Three weeks later, I was standing in the grand hall of the Falcone family estate.

Crystal chandeliers, marble floors, priceless paintings on the walls.

It was the first time Matteo brought me to a family gathering.

"Relax, baby," he whispered in my ear. "It's just a simple business dinner tonight."

I nodded, tightening my grip on his arm.

With Matteo's possessiveness, I thought he'd be different from the others.

He never let other men get near me.

He'd leave hickeys on my neck, marking his territory.

He even had bodyguards follow me 24/7.

"Matteo!"

A familiar voice called down from the staircase.

Bianca, wearing a long silver gown, was descending the spiral staircase.

What was she doing here?

"Bianca." Matteo nodded at her. His voice was polite but distant. "You made it."

I was confused, but I didn't say a word.

Bianca walked up to us and gave me a defiant smile.

"Viviana, long time no see."

Then she turned to Matteo, deliberately pulling up her sleeve.

"Matteo, look."

Her arm shimmered under the light.

The skin was as smooth as a baby's, without a single flaw.

Even the mole that used to be on her arm was gone.

"The results are pretty good, right?" Bianca said smugly. "Your 'Youth Therapy' is really a miracle."

Youth Therapy?

I looked at Matteo.

He looked a little uncomfortable.

"Bianca's family agreed to be the first outside investors in our new biotech company," Matteo explained. "It's a favor I had to grant."

My heart sank.

"So you let her join the experiment?"

"Just a demonstration of the early results." Matteo squeezed my hand. "Baby, you have to trust me. I'm yours. Always."

But as soon as he said it, he turned to Bianca.

"Come on. I'll show you the lab."

I watched them walk toward the basement.

That was the forbidden part of the Falcone estate.

No one was allowed down there except core family members.

And that list did not include me.

One week later. Matteo's private island.

Blue water, white sand, and a luxury villa.

"It's just the two of us here," Matteo said, hugging me from behind. "No one can bother us."

I leaned into his chest, watching the sunset.

"How's your lab doing?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Not bad," Matteo's voice was excited. "We've had a major breakthrough. The anti-aging serum... in a few years, we could push the human lifespan to 200."

"That sounds amazing."

"The only problem is we're lacking key clinical data," he sighed. "We need a lot of volunteers to perfect the formula."

Just then, the villa door opened.

Bianca, wearing a white bikini, walked toward us.

"Sorry to interrupt," she purred. "I just got off the yacht."

Yacht?

"Bianca, how did you…"

"I invited her," Matteo said, standing up. "We have important business to discuss."

A burning rage of betrayal filled my chest.

But I had to control myself.

Bianca sat down next to Matteo, pressing herself against him.

"About the clinical data problem," she said, looking at Matteo with naked ambition in her eyes. "I can solve it for you."

Matteo was immediately interested.

"How?"

"The Romano family owns a dozen private clinics across New York," Bianca said, her voice dripping with pride. "We have a huge database of patients. I can secretly provide their medical data. And even…"

She paused, lowering her voice.

"I can even provide the volunteers. Terminal patients. They're desperate enough to try anything."

Matteo's eyes lit up.

"That's a very good idea."

"And it'll be completely confidential," Bianca continued. "No one will ever know what kind of experiments these volunteers were in."

They got more and more into their conversation.

Matteo had completely forgotten I was even there.

I quietly took out my phone and found an encrypted contact.

It was a number with no name, no profile picture.

I typed a quick message: The fish is on the hook. Prepare the net.

Message sent.

A few seconds later, a reply came back. One word: Roger.

I scrubbed the chat history and went back to playing my part.

Matteo and Bianca were still deep in discussion about the experiment.

They never even noticed.

For the next month, Matteo was "working" almost every day.

"The experiment is in a critical phase," he'd say to explain why he was so busy. "The resources Bianca provided have been very valuable."

I knew he had moved her into a luxury apartment on Fifth Avenue.

A penthouse duplex. Half a million a month. A universe away from my dorm room.

Every time I thought about it, it felt like a knife twisting in my chest.

But I had to endure it.

Revenge requires perfect timing.

On my twenty-first birthday, Matteo finally showed up.

He was wearing a dark blue suit and holding an exquisite jewelry box.

"Happy birthday, baby."

He kissed my lips.

"We had a major breakthrough with the experiment." His eyes were shining with excitement. "We successfully extended the lifespan of the lab rats by 30%. In a few months, we can start human trials."

I pretended to be interested.

"That's wonderful."

"This is for you."

He opened the box.

A brilliant yellow diamond ring rested on white silk.

"It's a Harry Winston. 5.2 carat yellow diamond," Matteo said proudly. "Worth a million dollars."

I gasped.

The ring was stunning.

"Matteo, this is too much—"

"You deserve the best." He slid the ring onto my finger. "I love you, Viviana."

Just when I thought he was truly here for me, Matteo pulled a keycard from his pocket.

A black card with the gold Falcone family crest.

"Do me a favor," he said, his tone casual. "Drop this off with Bianca. She needs it to get into my private medical suite."

My heart went cold.

The private medical suite.

It was Matteo's most secret place in Manhattan.

No one could get in except his most trusted people.

Even I had never been there.

"Why don't you give it to her?"

"I have an important meeting tonight." Matteo glanced at his watch. "I don't have time."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

But I still took the keycard.

"Okay."

Matteo kissed my forehead.

"You're such a good, understanding girl."

Then he left.

He left me sitting alone in the restaurant.

The birthday cake was still on the table, 21 candles unlit.

I had no appetite.

I found Bianca outside her luxury apartment building on Fifth Avenue.

She wasn't alone.

Nico was there, right in front of her. They were arguing.

"Are you crazy?" Nico grabbed Bianca's arm. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Let go of me!" Bianca struggled to break free. "This is none of your business!"

"Bianca, that serum is dangerous!" Nico's voice was full of anger. "You can't sell your soul for money!"

"What soul?" Bianca sneered. "All I know is that Matteo gives me everything I want. Power, status, money. Can you give me that?"

"You're going to regret this," Nico seethed.

"No, I won't," Bianca said, lifting her chin arrogantly. "I'm much smarter than Viviana. I know how to keep a man."

Just then, a black Cadillac pulled up to the curb.

Matteo got out.

His face darkened when he saw Nico.

"What's going on here?"

"Nothing." Bianca's face changed instantly. She looked hurt. "This man has been harassing me."

Matteo's eyes turned dangerous.

"Get rid of him."

The words were barely out of his mouth before two bodyguards stepped out of the car.

"No!" I wanted to stop them.

But it was too late.

The bodyguards rushed Nico. Fists rained down on him.

Nico didn't fight back.

He just took the punches, his nosebleed quickly staining his white shirt.

"Stop!" I yelled.

Matteo waved a hand. The bodyguards stopped.

Nico fell to the ground, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Bianca threw herself into Matteo's arms.

"Thank you for protecting me," she trembled. "I was so scared."

Matteo held her gently.

"Don't be scared. I'm here."

He led Bianca towards the luxury apartment building.

He never once looked back at me. It was like I wasn't even there.

I stood frozen, the cold plastic of the keycard digging into my palm.

Under the streetlight, I felt more alone than ever.

Just as I was about to leave, a bloody hand grabbed my wrist.

Nico yanked me into the shadows of a nearby alley.

My lonely expression vanished. My face went cold.

He looked nervously toward the mouth of the alley, making sure no one had followed.

He spit a glob of blood onto the pavement, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve. The pained expression on his face vanished.

In its place was a calmness—and a deep affection—I had never seen before.

He smirked, the blood on his lips making it a devil's grin. "My princess," he said, his voice low and intimate. "Did you enjoy the show?"