The two childhood sweethearts swear that they'll marry no one but me, but they stand by as my dog of ten years gets killed in a car accident. I cradle the dog's mangled body, but no tears fall.

Dante Battaglia stares at me in disgust and asks, "Why did you bring it home? Don't you know Anna's allergic to it?"

Dario Battaglia immediately rushes over to snatch away the body in my arms. "This is a damned jinx. Get rid of it!"

The Battaglia siblings and I are childhood friends. Dante became the Don, and Dario the Consigliere. I'm the precious princess in the two brothers' eyes, but everything changes with Anna's arrival.

After burying the dog myself, I reply to the email inviting me to join an international classified project.

The email reads, "Ms. Julia Costanza, we'd like to know if you're willing to participate in this institute's ten-year-long classified project. Upon joining, your personal information will be sealed for a decade, and you will be prohibited from contacting the outside world."

I replied, "Yes, I agree."

It was already late when I sent that email. As I gazed at the photo of myself and the two Battaglia brothers on my bedside table, memories came flooding back to me.

After my mom died, Dad brought Anna Constanza and her mother to our home immediately, while I was left to live with my grandmother.

The Battaglia brothers lived next door. Their father, Daniele Battaglia, was a notorious Ivernian Don. As the Battaglias' heirs, Dante and Dario were groomed from a young age to take over the family in the future.

Dante, being a little older, showed leadership potential from a young age. He constantly behaved like a tiny adult, patting me on the shoulder and saying, "I'll protect you from now on, Julia."

Dario, on the other hand, was gentle and kind. He stayed by my side quietly, offering me the most thoughtful care.

We were all young then, and they had both said they'd marry me. They'd leave it up to me to choose who it was.

On my tenth birthday, they gave me a puppy whom I named Spot. When Spot first arrived, the neighbors' kids picked on him. They kicked and beat Spot mercilessly until Dante rushed over and gave them a sound thrashing. From that day on, nobody dared lay a finger on Spot.

Dario also adored Spot, throwing him a birthday party every year. Yet, everything changed after Anna came along.

Ever since she arrived, the Battaglia brothers began doting on her. As soon as she mentioned disliking Spot, the brothers allowed their underlings to throw him out. I brought Spot back each time, only for them to throw him out again.

Anna constantly flaunted her new bags, gifts, and jewelry in front of me, whether intentionally or not.

"Look at this bag, Julia! Dario got it for me from Fiorland. It's a limited edition item with only a few of its kind worldwide!"

"Look at this outfit Dante gave me! He says I look gorgeous in it!"

"Julia, doesn't this necklace look lovely? Dario said it was the only one worthy of me!"

I knew she wasn't flaunting the items themselves but using them to tell me that the Battaglia brothers no longer put me first. She was now their priority.

Spot's death was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

Just then, the phone rang abruptly. Dario spoke, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Anna was hospitalized due to asthma because you brought that dog back. Make her a crostata and bring it to the hospital immediately to apologize."

Before Dario finished, Dante took over and listed Anna's dietary restrictions. His icy voice came through the receiver, exuding the weight of a leader's command. "Remember. Anna doesn't eat bananas or blueberries, and she's allergic to nuts. You'd better deliver it in half an hour. Don't keep her waiting."

I gripped my phone tightly, my fingers turning slightly white from the pressure.

After the call ended, Anna's new post popped up on my screen. The photo showed Dante peeling apples for her as Dario fed her a sweet drink.

The caption read, "I'm blessed to be cherished by two knights in shining armor."

In the comments section, a friend of the Battaglia siblings couldn't help but ask, "You're being so nice to Anna. Won't Julia get upset and leave you?

Dario's nonchalant reply to the comment was, "She won't get upset. Her parents are gone. Where else could she go if she leaves?"

Dante then commented, "Anna was hospitalized because of her, and I've yet to settle the score with her. If Julia dares to get upset, I won't marry her."

These harsh words were like a dagger to my chest. The pain was so intense that I could barely breathe. They took advantage of my affection for them, recklessly abusing my sincerity.

The words, "I'll marry nobody but her," had now become the blade that cut me the deepest.

Anna was in the comments, feigning concern as she tried to smooth things over. "Come on, now. Julia didn't mean it. Don't hold it against her."

I fought back my tears as I silently opened my email inbox to type out a reply. "I'm willing to join the national research laboratory. I can depart in three days."

The next day, after completing my job transfer application, I headed home to pack my belongings. I'd just reached my doorstep when I saw a bulldozer demolishing Spot's kennel.

"Stop!" I yelled, rushing forward to try to stop them. However, I tripped over some rocks and scraped my arm, which started to bleed.

Dante and Dario stood at the doorway, watching me coldly.

Dante, the Don, stood with his hands in his pockets. His eyes were as cold as ice. It was as if I were someone completely insignificant.

A flicker of hesitation appeared in Dario's eyes, but it was merely hesitation. He did not approach.

Anna shot me a challenging look before feigning innocence. "Julia, don't be mad—"

Before Anna could finish, Dante impatiently cut her off, "What right does she have to be angry? Your biological father died trying to save Dario and me. We should be taking care of you. She knows this, yet she triggered your asthma just to win us over. She's so selfish! How could she be the future Donna?"

He then immediately issued an order, "Clear out this area and plant the roses that Annie likes."

I felt completely numb on the inside.

Anna was cashing in on that goddamn favor owed to her father, constantly using it to provoke me.

Back when we first met, I prepared a gift for her and even arranged for a comfortable, big bedroom for her. But what had she done? That very night, she deliberately destroyed my mom's portrait.

She then leaned in close and tauntingly whispered, "I hear you're the future Donna? Now that I'm here, you should just get lost."

I was practically trembling in anger. I rushed over to push her away, but she let herself trip and fall down the stairs before crying out for help. "Julia, I know you dislike me! I'll just leave, okay?"

Dario and Dante came scurrying over when they heard it. Their expressions darkened when they saw Anna lying on the floor. "Julia, you've gone too far!"

I tried to explain, but Dante had already rushed forward to hold Anna tightly in his arms. His eyes were filled with coldness and hostility as he shoved me violently to the ground. "Julia, how could you be so petty?"

Dario also frowned, his expression one of utter displeasure. "Jules, Annie's father just died. She's already suffering enough. How could you bully her like this? I'm so disappointed in you!"

The roaring of the excavators snapped me back to reality. Spot's kennel had been demolished.

I slumped onto the ground as pain surged through me, but it couldn't compare to the despair in my heart.

The brothers had forgotten that they had once promised to keep Spot's kennel forever. They'd forgotten that they wanted Spot to be the ringbearer at our wedding. They'd forgotten that I was allergic to roses, and just being near them made me break out in hives.

But now, Anna was in Dante's arms, her expression smug. She shot me a glance, her eyes filled with defiance and triumph.

Dante looked at me. When he spoke, his voice carried the unquestionable authority of a Don. "Julia, conduct yourself properly and stop bullying Annie. Otherwise, I'll call off our engagement."

Each word he spoke felt like a dagger piercing my heart.

I held back the heartache and turned around to leave. I no longer wanted to marry Dante.

That evening, after getting my passport sorted, I returned home to find that I couldn't unlock the villa's main door. My fingerprint had been deleted, and the passcode had changed.

I called Dario and Dante dozens of times, but no one answered. Suddenly, it began to rain heavily. I was soaked to the bone as I huddled by the door, shivering from the cold. I hugged myself tightly, trying to ward off the cold with my body heat. Yet, the chill in my heart refused to dissipate.

It wasn't until daylight that the villa's front door opened slowly.

Dario saw me, and there was a flicker of guilt in his eyes. "Annie was worried about safety, so she changed the passcode. Don't stay out late anymore. It's not safe."

Dante came out as well, exuding the intimidating air of a Don. "Couldn't you have found shelter from the rain? Don't try to use such tactics for sympathy. It won't work."

He then took a towel and dried me off, watching as I took some cold medication. "Take your medicine and get some rest. And be quiet. Be careful not to wake Annie."

I quietly made my way inside, my body sore. I was completely spent.

I stumbled back into my room and collapsed onto the bed.

I drifted off to a hazy sleep, my dreams filled with once-pleasant memories. Yet, those beautiful moments had now turned into the most bitter irony. I didn't know how long had passed when I was suddenly awakened by a blast of loud music.

Anna was clad in a revealing slip dress, her makeup exquisite. She was swirling around her wine glass enthusiastically and had even "thoughtfully" pulled back the covers. "Julia, get up! It's a special day today!"

My head was splitting at the seams, and I felt weak all over. I didn't want to acknowledge her at all.

Anna, however, ignored my indifference and continued, "Today marks the first anniversary of my having met the Battaglias. We need to celebrate!"

Having said that, she sashayed out in her heels, twirling and swaying in the living room.

Not long after, I heard the sudden blaring of an alarm from outside. I sat up, my head pounding, only to see Anna standing by my computer with panic written all over her face.

"Julia, I was trying to find some childhood photos of you guys, but I accidentally spilled water on your computer…"

I felt my heart clench. That computer held five years' worth of experimental data. It was five years of hard work and the very foundation of my dreams in research!

I rushed forward and shoved Anna aside, frantically trying to turn on the computer to salvage the data. But the computer was completely wrecked. Five years of hard work were gone, just like that.

Anna, in the meantime, collapsed to the ground and was crying over a minor scrape.

Dante and Dario rushed over upon hearing the commotion and tenderly helped Anna up. She immediately threw herself into Dante's arms, sobbing. "Dante, I didn't mean to! I didn't know this computer was so important to Julia!"

Dario frowned, his gaze reproachful as he looked at me. "Annie didn't do it on purpose, Julia. Why are you being so harsh?"

I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging deep into my palms, but I felt no pain. That was because the ache in my heart was greater.

Dante patted Anna's back and glared coldly at me. His tone was unmistakably threatening as he chided, "It's just some data. Don't make things difficult for her."

As a Don, a single glance from him was enough to make anyone's blood run cold. This was a look usually reserved for just outsiders. Yet, now…

Dario sighed and added, "Just let it go, Jules. Annie didn't do it on purpose."

A subtle, almost imperceptible annoyance flickered in his gaze. To them, I was making a mountain out of a molehill.

Anna nestled into Dante's embrace, a smug smile on her face.

I looked at them, my heart completely devoid of warmth.

Dario carefully helped Anna up, gently comforting her, "Don't be scared, Annie. We'll go to the hospital."

Dante followed close behind. As he passed by me, he nonchalantly said, "Don't get upset with Annie over a job that barely pays. You're about to become the Donna. Try to be more understanding with Anna."

Once upon a time, Dante was the guy who fought others for me. Now, he was treating me with such indifference—over another woman, no less.

Anna followed Dante out. Before leaving, she glanced back at me, her eyes brimming with smugness and defiance. Her gaze seemed to say, "You've lost."

Fighting back tears, I returned to my room, gathered my documents, and left with my suitcase. I hailed a cab and set off for the airport.

From this day on, we were even. I was never going to see Dante and Dario again.