Pia's resistance caught Vito off guard. He staggered back by a few steps after getting shoved, barely regaining his balance afterward.

He stared at her in disbelief. His demand had just been rejected by her, and his eyes grew sharp at once.

"How dare you defy me!"

Pia clutched at her wound that was now bleeding through the bandages and trembled with pain. Yet, she still met his angry gaze.

"Do you truly care if I'm dead or alive? I've already blown off Santi's ear, and you're still offering to give me up in exchange? You're sending me to my death!"

Vito's expression softened slightly. He soothed her and said, "You're my fiancee, Pia. How could I not care about you? I will immediately find a way to save you as soon as the document is in my hands and make sure that you're not at all harmed in any way."

However, his words were nothing but lies to Pia now.

She looked at him with red-rimmed eyes, her voice trembling as she asked, "Who do you actually see me for, Vito? Your fiancee? Or just a commodity used as a transaction?"

Vito didn't expect her to ask him such a question. He frowned and said in displeasure, "Of course, you're my fiancee. We're already engaged to each other. Are you telling me that you can't feel how sincere I am toward you?"

She recalled the hypnotizing engagement party that had been just for show and chuckled. Every word she said pierced straight into Vito's heart.

"So, you're willing to push your fiancee to the forefront and watch her die?"

Vito's face was dark, his eyes burning with anger at being defied.

They continued staring at each other as the tension around them grew even more suffocating than ever.

After a long silence, Vito reached out and gripped Pia by her chin, uttering words that sent a deep chill straight down her spine.

"You will go to him in three days."

This wasn't just a statement, but a direct order.

His piercing gaze cut through Pia, the cold indifference in his demeanor causing a sharp pain in her chest.

She felt herself being consumed by a burning hatred. A single thought suddenly crossed her mind.

She had already repaid all the debts she owed him over the years when she risked her life multiple times for him.

And now, she was completely done playing the fake fiancee.

She was going to run away and escape him completely. She was going to escape from the clutches of the Castaldo Famiglia!

After Vito was gone, Pia left the hospital, making sure to avoid the surveillance cameras in the hospital, and went straight home to pack.

She stuffed her clothes and belongings higgledy-piggledy into her trunk until it nearly burst at the seams. After multiple failed attempts to zip it up and having the zip break and fall to the floor instead, she finally couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears, no longer knowing what to do.

She just suddenly realized that she had no place to go.

Ever since Vito brought her back from the Hughlin slums when she was 15 years old, he had been her only refuge.

But now, she realized with a start that her entire world had been built on Vito's lies after all.

Now that the lies had shattered, her whole world collapsed, leaving her with no place to go.

She felt so helpless that she went completely numb, subconsciously rubbing the diamond ring on her ring finger.

Vito was the one who had personally placed it around her finger. It was engraved with her name on it, proving that she was the "one and only person" in his heart.

But now, it was pathetically ironic after all.

She plucked off the ring in a temper, meaning to throw it in the trash. While raising her hand, however, she hesitated as a final, almost-pathetic shred of devotion pulled her back as if she was bewitched.

Just as her fingertip brushed against the prongs, she suddenly sensed a slight looseness in the stone.

Her eyes narrowed as she carefully pried it open.

To her shock, she discovered a tiny tracking device that was almost invisible to the naked eye hidden underneath the diamond.

Pia's eyes widened at once as a chill crept into her bones.

Then, she burst out laughing.

Her sorrowful, self-deprecating laughter gradually turned colder and fainter with each passing second until tears finally rolled into her mouth.

As it turned out, everything had been nothing but a facade—Vito's care for her, his sincerity toward her, and even the ring, which was supposed to be a symbol of promise, turned out to be an invisible shackle instead.

He had wanted to make sure that she would never escape his grasp, ever!

It only just dawned on her then that she could probably never escape Vito's control on her own without any outside help.

The more she thought about it, the more desperate, fearful, and anxious she was.

She sat on the cold floor the entire night as she thought for a long time.

When dawn broke, she inhaled deeply and dialed a number.

"I want to discuss a potential offer with you."

Less than half an hour later, Pia received a text message on her phone.

It said, "The money has been transferred into your bank account, and your new identity will be finalized tomorrow. I'll be sending someone to take you to the airport at 2:00 pm sharp tomorrow afternoon, and you will no longer have anything to do with the Castaldo Famiglia anymore.

"Also, you had better not try any funny business, or you will never be able to bear the consequences!"

Pia stared at the text message and finally managed to relax her taut nerves.

It finally dawned on her that after sitting on the cold floor for the entire night, she was now burning hot everywhere on her body.

Her wounds hadn't healed yet, and now, she was also running a high fever.

She hurriedly took some meds and went to bed, slowly closing her eyes. Finally, she could get a good night's rest now.

Just when she thought she could get through her last night here in peace before escaping the next day, she received a blaring phone call that immediately shattered the illusion.

"Pia Bellucci! Get downstairs immediately!"

She'd only just answered the call when Vito's Underboss, Ciro Pagano, spoke urgently to her on the phone.

A pang of fear swept through her as she became alert at once.

Ever since discovering the location tracker in the ring, she was no longer surprised that they knew exactly where to find her now. Yet, Ciro's urgent voice made her feel very uneasy.

She hurried down the stairs. Before she could even ask what was going on, she was forcefully shoved into the car at once.

"Don Castaldo has demanded that you go to the docks immediately."

Pia's fingers clenched as her heart pounded in her chest.

"I have a fever, and it still hasn't gone down yet…"

"This is the Don's order," Ciros said, starting up the car at once and speeding off, his eyes focusing only on the road ahead.

Ultimately, Pia wasn't able to fight back, so she followed him to the docks, her heart pounding with anxiety.

When she was dragged onto the yacht deck, she realized that chaos had already unfolded at the scene. She swept her gaze across the crowd and immediately saw Alessia standing on the opposite yacht, her makeup a smudged mess, while crying and screaming for Vito.

Meanwhile, the man standing behind her was the very person Pia hoped she never had to meet again in her life—Santi Cuomo.

The man who had demanded her in exchange for the Castaldo Famiglia's top-secret document had turned up here.

Fear and panic gripped Pia's heart at once. She trembled hard as her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach.

Santi had grabbed Alessia by her hair, forcing her to look up as he laughed cruelly with a triumphant glint in his eyes.

"This is your real fiancee, isn't she, Vito Castaldo? She looks so similar to Pia that I nearly grabbed the wrong person! Had I never followed your car and caught this woman, I would have completely fallen for your ruse! Haha!"

Vito's expression changed as he began panicking.

He never thought that Alessia would take his car out on a joyride on her own. His initial plan to exchange Pia for the document and then kill Santi was totally ruined now!

"Don't you dare try any funny business, Vito!" Santi yelled, the gruesome scarring on his ear twisting with rage. "Hand over Pia Bellucci at once, and I'll let this woman go! If not, then I'll beat her to death right now!"

His gaze swept across the crowd before freezing on Pia, his eyes blazing with hatred as soon as he saw her.

"Pia Bellucci, you damn bitch! Today, I'm going to make you wish you were dead!"

Pia looked at Santi's crazed state and felt a chill running down her spine. He looked like he was the Grim Reaper himself.

Vito gulped hard, his Adam's apple bobbing anxiously in his throat as he watched Santi point a gun at Alessia's temples. His throat tightened as he yelled back, "Santi! I've already brought Pia here just as you said!

"You can do whatever you want to her! Just let Alessia go!"

Pia stared at him, completely stunned, her heart sinking deeper than the ocean itself.

So, even though Alessia was the one who ruined all his plans, she was still the one to pay the price because she was nothing but a tool—a sacrificial pawn, to him.

"You want me…to die in Alessia's place?"

Her voice trembled hard as if there was a needle pricking at her throat.

Vito answered in a low voice, "You're skilled in combat, Pia. But Alessia… She isn't."

Even so, did that still mean that Pia deserved to be tortured by Santi and used as Alessia's scapegoat again and again, like this?

Pia felt all of her strength drain away.

She looked at Vito's resolute eyes and suddenly laughed out loud, tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't want to be your bodyguard anymore. You have no right to decide my life or death!"

Vito's face was as dark as thunder. "You became a MadeMan of the Castaldo Famiglia the moment I saved you from the slums. I am your Don. And whatever I tell you to do, you will do it!"

While speaking, he seemed to notice Pia's hurt, wounded look in her eyes, and her pale face, and suddenly softened inexplicably.

His tone softened as he said, "Just work with me, Pia. I won't abandon you even after rescuing Alessia."

Pia continued to struggle, but Vito ordered his men to tie up her hands and gag her mouth.

"Trust me."

Santi, on the other hand, was beginning to lose his patience. He threatened loudly, "Stop yapping nonsense and send her over at once! Otherwise, I'm going to shoot!"

Vito inhaled deeply like he was making a hard decision, and personally handed the restrained Pia to Santi's men.

Almost at the same time, Alessia was released and shoved back haphazardly into Vito's arms.

Santi's eyes were filled with hatred. The moment Alessia landed in Vito's arms, he cocked his gun and pulled the trigger, roaring and cursing out loud.

"Die, all of you!"

Gunshots rang out, and Pia saw Vito instantly shield Alessia behind him. The bullet embedded itself right into his left arm. He let out a painful groan as blood instantly began seeping from his arm.

His Soldati acted swiftly, immediately rushing to shield him behind them and suppressing Santi's Soldati with more gunfire, managing to pull their wounded Don to safety.

Pia wanted to scream for help, but her hands were tied, and her mouth was gagged. She could only twist her body in vain while looking at Vito in despair.

The same man who had rescued her from the slums and given her a new life was now pressing on his wound on his bloody arm while looking at her as if to say, "Wait for me. I'll save you!"

She remembered Vito saying the same thing to her countless times during past shootouts and chaos, and she'd always believed him.

But this time, she resolutely turned her head away.

She didn't want to see him again.

She was no longer his puppet.

She was never entrusting her life to anyone else again!

Pia was pinned to the deck by Santi's Soldati. Her wrists ached from the tight grip as her old wounds also began throbbing in pain.

Santi crouched down and slammed the butt of his gun hard against her head, laughing manically like a demon.

"You might have blown off my ear, Pia, but you're going to wish you died in that crossfire now that you're in my hands!"

The blow made Pia very dizzy. She tensed up and dug her nails into the cracks in the deck, trying her best to suppress the pain and fear in her chest.

Just then, Vito's voice sounded urgently from the other end.

"I've already handed Pia over to you, Santi! Hand over the documents now!"

Pia gasped coldly at that, not daring to move an inch while lying on the deck.

When Santi heard Vito, however, he chuckled and sneered at him.

"Pia was for your stupid fiancee. And now, you're still demanding even more from me?"

He looked at Pia on the ground, who was now beneath his feet, as an evil, calculating glint appeared in his eyes.

Then, he grabbed Pia forcefully by the hair and forced her to look at Vito.

"Sure. I'll give you the documents you want, Vito, on one condition.

"I want this bitch to die the slowest, most painful, and most horrible death. I know that you're head over heels for her. So, if you'll open fire at her and slowly shoot her to her death, I'll consider giving you back the documents."

The entire world seemed to freeze at Santi's cruel words.

Vito's face turned pale as he looked at Pia helplessly.

Hearing that, Alessia immediately went over to Vito's ear and said, "Say yes to him, Vito! Say yes! She's nothing but a scapegoat anyway. If she dies, she dies. You need to get hold of the documents to eliminate all future threats! Don't lose the forest for the tree!"

Pia's face was also ashen as she awaited Vito's answer, as if it were her death verdict.

When Santi saw that Vito was still hesitating, he yelled loudly and threatened him again.

"Why are you still dragging things on, Vito Castaldo? Either shoot her now or watch me throw the documents into the sea! And when that happens, you're not getting back either of them! I'm only going to count to three.

"Three…

"Two…"

"Fine! I'll shoot! I'll shoot!" Vito exclaimed, raising his run in the air and taking aim at Pia.

Pia stared back at him coldly.

This man, the Don of the Castaldo mafia, who had saved her from the slums and used to be her entire religion—was now pointing a gun at her.

Vito's hand holding the gun was trembling slightly. His eyes were filled with reluctance as he fought with himself.

However, with Alessia's constant urging and Santi's endless threats, he finally pulled the trigger, firing the first shot at Pia.

A single, piercing gunshot rang out.

The final obsession Pia kept clinging to, the one she'd been holding onto for years, crumbled as well.

The bullet struck Pia squarely in the shoulders. Blood splattered everywhere and soaked into her clothes.

Pia staggered backward and let out a muffled groan as her entire body trembled, the excruciating pain radiating throughout her entire body.

She'd gone completely numb now and felt like she'd just fallen into a bottomless well, helpless and powerless to do anything.

She'd ultimately played her cards wrong in the end.

Santi began laughing like a maniac, his laughter sharp and piercing.

"That was a good one, Vito! Go ahead! Fire the next shot!"

Vito frowned when he sensed Pia's pain. Just as he slowly raised his gun again for the second shot, he saw his Soldati, who'd been hiding in the waters earlier, trying to board the yacht and ambush Santi while he and his Soldati were distracted.

However, Santi was well aware of the incoming danger when he spotted movement under the surface of the water. He immediately shouted, "I knew it! I knew you'd play dirty! Soldati! Attack!"

As soon as the order was out of his mouth, the Soldatos underwater suddenly emerged, but they were mowed down by Santi's men instead. Bullets ricocheted across the surface of the sea, splashing water everywhere as gunfire erupted.

The two opposing Famiglia opened fire instantly at each other in a chaotic manner.

Santi grabbed Pia from the ground and shielded himself behind her as he retreated toward the cabin.

"How dare you play dirty with me, Vito Castaldo! Watch me drag her down to hell with me!"

Vito's eyes turned red. He wanted to rush out to save Pia, but his own Soldati stopped him. So, he could only watch helplessly as Pia was dragged away by Santi, feeling a sharp pain piercing into his heart as rage and resentment filled him.

Pia was violently dragged into the yacht's cabin by Santi's Soldati. His angry voice resonated loudly in her ears.

"The Cuomo Famiglia fell into this state all because of you and Vito! I'm going to deal with you first today before settling the score with him another time!"

Pia curled up into a fetal position, blood still streaming from her shoulder. She knew that Santi was a madman, and there was only a chance for her survival if she remained calm now.

Her powerful will to live transformed her fear into clarity.

She frantically scanned her surroundings for an escape route and finally fixed her gaze on the fruit knife lying on the table nearby.

Before waiting for Santi to respond, she suddenly kicked upward with her knee right into his crotch area.

In the time when he crouched over in pain, she grabbed the knife in her mouth, severed the ropes binding her wrists together, and then grabbed Santi in a headlock, forcing him back step by step until they reached the other edge of the deck.

At that moment, the yacht's engine was already started up, and it was slowly moving away from Vito's yacht.

Pia watched the receding silhouette of Vito's yacht, feeling more and more despaired.

Meanwhile, Vito's heart sank when he saw Pia and Santi in a stalemate on the deck of the other yacht. Just as he was about to rush forward to try and grab hold of the rope of the raft on the side, his Soldati held him back by his arms and exclaimed, "Don Castaldo! You can't go after them!

"Our yacht was already too far away from them. We can't forcefully infiltrate their yacht now anymore!"

"Let me go! I need to save Pia!" he exclaimed, struggling against his constraints as he watched Pia's figure eventually getting caught up by Santi's men. He wanted nothing more than to rush over to her and protect her behind his back.

Santi, now the hostage, had completely gone mad. His eyes were bloodshot as he struggled hard against Pia's hold, roaring aloud that he was going to personally drag her down with him if they went under.

Pia was already initially injured in the first place, and she'd lost a lot of strength during the stalemate earlier. Eventually, her strength waned, and she wasn't able to subdue him anymore, allowing him to break free from her grasp.

After breaking free from Pia, Santi staggered backward and yelled at his Soldati, "Kill that bitch!"

Pia looked at the deep, dark sea behind her and took a deep breath.

Then, she leaped into the water as gunshots rang out.