With Cristian's approval, everyone grew even more frenzied. Someone rushed over, shoved me to the ground, and forced my head down toward Cristian's lap.

My dress slipped off my shoulders as they pushed me forward, exposing my cleavage and bare skin to Cristian, who was looking down at me.

"Let her go."

Desire flickered in his eyes. He shoved Tatiana aside, and everyone froze.

Cristian leaned down and grabbed my chin. He whispered close to my ear, his voice strained and hoarse, "I know you don't have a damn husband, Aria. Come back to me. Otherwise you'll always be nothing but a cheap bitch in heat."

I stared into his eyes, gritting out each word with venom, "In your dreams!"

The desire in his eyes instantly turned to rage.

"Continue!" His furious shout echoed through the room.

They pinned me down even harder. Someone poured an entire bottle of liquor over my head, drenching my body. I screamed and struggled to get up, but Tatiana stomped down on me. Her heel ground into my face, nearly crushing it.

"Crazy bitch, still trying to fight back? You better lick my shoes clean right now. Otherwise, you're not leaving this room today."

"You're the crazy one! I'm the Donna of the Rossi family. My husband Vincenzo is Don Rossi, and you're making me lick your shoes?"

I thought they'd stop their nonsense once they heard my identity. Instead, they exchanged glances and burst into even wilder laughter.

"You really won't give up, will you? You didn't even finish school, you show up at a bar dressed like a hooker, and you dare claim to be the Rossi family's Donna? Aren't you afraid the Don will come after you?"

"You're the Don's wife? Yeah, and I'm the Queen! Today we're going to teach you a lesson, you lying, shameless slut!"

Malice flashed in Michela's eyes. She grabbed an empty bottle from the table and hurled it at me.

The bottle shattered on impact. Pain and dizziness washed over me. Blood streamed down from the gash on my forehead.

"Enough!"

Something like reluctance flickered in Cristian's eyes. He called them off sharply and snapped at Michela, "Who told you to do that?"

Everyone went still. Michela flinched back under his rebuke, while Tatiana glared at me with pure hatred.

The next second, Cristian pulled me up from the floor. He pressed a handkerchief against my wound almost gently.

"See, Aria? I'm the only one who's ever been able to stop them and protect you—both then and now. You must be terrified if you're making up something so ridiculous. If someone was really protecting you, why would you need to lie about being married to Don Rossi?

"Just give in. These people all have power and connections. They'll only listen to me. Toying with a cheap whore like you would be nothing to them."

Rage burned through me. I bit my lip hard, fighting through the dizziness. "How… how dare you…"

He smiled and pulled me in front of him, pointing to a hidden door in the corner of the room. He whispered in my ear, "See that little room? You're much more beautiful than before, and you're especially sexy today. To these animals, you look like a delicious dessert.

"Trust me, the second I give them permission, these guys will drag you in there and tear you apart. Only I can save you."

I looked up. The male classmates surrounding me leered with predatory smiles. Their eyes roamed over my exposed skin like hungry beasts ready to devour me whole.

Fear seized me. I shrank back instinctively and bumped into Cristian's arms.

Triumph gleamed in his eyes. Seeing this, Tatiana's face twisted with jealousy. She kicked me hard in the stomach.

"Damn it! You filthy whore! You're trying to seduce my man right in front of me!"

Tatiana's kick sent me crashing to the ground. Wave after wave of pain tore through my stomach.

"Are you insane, Tatiana? We're not even together!"

Irritation flashed across Cristian's face. He shoved Tatiana aside roughly, draped his jacket over me, and scooped me up.

"Everyone shut up and enjoy your party. Aria and I are going to catch up."

He carried me toward the side room.

"No, don't… Let me go…" I struggled, but the increasingly sharp pain in my abdomen drained all my strength.

"Stop fighting me, Aria."

Cristian pressed me down on the couch in the side room with barely contained eagerness. He buried his face in my neck, pouring out his emotions without restraint.

"I love and hate you. I love how cold and stubborn you are, like this thorny rose that only opens up for me. But I hate that stubbornness too.

"It was just one mistake, one affair, and you deleted my number. Do you know how long I've been looking for you? None of the other women I've been with ever meant anything to me. Only you.

"I know you feel the same way. You could never love anyone else either. Us running into each other again? It's fate."

He murmured desperately, kissing and licking the alcohol off my skin. All I felt was disgust and nausea. The violent pain in my abdomen felt like it was tearing me apart from within.

I grimaced, weakly trying to push Cristian away. My limbs started to grow stiff and cold. Sweat beaded on my forehead.

"Didn't you always used to beg me to give you a baby?"

Cristian snapped out of his memories. "Accept this gift. Accept my kiss. Let's start over…"

He leaned down to kiss me but froze when he saw my trembling lips and deathly pale face. "Aria, what's wrong?"

But I was already in too much pain to speak.

"Damn it!"

Cristian carried me out of the side room in a panic and turned on Tatiana furiously. "Where the fuck did you kick her?"

Tatiana shrank back from his sudden rage, stammering helplessly. "Her… her stomach. Just once…"

A chill ran through me.

Last week, I kept feeling nauseous. Before Vincenzo left for his trip, he took me to see his private doctor. The results were supposed to come in today.

Right before boarding, Vincenzo said he had a huge surprise for me. Could it be…

Panic overwhelmed me. Just then, a waiter who'd heard the commotion started to open the door. I grabbed at him like a lifeline and used every ounce of the little strength I had left to bite down on Cristian's arm.

Cristian yelped and let go. I hit the floor and crawled toward the waiter, raising my hand and crying out for help.

"Help me, please. Call my husband. I'm the Donna of the Rossi family. My ring is proof…"

My blood-covered, disheveled appearance startled the waiter. Not recognizing me, he slammed the door in fear and ran.

My arm, which I'd struggled so hard to raise, dropped limply. I collapsed completely. Only then did everyone notice the ring on my left hand.

"Look! She's wearing a Cartier diamond ring! How could an ordinary dancer afford such an expensive wedding ring?"

"It must be a fake!"

Michela stepped forward dismissively and yanked the ring off my finger. But when she saw the name engraved inside, terror flooded her face. Her whole body started trembling.

"Vincenzo Rossi? Could she really be the… the…"

Cristian stood frozen in disbelief. Tatiana stumbled backward.

Suddenly someone screamed in horror, pointing at me. "Look! Aria's bleeding! There's so much blood on her thighs!"

My body grew even weaker. I could feel my blood and the life inside me slipping away. Guilt and despair made my eyes brim with tears.

My consciousness started to fade. Then I heard Vincenzo's furious, panicked voice. "Aria!"

"I'm sorry, amore… I couldn't protect our child, the Rossi heir…" I thought to myself.

Just as my vision went dark, Vincenzo burst through the door with the waiter leading him. He kicked it open. His men swarmed in, surrounding the stunned crowd.

Vincenzo gathered my curled-up body into his arms tenderly. Rage blazed in his eyes as he roared at everyone, "How dare you hurt my wife and child? None of you are leaving this room alive!"