The next day, Lyon sent a gift to the villa as an apology.

It was a set of diamond jewelry and an unsigned check.

Cecilia did not look at them. She told the housekeeper to lock them in the storage room.

She did not ask about the trust again and did not get angry about Gianna.

Lyon seemed to take her silence as a sign of compromise.

He stopped paying attention to the household. He spent his time wrapped up in Gianna’s world. Gossip about them appeared everywhere.

Gianna had risen from a struggling, small-time actress to the very top. News of her rise spread through gossip magazines and the family’s business circles. Nightclub managers, port agents, and a few longtime Melville associates whispered about how long Gianna could stay famous and how much her limited advantages were really worth.

But more than that, people remembered how Lyon had pursued Cecilia. He cleared every other woman from his life, settled disputes over her collections, and handed her the cleanest properties and accounts. Everyone in the Melville family knew that when Lyon loved someone, he bet everything. When he walked away, he left nothing behind.

The comparison struck Cecilia. It unlocked memories she had not expected.

She froze for a moment.

When Lyon had pursued her back then, he cut off every messy relationship. All of New Yorke had known that he loved her completely.

He raced through the streets for her and fought with people from rival families. He gave her everything he had.

So, when Margaret saved her mother and suggested that she marry Lyon, she had agreed.

Margaret said that only she could keep Lyon’s heart grounded. Cecilia had believed she was the exception. She believed she was the safe harbor that could finally give the wandering Lyon a place to stay.

Looking back, that seemed laughable.

She turned her focus back to her career. She returned to the private art consulting firm she had founded before her marriage. The firm handled antique restoration, private appraisals, and collection management for high-end clients.

In a few days, she would co-host a charity preview auction with a long-established Mahattan auction house.

This was the firm’s most important project of the year.

Cecilia had spent six months preparing for the preview. She flew to Rondon to secure authorizations from collectors. She invited museum curators and a highly respected actress from the collecting world to attend the event. Everything was meant to establish her firm in New Yorke’s high-end art circles.

That evening, the preview opened under the cold white light of the crystal chandeliers. After the host finished the opening speech, someone walked up the red carpet to the main stage. It was Gianna, dressed to the nines.

Cecilia froze for a moment. Her face went cold.

She could not storm the stage and interrupt the event.

Lyon was there too. He stood at her side while holding a glass of wine. Two family bodyguards, usually assigned to casino security, followed behind him.

Cecilia understood immediately whose plan this was. Her voice was cold as ice. “Lyon, why did you replace the opening guest I selected?”

“It’s just a preview. Anyone on stage can speak.”

He swirled his wine. His tone was calm and almost arrogant. “Gianna wants to raise her profile. The art world suits her better than a movie premiere. Letting her have a moment at your event is nothing. I already had the accounts at the Booklyn docks adjusted to cover the trust funds. Don’t make a scene and try to damage the Melville family’s reputation.”

Cecilia felt her stomach churn. She took a deep breath to hold back the impulse to confront him immediately.

The room was full of collectors, agents, and auction directors. She could not allow the preview she had spent six months preparing to collapse in front of everyone.

When it came time to introduce the key pieces, Gianna appeared uneasy.

She stammered through the description of a nineteenth-century oil painting and a bronze pocket watch. She could not even get the basic introduction right.

When a reporter asked about the restoration process, Gianna panicked and rambled, “Uh… I guess you just make it look old and then refresh it… It just has to look fancy…”

The audience immediately erupted in whispers.

A few experienced collectors looked at each other in disbelief. The auction director’s face went nearly red with anger.

The next moment, Gianna tried to cover up her mistake. She reached for the antique pocket watch in the display case. She fumbled and knocked over a glass of champagne that a server had just handed her.

The liquid ran across the display and soaked the corner of a classical oil painting that had just been restored. Chaos broke out instantly.

“Is she insane?!”

“Who let her touch the restored pieces?!”

“She can’t even tell the difference between valuable items! How could the firm let this person speak on stage?”

Gianna froze, and her face turned pale. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Lyon. Lyon had the bodyguards escort her off the stage. Then, he turned to Cecilia. His voice was calm, almost indifferent. “It’s her first time in a setting like this. Mistakes happen. I’ll cover the loss on that painting. The finance team will take the funds from the profits of the underground casino and the nightclub. Don’t make a scene.”

The plan to use this preview to connect with high-end clients was completely ruined.

Cecilia’s phone started buzzing nonstop.

The first message was from the auction partner. They accused the firm of violating the consignment agreement.

The second message was from the insurance company. They warned of increased risk and requested a new assessment of the damaged items. Soon after, several collectors she was negotiating with texted her saying that they wanted to reassess their cooperation.

Finally, her assistant sent her an urgent report. Three clients had requested to withdraw their collections. Two partner institutions wanted to terminate their agreements and reserved the right to take action.

Cecilia gave Lyon no chance to argue.

She sent the auction house’s accountability letter, the insurance company’s estimated losses, and the restoration team’s written report straight to his email. She also copied the two Melville family Consiglieri in charge of finance and legal affairs. Each loss was documented clearly, like she was handling a business claim with no emotion.

Lyon glanced at the emails. His face darkened. “I said I’ll cover the costs. You didn’t need to send these to the family Consiglieri.”

“This is my project, not a training ground for your mistress.”

Cecilia looked at him. “You used the Melville name to boost her fame. When something goes wrong, it naturally has to follow the Melville family’s process.”

Lyon frowned and turned toward the small terrace to make a phone call.

Gianna lifted her head and looked at Cecilia. She had no fear or remorse on her face, only smugness.

“See?” Gianna said in a low voice. Her eyes shone with triumph. “All I need to do is say just one word, and Don Melville will take your firm and put it under my name. Everything you built, your connections, collectors, and reputation, is worth less to him than the dress I’m wearing tonight. Cecilia, you’re insane. You held Donna’s position for too long, and yet, in the end, you still lost.”

Cecilia looked at her arrogant, triumphant face and smiled.

“Yeah, I guess I lost my mind before. Since you know I’m insane, why do you challenge me like this?”

Cecilia raised her hand and slapped Gianna squarely in the face.

The sharp smack echoed through the lounge.

Gianna stumbled back. She covered her face and stared in shock. She clearly did not expect Cecilia to hit her.

At almost the same moment, Lyon finished his phone call and turned around.

He saw Cecilia’s hand strike Gianna, and then Gianna fell to the floor.

“Cecilia!”

Lyon’s expression darkened. He pushed Cecilia aside with all his strength and caught Gianna in his arms.

Cecilia was caught completely off guard. The force sent her stumbling backward. Her side hit the sharp corner of a display table. Pain shot through her waist, and cold sweat soaked her back instantly.

Lyon did not look at her pale, hurt face. He checked to see if Gianna was hurt.

Then, he looked up at Cecilia. His voice was icy and terrifying. “Cecilia, enough!”

Cecilia gripped the edge of the table and endured the pain. She said coldly, “Enough? You used my daughter’s trust fund to fill her gaps. You used my preview to prop her up. You covered for her on my own project. Lyon, do you know what you look like right now? You look like a dog on a leash being led around by Gianna!”

Lyon’s chest heaved with rage. He swung and slapped Cecilia hard across the face.

“Don’t cross the line!”

After that, he pulled Gianna close and walked out in long strides.

Cecilia pressed her hand to her face. The burning pain grew stronger. She suddenly laughed.

She laughed bitterly at herself for being so naive and for ever believing this man’s promises.

She laughed at herself for acting like a madwoman all those years, just to repay a favor.

Some time later, the phone rang, breaking the silence. It was Margaret.

Cecilia took a deep breath and tried to make her voice sound normal. “Madre.”

“Cecilia,” Margaret said apologetically, “the paperwork will be fully completed in five days. You can rest assured. I know Lyon betrayed you. The assets that belong to you have already been sorted out by the lawyers. I’ll never let you or Isabella lose anything.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s one more thing,” Margaret continued after a pause. “In a few days, there’ll be a memorial mass for the old Don. By family tradition, there’ll also be an afternoon luncheon. The old Don liked you very much while he was alive. Would you help me one last time and make sure both the mass and the luncheon are organized properly?”

Cecilia was silent for a few seconds. The old Don had indeed treated her kindly. This would be her final farewell to the family.

“All right. I’ll take care of everything.”

The day of old Don’s memorial mass was bitterly cold.

Cecilia arrived at the estate early. She checked every detail herself, from the wreaths and the guest list to the arrangements for the family luncheon in the afternoon.

No matter how badly her marriage with Lyon had fallen apart, the old Don had treated her well. She wanted to see this farewell done with dignity.

Just before the ceremony began, engines roared outside.

Lyon had returned.

He was not alone.

Gianna stepped out of the car wearing an overly formal black dress. She linked her arm with his and walked slowly toward the estate. Her expression was composed. She looked like a woman who already had one foot inside the Melville family.

Cecilia glanced at her and said nothing.

During the entire mass, she hardly spoke to Lyon.

The priest read the eulogy at the front while family members laid flowers one by one. Margaret’s expression was tense from beginning to end.

After the mass, everyone moved to the side room for the memorial luncheon.

The table was filled with traditional Cicilian dishes and cold cuts. The atmosphere should have been restrained and solemn. Gianna’s presence, however, made it awkward.

Finally, Lyon’s aunt, Elizabeth Melville, set down her knife and fork. She said with a cold face, “Lyon, you know what kind of occasion this is. Bringing a woman from outside to a family memorial is an embarrassment to everyone, isn’t it?”

Her words silenced the entire room.

Gianna pressed her lips together. Her eyes quickly turned teary.

She hesitated for a moment, then pulled a prenatal test report from her bag. Her voice trembled as she said, “I know I shouldn’t have come. But this child in my belly is part of the Melville bloodline. I just wanted him to know what his grandfather was like.”

The words “bloodline” changed everyone’s expressions.

Some frowned, some exchanged glances, and most instinctively looked at Cecilia.

Even Lyon froze for a moment. He clearly did not know about this.

Gianna looked up at him with a pleading face. “I wanted to tell you in private, Don Melville. I didn’t want to force you. I only want the child to grow up knowing who his grandfather was.”

Margaret clenched her napkin tightly.

Elizabeth’s face turned red with anger. “Cecilia and Isabella are here! If you want to act crazy, at least pick another day!”

Lyon was silent for a few seconds. He did not deny anything. He said coldly, “Since she’s pregnant, her coming to the memorial mass doesn’t break any rules.”

His words cut through the room like a knife and stripped away the last layer of restraint.

In the past few years, Lyon had come across women trying to have his child through their own tricks. He had always spent money to make them disappear.

He had said that no other woman could bear his child. No matter how messy things got, Isabella remained the only child of the Melville family.

But Gianna was pregnant, and Lyon had admitted the child was his.

If this had happened before, Cecilia might have smashed a glass or overturned the table.

But she remained seated. She felt surprisingly calm.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something, but Cecilia stood and beat her to it.

“Today is the old Don’s memorial,” she said indifferently. “Let’s not ruin this solemn occasion.”

She reached for Isabella’s hand.

Isabella wore a little black dress. She looked around at the adults with wide, innocent eyes. She did not understand what was happening, but she could feel the tension in the room. She quietly let her hand slip into Cecilia’s.

Cecilia looked at Margaret. “Madre, I’ll take Isabella back home then. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Margaret’s lips moved. Her eyes shone with awkwardness and apology. She whispered, “Go ahead.”

Cecilia nodded and led Isabella toward the door.

When she passed Lyon, it seemed he wanted to reach out and stop her. But in the end, he only frowned and said, “Cecilia…”

She did not look back.

Lyon stood frozen. He looked at her straight and determined back and felt a strange unease.

But he pushed that down almost immediately.

Cecilia had loved him for so many years. She would not leave him easily.