"Get on my knees?"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing from the man I had loved for three years.

In front of the entire New York underworld, he wanted his wife to kneel before a mistress and an illegitimate child!

"Never."

I gritted my teeth, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at him defiantly.

Lorenzo narrowed his eyes, a sure sign of his murderous intent.

"Vivian, don't make me do this. If you don't kneel, you can kiss your legs goodbye."

The bodyguards closed in, grabbed my shoulders and forced me down.

I struggled wildly. My hair came undone, making me look like a madwoman.

Crack.

My knees slammed onto the floor, shards of glass digging into my flesh.

Blood instantly stained the white fabric of my dress, the pain seeping deep.

But I didn't cry out. I continued to glare at Lorenzo.

"Enough!"

Just as I was being forced to bow, an elderly figure rushed forward.

It was Uncle Carl.

My family's old butler, and someone who had watched me grow up.

The man, well past sixty, threw himself in front of me, pushing the bodyguards away.

"Lorenzo, you scum!"

Carl pointed a finger at Lorenzo, berating him.

"You swore to protect Vivian, but now you're humiliating her for some tramp! Did the dogs eat your conscience?"

The crowd gasped.

No one dared speak to the Don like that.

Lorenzo's face was like thunder, murder swirling in his eyes.

Elena let out a cold laugh as she grabbed a steak knife from the table.

"You old fool, you don't address the Don by his name!"

Thwack!

The sound of a blade piercing flesh could be heard.

Elena moved with lightning speed, driving the knife through Carl's shoulder, pinning him to the solid wooden table.

"AAGH!!"

Carl screamed, cold sweat drenching his back.

"Uncle Carl!"

I rushed over madly, trying to pull the knife out.

But the bodyguards held me back, making sure I couldn't move.

Lorenzo looked on coldly, as if it were a boring play.

"This is the consequence of defying me."

He looked down at me, swirling the wine in his glass.

"Did that hurt you, Vivian? If you admit that you're a jealous, wicked woman and swear to serve Elena from now on, I'll let the old man go to the hospital. Otherwise, he'll bleed to death right here."

I looked at Carl's pale face, at the pool of blood on the table.

He was the only person in the world who still genuinely cared about me.

My dignity was worthless compared to his life.

I stopped struggling, my body drained of strength.

"Alright ...

"I admit it.

"I'm a wicked woman... I shouldn't have been jealous of Elena...

"I beg you... please let him go."

Each word felt like glass shards in my throat.

My tears dripped onto the floor, mixing with the blood.

Lorenzo waved his hand like he was shooing away a fly.

"Get this geezer out of here."

Lorenzo wasn't satisfied; he listened to Elena's poisonous suggestion to lock me in the basement with no sunlight to reflect on my actions.

I was dragged away by two bodyguards like a dead dog.

As I passed Elena, I saw a gleam of triumph in her eyes.

Lorenzo's cold voice came from behind, devoid of any emotion.

"Vivian, remember today's lesson and reflect on your actions!"

At that moment, any illusion I still had of Lorenzo completely shattered.

My love for him vanished, leaving behind only a deep hatred.

The basement was cold and damp at night, filled with the smell of must.

I curled up quietly in a corner.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The sound of high heels echoed closer.

I looked up, our eyes meeting. Elena was staring down at me.

Elena crouched down. Seeing my blood-soaked body, she laughed uncontrollably.

"Tsk tsk, what a mess."

When I didn't respond, she leaned in close, whispering a cruel secret in my ear.

"Vivian, you're so naive. That bad investment your dad made as well as your brother's car accident were all orchestrated by Lorenzo. We put a lot of effort into taking over your family's shipping lines, you know."

Boom.

Thunder rumbled outside, but all I could feel was a sense of absurdity.

The man I had shared a bed with for three years was the one who had devoured my family and caused our ruin.

I screamed and lunged at Elena, clawing and hitting.

"You killed my brother!"

Elena laughed even harder. She stood up and pulled out a silver handgun, aiming it at my forehead.

"I was going to keep you around as part of my act, but you disappointed me today. In that case, I'll send you down to meet your brother. Lorenzo doesn't care if you live or die anyway. Goodbye, Vivian."

The moment the gun went off, I instinctively shut my eyes and recoiled, but the expected pain never came.

A tall figure stepped out of the shadows.