Carlo was bottling all his anger in his chest as he glared at me, before finally scooping Gemma off the floor and leaving without looking back.

Ha! He wanted to throw me into the basement already? We did have some good memories together, didn't we?

I remembered things between Carlo and me weren't this bad when I was sixteen. I liked to shadow him wherever he went because I knew about the engagement between us and how we would become a family.

Once, he took me along to handle some family business, and we ran into an ambush from a rival family. He shielded me and took a knife to the back. It was cut so deeply that his bone was exposed. I was terrified and burst into tears, but he turned around and comforted me, saying it didn't hurt at all.

Back then, he was the type of man who would risk his life to protect me.

Now, he wouldn't hesitate to hurt me or yell at me for another woman.

But…

None of that mattered anymore.

Once Don Vinnie came back, I could finally end this ridiculous engagement.

I looked at the butler walking toward me, and said with a hoarse voice, "Can you call the family doctor in? My head's bleeding, and I think I have a concussion."

The old butler looked at me with pity, but he just shook his head in the end and walked away.

Soon, a maid walked over with a dog bowl filled with leftovers from the kitchen.

"Mr. Carlo's orders, Ms. Shaw. Here's your dinner," she said, shooting me a look of contempt before leaving.

I stared at the so-called dinner that was worse than animal feed, and my stomach churned.

Don Vinnie was rarely here throughout the year, and Carlo was the one who was calling the shots in this place. He had said it more than once that I wasn't part of the Gutierrez Family, and my life had nothing to do with him.

That was why everyone kept their distance from me. While he treated me like any other underling and sent me to handle dangerous family business, no one would care if I got hurt from it. I had to drag myself out to see a doctor to get my wounds treated.

But I was already used to it.

I cleaned my wound as best I could and packed everything up. The servants just watched coldly as I carried my things back and forth.

That night, I hauled all my luggage back to a rundown apartment building in the slums. This was where I was going to stay for the time being. Once I saved enough and severed the engagement, I would leave this city for good and leave everything behind.

It hadn't even been two days since I left the Gutierrez Family when Carlo called, giving out orders.

"Where are you? Handle the shipment at Warehouse Three right now."

I knew exactly what he meant. These were all jobs that I had handled so far, but I didn't want to do it anymore.

"I'm not going."

Carlo was stunned. Even his underling, who was reporting to him, fell silent.

I repeated myself, but no one was answering me. Just when I was about to hang up, Carlo's voice came through. I could tell the anger that was bubbling underneath it.

"Come again, Rosa?"

I closed the job site on my phone and brought my phone closer.

"I said, I'm not going to handle your business anymore. Didn't you call me a filthy street rat? That I pollute the air around you? That's why I left. Get someone else."

He was so angry that all he could manage was to laugh coldly.

"You're growing a backbone, huh? Bold enough to defy me now? Did you forget how you used to shadow me like a dog? You're leaving, right? Fine. Get out and stay far away! Stay out of my territory for good and never come back! I dare you! Don't think you can get my attention by pulling this stunt! I'm warning you... If you lay a finger on Gemma again, I'll throw you in the ocean and feed you to the fish!"

Throw me in the ocean?

My knuckles turned white as I squeezed my phone. It took me a while to find my voice again.

Meanwhile, Carlo simply thought I was scared and kept mocking me.

"What, scared now? These childish games will only make me look down on you even more. Go handle the business at the harbor and apologize to Gemma, then I'll pretend nothing happened."

I took a deep breath and said slowly, "Carlo, I'm not going to the warehouse, and I won't apologize to Gemma. I'm leaving your territory for good."

With that, I immediately hung up.

I quickly had my eyes on a job at a library.

The pay wasn't great, but it was enough for me. Best of all, the library was in the next city, squarely on the Perez Family's territory.

In my last life, having a job of my own was all I had wanted. Now, just the thought of it filled me with hope as I boarded the bus for a new start.

Luckily, the interview went smoothly, and I was officially hired.

I worked hard to familiarize myself with the position, feeling a peace I had never known before. Finally breaking free from Carlo made me giddy.

But just as I was about to change into my uniform, Carlo called again. The second I answered, his commanding voice roared through the line.

"Rosa, where are you?!"

The good mood I had just disappeared in an instant. "What do you want?"

Carlo's voice was cold as he demanded, "So, you're not really trying to leave. You're just trying to bring my grandfather back to force me! I won't let you have your way."

When I returned to the villa owned by the Gutierrez Family, the mood was suffocating. Don Vinnie was there, his expression icy. Carlo Gutierrez glared at me in anger while Gemma stood to the side, sobbing like she was the victim. Neither of them dared to let loose their emotions with Don Vinnie around, so they had no choice but to bottle them up.

I walked in with a calm expression.

When Carlow saw me, he let out a mocking smile.

"Oh, you're finally back? You're getting more and more proficient in this, Rosa. Never expected you to drag the old-timer out to force the marriage."

Carlo said his piece, then grabbed Gemma and walked away without looking back.

I acted like I hadn't even seen them and went straight to Don Vinnie, bowing deeply to him.

This was the man my father had died to protect.

Last time, when he heard Carlo had locked me up, he sent his men to rescue me. But by then, the Gutierrez Family had already fallen under Carlo's complete control. His people never even made it through the villa's gates.

I never blamed him, though.

I only blamed myself for loving the wrong person.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me all these years, boss. Carlo and I… We really aren't right for each other. He has someone he loves, and I don't want to be involved in his mess anymore. It's better for both of us to let go now than to end up hating each other later. So, I would like to ask for our engagement to be annulled," I said gently.

Don Vinnie's face darkened, his eyes filled with various emotions. "Did Carlo force you to say that, Rosa?"

I shook my head.

With that weight finally off my shoulders, I felt lighter than I had in years.

Before leaving, I went up to the attic to pick up the only photo my mother had left me, but Gemma was blocking the stairs.

"Rosa, can you give Carlo back to me? I'm pregnant with his child. The baby needs a father."

She looked at me with red eyes, acting so fragile.

I frowned, trying to step around her.

Suddenly, Gemma flashed a twisted smile and slid a knife out of her sleeve. She grabbed my wrist, forced the handle into my hand, and then slashed her own arm with the blade.

"Ah! Help! You've gone mad, Rosa! You're trying to kill me?! It hurts! No! Save my baby!" Gemma screamed as she collapsed on the floor, blood pouring from her arm and pooling beneath her.

Carlo came running when he heard the noise. When he saw what supposedly happened, his fury exploded. He rushed over, pulled Gemma behind him, and kicked me hard in the chest.

I flew backward, tumbling down the stairs.

"Rosa! Are you mad? How dare you hurt Gamma?! People always say you were heartless. I never believed it until I saw it with my own eyes now! What do you have to say for yourself? If it weren't for you, Gemma and I would've been married by now! Why do you always have to ruin everything for us?"

Don Vinnie moved from the dining hall toward the commotion when he heard it. When Gemma saw him, she only cried louder, clutching her stomach.

Carlo pointed at me, his voice full of hatred. "Grandpa! I don't care what you say! I will never marry this vicious woman!"

Pain crushed my chest, and the taste of blood filled my mouth.

I looked at Carlo, his face twisted with self-righteous anger, like he was some tragic hero fighting off a forced marriage.

I suddenly let out a chuckle as I tossed the knife at his feet.

"Enough with the drama! I'll make this clear... Starting today, you're not my fiance anymore! I've just dumped you!"