Rita flinched under his gaze, and I stepped forward to shield her.

I couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh at the sight of Marco's hands wrapped protectively around Leonora. "You're the bodyguard my family assigned to me. And yet, here you are, shielding someone else right in front of me? Do you even have professional integrity?"

Marco quickly released his hands as his expression reverted to cold indifference. "I apologize, Ms. Viviana. I'm the Rosa family's bodyguard."

His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the pile of blood-soaked bandages on the floor. "W-What happened? Don't you have an army of bodyguards?"

Before my mother passed away, I had many bodyguards. However, Papa reassigned all of them to protect Leonora, and Marco was all I had left. Yet, he was a fraud.

A flicker of guilt crossed Marco's face as he looked at me. "I failed to protect you. I've already received my punishment in the disciplinary room."

Leonora touched his back and said with sympathy, "Marco, your back is shredded, and you're bleeding…"

"It's all right. It doesn't hurt," Marco replied gently.

Feeling infuriated, I grabbed the wine glass from the table and hurled it at them with everything I had. "Get out!"

Marco shot me an irritated look before ushering Leonora out the door. It was then that I noticed blood on the floor where he had stood. I didn't expect the lengths he was willing to go just to stay by her side.

For three days, I was confined to my bed. Papa had ordered his men to gather my Mamma's property deeds and keys, and he had the living room filled with her jewelry.

Leonora's eyes were red-rimmed and tinged with resentment. "I really envy Viviana. She has so many assets and jewels, and I have nothing but her secondhand leftovers."

Marco glanced at her sympathetically. Then, the corners of his mouth lifted.

A bad feeling surfaced at the back of my mind. Suddenly, engines roared outside. More than a dozen men from the Santis family entered, each one carrying a safe.

They opened them one by one. Inside each box were exorbitant gifts—an oversized pink diamond, enormous pearls, and a ruby crown reserved for the royalties in Darvent.

The leader stepped forward and said, "The Santis family's younger son has been infatuated with you since the moment he laid eyes on you at the trade summit. He's currently in Darvent, but he has been following your news closely. These are his personal gifts to you.

"Please accept them. He also hopes you will attend the gala held in his honor upon his return."

The housekeepers stood paralyzed, their chores forgotten as they stared at the mountain of wealth.

"The Santis family's younger son? I heard he was raised in Darvent. He keeps close tabs on what's happening on the West Coast?"

"Seems like he wants to marry Ms. Leonora. This is such an extravagant setup."

Leonora's confidence was boosted instantly, and she shot me a triumphant look.

Marco secretly watched Leonora, and when he saw how happy she was, he let out a satisfied smile.

I let out a snort and turned to head upstairs. Marco followed behind me and said gently, "Tomorrow is the Christmas gala organized by Lady Carla, who was from a powerful family on the West Coast. Are you really not going?"

Usually, I would have spent weeks preparing for a night like this. But with my wounds still fresh, I had no desire to join the party.

"Do you want me to go?" I asked.

Marco nodded. He was probably thinking of Leonora.

As the sole heir to the Rosa family, I was required. If I didn't attend, an illegitimate daughter like Leonora wouldn't be allowed to enter.

I was about to refuse, but a thought struck me. I had agreed to the Santis family's marriage, so I needed to maintain my connections with the most influential family on the West Coast.

It seemed I needed to attend the gala.

"I'll be there," I replied.

At the gala, news of the Santis family's younger son's extravagant gifts to Leonora had already spread like wildfire. The socialites surrounded Leonora, trying to flatter her.

"The Santis family is a powerhouse in Darvent. I heard that the current heir to the Don is a sickly man and won't live long. The younger son is sure to inherit the title. If you marry him, you'll be the future Madre!"

Leonora covered her mouth shyly and said, "Oh, stop it! Nothing is official yet. Besides, how could I get married before Viviana? No one has proposed to her yet."

The other socialities shot me mocking glances.

"Viviana's Mamma left her a strict order when she was alive—Viviana can only marry a future Don."

"Only the Santis and Fabbri families fit the criteria. The Fabbri heir is a playboy, and the Santis family has two sons. The younger son is in Darvent and is head-over-heels for you, while the older son is dying. She's only left with one choice…"

Everyone knew that Romolo Santis, the Santis family's heir, had been kidnapped and poisoned as a child. He hurt his spine and had to be confined to a wheelchair for life. Now, he was plagued by many illnesses, and rumors said he wouldn't live past 30.

The Fabbri family's heir was a notorious good-for-nothing who spent his days lounging in bars with models. The number of women he brought home every year was simply beyond count.

The buzzing was unbearable. I was about to leave, but Leonora held my shoulder and said, "I almost forgot. Viviana has been seeing someone. She was on a date during the days of the trade summit."

The socialities erupted in laughter.

"We thought she was a business prodigy. Turns out she's just another lovesick fool!"

"Leonora is the true prodigy. That analytical report she wrote was a masterpiece."

My expression darkened. But before I could explain myself, the sound of glass shattering cut through the room.

"My face!" The hostess of the gala, Carla Greco, covered her face and screamed. "Who sent the perfume? It nearly disfigured me!"

A shattered perfume bottle lay on the ground, while Carla's face was breaking out in crimson hives. It looked like a serious allergic reaction, for she had clawed at her skin until it bled.

The butler picked up the broken bottle and looked in our direction. "The two young ladies of the Rosa family brought this."

Leonora immediately pointed at me and explained, "Viviana had this custom-made for you, Lady Carla! She must have done this on purpose!"

I glared at Leonora. She was a fool. The Greco family was so powerful—if they truly believed this was an attempted attack, the entire Rosa family would be implicated.

When the bodyguards swarmed us, Leonora looked like she was about to faint from terror.

After the examination, the doctor declared that there was no poison in the perfume. It was just loaded with synthetic ingredients.

Everyone knew that Carlo was allergic to artificial scents. She could only ever use perfume made from 100% natural extracts.

Leonora shot me a venomous look and said, "If you don't believe me, you can ask the bodyguard who came with us. He's the one who carried the gifts inside."

I looked at Marco, hoping that he might tell the truth. However, what he said next turned my blood to ice.

"Lady Carlo, the perfume…" He clenched his fists and looked at me guiltily. "Ms. Viviana handcrafted it herself.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Viviana Rosa?"

I let out a bitter laugh and hid my disappointment. I shook my head. What else could I say?

Marco was the Santis family's son. If he wanted me to take the fall, he had countless ways to make the charges stick.

Very well. I would consider this payment for saving my life.

Carlo instructed solemnly, "We shall proceed according to the laws of this family—12 rounds of electric shock."

After I was tied to the chair, the butler pressed the baton into my chest. My body convulsed, and every nerve screamed in protest.

The mocking gazes of the crowd felt like salt to my wound.

I opened my eyes and saw Marco and Leonora in an intimate embrace. Her back was turned to me, her face buried in his chest to hide away from the gory scene.

I clenched my jaw and stayed silent. After 12 rounds of electric shock, my mouth was oozing with blood. I closed my eyes as tears rolled down my cheeks.

Marco and I were even now. I had paid my debts after this incident.

From now on, we were strangers.

I remained unconscious for three days after they brought me back to the manor.

When I finally opened my eyes, I realized the housekeeper was someone I didn't recognize.

Ignoring the pain in my body, I struggled to sit up. "Who are you? Where is Rita? Call her in here."

The girl replied timidly, "I'm Adelina Rizzo. I've been assigned to take care of you. Rita…"

Her eyes shimmered with tears as she continued, "She was found in the garden this morning. She took her life. Her body is in the cold storage, waiting to be taken away."

I ran to the cold storage barefoot. When I lifted the white sheet and saw Rita's lifeless face, I screamed in agony.

In between sobs, Adelina said, "Rita was the most loyal housekeeper in the manor. We don't know who she offended, but two nights ago, a group of drunks grabbed her. They broke her leg and humiliated her. We found Rita's parting note on her nightstand."

I opened the note with trembling fingers. It was a short message. "I'm sorry, Ms. Viviana. I can't be with you anymore."

I suddenly recalled Marco's death stare when Rita attacked Leonora that day. Hatred spread through my veins like venom.

It was Marco. He was the one who drove her to this.

After arranging a simple funeral for Rita, I took out the dagger she had given me and said to Adelina, "Where's Marco?"

"He's out at the cinema with Ms. Leonora. They should be back soon."

I sped through the streets and found them on a street behaving intimately. Marco held Leonora's luxury shopping bags in one hand while they posed for a selfie with a doughnut.

I clenched my dagger and charged toward them. "Marco! You're going to pay for Rita's life!"

Suddenly, a truck swerved out of control, barreling toward us. The driver's frantic, deafening horn drowned out my voice, so Marco didn't hear a word I said.

The truck was inches away when he and Leonora saw me.

"Watch out, Leonora!" Marco shoved me aside to shield her.

The truck sent me flying. I hit the ground hard and coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

When Marco saw me, he rushed over in panic and gathered me into his arms.

I mustered whatever strength I had left and plunged the dagger into his chest. "I hate you."

Before I lost consciousness, I felt him sprinting with me in his arms, rushing toward the emergency room.

When I woke up, I saw Marco standing by my bed with a guilty expression. The wound on his chest had been treated.

Marco lowered his head and said, "I failed to protect you, Viviana. Please punish me."

"It's all right." I turned away from him, but even the slightest movement sent a bolt of pain through my body. "If you want to atone for everything that's happened, head to the holy grounds of Sandola and bring me back a crucifix."

Marco's brow furrowed in hesitation. "The trip will take about three days."

I added, "I'm sure Leonora would want a crucifix from there too."

Marco changed his mind after hearing Leonora wanted the crucifix too. He nodded eagerly and said, "Okay. I'll book the first flight out and leave right away."

Before he boarded the plane, he texted me, "Wait for me. When I get back, I'll bring you those pastries you love from Capland."

I stared at the screen and thought inwardly, "No need."

My wedding was in three days.

Marco, we wouldn't be meeting ever again.

…

Three days later, the roads leading to the West Coast's church were congested.

Marco, who was passing by, climbed out of his car when he saw the heavy traffic. "Is there some sort of event today?"

The passerby looked at him incredulously and replied, "You haven't heard? The future Don of the Santis family is getting married."

Marco raised an eyebrow. Romolo was dying. Who would be willing to marry him?

"Who's the bride?"

"From the Rosa family."

Marco turned pale. "T-That's impossible!"