Pia Bellucci descends from the slums in Hughlin.

Orphans like her are supposed to spend their lives struggling in the bottom rung of society. They are meant to live in the darkness till they draw their last breaths.

But the appearance of Vito Castaldo, the Don of the Castaldo family, has completely rewritten Pia's fate.

Thanks to Pia's resilience and talent, she fights against all odds and becomes Vito's personal bodyguard. She takes it upon herself to block all harm coming his way and resolve deadly crises for him.

Once, when Pia gets kidnapped by Vito's rivals in his stead and almost dies in that ordeal, Vito confesses his feelings to her after rescuing her. After that, he holds an engagement banquet and slides a diamond ring onto her finger before making his vow.

"Once I become the Don of Nework, you shall become the Donna."

Pia is grateful to Vito for saving her life while showering her with love and affection. It's only natural that she's willing to sacrifice everything for his sake.

From then, she works even harder in striking more dangerous deals and wrapping up the most brutal negotiations on Vito's behalf. She practically puts herself at risk just to get rid of all obstacles in his way until his strongest foes are dead.

But when Pia thinks her dream is about to come true, she stumbles upon the cruelest truth.

It turns out that she's nothing but a tool for Vito to wield from the start till the end.

Pia Bellucci suddenly woke up in excruciating pain, opening her eyes to find herself lying in a hospital bed.

As her consciousness gradually returned, her mind was immediately filled with Vito Castaldo's safety.

She ignored the tearing pain in her wounds and staggered toward Vito's office, only to find him and a few of his MadeMan laughing and chatting inside.

"With our mortal enemies, the Cuomo Famiglia, now gone, we're finally going to be the largest mafia monopolizing the scene in Nework, Don Castaldo!"

Pia smiled in relief at that. Finally, Vito's biggest concern and thorn in the ass had been eliminated!

"It's all thanks to Pia's shot that saved the Don. Still, it was a pity that Santi got away in the end."

Pia recalled accurately shooting Santi Cuomo in the ear, blowing it right off. However, before she could follow up with another shot, a stray bullet had pierced her body, and she lost consciousness at once after that.

She never thought that it would end with Santi managing to get away after all.

"Back then, during the Famiglia feud between the Castaldos and the Cuomos, they had been so despicable as to abduct your mother and hold her hostage, just to blackmail the Castaldo Famiglia. They then brutally murdered her in the end!

"We still haven't forgotten nor forgiven them for her blood on their hands!"

Pia suddenly felt a pang of sadness in her chest as her nose stung with tears.

She had heard that Vito's mother, Rosita Chiari, had died in an accident. She never expected this to be the truth after all.

"And yet, now they're trying to use their old tricks again to target your fiancee, Don Castaldo! Everyone knows that she's someone you cherish and hold dearly in your heart. How dare they harbor such malicious intentions toward her? How presumptuous of them!"

Pia felt a warmth in her heart.

She was the one who was engaged to Vito. Naturally, she assumed that the fiancee everyone was talking about was herself.

"It's all thanks to Don's foresight that he found a woman like Pia from the slums years ago to act as a decoy for Ms. Alessia Serra."

Alessia Serra?

A decoy?

Pia suddenly shuddered. She didn't understand what was going on, and she instinctively leaned closer, wanting to find out the truth.

Vito, who was usually always cold and aloof, had softened at the mere mention of Alessia, his eyes filling with love and affection at once.

"Alessia is as pure and innocent as a blank sheet of paper. She can't handle the cunning and dangerous schemes in the mafia.

"I cannot reveal her true identity as my fiancee as long as the Cuomo Famiglia is still at large. This is the only way to protect her and keep her safe.

"As for Pia… She might have come from the slums, but she's very capable and resilient. She's the best tool to draw fire away from us to confuse the enemy.

"In short, I absolutely refuse to let Mamma's tragedy repeat itself on Alessia this time."

Another MadeMan chuckled and said, "Most importantly, Pia is a real beauty, and she's skilled and absolutely devoted to you, Don. She's the best candidate to use as a decoy!"

"Your idea was such a brilliant one, Don! All you had to do was flirt with her a little, and Pia immediately fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. She's the only one who doesn't know that the massive engagement party you threw for her was nothing but a smokescreen.

"Really, did she think that she was even fit to be Donna or Madre, coming from a family background like hers? That's just wishful thinking on her part!"

The truth struck Pia like a ton of bricks. Her legs went weak as she nearly collapsed to the ground.

Vito just chuckled before his next words plunged Pia into another deeper, icier abyss.

"Remember to keep your mouths shut about everything and don't let anything slip. Once the last of the Cuomo Famiglia is dealt with, I'm going to give Pia some money and kick her out.

"Alessia's safety is paramount. I refuse to let anyone insignificant threaten her or her position."

Pia's heart sank.

Vito thought of her as nothing more than a decoy—an insignificant one at that.

The truth seared her heart like a red-hot iron pan on the fire. The pain was a lot more agonizing than a bullet wound to the chest.

As it turned out, her ability to escape death was simply "endurance" in Vito's eyes; her heartfelt loyalty "delusion", and her entire existence merely a tool to deceive his sworn enemies.

She had never felt such humiliation in her life, and she could barely breathe.

She bit hard on her lower lip, letting the taste of blood fill her mouth and nearly choke her, and she tried to stifle a sob. However, the pain in her chest was just too much for her to bear, so she covered her mouth, staggered backward, and turned to flee.

Pia returned to her room in a daze, still reeling from the shock of discovering the truth earlier, when there was a sudden knock on her door.

"You're finally back, Ms. Bellucci," a nurse said, carrying a tray as she entered Pia's room with a professional smile on her face. "It's time for your IV drip."

Pia lay down on the bed like an obedient puppet. However, she happened to catch a glimpse of the nurse's movements behind her.

The nurse took advantage of the time Pia took to adjust her position in bed to swiftly rip off the label from the IV bag, crumple it into a ball, and stuff it into her white coat pocket. She did it with much haste and looked a little suspicious about it.

Since Pia was a top-tier bodyguard, her senses and intuition for danger kicked in at once. She remained calm as she asked, "Why does today's IV drip feel like it's a lot more than usual?"

She then kept a close eye on the nurse's expression.

The nurse, who was in the midst of hanging up the bag, froze for a second before she resumed her actions and said, "It was specifically instructed by your doctor. He said that it was to help you recover much quicker."

However, the nurse's actions and facial expression just now made Pia extremely suspicious of her.

After the nurse was done adjusting the syringe on her arm, she left the room. Pia immediately pulled the needle out, jumped out of bed, and locked the door.

She then used a sterile kit from the first-aid kit to extract a trace amount of the remaining IV medication on the tube walls and tip of the syringe before sealing it up to preserve it.

Then, she changed out of her clothes and avoided all of the surveillance cameras as she slinked out of the manor, bringing the samples to a private testing facility for expedited testing.

One hour later, the words on the report she held in her hands shook her.

Pia stared at the report in her hands. The words on it pierced right into her eyes, telling her that the medication had actually been a highly concentrated dose of memory inhibitors.

Long-term usage of this drug wouldn't just cause irreversible damage to her nervous system—it would also gradually cause her to lose her memory.

And to a bodyguard like her, who relied on her clear, sharp memories for the job, it was a devastating blow.

Vito couldn't possibly not have known about it.

It wasn't until then that she finally realized the truth.

Since the Cuomo Famiglia was already destroyed, she was of no more use to him. That was why Vito wanted to erase everything she knew about the Castaldo Famiglia from her memories like this.

Suddenly, all of the care and concern that she'd perceived from him felt suffocating to her.

She collapsed to the ground in despair, the gunshot wound in her chest throbbing in pain, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

She had been nothing but a tool to Vito after all—a tool that he was planning to dispose of after he had reached the top.

However, she refused to believe it. How could she possibly believe it?

After all, Vito was the person who had rescued her from the slums, given her a new identity, taught her all her skills, and transformed her from a nobody into a top-tier bodyguard.

He was the one who had rescued her from her abductors and tormentors and even chased after them before slaughtering them all, just to avenge her.

He was the one who had shared passionate nights and moments with her in the sheets, showering her with love and affection.

He was also the one who was now engaged to her and had personally slid the diamond ring onto her finger, promising her the world with all of his heart.

How could he possibly not love her at all?

If he was only using her as a decoy for Alessia, then why did he always use the Castaldo Famiglia resources to save her and treat her wounds every time she was injured?

"It must be a mistake… It had to be a mistake! That nurse must have gotten it all wrong!" she exclaimed to herself.

Pia stood up abruptly, her eyes bloodshot, thinking that she had to go and find Vito and demand an explanation for everything. She had to get to the bottom of things!

She stood in front of Vito's manor, feeling her heart thumping wildly in her chest. It was thumping so quickly that she felt as though her chest was going to shatter at any moment.

After taking a quick glance around and seeing no one, she inhaled deeply and started into the manor. However, as soon as she lifted her leg, she suddenly hesitated and drew it back.

She then froze for a nanosecond before ducking and hiding behind the low wall around the manor's perimeter.

Just then, the sound of a car engine grew louder. It was Vito's car.

The car came to a solid stop in front of the manor, while Vito hurried out of the door at that moment as well.

The car door was opened, and a young woman hopped down from the driver's seat in a lively manner.

"Vito!" she exclaimed happily, running into his arms.

Vito caught her tightly and hugged her.

This scene pierced Pia's eyes. She felt her throat running very dry.

The young woman then looked at Vito bashfully and said, "Look at yourself! How could you not even know how to take proper care of yourself? I came over as quickly as possible when I heard that you were injured!"

While speaking, she hooked her arm around his in a natural, intimate way.

The look in Vito's eyes softened. "Alessia. You should have told me earlier that you were coming over!"

Alessia? Alessia Serra?

Was she the woman who was supposed to be Vito's real fiancee after all?

Pia's eyes widened in shock, her gaze fixated on Alessia the entire time.

Alessia's back was to her, and Pia saw loose curls cascading down her shoulders. She also had a graceful, slender back, making her look like an angel.

Then, Pia instinctively looked down at her own body.

Her palms were calloused, her knuckles were scarred, and every inch of her body was marred with welts and ugly bumps.

She used to be very proud of these battle scars, wearing them out like medals in the past. But now, they were the main source of her inferiority instead.

When Alessia finally turned around, Pia's world completely crumbled.

Alessia's face bore a striking resemblance to Pia's own, except that Alessia looked a lot more delicate and innocent as a flower.

Pia stared blankly at Alessia's face, feeling her heart struck once again with excruciating pain.

Vito's conversation, which she overheard in his office, immediately echoed in her ears, and the words on the test report jumped out at her in her memories.

All of the fragments pieced together at once, and suddenly, it all dawned on her.

So, this was how it was.

Pia understood everything now. Vito had completely set her up from the start!

And in this grand scheme of things, everyone played the roles of the audience, watching her make a fool of herself as she fell deeper and deeper into the game by falling in love with Vito and even getting hypnotized by him.

She had been nothing but a clown for other people's amusement after all.

The person Vito loved had never been her. He'd only picked her because she bore a resemblance to Alessia. She was nothing but Alessia's "counterfeit," who could also take a bullet or two for him.

The truth dawned so heavily on Pia that her vision began turning black. All of the pain and grievances she'd suppressed for years immediately burst forth like a broken dam.

She was still hurting from the gunshot wound, and now, her entire chest was beginning to hurt as well. She had to lean against the wall to even keep herself upright in the first place.

A metallic taste rose in her throat, mingling with the taste of tears seeping in through her lips. Yet, she bit on her lips so as not to make a sound while she sobbed.

It was a long while later when she clutched her aching chest, trying to suppress her surging emotions and closing her eyes to calm herself down.

Then, she opened her eyes again. The pain in her chest gradually turned into that of stern determination.

She abruptly turned on her heels and went down another alley before disappearing.

Pia wandered aimlessly for a while. It wasn't until midnight that she finally went back to her ward.

When she went in, however, she realized that Vito was already there, waiting for her.

Vito's face darkened as soon as he saw her walk in. His voice was tinged with displeasure as he demanded, "Where have you been, Pia? Why didn't you answer your phone?"

Pia pulled out her phone and saw that it had been turned off a long time ago. She hesitated for a moment and then said perfunctorily, "Sorry, I didn't know that my phone was out of battery. I just went out for some fresh air."

Vito's expression softened slightly, and he didn't press further after that.

"Alright. I didn't mean to blame you. You're mine, after all. From now on, you should tell me in advance wherever you're going so that I'll always know where you are and I won't have to worry."

Then, he looked at all the injuries on Pia's body with a grave expression on his face and said, "Santi is holding a document containing the Cuomo Famiglia secrets in his hands. He messaged me just now, offering to exchange them for you.

"I need you to cooperate fully in my plan to get the documents from him. His remaining forces are still a constant threat to me, and I must get rid of him once and for all."

Pia's breath caught in her throat. Her face turned deathly pale when she finally realized why Vito had come to see her today.

He hadn't been worried about her injuries after all. It was only because she was still of some use to him.

He wanted her to act as bait to wipe out Santi and his remaining forces in one fell swoop and eliminate all future threats.

This realization shattered Pia's last remaining hope.

As it turned out, she was nothing but a lowly tool, forced to risk her life for him, even though she was severely injured.

However, she really didn't want to continue being his puppet anymore!

She gripped the hem of her hospital gown tightly. For the first time in her life, she mustered the courage to refuse Vito's orders.

"I haven't healed fully from my injuries yet. I'm afraid that I can't participate in your plan this time."

Before she had even finished speaking, however, Vito had already gotten up and slung an arm around her waist.

His force was strong and powerful as he forcibly pulled her into his embrace.

The distance between them suddenly closed, their noses almost touching.

When their eyes met, Pia saw a burning spark in his eyes. A split second later, Vito's fingertips traced provocatively along her waist as a hint of amusement appeared in his eyes.

His voice was deep and dangerous.

"Didn't you say that you would always willingly do anything for me? Hmm?"

It was true that she said that last time, but it was all in the past now.

In the past, she thought that he was her savior, and that he had already treated her as his fiancee.

But now, the truth was out, and the bubble had burst. Pia didn't want to continue being that fool anymore!

Her hair all stood on end as she instinctively tried to break free from Vito's grasp.

"But… But my wounds are still bleeding. I can't move around too much."

Vito refused to let go of her. He just cocked his head to the side and asked in a teasing voice, "Are you seriously going to refuse me? Or, are you just asking for a reward afterward?"

His words pierced into the scars in Pia's heart like needles.

The sweet nothings he used to whisper in her ears now seemed like sugar-coated bombs that could go off at any second.

He continued coaxing her into it, tempting her, in the name of love, to willingly go through heaven and hell for him.

She felt a wave of nausea in her throat, and she could no longer bear to feel his hands on her anymore. She shoved him off roughly and exclaimed, "Let go of me, Vito Castaldo! I already told you that I'm still bleeding from my wounds!"