Seven days before my wedding with Giuliano Corleone, the heir of the Corleone family, I find out that I'm pregnant.

At that moment, I receive a text from an unknown number.

"Mommy, please abort me. I'll get born with crippled legs, meaning I won't be able to stand up for the rest of my life. You and Daddy will keep fighting every day because of me until all of your love is reduced to hate. In the end, you'll get overwhelmed by the pain and get afflicted with severe depression, which will lead to you taking your own life by overdosing on pills. I don't want to see you living in that hell ever again."

I immediately head over to the hospital to go through a medically-induced abortion without any hesitation.

When Giuliano realizes what I've done, he's furious, to say the least. He yells at me, demands answers from me, and vents all of his rage on me. Finally, he stomps out of the ward and slams the door on me.

By the time I return to Giuliano's heavily-guarded estate, I can hear Eva Bianchi's loud, malicious laughter ringing from within.

"How is it possible for such foolish women to exist in this world? To think that she actually believed the text came from her child from seven years in the future!

"I can't believe that she actually got rid of her unborn baby because of a fabricated text!"

With a poker face, Giuliano warns Eva, "I'll let this incident slide. If you dare bully and humiliate Elena again in the future, I will never let you off the hook."

I stand outside the closed door, feeling eerily calm.

There will never be a next time.

I know that the so-called text from the future is fake. But the thing is, I've also gotten reborn from seven years in the future, where I've gotten my heart shattered.

[Elena's POV]

Eva Bianchi's laughter kept drifting out from the living room, brazen and laced with provocation. "Really, Giuliano? Can you really bear to lay a hand on me?"

She walked up to Giuliano Corleone, her steps unhurried. She tipped her chin up and gently pressed her bright red lips to his cheek. "You've already let me move into your house and sleep in your bed. In what way are you not letting me go?"

I stood outside the window, taking in the entire scene.

Giuliano's Adam's apple bobbed hard. In that instant, all his restraint completely shattered. He suddenly reached out, wrapped an arm around Eva's waist, and yanked her brutally into his embrace.

The two of them fell onto the couch, kissing each other like they'd forgotten the rest of the world existed.

When they finally broke apart, a rosy flush climbed over Elena's face. The smugness in her eyes was practically overflowing.

I dropped my gaze with a bitter smile. It felt like someone was carving into my heart with a dull knife, one slash at a time. My chest felt hollow, and only an icy wind kept pouring in through the emptiness.

Giuliano wiped the string of moisture between their lips, his expression blank, his voice as cold as ice. "I'm only keeping you around so I can watch you and get revenge on you myself. You're the one who caused my mother's death back then.

"You also upset Elena's mother, Marta Mancini, so badly that she fell ill and has been bedridden since. And now, you've caused me to lose my child. I'm going to settle that score with you sooner or later."

Eva lifted a finger and tapped his chest lightly, her smile sultry and edged with danger. "Sure. How are you planning to do that? By kissing me like you just did? Aren't you afraid your fiancee will hate you if she finds out?"

Giuliano answered her without hesitation, his tone matter-of-fact. "She's always been gentle and obedient. She's not wild and unreasonable, like you. I'm warning you, Eva. If you dare lay a finger on her again, I swear I'll—"

She laughed, her shoulders shaking as she cut him off. "You'll what? Tire me out in bed so badly that I can't get out, just as you did on the day your fiancee got rid of the baby?"

Every single word was like a knife dipped in poison, stabbing straight into my chest. I pressed my lips together so tightly that they went pale; I almost tasted the metallic tang of blood spreading up my throat.

Suddenly, I remembered what Giuliano had yelled at me in a rage at the hospital two days ago. He'd said that if it weren't for urgent business he couldn't get away from, he would've done everything in his power to stop me from having the abortion.

It turned out that "urgent business" he couldn't pull himself away from… was actually doing the horizontal tango with his precious Eva.

My chest tightened, each wave of pain coming faster and sharper until I could barely breathe. I instinctively reached out a hand to brace myself against the cold wall, just to keep from collapsing.

Right then, the intimacy inside the living room cut off abruptly. Giuliano's panicked voice pierced through the door, landing clearly in my ears. "Elena! Why are you out of the hospital so soon? Did you… Did you hear anything just now?"

I slowly lifted my head and stared at him standing in the doorway, my voice flat and utterly calm. "Are you hoping I heard something… or hoping that I didn't?"

Our eyes met, and Giuliano's expression turned complicated and hard to read. Panic, guilt, and unease tangled together in his gaze.

After a few seconds of tense silence, he decided that I didn't seem angry and visibly relaxed. He stepped forward, took my hand as if nothing were wrong, and led me into the living room.

Eva gave me a lazy once-over, her eyes full of contempt and arrogance. Then, in a tone that assumed she had every right, she ordered, "Giuliano, I want to stay in the master bedroom. Have your fiancee clear it out for me."

Giuliano stiffened. He lowered his voice, his tone thick with restraint as he tried to explain himself to me. "Elena, don't overthink this. I'm only letting her stay here so I can keep an eye on her and get revenge. Be good and just give up the master bedroom for now, okay? She's ruthless, and I'm worried she'll hurt you when I'm not around."

Eva's smile only grew more triumphant at his words. She raised an eyebrow at me in provocation.

Giuliano immediately snapped at her, "I'm warning you, Eva Bianchi. You'd better not hurt Elena!"

But even as he threatened her, his body moved on instinct, stepping in front of her as if to shield her. He acted like she was some priceless treasure he couldn't afford to lose; he seemed terrified I might lunge at her.

I forced down the storm raging in my chest and spoke softly. "Then where am I supposed to sleep?"

A flicker of obvious embarrassment flashed across Giuliano's face. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Before he could answer, Eva casually inspected her perfectly manicured nails and said carelessly, "In the servants' room in the basement, obviously."

She paused, then suddenly lifted her gaze to Giuliano, her tone turning playful and taunting. "Oh, right. Do you know why I fought with my family this time? Because they lined up a bunch of potential husbands for me and are forcing me to get married. Before long, I might not be able to keep you company anymore."

The moment the words left her mouth, he lost his composure. Almost reflexively, he looked at me, his eyes full of panic and hesitation.

I forced the corner of my lips to lift into a faint, icy smile. This time, I spoke before he could. My voice was calm, almost detached.

"Giuliano, if you really want to get revenge on her, then marry her. You can only truly get back at her if you make her your wife. As for our engagement, let's call it off. We don't even need a wedding anymore."

[Elena's POV]

In my previous life, I hadn't been this meek and accommodating. I'd been proud, stubborn, and unyielding. I would never have allowed anyone to trample my dignity.

I hadn't believed for a second that the text was from my so-called son from the future. It hadn't taken me long to find out it was nothing more than a prank Eva had carefully planned. I'd dug up the evidence and gone to confront her, only to walk in on her and Giuliano entangled in bed.

Giuliano had grabbed me in a panic and tried to explain. He'd claimed he was only "teaching her a lesson". He'd said I was the only one in his heart and that getting close to Eva was just part of his revenge.

But I'd been rational and clear-headed. How could I have possibly believed something that ridiculous?

I'd lost it and caused a hysterical scene, exposing every filthy, disgusting thing Eva had ever done to the world.

Backed into a corner, Eva had snapped. She'd gotten into a car in the middle of the night and driven straight at me.

The tires had crushed my body. My baby's heart had stopped beating on the spot, and the nerves in my legs had been severed for good. I'd ended up crippled for life.

I'd hated Eva down to my bones and had thrown everything I had into trying to make her pay. However, Giuliano had been the chosen heir of the Corleone family. With just one word from him, no one had dared to avenge me.

He'd stepped up in person to tell the outside world that my injuries had been from a simple fall, that they'd had nothing to do with Eva. He'd even spread rumors that I was mentally unstable, delusional, and maliciously framing an innocent person.

In the end, he'd also been the one to send me to the family's private psychiatric hospital. It was a "sanctuary" the mafia family kept completely off the radar.

I'd been locked away there for seven whole years. My mother hadn't had anyone to look after her or pay her treatment bills. Not long after I'd been admitted, she'd died with resentment still in her heart.

By the time I finally made it out of the psychiatric hospital and learned the news of her death, I'd jumped from a high-rise building.

I would never forget any of that.

When she was still a minor, Eva had gone street-racing. Drunk on speed, she'd crashed into Giuliano's mother, killing her on the spot.

Because of the Bianchi family's power and the huge sum they'd paid in compensation, the Corleone family hadn't pursued the matter. Instead, they'd smoothed it over and buried the entire incident.

It was my mother who'd taken Giuliano in when he was drowning in despair, stumbling through his days like a ghost. And it was me who'd stayed by his side, pulling him out of the darkness little by little, walking with him all the way to where he was now.

But in the end, for the sake of the woman who'd killed his mother, he'd destroyed me, my mother, and everything we'd ever had.

I was full of hate and regret. Thankfully, the heavens had given me a second chance at life.

In my previous life, I'd thought that Giuliano was just bewitched by Eva. I'd thought he hadn't had a choice because she refused to leave him alone.

It wasn't until after I'd died that I finally understood he'd genuinely fallen in love with her—the woman who'd killed his mother.

For Eva, he hadn't hesitated for a second to sacrifice my mother and me.

In this life, I refused to be the third wheel standing in the way of their epic love story. If they loved each other that much, I would just step aside and let them be together. I only hoped they wouldn't regret it.

I dragged my thoughts back to the present and looked up at Giuliano, meeting his eyes that were full of shock and confusion. He asked, "Elena, why have you suddenly… turned into this?"

My nails dug hard into my palm, nearly breaking the skin, yet I still kept a gentle smile on my face. "You've always hated her, haven't you? I'm your fiancee. Of course, I should be on your side and help you get what you want."

"Now, you're being smart." Eva snorted.

She picked up a shoe and flung it at me without the slightest courtesy, her tone arrogant and bossy. "Why are you still standing there? Go clear out the bedroom for me."

The way she strutted around, so mean and entitled, made me want to lunge at her and tear her to shreds right then and there.

But before I could move, Giuliano's expression darkened. He snarled, "That's enough, Eva. Don't take things too far!"

She wasn't the least bit afraid. In fact, she kicked over the fruit platter on the coffee table, her tone downright defiant. "I'll take things as far as I want. What are you going to do about it?"

Giuliano strode forward, grabbed her roughly, and dragged her toward the stairs. He growled, "This is my turf and my house. Drop your spoiled-princess act here! I'm going to make sure you understand who really calls the shots here, you wretch!"

I followed without thinking, but the second I reached the bedroom door, I froze. The two people who'd been at each other's throats just moments ago were now tangled up on the bed, limbs wrapped tightly around each other.

Giuliano leaned down and kissed Eva's neck with a feral hunger, his voice low and edged with violence. "Just wait. I'm going to make you beg me in tears."

She looped her arms around his neck and deliberately glanced toward the doorway, flashing me a triumphant smile amid her moans and gasps.

"Come on, babe. I want to see if you really have what it takes to make me beg."

It felt like a sharp needle had been driven straight into my heart. I yanked my gaze away. Inside my chest was nothing left but a numb, icy emptiness.

Sure enough, everything was unfolding exactly as it had in my previous life. Not a single detail had changed.

I turned around, went back downstairs, and quietly started packing my things.

[Elena's POV]

Giuliano only came downstairs once everything upstairs had finally gone quiet, looking completely satisfied. There was a hint of guilt on his face as he said, "Elena, don't overthink it. You're the only one in my heart. Everything I'm doing now is just to get back at Eva."

I'd heard enough of that disgusting nonsense in my previous life. I swallowed down my mockery. Before I could say anything, he noticed the suitcase by my feet.

His eyes widened, and he grabbed my wrist in a crushing grip, like he meant to grind my bones to dust. "Elena, why have you packed your things?"

I gently pulled my hand free, my expression calm and unreadable. "Eva's going to be living here, isn't she? I'll move my things to the servants' room. It'll be more convenient."

The tension in Giuliano's shoulders visibly eased. He followed me as I walked into the cramped, narrow servants' room.

While I folded a few simple changes of clothes, I said evenly, "Tomorrow, let's go see the Don and the council and dissolve our engagement."

Giuliano frowned deeply. After a moment of silence, he softened his tone and said, "Elena, if you don't want to end things, we can still go ahead with the wedding. Publicly, you'll still be my wife. I'm only registering my marriage with Eva to control her and get revenge on her."

I straightened up and gave him a faint smile. "That won't be necessary. I believe you, Giuliano."

With a numb, practiced familiarity, I repeated the lines he'd fed me over and over. "You hate Eva to the core. She's the one who killed your mother. She's also the one who spread rumors and slander, who made my mother so angry she's been bedridden ever since. You won't let her off the hook, right?"

Having his own words thrown back at him made his face twist with embarrassment. He could only give me a stiff nod.

Maybe it was because of the weight of his guilt, but before he left, he transferred a large sum of money into my account. It was enough to pay for all of my mother's medical expenses.

That worked just fine for me. Once my mother was in stable condition, I would take her far away from this filthy, godforsaken city and never come back.

It wasn't long before Eva's imperious voice sounded again, ordering me upstairs to tidy up the bedroom for her.

The moment I pushed open the door, the thick, cloying haze of sex hit me in the face. I'd already made up my mind to let go, but my heart still twisted in my chest, completely beyond my control.

I forced down the sting in my nose, kept my gaze straight ahead, and grabbed the tangled, dirty sheets and duvet. Then, I turned to leave.

Eva suddenly stuck out a foot, deliberately blocking my path.

"How pathetic," she drawled, her contempt utterly undisguised as a lazy smile played on her lips. "The man you've given your whole heart to is nothing more than a well-trained dog groveling at my feet.

"Oh, right." She deliberately stretched out the words, gloating like a victor flaunting her spoils. "I sent that text that told you to get an abortion on a whim. Giuliano knew about it from the very beginning. Do you wanna know why he keeps letting me do what I want?"

I stared straight at her, my eyes turning to ice.

Eva's smile widened, her every word a knife to my heart. "Because I'm pregnant. To Giuliano, only my baby is a true symbol of love. As for that child of yours who never made it into this world, it was nothing but a worthless piece of trash."

A tidal wave of rage crashed over me, burning everything in its path. Eva had ruined my life and destroyed my family. Now, she was trampling on the memory of my dead child.

I raised my hand high, ready to slap her as hard as I could. Before my palm could even land, her eyes instantly reddened. Her expression flipped in a heartbeat as she let out a broken, tearful wail.

"Exactly! What does my fight with my family have to do with you? With your background, do you really think you can boss me around and tell me what to do?"

I was taken aback. The very next second, a tremendous force slammed into me, sending me flying backward. I stumbled, crashed to the floor, and smashed my lower back against the edge of the coffee table. White-hot pain ripped through my body. All the color drained from my face.

I looked up and met Giuliano's eyes. They were bloodshot, furious, and almost feral.

"Elena, how can you be so vicious? How dare you bully her the second I'm not around!" As soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed to notice something off about my expression and hesitated, as if he might apologize.

Eva immediately clutched at his shirt, curling in on herself like she was in agony, her voice weak and pitiful. "Giuliano, my stomach hurts… Our baby… I don't think our baby is going to make it…"

In an instant, Giuliano pushed all thoughts of me out of his mind. He scooped Eva into his arms, cradling her like she was the most fragile treasure on earth. Then, he bolted for the door like a madman.

"Elena, if anything happens to her or the baby, I'll make you suffer a fate worse than death!" he roared.

A fate worse than death, huh? In my previous life, he'd kept his word.

I stared at Giuliano's back as he left without looking back. At long last, the tears I'd been holding back slipped free, silently soaking my face.

My phone suddenly rang, the sharp sound slicing through the air. It was a call from the hospital. A suffocating sense of dread surged up from the depths of my chest, threatening to swallow me whole.