"I'm not coming. I'm going to my room," Violette replied, walking straight to her room.

She heard Irene ask Hans worriedly behind her. "Hans, is Violette angry because we didn't invite her?"

"It's okay. Violette never liked going to the movies. She always gets a headache from looking at the big screen."

"Thank goodness. I feel so guilty that the three of us went to see the movie without inviting her," Irene said.

Violette clenched her fists, a bitter smile on her lips. In her heart, she said, 'Hans, do you know that I always like watching movies at the cinema?

Every time Violette asked Hans to watch a movie, he would just buy her a ticket and reserve the entire cinema for Violette.

However, Violette always watched alone and felt lonely. After watching alone several times, Violette finally gave up inviting Hans to watch movies and began to hate movies.

Hans had the money and power to appease his wife, but he was never there for her. However, for another woman, he was willing to cancel all his schedules and fly across the world to be by Irene's side.

***

Irene sent him a video of the three of them having dinner and playing at an amusement park. The video showed their closeness, like a family, with Damien calling Hans “Daddy” and Irene “Mommy,” showing them as his parents.

Violette saved the video and sent the divorce papers signed by Hans to Mr. Smith.

"Mr. Smith, I have sent the documents. I will pay whatever it costs to speed up the divorce."

"Okay, Mrs. Lombardi. I will let you know as soon as the divorce is finalized. It will take a month."

"All right, thank you, Mr. Smith."

Violette ended the phone call with Mr. Smith. Next, she prepared the documents she needed to take with her when she left the villa.

The villa, which they had built together during their fifteen years of marriage, was now meaningless. She threw away all the gifts and diamond jewelry, even the first preserved flowers Hans had given her when they got engaged.

There was nothing she needed to take. All the property and businesses Hans had given her over the years were in this country.

Violette would leave all that behind to free herself from her ties to Hans Lombardi.

Violette has not told her family that she is divorcing Hans. They think Violette is happily married to Hans, and Hans is a good son-in-law in their eyes.

If her parents knew Violette wanted a divorce, they would try to talk her out of it and tell Hans.

Then the divorce would never have happened, preserving the friendship between the two families.

Violette will tell them after the divorce is finalized. At that point, there will be nothing they can do to prevent her from divorcing.

Hans, Irene, and Damien have returned home. Violette does not greet them and goes to the bathroom to freshen up.

When she came out of the bathroom wearing a nightgown, Hans was already in the room and had unbuttoned his shirt. Calmly, Violette went to the dressing table and began her facial routine.

Hans stood behind her and gently squeezed her shoulders.

"Sorry I'm home late. Damien insisted on going to the amusement park and lost track of time."

"Hm. It's okay."

Hans leaned down, resting his chin on Violette's shoulder and kissing her neck.

The scent of Hans's expensive perfume mixed with the pungent scent of roses made Violette's stomach churn. Her lips smiled bitterly as she remembered who the owner of that rose perfume was.

"Vio, just be quiet today," Hans whispered, kissing her earlobe. "Are you uncomfortable with Irene being here?"

"No," Violette replied with a fake smile.

"Irene is just our sister-in-law. She's also part of the Lombardi family."

"I know.”

"Is it because Damien is too close to Irene that you're upset?"

"No. They should be close because they are mother and son."

Hans stared at Violette through the reflection in the dressing table mirror, sensing Irene's unusual change. He had felt it since Irene moved into their house. He thought it was because Violette didn't like Damien being close to his biological mother.

Violette stared back calmly, trying not to appear cold in front of him.

"Don't be too angry with Damien for being close to his mother. We have to raise him because he is the heir to the Lombardi family since we cannot have children."

"Hm," Violette replied indifferently.

"If only you could have..." Hans stopped himself before he finished the sentence that would hurt Violette.

They had been childless for fifteen years. Hans had never made an issue of it because Violette was the daughter of the Renault family. Their marriage was intended to maintain the alliance between the two powerful mafia families.

"Don't give up, we'll try again," Hans whispered in Violette's ear.

Violette's body tensed as Hans' lips kissed the corner of her mouth and his hand pulled down her nightgown. She immediately pushed Hans' hand away before he could see the scar on her chest.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not feeling well. I got my period today," Violette said coldly.

Suddenly, the cell phone on the bedside table rang.

"Your phone is ringing." Violette turned her face away.

Hans grumbled, picking up his phone without moving away from Violette's body.

"Hello..."

"Hans, can you come here?" Irene's voice sounded frightened on the phone.

"What's going on?" Hans' voice was full of concern.

"I think I heard an intruder in my room. I'm really scared, Hans."

"Don't be afraid. I'll be right there." He hurriedly moved away from Violette and took the gun from the desk drawer.

"Wait here, I'll check what's going on," he said without looking at Violette and rushed out of the room.

Violette scoffed, knowing what drama Irene was creating. She heard from the maid that Irene was terrified to find her bedroom window open while she was bathing, and she had seen a shadow pass by outside the window.

However, shortly after, Hans and Irene appeared at her door.

"What?" Violette stood in front of them.

"Vio, Irene's room isn't safe, and we haven't found the intruder yet. Irene is scared and doesn't dare to stay in her room. So, for the time being, Irene will stay in this room."

Violette's face paled as she stared at Hans in disbelief.

“ Hans, have you lost your mind?"

Hans's expression immediately turned stern. "This room has the highest security. Irene will be safe here. You can move to the next room."

"This is our room, Hans! How dare you bring another woman into our room!" Violette refused, her chest felt hot, and her tears blurred her vision.

This was the private room they had shared for years since they got married, even before Irene came and destroyed their marriage.

Every detail of this room's decor was engraved in her heart. She had spent her thoughts and time tracking down the right fabric and furniture to decorate the bridal chamber. She and Hans had shared many beautiful memories in this room over the years.

How could Hans bring another woman into their room and kick her out without a shred of guilt?

Irene pretended to tremble with fear, hiding behind Hans while clutching his hand.

"Hans, it's okay. I can be placed in any room. It's better if I just move out of this house.”

Hans's face softened as he looked at Irene and stroked her arm. "It's not safe for you to go out in the middle of the night like this. That intruder is definitely after you. Of all the people in this villa, you're the only one being terrorized. I have to protect you because it's my responsibility."

"But what about Violette...?"

Hans shifted his gaze to Violette indifferently. "Violette, as someone older than Irene, you have to give in. Give this room to Irene."

"You're worried about Irene being attacked, but what about me? What if the intruder hurts me—"

Hans interrupted her. "You grew up in a mafia family. You've faced dangerous situations many times, but you've always been safe all these years. You're different from Irene, who is weak and unable to fight back."

Not wanting to hear Violette's refusal, Hans called a servant to move Violette's belongings to another room.

Violette clenched her hands tightly. Pain pierced her chest. Tears threatened to fall.

Since Irene returned a year ago, Hans's attitude had changed. He cared more about Irene and no longer cared about the image of a caring husband that he had always projected.

"I'm sorry, Violette. I didn't mean to make you move out of this room..." Irene whispered weakly, looking at her with an apologetic gaze. But the corners of her lips curled into a sly smile.

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault," Hans said, glancing indifferently at Violette. "Don't blame Irene."

"I didn't say anything," Violette replied coldly.

"Hans, can you stay with me for a while? I'm afraid to be alone. "Irene leaned weakly on Hans as if she were about to faint.

" Okay, I'll keep you company."

Ignoring Violette's reaction, Hans took Irene into their room and closed the door right in front of her face.

Violette took a deep breath, her hands clenched into fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her chest feeling tight.

The events of that night quickly spread among the servants. They witnessed Violette being kicked out of the main bedroom while Hans accompanied Irene there.

All the servants could clearly see that Hans had shown how important Irene was to him. At that moment, Violette lost face in her own home and became the subject of ridicule by the servants.

Hans did not attempt to remedy the situation or apologize to Violette.

A phone call from Violette's family came, as if they had heard the news. Her mother, Anna, in particular, immediately reprimanded Violette.

["Vio, how could you let another woman treat you like that? Where is your pride as a daughter of the Renault family?"]

"Mom, what happened was..."

["Forget it. Don't get into a conflict with Hans over a mistress. After all, you are still Mrs. Lombardi. You have to maintain that status."]

"Mom, your daughter was humiliated like this, how can you say that to me?" Violette said in disbelief on the phone.

["Violette, how old are you now? You are a woman who has been married for a long time but have yet to bear children for the Lombardi family. Don't make Hans unhappy and cause him to fight with you because of a mistress. If you divorce Hans, the Renault family will not accept you anymore."]

Violette did not answer. Her hands clenched tightly as she listened to her mother, Anna's, indifferent words. She understood that she was useless in the eyes of her family because she had not given the Lombardi family any children.

["Vio, are you listening to me? There's no need to fight with Hans over a mistress. He will get bored eventually and you will remain Mrs. Lombardi. It's better to think about how you can get pregnant."]

Violette's heart was so tired that she didn't argue with her mother.

"I understand, Mom." She hung up the phone.

Her family's attitude made Violette even more determined to keep her divorce a secret, and she would not return to the Renault family.

Hans came home early that day and found Violette in their main bedroom, packing some of her belongings into cardboard boxes.

"What did you tell your family?" His expression looked unhappy.

"Nothing," Violette replied briefly and wearily, continuing to pack her clothes into a box.

"Then why did your father call me and bring up Irene?"

"I don't know, but my mother called me today. She also talked about Irene. It seems they heard the news last night from a servant. You know, in a mafia family like ours, there are always spies everywhere. "

Hans paused for a moment and then exhaled." Don't worry too much about what happened last night. Irene wasn't raised like us, growing up in a mafia family. She was very frightened by the intruder last night."

"Yes. I know." Violette bowed her head, busy packing her belongings into cardboard boxes.

"Why are you packing so many things into that box? You don't need to pack so much. Once Irene calms down, you can come back to this room."

"It's okay. She can stay in this room as long as she wants. And these things are for me to donate to the orphanage."

Hans stared at her for a moment, his brow furrowed. He felt that Violette was indifferent and was even giving up their bedroom just like that. She was not the type of person who would give away her belongings to anyone, and she was stubborn.

Hans looked at the items packed in the boxes. They were valuable to Violette because they were gifts from him. The dolls were gifts Hans had given Violette from the ages of 10 to 18, along with a few other items.

"Those things… don't you really like them? Do really need to throw them away?"

"Oh, I feel like I'm too old to keep these things. There must be lots of children in orphanages who would love these dolls." Violette smiled gently at Hans.

Hans didn't think about it any further. He placed an invitation and a gift box on Violette's lap.

"An invitation to the Lombardi family party tomorrow night. We both have to attend and show everyone that we're doing well."

"Okay." Violette stroked the gift box Hans had given her.

When she opened it, the contents were stunning: a delicate silk dress and the latest diamonds from a famous brand.

Despite their recent argument, Hans still knew her taste and favorite brands. Her heart wavered for a moment. At least Hans still respected her.

"Wear that dress tomorrow night."

Violette looked up and nodded, smiling.

The next day at seven in the evening, Violette checked the dress she had asked the maid to wash and iron. However, she found Irene ironing her dress. The iron was emitting steam, and there was a burning smell. Next to her, Damien was busy playing with Violette's broken jewelry set on the floor.

"Irene, what are you doing?!" Violette rushed to save her dress and pushed Irene aside.

The dress was beyond saving. There were burn marks and a gaping hole in the middle of the dress.

"Oops, sorry Violette... I accidentally burned your dress. You're not going to blame me, right?" Irene said with a cynical smile on her lips, not attempting to hide that it was intentional.

"Mommy, look at this ugly necklace! The chain is broken!" Damien exclaimed, pointing to Violette's broken necklace.

"Damien, don't be naughty, Sweetie. That's Violette's precious necklace."

"This ugly necklace is useless. It breaks so easily!" Damien stuck out his tongue and threw the necklace carelessly, causing the diamond pendant to separate and shatter on the floor.

Irene chuckled, then looked at Violette with a satisfied smile. "Looks like you can't wear that dress and jewelry. If you want, I can lend you my old dress."

Violette's hands clenched and trembled as she tried to hold back her anger. "Irene, watch your attitude in my house. Don't try to provoke me if you don't want to regret it."

Irene flicked her hair back over her neck with a haughty attitude. "Still pretending to be the lady of the house? Tsk, did you know that Hans and I made love on your bed?" She showed the hickey on her neck. "Look, he's so wild and can't stop. He said he was bored to death when he was with you. You can't make him excited because you're like... "

Before Irene could finish her sentence, Violette slapped her hard. Her expression was very dark.

" Irene, you're just Hans' mistress. Hans doesn't even dare to admit it and show you to everyone, don't overstep your bounds. I've been patient enough with you! If you provoke me again, you'll suffer the consequences."

Violette didn't want to waste her energy dealing with a mistress, especially since she was going to divorce Hans. But Irene repeatedly provoked her, causing her patience to run out.

Irene glared at Violette with red, hate-filled eyes. Her lips curled into a cynical smile as she glanced at the door, seeing Hans approaching from a distance.

"You evil woman! How dare you hit my mom!" Damien shouted and bit Violette's hand.

"Damien, let go!" Violette shouted, pushing Damien away, but he bumped into the ironing board.

Irene suddenly grabbed Damien and protected him, just as the iron fell on her shoulder.

"Akhhh..." Her cry was loud. She cried as she hugged Damien in her arms. "Violette, I know Damien isn't your biological child, but you don't have to burn him with an iron! He's just a little boy! You'd better burn me instead!"

"Irene!" Hans rushed in and took the hot iron away. He stood up and slapped Violette very hard.

"Violette, this time you've gone too far in hurting Damien and Irene!"

The slap was so hard that it tore the corner of Violette's lip. This was the first time Hans had ever hit her.

Violette smiled bitterly as she wiped the blood from the corner of her lip.

"I didn't mean to hurt Damien. But Irene started the fight by destroying my dress and jewelry."

The second slap struck Violette's face again.

"Just because of a dress and some jewelry, you had the heart to burn Damien and Irene with an iron. Your heart is so cruel," Hans snapped. "You have to apologize to Irene!"

Violette gritted her teeth. "Don't you dare tell me to apologize to that bitch!"

"You..." Hans was about to hit her again, but seeing Violette's face already bruised and the corner of her lip torn, he lowered his hand, feeling guilty. However, when he saw Irene crying protectively as she hugged Damien, her back injured, his heart hardened.

He lifted Irene into his arms, then ordered the guards.

"Lock Violette in her room and don't give her food or drink until she apologizes."

Violette stared coldly at his back. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She wiped them away roughly.

Enough, Violette. Don't cry for him anymore!

Violette was locked up without food or drink. Her mother called again, asking why she had let Hans take Irene to the Lombardi family party in her place.

Apparently, to calm Irene down, Hans had taken her to the Lombardi family party and given her the best dress and jewelry. They had claimed that Violette was sick and had asked her sister-in-law to replace her.

Even though they were in another country, the Renault family received a lot of information about what was happening here.

Violette wiped her forehead, then hung up on her mother. Her ears hurt from hearing her mother's accusations.

After that night, Hans didn't come home and took Irene and Damien on vacation to Italy, Japan, and Greece.

Irene showed off their vacation in videos that she sent nonstop to Violette—everything, without exception, including intimate photos and videos of them in bed.

Meanwhile, Violette was still locked up. The maid gave her food and drink, kept asking if she had apologized, and then reported it to Hans.

Violette survived by drinking tap water from the bathroom.

Hans extended her confinement until they returned from vacation.

When Violette thought she was dying and starving to death, she woke up in her room with an IV tube attached to her hand.

Hans sat on the side of the bed with a stiff face and guilt covered by an angry gaze.

"If only you had admitted your mistake earlier, this wouldn't have happened."

Violette covered her face. She didn't want to see Hans's face—the man who had torn her heart apart.

Hans sighed.

"Violette, stop being stubborn and just apologize to Irene."

Irene appeared behind Hans. She smiled understandingly and said softly, "Hans, it's okay. Violette is the daughter of the Renault family. Of course, her pride is so high that she won't apologize to me, who is nobody."

Hans glared at Violette angrily.

"Being the daughter of the Renault family has made you so arrogant!"