Gianna Rossi struggled in the slums for over a decade before she accidentally discovered she was the biological daughter of the don of the Ricci famiglia, also known as the Gray Wolf famiglia, Domenico Ricci.

She tried to reunite with her family, only to be ruthlessly driven away by the Soldati outside the estate. They left her battered and bruised.

Her lover, Matteo Santoro, wiped the blood from her wounds and swore he would infiltrate the famiglia himself to seek revenge against the Ricci family's fake Principessa on her behalf.

Once he successfully seized power and took control of the Riccis' arms operation, he would restore Gianna to her rightful place as the cherished daughter of the Ricci family.

She believed in his sacrifice and endurance. She hid in the shadows as his secret lover, convinced that his public displays with the fake Principessa were nothing but an act.

Yet one night, Matteo got engaged to the fake Principessa.

Gianna stood in the corner wearing a server's uniform, watching their happiness unfold. She was a fool who had been played for.

The tip was thrown at Gianna Rossi's feet just as the engagement party for the Gray Wolf famiglia's Principessa began.

She bent down to pick up the crumpled bills, but her gaze kept drifting to Matteo Santoro in the center of the crowd. Her throat tightened with bitterness.

Just this morning, they had been wrapped up in each other. Now, he was the Principessa's fiancé and the famiglia's newly promoted Underboss.

The sight of them embracing intimately was particularly painful to watch.

Gianna turned to leave. Before she could take a step, she heard a woman's languid sigh.

"Just drinking is so boring!"

Lucia Ricci toyed with her revolver, her beautiful eyes sweeping across the room before finally locking onto Gianna.

"Hey, you with the tray. Come here!"

"Principessa, how may I serve you?" Gianna lowered her voice, trying to disguise her natural tone.

The other woman tossed her a shot glass the size of a thumb and commanded, "Put it on your head."

Gianna looked up in shock, only to see Lucia waving the gun in her hand with an unrestrained smile.

"I'm in a good mood today. Let me show everyone my shooting skills."

Gianna's heart clenched. She looked desperately toward the distinguished, aloof man. Cigar smoke swirled around him, blocking his line of sight.

There was no rescue or intervention as she had hoped. He simply checked the safety, then handed the gun back to Lucia.

His movements were smooth and elegant, his tone indulgent. "Keep your hand steady. Don't frighten the guests."

"Hurry up!" A Soldato shoved Gianna roughly forward.

Gianna stumbled two steps, trembling as she raised her hand and placed the glass on top of her head.

"Don't shake. You're shaking so much that I can't aim properly." Lucia raised the gun with one hand, her posture arrogant and casual.

Facing the dark barrel of a gun, fear was instinctive.

A familiar cramping sensation seized Gianna's stomach. She bit her lip to control it, letting the taste of iron spread through her mouth.

The bullet grazed her scalp, and the glass shattered instantly.

Gianna tried to dodge the shards, but her legs gave out. She crashed backward into the towering champagne tower behind her.

Millions of dollars' worth of premium champagne cascaded down, burying her in the wreckage.

"What a waste! The Principessa's aim was perfect. Why did she even dodge?"

"That's limited edition vintage wine at hundreds of thousands a bottle!"

Gianna knelt on the broken glass. The shards had already pierced her knees, and the cramping in her stomach made cold sweat pour down her face. She could not even manage an apology.

She could only look toward that man through her disheveled hair.

He still stood in the same spot without even frowning. Then he reached out to wrap his arm around Lucia Ricci's shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

"So boring! She can't even be a decent target."

Only then did Matteo glance at her, as if she were a complete stranger.

"Today's a good day. Don't let the help ruin the mood."

Right. He was now Don Ricci's successor, the newly appointed Underboss of the Gray Wolf famiglia, a man of distinguished status.

She was just a girl raised in the slums. The difference between them was like heaven and earth. But the word "help" still pierced her heart like a poisoned blade.

"As for her..." He considered for a moment, his tone indifferent. "Drag her out. Don't let her be an eyesore in front of the Principessa again."

The butler looked relieved and immediately ordered men to drag her toward the back door. Her body was dragged across the carpet covered in glass shards. Blood and wine mixed together.

Still, Gianna did not struggle or cry out.

The vows he made to others intertwined with the estate's bell chimes, crashing brazenly into her ears. Every heartbeat came with a stabbing pain.

By the time she returned to the suburban villa, it was nearly midnight.

Gianna gasped for breath as she fumbled for the pill bottle by her pillow, trembling all over.

This was a specialty medication, only available through specific channels. The price was shockingly high.

She poured out two pills and swallowed them dry. Before the medication could take effect, her phone lit up with a transfer notification.

[Matteo transferred $50,000.00 to you.]

Immediately after came a brief message.

[Gigi, be good. Stop taking those part-time jobs. I can afford to take care of you.]

Seeing that name and remembering the decisive moment he handed over the gun, her stomach pain intensified again.

She turned off her phone, curled up under the blanket, and listened to the rain outside the window as her consciousness gradually faded.

She did not know how much time had passed when the bedroom door handle turned. She jolted awake.

A man stood in the doorway. His custom suit was somewhat wrinkled, and his tie had been loosened.

He carried a medical kit. His face still bore traces of rain, making him look travel-worn.

"Sorry, I woke you."

She did not speak. The room filled with the invasive smell of tobacco and women's perfume, repeatedly reminding her of tonight's nightmare.

Matteo did not mind her silence. The newly promoted Underboss who stood above others now knelt on one knee beside the bed, gently grasping her scarred calf.

"Be good. Don't move."

When she flinched instinctively, he pulled out tweezers and cotton swabs, carefully picking out the tiny glass fragments with a gentle, focused expression.

"Does it hurt badly?"

After treating her wounds, he tried to touch her face, but she turned her head away.

Gianna lowered her eyes and hesitated for a moment. "Shouldn't you be with the Principessa tonight?"

Why did he still come here? One moment cruel, the next kind.

Matteo's hand froze for a few seconds before he withdrew it.

He seemed to detest that title. His originally gentle expression instantly turned cold, revealing a trace of impatience.

"Why bring her up?"

He removed his coat, still damp with cold air, and slipped under the covers. From behind, he pulled Gianna completely into his embrace.

Matteo held her so tightly that it almost suffocated her. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, like a weary traveler who had finally found a place to rest.

"Gigi, it's just us now. Don't mention anyone else."

His warm breath teased her ear, his voice tender and low. "I just missed you."

God had abandoned Gianna on 13th Street. The place was filled with heroin, gunfire, and the rotting stench of sewers. They also called it the slums.

After her parents died in a shooting, her grandmother, Rosa Argento, raised her.

Matteo was three years older than she was. When they first met, he was a defiant teenager who had escaped from a fighting ring.

He became a target for everyone because of his face, too refined and almost sinister in its beauty, combined with his fierce and untamed nature.

Rosa was kindhearted. She dragged him back from death's door, though she had her own reasons too.

In this godforsaken place where people devoured each other, Gianna needed an older brother to protect her. Hence, they became family, relying on each other to survive.

Matteo would grab a rusty pipe and risk his life when street thugs tried to extort Gianna. Even with two broken ribs, he refused to let go. He bit off the other guy's ear.

He would also push his only can of corned beef onto her plate after working in the black market, then hide in a corner gnawing on moldy bread.

He poured all his violence and tenderness into protecting her. Until a mercenary group from a distant war zone noticed his reckless ruthlessness.

The night before he left, Matteo climbed into Gianna's attic. His face was young and scarred, but his ambition was obvious.

He pulled out a ring made from a soda can tab and slipped it onto her finger with clumsy reverence.

"Gigi, stay alive and wait for me. When I carve out my own territory, I'll come back for you and Rosa.

"I'll buy you the most expensive jewels and move you into the strongest fortress in the heart of the city. I'll make everyone who ever looked down on you kneel and kiss the tips of your shoes."

Gianna knew the road ahead would be dangerous. She threw herself into his arms, nodding through her tears.

Later, her grandmother fell ill from years of hard work and passed away in the dead of winter. Before she died, she trembled as she handed Gianna a pendant engraved with a wolf head crest.

"If you get the chance, go to the city center. Your parents are there. You're the biological daughter of Don Domenico Ricci!"

Gianna did not know what a Don meant. She did not want power or prestige. She only wanted her grandmother to live. That was all.

A week after the funeral, rain poured down in sheets. A car stopped in front of the iron gate outside. Gianna saw Matteo in the back seat.

He wore a well-tailored black coat. He looked naturally aristocratic and radiated an aura that warned people to keep their distance. He was nothing like the boy in the tattered tank top.

Through the curtain of rain, she cried out, "Matteo, you really came back!"

Matteo tossed aside his umbrella and strode through the dirty water on the ground. He pulled her soaked body into his arms, his voice shaking.

"I told you I'd come get you! Gigi, I'm sorry. I came back too late! I failed Rosa..."

He brought her to the prosperous city center. Within the Gray Wolf famiglia's territory, he arranged a heavily guarded villa for her and sent the best doctors to care for her health.

However, he was busy.

During the day, he fought for territory and negotiated arms deals. At night, he circulated through high society. Sometimes he disappeared for days at a time.

She never complained. Because she knew Matteo was fighting for their future.

Until a year ago, when he came home reeking of blood and told her his decision.

Matteo held her, his expression solemn. "Gigi, I'm planning to get close to the Gray Wolf famiglia. Rosa told you with her dying breath that you're the real Ricci Principessa. I know you don't care about that.

"You never complain to me, but that doesn't mean I'm not aware. You just wanted to see your birth parents from a distance, but the Ricci Soldati treated you like a threat and drove you off.

"The rifle butt smashed into your back. You came back crying but didn't dare tell me..."

Matteo cupped her face, violent intent surging in his eyes.

"The Gray Wolf famiglia is the underground king of this city. Without power, you don't even have the right to approach them! That fake Principessa named Lucia stole what's yours, enjoying the glory that should belong to you, while you were chased away like a rat.

"I won't accept it! It makes me furious!

"Gigi, I want revenge! I'll use that fake Principessa to work my way into the family's inner circle and take control of all of Don Ricci's arms channels! I'll make that woman fall in love with me, then reveal the truth at her happiest moment and watch her fall from grace!

"I'll get back every humiliation you suffered a hundred times over! I'll bring you home in glory."

Back then, he made that promise with such sincerity.

When Matteo left, Gianna was still pretending to sleep.

She only opened her eyes after the engine noise faded at the end of the alley. She stared at the empty pillow beside her and reached out to touch the lingering warmth.

For a year, she had lived like a mistress.

At first, when she saw Matteo on the news escorting Lucia to casinos and racetracks with an adoring smile, she had broken down too.

Yet he told her, "It's just an act! If I don't make it convincing, how can I fool that tricky Don Ricci? Gigi, my heart belongs only to you."

She desperately convinced herself that Matteo was sacrificing himself for the plan. He was swallowing his disgust to please someone else, all to help her reclaim justice and give her grandmother closure.

However, last night, when he slipped the engagement ring onto Lucia's finger and vowed to protect her for life, Gianna wavered.

Over the next few days, she wandered aimlessly around the neighborhood. By chance, she spotted a familiar ruby necklace in an underground auction catalogue.

It was her grandmother's most treasured possession! It was also the family heirloom stolen years ago during the chaos, something Rosa had murmured about even on her deathbed.

She immediately called Matteo and explained.

"Don't worry, Gigi. The Ricci family is hosting tonight's auction. I'll be there." His tone softened. "Not even God can take what belonged to Rosa. I'll bring it back to you tonight."

Maybe she had been overthinking. He was still the same Matteo who treasured her above all else.

Gianna did not have the credentials to enter the main hall, so she waited at the VIP exit by the back door.

The night wind cut like knives, but she stubbornly refused to leave. As long as she got the necklace back, Rosa's spirit could rest in peace.

Matteo had promised her. He never broke his promises.

Three hours later, the doors slowly opened. Matteo emerged with his arm around Lucia. The woman held the leash of a purebred Doberman. In his hand was an elegant velvet box.

The necklace! He really bought it!

Gianna was about to step forward, but what happened next rooted her to the spot and sent ice flooding through her veins.

"Do you like it?"

Lucia frowned in mock reproach. "The style is so dated, and the gemstone quality is terrible. Why did you spend seven million on this junk?"

"It was fun." He casually pulled out the necklace. "Didn't you say Duke needed a new collar?"

Under Gianna's horrified gaze, Matteo bent down and fastened Rosa's treasure around the Doberman's neck.

The old woman's dying wish now hung around a dog's throat.

"Oh my! You know what?" Lucia giggled and patted the dog's head. "It looks tacky on a person, but on my baby, it actually looks quite elegant. You really do have an eye for these things."

"As long as you're happy."

The woman kissed him goodbye and turned to enter the stretch limousine.

"Why?" Gianna finally lost control and rushed in front of him.

"Didn't you say you'd definitely bring it home tonight? How could you put it on a dog? Take it back! Take it back right now!"

Matteo let her grab at him, his expression calm.

"Gigi, calm down." He spoke as if educating a child throwing a tantrum.

"It's just an old necklace with crude workmanship and a flawed gemstone. If you like jewelry, I'll have someone send you a box of new pieces tomorrow. Every single one will be ten times more expensive than this."

"I don't want them! I only want Grandma's necklace!" Gianna screamed, tears streaming down her face. "You promised me! Why did you lie? Why would you trample on Grandma's dignity—"

"Because Lucia wanted it," Matteo cut her off, his tone matter-of-fact.

"Just now at the auction, she took one look and fell in love with that necklace. So many eyes were watching, and plenty of them were Don Ricci's informants. If I refused her over something so trivial, it would raise suspicion and undermine my plan to secure my position in the family."

He pulled her into his arms, coaxing gently. "Gigi, would you really destroy everything I've been working toward over one necklace?"

"For your plan..." Gianna shoved him away. "I can endure a lot, but when it comes to Grandma, I won't compromise!"

"This is just temporary." Matteo's brow furrowed, as if disappointed by her unreasonableness.

"Once I officially take control, I'll definitely get that necklace back!"

She fell silent, too drained to argue. She turned and walked away.

Matteo froze, then reached out to grab her. "Where are you going? It's so late, and it's not safe—"

"Don't touch me!"

Gianna shook him off. "Don't touch me with the same hand that just petted that dog. It disgusts me."