest had been altered. When he caught me looking, he rushed to explain, "It was just for fun, don't read into it."

"I'm so grateful to her," he gushed another time. "She really saved me a lot of trouble. My father has been praising my success nonstop."

Like most heirs born with a silver spoon, Christian was driven by a fierce ambition to surpass his father.

His father and grandfather were both powerful family leaders, and while Christian had a sharp business sense, he was perpetually in their shadow. He was desperate to prove himself.

He had launched new businesses in multiple cities, acting swiftly and ruthlessly to secure footholds in the best locations. As a result, his father had been praising him at family meetings, commending his initiative.

Shortly after, Christian transferred a sum of money to me, asking me to buy Isolde some jewelry as a gift from me. "It should come from you," he said. "It's the proper way to handle it."

After a pause, he added, "Try to pick something she'll like. If it's not enough money, just let me know."

So, I used it as an excuse to meet with Isolde's ex-fiancé, Silas. After our meeting, I casually mentioned, "Thank you for helping my boyfriend. He wants to buy Isolde a piece of jewelry, with a budget of around fifty thousand... do you have any suggestions? Or should I just give her the money?"

The line went silent for a moment. Then, I heard his cold voice. "Is that Adeline? Why is your boyfriend buying Isolde a gift?"

My blood ran cold. I had forgotten the tangled history between Silas and Isolde and had just blundered right into it.

Silas, Isolde, and I all ran in the same circles. He was a few years older than us, a regular at the inter-family banquets we were forced to attend.

I had only complimented him once at a party on his refined demeanor, and the very next day, Isolde began her pursuit. He was an easy catch for her, especially with her forward tactics.

They were engaged two weeks later. Their relationship was rocky, but it ultimately brought great benefits to both families.

Unfortunately, they had broken off the engagement a few years ago.

Still, I didn't want Isolde's primary source of income to get the wrong idea. After all, Silas was still footing the bill for her extravagant spending.

I quickly explained, "No, it's not like that. She did my boyfriend a huge favor. And I should be thanking you too, Silas. My boyfriend's business succeeded thanks to the connections you provided."

Silas replied, "And here I thought she was finally doing something productive. Turns out she did all this for your boyfriend? She shows him more dedication than she ever showed me."

Before I could say anything to salvage the situation, he continued, "Alright, I understand now. I'll 'give' her the jewelry myself. You can keep the money."

I returned the money to Christian, telling him that Silas had insisted it wasn't necessary.

Christian looked confused. "Isn't he her ex-fiancé? Why is he still so involved in her affairs?"

"He's her patron," I replied flatly. "How else do you think Isolde affords her lavish lifestyle and her ever-changing wardrobe?"

A playful smirk touched Christian's lips. When he saw me looking at him, he simply said, "You have a point."

Isolde came to my apartment that night, reeking of alcohol. Her cheeks were flushed as she began screaming at me.

She might have looked drunk, but her words were chillingly lucid.

By the end, she pointed a shaking finger at Christian and spat, "You think you can just marry into the Thorne family? Dream on, Adeline! You'll never have what I have. You ran to Silas and tattled that I stole your boyfriend just so he'd cut me off, didn't you?"

Then, she added triumphantly, "Well, just watch me find a new patron to support me tomorrow."

A flicker of amusement crossed Christian's face at her words.

I found the whole spectacle incredibly tedious. I left them in the living room and went to my bedroom.

...

From that day on, Christian started working late, citing busy family affairs, and traveled more frequently.

When I told him I was free to meet his father, he gently turned me down, claiming it wasn't the right time.

I knew then. It was done.

Isolde was hooked. She had won again.