Cecilia's POV

Late that night, I went back to pack my things.

To my surprise, when I opened the door, I saw the shirt I'd bought for Luciano with my scholarship money tossed carelessly on the floor. Lying on top of it were several used condoms stained with white fluid.

When we first moved into this apartment, Luciano had held me in his arms and said solemnly, "You always said you're a nightingale without a home. From this moment on, this is our home."

But now, he had brought Valentina into our home.

As I stood there frozen, the bathroom door opened, and Luciano walked out with a towel loosely wrapped around his waist. Water droplets dripped from his hair down his bare chest, making him look sexy and alluring.

If this were before, I would have blushed at this sight. But now, I didn't feel even the slightest flutter in my heart. I simply picked up the shirt from the floor and looked at him.

"We haven't even broken up yet," I said calmly. "And you're already in such a rush to bring someone else home?"

Luciano casually leaned back on the couch, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He pulled a box from a drawer and tossed it at me.

"A gift."

I scanned the "home" where I had lived for four years. There seemed to be nothing worth taking. I took the ring off my finger and threw it in the trash.

This action made his hand jerk, and the cigarette burned his fingertip, but he didn't seem to care.

Gritting his teeth, he hissed, "What tantrum are you throwing now, Cecilia Rossetti?"

I only had eyes for him before, but now, those same eyes were filled with nothing but calm indifference.

"Can't you see? I don't want the ring. And I don't want you either."

With that, I turned to leave.

Luciano grabbed my wrist almost instinctively, his grip so hard that I winced. He slammed me against the door, his jaw tight as he glared at me.

"Who gave you permission to break up with me, Cecilia?"

"Let go of me!"

I struggled, but the difference in strength between us was too great, and he pinned my hands above me.

Suddenly, the sound of the keypad lock came from the door. My eyes widened.

Valentina's confused voice followed. "Maritino?"

Luciano acted as if he hadn't heard. He tore my cotton dress, grabbed my thighs, and roughly forced himself inside me.

I almost screamed in pain, but he bit my earlobe wickedly.

"Amore, you better press against that door hard, or she'll come in here soon."

I bit my lip to stifle my groans, glaring at him. What I didn't know was that my tearful gaze only ignited the primitive possessiveness inside him.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he slammed even harder into me.

Outside, Valentina froze, then turned and ran downstairs. She returned with a baseball bat and began smashing the door in a rage.

"Do you have no shame, Cecilia?" she screamed. "Sleeping with my man in front of me? How much of a slut are you?"

The series of heavy bangs drowned out the moans I could no longer stifle.

With one last thrust, Luciano brought me to the height of pleasure. He leaned down to kiss me, but I slapped him across the face.

"Get lost!"

A mocking smirk played across his lips. "Amore, next time you tell me to get lost, make sure your body learns how to reject me first."

I was so mad that I could barely catch my breath. Before I could steady it, a loud crash rang out.

Valentina had kicked open the door. With bloodshot eyes, she grabbed me by the hair and dragged me into the bathroom.

I tried to struggle, but she pinned me to the floor. She turned the water to scalding hot and even grabbed the toilet brush lying to the side, scrubbing my skin harshly.

"This brush is cleaner than a man-stealing slut like you!" she snarled.

The coarse bristles scraped across my supple skin, instantly leaving bloody streaks. Fighting through the pain, I struggled to my feet, snatched the brush from her, and looked straight at her through the veil of water.

"Valentina," I started, my voice trembling from the pain. "When you married Luciano behind my back… Did you ever remember that I was your friend?"

A loud slap rang out as she smacked me across the cheek.

"If I weren't using a Bastarda like you to make myself look good, do you really think I'd bother being friends with you?" she snapped, looking down at me.

The slap caused me to fall back onto the floor, and she scrubbed even harder.

"How pathetic. Let's guess—will he come in to stop me?"

The next second, Luciano's voice came from outside. "Basta. How far do you plan to take this while I'm standing right here?"

Valentina threw open the door, glaring at him. "Fine. Go feel sorry for your Amante then. Don't come looking for me!"

Before Luciano could react, she ran right out the front door. He immediately chased after her, yelling to me as he ran, "I called a doctor for you. Don't be mad at her."

…

After the doctor treated me, I asked for emergency contraception under his contemptuous gaze. I wouldn't allow anything tying me to Luciano ever again.

Once the doctor left, I forced my tired self to pack everything I owned and throw it all into the dumpster downstairs.

As I was leaving, a maid stopped me, holding out the ring. "Ma'am, do you still want this?"

"No," I said without hesitation.

Friendship or whatever else it was… I didn't want any of it anymore.

To make sure Luciano wouldn't go to the Republic of Azamir to look for me, I decided to go somewhere he would never think to look.

The next day, I met with my mentor.

"I'd like to apply to join the volunteer team heading to Kovana."

Cecilia's POV

"I've made my decision," I said, my voice firm.

Only after my mentor confirmed my name was added to the list did I book my flight and tell Mamma.

She was silent for a long time before finally saying, "Stay safe. If anything happens, contact Enzo Genovese. He happens to be stationed there on a peacekeeping mission."

"I'll contact him," I replied obediently.

After hanging up, I looked up and met Luciano's deep, dark eyes.

"Which Bastardo are you planning to contact?" he asked.

My gaze turned cold as I retorted, "What does it have to do with you?"

As far as he could remember, I'd always been sweet and meek. Even when he exhausted me until daybreak, I would only timidly ask, "Can we continue this tomorrow?"

But now, I was cold and sharp-tongued, like a cat that had had its tail stepped on.

For once, this seemed to amuse Luciano, and he pulled me into his arms.

"Don't be mad. Even if I'm married to Valentina, there's still a place for you by my side."

"What place?" I asked, shoving him away. "The place for an Amante Clandestina?"

Luciano's face darkened at my repeated sharp remarks.

"Don't tell me you actually want me to marry you? Amore, that joke isn't funny. Do you even understand that if I married you, I'd have to—"

His tone was teasing, but it still cut straight into my numb heart.

"You're right. It isn't funny," I interrupted flatly. "After all, we're through."

I promptly turned around to leave, but my phone suddenly slipped and hit the floor. A message from Valentina lit up the screen.

"Last round. Let's make the bet bigger."

Luciano picked up the phone first, his eyes narrowing. "What bet?"

I quickly snatched my phone back, my lowered lashes hiding the panic in my eyes. As calmly as possible, I said, "It's nothing. It's just a joke."

Luciano stared at me, trying to find anything off in my expression. Just then, one of his men called, sounding frantic.

"Sir! Ms. Fiore heard you went to see Cecilia. She got furious and challenged Matteo to a race. She said if she loses, she'll sleep with him!"

Everyone knew how cruel Matteo Barbieri's proclivities were. The women who fell into his hands ended up crippled or even dead.

After hanging up, Luciano grabbed me and shoved me into the car, then sharply drifted into traffic. This was the first time I'd ever seen him panicked. He even ran multiple red lights in a row.

He had always been the type of man whose love was three parts sincerity and seven parts deception.

The irony was that I'd been with him for four years and slept with him a thousand times, yet even those three parts of sincerity had been just an illusion of mine.

But soon, it would all be over.

…

We arrived at the port district soon enough.

Luciano saw Matteo pinning Valentina against a car hood, kissing her. He didn't even bother to park properly before rushing over and punching him.

Then he grabbed Valentina, eyes red with rage, as he demanded, "If I hadn't come today, were you really going to sleep with Matteo, Valentina?"

"What right do you have to ask me that?" Valentina roared back, her eyes just as red. "Weren't you busy with Cecilia?"

"Because I'm your man! The man you're married to!"

Watching them, my heart ached even more. I turned to leave, but Matteo's bodyguards blocked my path.

"Luciano, choose one," Matteo called out.

With a wave of his hand, his bodyguards surrounded us.

Luciano pulled Valentina behind him protectively as he glared at Matteo. "Choose what?"

"Take someone if you want, I've got no problem with that. But rules are rules. Between these two women, you have to leave one of them here. Otherwise…"

The words had just barely left his mouth when a dozen guns were aimed at the three of us.

Luciano's expression was conflicted. Valentina tugged at his sleeve and said, "Luciano, I'm scared…"

He made his decision instantly. "Cecilia stays."

It was an expected answer, but my eyes still stung. The sadness quickly passed, however, as I quickly pressed the emergency speed-dial for the police.

Seeing my reddened eyes, Luciano's heart skipped a beat.

"Amore, I'll come get you tomorrow," he promised softly.

Then he turned to Matteo, his gaze sharp. "You'd better not do anything to her, or I won't hesitate to make your entire family disappear from Carston."

With that, he scooped Valentina up in his arms and left. Leaning against his shoulder, she smiled at me and mouthed, "How pitiful… You lost again."

I scrambled to run, but Matteo kicked me hard in the leg, grabbed me by the hair, and dragged me toward a basement.

Cecilia's POV

The basement walls were lined with various sexual implements.

My eyes bulged wide as I struggled desperately. "Let go of me! Luciano won't let you get away with this!"

Matteo responded with several harsh slaps, then grinned cruelly as he grabbed my chin. "Luciano already gave you to me to play with, and you're still delusional enough to think he'll come back to save you?"

My cheeks swelled up from his slaps, and blood flowed nonstop from the corner of my lips.

"What do you want? La polizia will be here soon!"

"You dared to call La polizia?"

He turned and grabbed a thick leather whip from the wall. A lash landed on my body, and the pain wrenched an agonizing scream from me.

But this only excited him more.

"Go on, scream! Cry! So what if La polizia comes? You'll already be broken!"

The whip struck again and again, and my high-pitched screams eventually went silent—I could no longer muster any sounds.

Matteo ripped my blood-stained dress apart. Just as he was about to force himself on me, the basement doors were kicked open, and the piercing sounds of sirens filled the air.

"Polizia! Don't move!"

Matteo didn't even have time to pull up his pants before he scrambled out the window to escape.

A female officer saw me lying on the floor, covered in blood. She quickly draped her jacket over me, helped me into the squad car, and rushed me to the hospital, where the emergency room doctors treated my wounds.

…

The next day, the same officer told me Matteo had been arrested.

I thanked her with a smile, then had myself discharged.

After leaving the hospital, I went back to the apartment to grab my things. I donned long sleeves and pants, as well as put on a mask, and prepared to take a taxi to the airport.

But the moment I stepped out of the apartment, Luciano appeared and stopped me.

"Valentina felt guilty and went back to look for you yesterday, but she got into an accident on the way. She needs a blood transfusion right now. You need to come with me to the hospital."

"I'm not going," I refused immediately.

His grip tightened around my wrist, his voice low and cold.

"You owe Valentina a life. If it weren't for her, your stepsister would've buried you in the middle of nowhere a long time ago. It's time for you to pay your debt."

The wounds on my wrist throbbed with pain under his grip, but I gritted my teeth and asked, "If I agree to give blood, does that mean we're even?"

Luciano felt a pang of unease when he met my calm gaze. But then he thought of Valentina, whose life still hung in the balance, and he quickly ignored it.

"Yes!"

"Then okay. I'll go with you," I replied.

At the hospital, after my check-up, the doctor looked at Luciano with obvious reluctance.

"Sir, this lady has severe anemia, and she even—"

"Sir!" Valentina's caregiver interrupted urgently. "The doctor said Ms. Fiore is in critical condition!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Luciano ordered, "Draw the blood!"

He paused, then turned to look at me, sitting there quietly this whole time. "As long as you cooperate, I'll find you the best doctor."

He'd said the same thing yesterday, just before handing me over to Matteo to have his way with me.

So now, I no longer believed him.

As he turned to leave, I called out softly, "Luciano..."

He looked back.

I stood in the light and gave him a small smile. "Addio."

Anxious to see Valentina, he merely gave an absent-minded nod, then left without another glance back.

…

After the doctor was done drawing my blood, I needed help just to walk.

I got into the taxi bound for the airport, then sent the recordings from the private room, along with proof of my prior relationship with Luciano, to his brother.

"Please deliver this gift to Luciano at his birthday party tomorrow. Wishing you success as well."

Once everything was done, I blocked all of Luciano's contacts, then looked out the window at the international airport coming into view.

"Addio, Luciano. Forever."