Everyone knows that the mafia Don's only son, Antonio Gatti, gets to choose a completely new mistress of his own once every three months.

Women who are in dire need of money and have no other option left in life will flock to Antonio's wife, Martina Russo, to apply for the position.

If they get to spend a night with Antonio, they'll receive a million dollars. Those who are capable of giving birth to his heir will receive half of his family fortune.

There are so many women who want to latch onto Antonio as their ticket to wealth. As for me, Martina, I become the hottest piece of gossip in the entire mafia underworld.

"Just what sort of lethal leverage does the Gatti family have over Martina to the point that she can tolerate her husband's whims to this degree?"

Everyone is very sure that I will submit to the Gatti family's influence and live a humiliating life for as long as I draw breath.

That is, until Antonio brings a young woman named Camilla Ferrara home one day.

Camilla is an ordinary woman, and yet she's capable of transforming Antonio, a cold-blooded and violent man, into a completely different person.

He gets rid of all his other mistresses for her sake. He cleanses every inch of himself three whole times because she claims that he's filthy.

Antonio has become obsessed with Camilla. He tells me, "Camilla is a pure and innocent angel; unlike you, whose hands are completely stained with filthy blood. Your heart is as dirty as the rest of you."

He seems to have forgotten that I've done those filthy things just so I can get rid of all the obstacles in his way in order to protect the Gatti family's legacy.

On the day Mamma passed away from her illness, Antonio prepared a huge fireworks show that's capable of lighting up the entire sky above New Wis City just to celebrate Camilla's birthday.

After that, I find out that Antonio has the gall to dump my mamma's ashes into the fireworks assembly on Camilla's birthday. They end up combusting alongside the rest of the fireworks that night.

I toss the divorce agreement in his face with all my might. At the same time, I unlatch the safety on the pistol that's hidden in my sleeve before pointing it at him and Camilla.

"I'm giving you two choices right now. Option one—sign the divorce agreement and file for a divorce with me, which entitles me to half of the Gatti family's fortune. Option two—die together with your beloved mistress so that you can go to hell and apologize to Mamma there."

The cold barrel of the gun pressed against Camilla Ferrara's temple. I felt every tremor of fear running through her body.

Antonio Gatti's eyes were bloodshot as he tried desperately to stop me. "Martina, calm down. Whatever it is, come at me. Let Camilla go."

My hand trembled, my heart wrenching violently. Even now, Antonio still shielded Camilla above all else.

My eyes burned red as I tightened my grip around her throat, watching her face turn a mottled purple. "You want me to calm down? You turned my mamma's ashes into fireworks and set them off. Who could stay calm after that?"

Camilla struggled in my chokehold, her cries growing desperate. "Antonio, save me! Martina's lost her mind!"

Her piercing screams stabbed at him, one cry after another.

Antonio finally snapped, his voice dropping to a threatening growl. "Martina, what the hell are you talking about? I don't understand any of this.

"I've given you my name and made you my wife. Why can't you tolerate one woman by my side? Even jealousy has its limits."

His words sent a sharp pain through my chest, like a fist seizing my heart and crushing it over and over.

Just a few days ago, I'd left to handle a family conflict. When I returned, the urn I kept on my bedside table was gone.

I searched frantically until I finally learned the truth from one of the cleaning staff. Mamma's ashes had been taken by Antonio and turned into fireworks, set to be launched that very night in the busiest district of New Wis City.

I went mad trying to break through and stop it, but security cordons blocked my way at every turn.

Guarding those lines was Antonio's most trusted security team. Their captain barked at me, "Tonight is Signorina Ferrara's birthday.

"Signor Gatti specifically ordered that no one approaches, especially you, Signora. Don't even think about ruining Signorina Ferrara's special night."

I could only stand there helplessly, watching them launch Mamma's ashes into the sky. I watched the two of them kiss beneath the fireworks while my screams were drowned out by the explosions overhead. Even now, that feeling of utter desperation made my eyes sting.

Then came a bang. Searing pain shot through my arm. The gun slipped from my grip and clattered to the floor.

Antonio had shot me.

Seizing the opportunity, Camilla shoved me hard before throwing herself into Antonio's arms, playing the fragile victim.

Gritting my teeth, I forced myself up and grabbed the gun with my uninjured hand, aiming straight for Camilla's heart. But Antonio lunged forward. The bullet only caught Camilla's shoulder.

"Martina, what the hell has gotten into you? Are you actually trying to kill her?"

Looking down at Camilla, unconscious in his arms, Antonio's eyes reddened. I hadn't seen him lose control like this in years.

The last time was at our wedding. Under the witness of our family elders, he'd held me close and kissed me in that sacred cathedral, his tears falling onto my face.

"Martina, I've finally made you mine."

But now, his desperation was no longer for me. It was for another woman.

With Camilla unconscious, Antonio had no interest in dealing with me. He rushed out with her in his arms, shouting for Luca Ricci, his Underboss, to get the doctor.

Before leaving, he barked orders at Marco Vitale, the Gatti family's Consigliere. "Don't let anyone treat her wounds. When I get back, I'll deal with her myself."

I gasped for air, my clothes soaked through with blood still gushing from my arm. Marco directed two household staff to drag me into the Gatti family's holding cell, the room reserved for traitors.

They threw me roughly onto the floor and left without another word. All I could do was tear strips from my clothes and bandage the wound myself.

Bitterness churned inside me as I remembered Mamma's final moments, how she'd cried and gripped my hand. "Martina, I truly believed Antonio was worth trusting. That's the only reason I agreed to this marriage."

But in the end, both Mamma and I had been wrong about him. After all these years, Antonio's heart had changed completely.

By midnight, I was burning with fever, drifting in and out of consciousness as I leaned against the wall. The wound on my arm had become infected, oozing pus and giving off a strange, foul smell.

I'd lost all sense of time. I didn't know how long had passed before the holding cell door finally opened.

I struggled to pry my eyes open and found Antonio walking in. When he saw the state I was in, his brow furrowed, a flicker of concern crossing his face. When he spoke, though, all I got was another lecture.

"You only got shot in the arm, but Camilla nearly died. Since you've both hurt each other, I'd say you're even now. Just try to get along from here on out.

"I really don't understand how you changed so much. You used to tolerate all the other women I saw. Now I've narrowed it down to just Camilla, and suddenly, you can't handle it?

"Why can't you be more like her? Look how understanding she is. She knows you're injured, and even though she needs care herself, she still sent me to check on you."

As he spoke, Antonio reached out to examine my wound, but I instinctively pulled away. His touch made me sick.

Back when he was cycling through lovers like they were nothing, I hadn't stayed quiet.

The first time, I caught him in bed with another woman at a hotel. I set the room on fire. Antonio called the police and had me arrested for arson.

The upper-class ladies of New Wis mocked me for a year.

The second time, he was having a candlelit dinner with another woman at a hotel where I happened to be discussing a business deal with another family Boss. I threw my wine in the mistress's face.

Antonio then had his men throw me into the aquarium nearby. My clothes were soaked through and practically see-through. The indecent photos from that night still circulated in our circles to this day.

After enough failed attempts at fighting back, I went numb. I hadn't become more tolerant. I was just exhausted and didn't want to deal with it anymore.

Mamma's health was failing. She survived on medication alone, clinging to life. All I wanted was to protect her and live quietly for whatever time she had left.

But fate had other plans. Mamma couldn't fight the cancer, and she left me.

I thought giving in would buy me some peace. Instead, it only encouraged them to take more. They wouldn't even leave Mamma's body and belongings alone.

I looked at the man in front of me with guarded eyes, my expression blank. "Fine, you scattered my mamma's ashes. But what about the necklace she always wore?

"I put it in the urn with her. You must have taken that too. Give it back."

It was the last thing Nonna had left Mamma. She'd worn it around her neck her entire life, never once taking it off.

Following her wishes, I'd planned to bury the necklace with her ashes. I never expected this to happen.

But Antonio looked completely baffled, like I was being ridiculous. "Your mother is resting comfortably at the care facility in the suburbs. As for her necklace, I've never even seen it.

"Don't tell me you're jealous because I bought Camilla that emerald necklace at the auction last week. Is that why you won't let this go?

"And since when do you talk about your own mother like that? You used to be so devoted to her. Martina, you're truly vicious."

A chill ran through me. I had no desire to argue with him anymore. "Since you don't believe me, there's nothing left to say. Let's get a divorce."

The moment the words left my mouth, Antonio grabbed my collar like a madman. "Enough, Martina. I don't want to hear that word again."

I watched the fury build in his eyes and couldn't understand it. There was clearly no love left between us. So, why wouldn't he agree to divorce me?

If it wasn't about feelings, then it had to be about money.

"Antonio, if we divorce, I'm entitled to half your assets. Are you really that worried about losing your precious fortune?

"But don't forget, without me, the Gatti family wouldn't be what it is today. How many rivals have I eliminated for you over the years? How many spies have I rooted out?"

I still remembered what Antonio told me when we first got married. He said what was his was mine, and if he ever betrayed me, I could take everything and leave him with nothing.

But clearly, once he stopped loving me, those promises meant nothing.

Antonio's face darkened. Whatever concern he'd felt for me earlier vanished completely, replaced by the familiar disgust.

Just then, a doctor appeared at the door to inform him that Camilla had woken up and was insisting on having dinner with him.

Antonio gave the doctor curt instructions to treat my wounds, then turned and left without hesitation. Before he walked out, he issued one final warning. "Play your role as Signora Gatti and stop looking for trouble."

He didn't hear what the doctor said after examining my wound.

"Good God, how did it get this bad? If we'd waited any longer to treat this, you might have lost the use of this arm entirely."

After the doctor left, Antonio moved me out of the holding cell. For the next few days, I recovered in the Gatti family's most luxurious medical suite. The best medical team came to treat me daily.

Before long, my wound healed. Between being sick and not seeing Antonio, I'd put off confronting him about the necklace day after day. Now that I was better, it was time to settle the score.

Since Antonio refused to talk, I'd have to get answers from Camilla instead. But to my surprise, I didn't have to track her down. She messaged me first, asking to meet at a cafe.

Perhaps because she was still recovering, Camilla still looked pale from her injury, but she wore a blissful smile.

The contempt in her eyes when she looked at me, though, was as familiar as ever. "Signora Gatti, you're finally here. I thought you might be too scared to show your face."

As she spoke, she pulled out a document from the limited-edition crocodile leather bag Antonio had bought her.

It was an ultrasound image. My eyes locked onto the small line of text at the bottom of the page.

"Eight weeks pregnant."

Camilla was pregnant, and she was already two months along.

Seeing me freeze, Camilla's smugness intensified. "Signora Gatti, I'll be honest with you. I'm carrying Antonio's child. According to our agreement, as long as I can carry this baby to term, half the Gatti family assets will be mine.

"You've been struggling so hard to divorce Antonio and get what you're owed. I'm getting it all without lifting a finger."

I snapped out of it and looked away from that painful report, letting out a cold laugh. "So, you don't really love Antonio at all, do you? You're no different from all his other women. You're just here for the money."

Having her deepest thoughts exposed seemed to strike a nerve. Camilla's smile vanished, replaced by anger. "So what if I am? We're both after money, but Antonio wants me. Not you.

"You don't even know what he says about you when we're alone, do you? He says you're too ambitious, always trying to prove yourself. You could just be a carefree rich wife, but instead you have to meddle in family business."

Her words hit me hard, bitterness washing over me in waves. All those times I'd handled family business to help him, and he thought I was just power-hungry, trying to climb higher.

As Camilla gestured, her collar shifted, and something caught my eye. A familiar necklace appeared, and my eyes widened.

It was the necklace I'd been desperately searching for. Mamma's necklace. And she was wearing it around her neck.

"How did you get that necklace? Give it back to me!"

Camilla seemed surprised that I'd ignored everything she'd said and focused on the necklace instead.

But she quickly recovered, her lips curling into an arrogant smile. "Does this necklace mean that much to you? Well, Antonio put it around my neck himself.

"He said I can't take it off without his permission. If you want it back, you'll have to beg him for it. Begging me won't help.

"Signora Gatti, you've been married to him for years, and I've only known him a few months. Yet here we are. He's giving me the things you want most. How pathetic."

My eyes went red. I couldn't take it anymore and reached out to snatch it from her.

In the struggle, the hot coffee on the table went flying. It spilled onto Camilla, splashing across her stomach.

She let out a shriek and shoved me away. "Signora Gatti, I invited you here in good faith to talk things out, and you're trying to hurt my baby!"

At that moment, the cafe door flew open with a violent kick. Antonio stormed in, fury written across his face. Luca and his bodyguards were close behind.

The cafe patrons scattered in fear. Antonio rushed to Camilla's side, pulling her into his arms. "Camilla, are you alright?"

The moment she saw Antonio, Camilla's vicious look vanished. Tears instantly streamed down her face.

"Antonio, I only wanted to make peace with Signora Gatti. I didn't want to put you in this position. But she threw hot coffee at me..."

I instinctively tried to defend myself. "It wasn't me. She..."

But Antonio cut me off before I could finish. "Martina, do you really think I'd believe you? How many times have I forgiven you? When will you learn?"