The scene descended into utter chaos.

I heard countless screams, someone shouting for security, and others whispering amongst themselves.

"Who is this woman? Does she have a death wish? How dare she stab Lucian Falcone!"

"I heard Miss Ava mention five years ago… didn't Mr. Falcone cast out a ward of the Falcone family, his wife in name only! Holy hell, don't tell me that's her!"

"She doesn't look like it."

"I heard that ward had no family, just a dog that was tortured to death for a whole night because it offended Miss Ava! Who in high society hasn't seen that torture video! The dog’s skin was flayed right off!"

"Look, Lucian Falcone is actually smiling!"

Blood was steadily seeping from Lucian's arm. Ava cried out, "Lucian!"

Then, ignoring the wound on her own forehead, Ava rushed toward Lucian like a madwoman, shielding him behind her as she screamed at me.

"Chiara! What gives you the right to hurt Lucian!"

"The Falcone family raised you for twenty years, only to foster an ungrateful viper! Apologize to Lucian right now!"

Watching Ava act as if she were the lady of the Falcone family, ordering me around, I could only find it amusing. My eyes met Lucian's.

"You've raised her for five years, and now you've got a dog who will stand up for you. Lucian, you must feel quite satisfied."

Ava's face paled.

Lucian immediately pulled Ava behind him, just as he had five years ago.

"Chiara, what was between us ended five years ago."

"I've already told you, Ava is the only one in my heart. I will never fall in love with you, let alone like you." Lucian's gaze turned cold. "I don't care how you've spent the last five years, or how you managed to get an invitation to this gala and sneak in."

"But I will never let you return to the Falcone family, to continue harming Ava."

"Chiara."

Lucian looked down on me.

"I could have ignored you tonight, pretended you didn't exist. But since you've hurt Ava, you will pay the price." Lucian clapped his hands, and a group of his men surrounded me. "Will you do it yourself, or shall I?"

A subordinate handed him a knife.

Lucian took it, waiting for my answer.

But I just laughed out loud. "Lucian, do you really think the world revolves around you?"

I pointed at the knife in his hand.

"If you have the guts, you'd better finish me today," I approached him, step by step. "Otherwise, when it's my turn to finish you…"

"You'd better not," I leaned in close to Lucian, enunciating each word clearly, "get on your knees and beg for mercy."

"Hahaha."

My laughter echoed in the quiet ballroom. Lucian's face was dark. Seeing him tremble with rage reminded me of five years ago, when he used Brutus to threaten me, forcing me to kneel and kowtow in apology.

He had locked Brutus in an iron cage, ordering his men to muzzle him. For every moment I refused to beg, a blade would slice mercilessly across Brutus's body.

All the pride in my bones was shattered. Watching Brutus suffer, I knelt on the floor and begged.

"Lucian!"

I cried and pleaded, "Don't hurt Brutus."

"I admit I was wrong!"

I kowtowed forcefully, slamming my head against the ground. "I was wrong! I know I was wrong!"

Brutus was all I had.

My only wish was to take Brutus and leave the Falcone family.

I begged desperately.

"Let Brutus go, please, let Brutus go!"

I would never forget the pained look in Brutus's eyes, nor the fury etched into my very bones, a rage that still smoldered whenever I thought of it. Facing Lucian now, all that remained was a hate that had yet to completely burn out.

"Lucian, you're just a dog on Ava's leash," I said, enunciating each word. "If Old Man Falcone knew you were running the family into the ground, he'd claw his way out of his coffin to strangle you!"

"After all, the Falcone family is finished!"

A hand clamped viciously around my neck.

I couldn't breathe.

As the oxygen slowly depleted, I met Lucian’s crimson eyes, listening to his voice, so vicious it bordered on madness.

"Chiara, don't think I won't kill you!"

"You're nothing but a dog of the Falcone family." Lucian slammed me to the ground. Shards of champagne glass pierced my skin, creating countless small cuts. The pain shot through me, and a moment later, Lucian grabbed my hair. "When I want you to kneel, you kneel!"

"When I want you to die, you die!"

Lucian curled his lips into a smile.

"But today, I don't really feel like letting you die."

"After all," Lucian patted my cheek, "a pretty toy like you, how could I let it die so easily?"

I stared at Lucian, so close to me.

I remembered the day Ava sent me the video, her tone boastful.

【I just told Lucian that Brutus scared me, and he skinned him.】

【Tell me, next time if I tell Lucian that you're quite scary too, do you think he'll skin you as well?】

【Isn't that hilarious!】

【You're Mrs. Falcone in name, but in reality, you're less than a servant.】

Now, meeting Lucian's expression, a metallic taste rose in my throat. As Lucian raised his hand to slap my face again, I spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm right in his face.

Seeing the brief shock morph into disgust on his face, I smiled.

"That's right, Lucian."

"How could you die so quickly," I mimicked his tone, laughing as well. "After all, a game this fun, how could we not play it to the very end?"

Since I was able to return.

I never planned on letting the Falcone family off the hook. Those who were responsible for Brutus's death—I would make them pay, one by one.

Brutus had died a brutal death. How could I ever forgive them?

Seeing my stubborn defiance.

Lucian suddenly let go of my hair and wiped the bloody phlegm from his face.

"That's right."

"Some things, if you don't torture them slowly, it's just not satisfying."

"Since you're back," Lucian looked at me, "let's have some fun."

Lucian didn't look at me again, instead giving orders to his men.

"Watch her."

"Don't let her run."

Then, his expression shifted back to one of gentle concern as he faced Ava. "Does it hurt?"

He softly wiped away Ava's tears. "I'll take you to a private room."

Ava collapsed into his arms, sobbing.

"With you here, it doesn't hurt."

"With you here," Ava's voice was choked with sobs, "I'm not afraid of anything."

I watched as Lucian swept Ava up into his arms and walked out. I sat collapsed on the floor, the small cuts all over my body making me wince in pain. The sycophants around me, emboldened by their master, started spouting their venom.

"I don't know where this thing crawled out from, daring to hurt Mr. Falcone. It's a gift from him that he didn't take half your life today. Get lost."

"Exactly! I heard before, you're just some ward Old Man Falcone picked up off the street. He raised you, and you repay his kindness by attacking Miss Ava. You deserved to be thrown out."

"Speaking of which," someone said, smiling as he unlocked his phone, "I still have the video of that dog from back then."

The man opened his photo album and found the torture video.

The others crowded around excitedly. "Let me see."

"I want to see it too."