He thought my refusal was a tactic.

A ploy to increase my value in my father’s eyes.

Just then, Jessica Crowe appeared.

She wore a ring that rightfully belonged to the future matriarch of the Falcone family.

She hid behind Corrado, her eyes glinting with provocation.

“Oh, Sofia… I hope you’re not angry. I didn’t mean to come looking for Corrado, honestly.”

“Corrado, please, explain to her. I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding.”

But Corrado pulled her behind him, a protective shield.

“What is there to explain to her?”

“Sofia Moretti, your family name doesn’t give you the right to do whatever you want!”

It was a public humiliation, not just for me, but for the entire Moretti family.

I was tired.

“Corrado Falcone, since you love her so much, let’s just call off the engagement. I’m setting you free.”

Corrado’s brow furrowed, but before he could speak, Jessica dropped to her knees, squeezing out a few tears.

“Sofia, please don’t make things difficult for Corrado. He does have feelings for you.”

I let out a soft laugh.

Jessica flinched as if she’d been struck.

The scene pierced Corrado’s heart. He helped her up tenderly.

“Jessica, don’t you dare kneel to her. Sofia is obsessed with me; she’d never have the guts to cancel the engagement. She’s just putting on a show!”

I looked at the man before me.

For the first time, I felt a bone-deep disgust.

“Who said I was going to marry you?”

With that, my face a mask of cold indifference, I walked past him.

He suddenly grabbed my wrist.

It was the first time he had willingly touched me since our fallout.

“If you don’t marry me, who will you marry? Sofia, apologize to Jessica right now, and I’ll still honor our engagement. I’ll marry you.”

Jessica’s face went pale, but she couldn’t hide her smugness. “Corrado, I’m not worth all this.”

Corrado glared at me, his expression one of utter humiliation. “I’ve already agreed to marry you, and you still won’t apologize!”

What gave him the right to think that I, the Principessa of the Moretti family, had no other choice but him?

Under Jessica’s gloating gaze, a cold smile touched my lips. “In three days, my wedding will proceed as planned.”

The Valachi family received the news.

Overnight, they delivered the administrative rights to the West Side port and control of two shipping lines as a betrothal gift.

But the media misreported it, announcing a proposal from the Falcone family instead.

Worried I’d be upset by the rumors, my father sent me to an exclusive, invitation-only art viewing hosted by a neutral allied family—a perfect place to select pieces for my dowry away from the public eye.

I never expected to run into Corrado and Jessica the moment I walked in.

The second Jessica saw me, she began to tremble and hide behind Corrado.

“Corrado, maybe we should go. I’m afraid Sofia will be angry.”

Corrado wrapped his arm around her, his heart aching for her fragility, then turned to glare at me.

“Sofia Moretti, I really underestimated you. Spreading rumors that the Falcone family proposed is one thing, but how dare you hire people to kidnap and assault Jessica!”

As his words fell, whispers rippled through the remaining guests.

“I heard the Moretti Principessa was Corrado’s lapdog, but I never thought she’d be this shameless.”

“What’s the use? Now that she’s been exposed like this, she’s disgraced the entire Moretti family!”

In my last life, I had lived as a laughingstock.

He had never afforded me a single shred of respect.

His only goal was to viciously humiliate me.

My only regret was that it took dying for me to see the truth.

Seeing me standing there in a daze, Corrado’s eyes filled with impatience.

“Nothing to say? Sofia, when did you become so malicious?”

In my past life, Jessica had waited a week to frame me. I hadn’t expected the media’s blunder to make her act so soon.

I had desperately tried to explain then.

He didn’t believe me.

He locked me in a shipping container and let it sink into the frigid sea.

I still remember the suffocating agony.

Even after it was cleared up as a misunderstanding, I never received an apology.

He grabbed my collar, but I just stared at him coldly. “Corrado, what am I supposed to be to you? A fawning fool who hangs on your every word? Should I get on my knees and apologize to some nobody just because you demand it?”

Corrado’s brow tightened, the veins on the hand gripping my neck bulging.

“Shut up!”

“Do you really think I wouldn’t dare touch you?”

“You were afraid Jessica was in your way, so you had to use such despicable methods? Hiring a bunch of diseased scum to ruin her!”

His grip tightened.

My vision started to blacken. Tears streamed down my face, but I was smiling.

Smiling at my own foolishness in a life gone by.

How could I have ever fallen in love with a man like this?

A complex emotion flickered in Corrado’s eyes. Then, he angrily threw me to the ground.

“Sofia Moretti, if you still want to marry me, then get on your knees and apologize to Jessica in front of everyone. Otherwise, prepare for war!”

Jessica leaned against his chest, triumphant. “Sofia, just apologize. Otherwise, Corrado really won’t want you anymore.”

I strode over and, before Jessica’s smug expression could falter, I slapped her. The sharp crack of my hand against her skin echoed for a moment before she let out a piercing shriek.

“Didn’t you want an apology? There it is.”

With that, I turned to leave.

Corrado gritted his teeth. “Sofia Moretti, you’ve gone too far!”

He signaled his men. They didn’t touch me, but moved to block the exits, their hands resting on their weapons.

The message was clear. The other guests quietly began to retreat, leaving the three of us in a pocket of chilling silence.

The next second, Corrado took Jessica’s hand, his voice softening.

“Jessica, don’t be afraid. However Sofia bullied you, you hit her back the same way.”

“I’ve got your back.”

I had never heard him speak with such a gentle voice.

The first time I heard it was him teaching another woman how to humiliate me.