I am Novella Fontana. My sister-in-law, Carla Rossi, and I check into a resort owned by our family, intending to have a quiet vacation there.

But while we are at the ski resort, a lavishly dressed woman shows up out of nowhere and sneers at us, "This is a high-end ski resort. How can you let some random nobodies get in here? Where are the guards? Throw them out before they bring in germs from outside."

Upon hearing this, my expression turns frosty.

Before I can say anything, Carla beats me to it.

She snaps, "It's not like your family owns this place. What right do you have to kick us out? If you think we're an eyesore, go build your own ski resort!"

The woman's face darkens instantly.

She shrieks angrily, "How dare you speak to me like that! This is my fiancé's property! Do you have any idea? When Aldo Rossi gets here, you two are done for!"

Carla and I exchange a glance, and we both see the same confusion in each other's eyes.

It is because I am Aldo's wife.

But before we can react, that woman lifts her chin impatiently and orders, "Roberto, teach them a lesson."

In the next second, Carla and I are pressed down forcefully into the snow.

"Carla!"

As I rushed forward, Roberto Musso had already grabbed Carla Rossi by the back of her neck and slammed her head straight into the snow.

The thick layer of snow instantly buried half her face. She struggled on instinct, but her body was pinned down so tightly that she couldn't move at all.

"Let her go!" I shouted.

My expression changed instantly as I lunged forward to pull him away. But before I could even reach Carla, Roberto seized the back of my head with his other hand and forced me down into the snow as well.

The freezing snow flooded into my nose and mouth. I could barely breathe, yet I could still hear Carla's muffled coughing beside me.

She had just recovered from a cold and had asthma. There was no way her body could handle this.

I struggled desperately, clawing blindly at Roberto's arm. In the chaos, I bit down hard.

Roberto groaned in pain and finally loosened his grip.

I got to my feet quickly and helped Carla up from the snow.

Her face had gone pale, and her lips were tinged with a bluish purple. Her whole body trembled as she leaned against me, coughing violently.

I glared at the woman standing above us on the slope.

"Do you have any idea this could kill someone?" I demanded.

She let out a cold, disdainful laugh.

"If people like you die, then so be it. The Rossi family will take care of the aftermath."

I took a deep breath and asked firmly, "Is the Aldo Rossi you mentioned the Don of the Rossi family?"

"Looks like you know a thing or two," she said, lifting her chin proudly. "He's my fiance. This ski resort belongs to him. You'd better get on your knees and apologize right now. Otherwise, when he gets here, you're dead."

Confusion filled my face. Aldo and I had been married for three years.

We had always been deeply in love. But now, a stranger stood before me, insisting she was his fiancee. Just minutes ago, Carla and I had simply wanted a quiet day on the slopes.

We had always kept a low profile and never flaunted our status or relied on the Rossi family's name, yet we never imagined this would be the outcome.

Five minutes earlier, Laura Ferrari had mocked us openly. "This is a high-end ski resort. How did people like you even get in? Where are the security guards? Throw them out before they bring in germs from outside."

Carla had grown up as the little princess of the Rossi family. She had never been treated like this before, and she snapped on the spot.

"This isn't your property. What right do you have to make us leave? If anyone should go, it's you. You have no manners at all!"

After saying that, she grabbed my hand and huffed, "Come on, Novella. Let's go to another slope. It's not worth dealing with people like her."

But the moment we turned around, Laura stepped directly into our path.

Her face flushed with anger, and she snapped, "You dare insult me? Roberto, come over and teach them a proper lesson!"

That was how the events I had just witnessed came about.

Since I remained silent, Laura assumed I was afraid and laughed even more arrogantly. "What's wrong? Now, are you feeling afraid? Roberto, drag them out. Make them kneel and wait."

As I took in the confidence on her face, a cold chill ran through me for the first time. Could it be that Aldo had really betrayed me?

Before I could say anything, I froze at the sight of Laura's wrist. She lifted her arm, pointing directly at us. The diamond bracelet sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight. I had seen that same bracelet in Aldo's shopping cart before.

If I hadn't noticed it today, I would still be foolishly waiting for his surprise.

"What's with the silence? Are you simply too scared to answer?"

Laura's dazzling smile seemed to pierce right through me.

I released Carla and slowly rose to my feet. Snow soaked my boots, chilling me to the bone, yet it wasn't nearly as painful as the pang in my chest.

"The reports said Aldo's wife's last name is Fontana. She has a beauty mark near her eye, and she doesn't resemble you at all," I said calmly.

Laura's smile faltered for a moment.

I stared directly into her eyes and continued, "How dare you, a mistress, act so arrogantly here? Call Aldo here right now. I want to hear how he explains this."

Her expression shifted entirely. It wasn't guilt, but pure, seething anger.

"What does she even mean to him?" Laura snapped, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Aldo loves me, not her!"

She snatched her phone from her pocket and swiped across the screen. "When he gets here, you can ask him yourself!"

She called him, putting on a sickly-sweet tone. "Aldo, I'm being harassed by two women at the ski resort. You need to come right away."

After hanging up, she raised her chin and looked at me triumphantly.

"He'll be here in half an hour. You're done for."

Carla saw the bracelet and immediately put the pieces together.

"Aldo is such a jerk! He's just like my awful father! Novella, don't worry! My mom will definitely teach him a lesson!" Carla said fiercely.

Years ago, Aldo's father had cheated, leaving Aldo's mother to raise both Carla and Aldo alone and build their family from the ground up. She despised unfaithful men above all else.

If she found out about this, Aldo would lose his position as the Don of the Rossi family.

I wanted to see what excuse Aldo would come up with.

Since Carla was trembling, I hugged her and headed for the locker room, only for Roberto to shove us both to the ground again.

We fell hard, landing face-first in the snow.

Laura scoffed and swung her ski pole against my back. "You can't even stand, and you want to ski? If you love skiing so much, just stay down there!"

She then turned to Roberto and said, "Roberto, take care of them. Make them stay down a little longer…"

Every time Carla and I tried to get to our feet, Roberto shoved us back down. The snow had sapped our strength, and our body heat was dropping fast. Carla's face had turned a dark purple, and her breath was short and rapid.

"Carla?" I called out softly.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She seemed woozy and weak all over.

"She's having an asthma attack! We need to get her to the hospital!" I shouted.

Roberto hesitated for a beat.

A cruel smile twisted Laura's lips as she raised an eyebrow.

"What's with the act? You were hopping around on the slopes a minute ago, and now you're playing dead? Roberto, take off her ski jacket. Let's see how long she can keep pretending!"

Laura tilted her chin at Roberto, and he walked over.

My anger surged. "If anything happens to her, you'll go to prison!"

Laura laughed coldly, as if she feared nothing in the world.

"Prison? I'm Don Rossi's fiancee. Which cop would dare touch me? If she dies, it's her own fault. If you want to leave, you'll have to beg me."

Carla had just gotten over a cold, and now she was shivering violently. Her face was as pale as iron. I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay calm. I couldn't let anything happen to her.

"Right…"

She grabbed my sleeve, shaking her head. "Novella, don't even listen to her. Wait until Aldo arrives, and she'll regret this. I'm fine. I can hang on. Once we get home, I'll tell Mom what happened. She'll make Aldo pay."

Since we refused to apologize, Laura waved her hand in annoyance. Roberto then began dumping bucket after bucket of ice water on us.

Our clothes were soaked through, and we were freezing so fast I could feel it crawling under my skin. My teeth rattled, and Carla slipped into unconsciousness.

"She's going to die! Call a doctor! If Aldo sees you hurting his sister, he won't forgive you!"

Roberto, who was a ski instructor, immediately noticed Carla's condition.

"Ms. Ferrari, that younger one is really in danger. Maybe we should let her go. If something actually happens to her at the ski resort, it would look bad. Negative publicity would make Don Rossi furious, and I could lose my job."

Laura's smile widened. "I'm not a cruel person. I just want them to apologize. If they still have the energy to refuse, it's obvious they're not dying yet. Unconscious? Don't make me laugh. She's faking it."

Roberto towered over us. "Ms. Ferrari is the future Donna of the Rossi family! The entire resort belongs to her. Apologize now, or you'll never leave. If you keep resisting, no one can save you."

I didn't have time for anger or argument. All I knew was that if I waited a second longer, Carla would die.

"I'm begging you," I said, biting my lip until it bled. "Please, let Carla go back to the room. I'm begging you."

Laura tilted her head, savoring the moment. "You just called me a mistress," she said, smiling triumphantly.

My nails sank into my palms. With each passing second, Carla's breathing grew weaker and slower.

I bent low, choosing my words carefully. "I'm sorry, and I sincerely apologize. I shouldn't have said that. Please don't be angry."

Laura fixed me with a sly, victorious smile.

"What should I do? I'm still mad," she said. "I'm not letting you go."