I had only walked a short distance when Anastasia emerged from behind a column like a ghost, blocking my path.

"Elena," she said my name with false concern, but her eyes gleamed with malice. "I think I heard the mistress was just now. Is she upset with you because... because Leone chose me instead?"

I stopped walking and watched her performance coldly.

Seeing I didn't respond, she continued on her own, her voice soft as a serpent's hiss: "You really shouldn't be too upset. After all, this roulette wasn't anything more than a show, was it? The Don... well, he actually wanted you. It's just that my dear Leone loves me so much that even God is on our side."

"Elena," her voice remained gentle, but her smile turned ice-cold. "Seeing how happy Leone and I are, are you disappointed?"

I stopped without turning around. "If you just want to gloat, you've got the wrong person."

She circled to stand in front of me, blocking my path. "Don't pretend. I know you hate me enough to want to kill me. You went through all that trouble trying to marry him, but look what happened? He can't even be bothered to look at you."

I looked at her and suddenly found her pitiful. "Anastasia, I hope you and Leone can be happy together. I won't come between you again."

She scoffed and took a step closer to me. "What makes you think you're worthy? Why would Don and the Madre both prefer you marrying Leone?"

She reached out to grab my wrist, her nails digging into my skin.

I tried to pull away. "Let go."

"What? You want to hit me?" Her voice suddenly rose dramatically, tears forming in her eyes as her grip tightened. "Is it just because Leone chose me? That's why you hate me so much?"

At that moment, hurried footsteps approached. Leone appeared at the end of the corridor, clearly drawn by Anastasia's raised voice.

The moment his gaze fell on us, Anastasia dramatically fell backward as if I had shoved her hard, landing heavily on the floor. At the same time, she cried out in pain: "Ow! My wrist!"

She lifted her arm to reveal a thin scratch.

On my wrist, I wore a delicate silver bracelet, its charm a small oval locket that could be opened.

Leone rushed forward in one stride, dropping to one knee beside Anastasia. "Anna! Are you okay?"

Anastasia immediately nestled into his arms, tears streaming down her face. "Leone... it's not Elena's fault... she was just... just too upset... I shouldn't have come to talk to her..."

Then she showed him her barely visible injury. "She just wanted so badly to be your bride, Leone. It's my fault too for being careless and getting scratched by Elena's bracelet."

"I didn't push her," I said calmly, my voice unnaturally clear in the empty corridor.

"You still dare to lie?" Leone gently held Anastasia's injured arm as if it were fragile porcelain. "The roulette's result when I was with Anastasia was God's will. What do you have to complain about?"

Then he stood up, grabbing my wrist that held the bracelet with enough force to crush bone. "Is this what hurt her?"

"Let me go," I tried to struggle free.

He stared at the bracelet with a sinister look. "You'll pay for this." He yanked hard.

"No!" I screamed, a wave of unprecedented panic washing over me.

But it was too late. The thin chain snapped and slipped from his hand. Without a second glance, he tossed it aside like trash into the incinerator chute built into the corridor wall—a disposal point for confidential documents that burned at constantly high temperatures.

Flames instantly swallowed the silver chain.

I stared at the jumping flames inside the chute, feeling all the blood in my body freeze.

Inside... inside that locket was a small amount of my deceased mother's ashes. It was the only thing she left me. The only comfort I had on countless cold nights.

I threw myself toward the incinerator, trying to rescue the necklace from the flames.

Leone seemed startled by my frantic actions but quickly caught me, restraining my movements.

But Anastasia's timely sobs immediately recaptured his attention.

"It hurts so much, Leone..." she whispered softly against him.

Leone released me immediately, bending down to lift her into his arms without another glance in my direction, turning to leave.

Only one cold sentence followed me: "Elena, you disgust me. If anything happens to Anastasia, I'll make you and your pathetic little family pay together."

Their footsteps faded down the corridor.

I was left alone, facing the merciless flames in the incinerator chute. The hot air washed over my face, but couldn't dispel the chill in my heart.

Slowly, slowly, I squatted down, hugging my knees and burying my face in them.

No tears. Not one.

The pain from being disfigured by acid, having my limbs torn off, and being burned alive in my past life seemed nothing compared to this heartbreak.

Once again, he had effortlessly destroyed the most precious thing in my life.

After a long time, until my legs went numb, I slowly stood up.

Just then, my phone rang. The name flashing on the screen was David, our family's Consigliere.

I answered the call.

"Elena!" David's voice contained suppressed fury and panic. "What the hell have you done? The Donovitch Madre just called, and she's pissed! She said you ruined the marriage and talked back to her! Leone Donovitch is threatening to make us pay! You're going to destroy our family's future!"

I could picture him pacing nervously back in Eastern Europe. Our Volkov family was all show and no substance, relying on clinging to the Donovitch family just to survive.

"Consigliere," I cut in, "The roulette landed on empty. Leone chose Anastasia himself. It has nothing to do with me."

"Nothing to do with it?" he raised his voice. "The Donovitch Madre specifically promised you would be the one! She was our best hope! Now look at us! Not only have we lost our backing, we've made enemies with them! Don't you realize? our smuggling line in Mexico just got shut down! Donovitch definitely ordered it! They could crush us with a snap of their fingers!"

David continued: "To become the Madre of Donovitch family—that's an honor most women would kill for! What's a little humiliation compared to that? For the family, personal sacrifice is necessary! You go back right now, apologize to Donovitch's Madre and Leone, and beg for forgiveness! No matter what, you have to salvage this marriage!"

Without waiting for my response, he hung up angrily.

Just like in my past life. For the family's interests, they wouldn't hesitate to throw me into the fire pit. And my father, though the nominal Don of our family, had long been sidelined by the Consigliere and Capo, becoming their leverage against me.

Suddenly, a notification scrolled across my encrypted underworld messaging app.

"The Cobella family is seeking a marriage alliance. Suitable females from major families may apply. Contact via secure channel for details."

The Cobella family. The uncrowned king of the European underworld, a controlling force in over 80% of arms trade. Their influence was enough to make all five New York families hold their breath.

However, rumors about the current Don were terrifying.

He lived in seclusion and was exceptionally mysterious.

The most widespread stories claimed he was elderly, mentally twisted, impotent, and had extremely sadistic tendencies.

All his former wives and fiancées had disappeared without a trace.

For this very reason, despite their immense power, the Cobella family's marriage offer was like a hot potato—desired by many families yet feared by just as many.

But for me, this was the best way to escape the Donovitch family and protect my father.

If I could become the Madre of the Cobella family—even nominally—Leone Donovitch wouldn't be able to touch me or my family. He would have to look up to me.

Without hesitation, I tapped on the message and began filling out my information according to the encryption instructions. I knew this was a gamble, but it was currently my only and fastest way to save myself.

According to Leone's previous orders, I and the other rejected women had to remain at the Donovitch estate, waiting to attend his wedding with Anastasia.

I knew this was a public humiliation, a reminder that I was rejected merchandise.

A few days later, Leone and Anastasia's engagement party was held at the luxurious Donovitch estate.

Core members of the New York underworld were all dressed to the nines, the air thick with the smell of expensive cigars and perfume.

Leone and Anastasia were the undeniable stars of the evening. He had his arm around her waist, receiving congratulations from family members and associates.

Anastasia wore an exquisite gown with a sweet smile, but her eyes kept glancing in my direction with undisguised triumph.

I chose a corner spot, wanting only to quietly endure this night. But Anastasia clearly had no intention of letting me off easy. She carried a glass of champagne and, along with a few other ladies from other families, sashayed over to where I stood.

"Oh, look who we have here?" Anastasia's voice was sickeningly sweet. "Our Elena Volkov, who almost became the future Madre of the Donovitch family. Sitting all alone here, don't you feel lonely?"

I looked up at her, expressionless.

One of her retorted with a sneer: "Anna, don't say that. Maybe she's still upset about the roulette results. After all, some people thought they had it in the bag."

Anastasia put on a magnanimous smile: "Now, now, the roulette was God's will. Leone and I are fate's design." She looked at me with false pity. "Elena, I know it's hard to accept. But throwing a fit won't change anything, it'll only embarrass you more. Leone's heart has always been with me."

Instead, I spoke calmly: "Anastasia, I wish you and Leone eternal happiness. I have no desire to come between you, please believe me."

My apparent calm seemed to enrage her. Anastasia's smile froze for a second before turning into a hurt expression: "I was just trying to be concerned..."

Seeing her wounded expression, those who wanted to curry favor with her gathered around to comfort her, some even throwing insults my way.

I just wanted this drama to end and remained silent.

Midway through the evening, the music in the ballroom grew soft as the first dance began. Leone was dancing with Anastasia, but his gaze occasionally drifted to my corner.

Suddenly, Anastasia let out a gasp. The music stopped abruptly.

"My necklace! The diamond necklace Leone gave me is gone!" She clutched her now-empty neck, her face turning pale as tears immediately welled in her eyes.

The entire hall fell silent. All eyes focused on her.

Leone immediately embraced her, asking in a low voice: "What's wrong, Anna? Don't panic, tell me slowly."

"It was here just now... right after I came over to talk with those ladies..." she sobbed, her eyes drifting in my direction. "I went to the restroom, and when I came back, it was gone... It was our love token..."

Leone's expression darkened instantly. He swept his gaze around the room, eyes like a hawk's. "Lock down the hall! No one leaves!"

Soldatos immediately moved to block all exits. The atmosphere grew tense and suffocating.

"Where did you last see the necklace?" Leone asked, his voice low but carrying unquestionable authority.

Anastasia timidly pointed in the direction of my corner: "It was... it was after I spoke with Elena over there..."

In an instant, I became the center of attention in the entire banquet.

Leone strode over to me. "You." He stared at me, his eyes icy. "Have you seen Anna's necklace?"

"No." I met his gaze.

"Search her." he commanded without hesitation, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I stood my ground, looking directly at Leone.

"I said, search her." Leone repeated, his tone more dangerous.

"On what grounds?" I asked, my voice trembling with suppressed anger. "Because of her vague accusation?"

"Because I'm Leone Donovitch, and this is my territory." he leaned in, whispering in my ear, his voice for me alone. "Or perhaps you're guilty as charged?"

Anastasia came over, taking Leone's arm with tear-filled eyes: "Leone, let it go... maybe I just misremembered, or it fell somewhere else... don't do this to Elena just because of me..."

"No." Leone was resolute. "Stealing family property, especially an heir's gift, is a challenge to the Donovitch family. This must be investigated." He looked back at me. "Either you strip, or I have my men do it for you."

Wave after wave of humiliation washed over me. To be forced to strip in public to prove my innocence?

I looked at Leone. There was not a shred of trust in his eyes, only disgust and certainty.

The tender way he looked at Anastasia versus the cold treatment I was receiving created a cruel contrast.

"I didn't steal anything." I said, enunciating each word.

"Prove it." he said without feeling.

I knew resistance would only lead to harsher treatment.

Under the gazes of the crowd—some sympathetic, some mocking, some indifferent—I stiffly began to remove my evening gown's outer layer, then my shoes.

I was left in only my slip. The cold air against my skin sent shivers through me. I bit my lip tightly, not allowing any sign of weakness.

"Satisfied?" I asked, looking at him with empty eyes.

Leone frowned deeper, as if my compliance and indifference caught him off guard, even displeased him. He signaled a maid to search through the clothes I'd removed.

The maid carefully checked the pockets of the jacket and skirt before shaking her head: "Young Master Leone, nothing."

Anastasia suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the inside of my slip's waistband: "There... is that something shining over there..."

All eyes focused on that spot.

The maid felt inside the waistband of my slip and actually pulled out a sparkling diamond necklace!

A wave of gasps swept through the hall.

"Really on her!"

"Oh my god, she actually stole it!"

"Eastern European trash, as expected with their dirty hands..."

The whispers stung like poison darts.

Anastasia covered her mouth with a hand, looking at me in pretended disbelief, but a triumphant glint flashed in her eyes.

"Elena... why... why would you do such a thing? If you like it, I could ask Leone to get you something else..."

Leone looked at the recovered necklace, then at me, the last trace of doubt in his eyes gone, replaced by utter disdain and anger.

He snatched the necklace and personally fastened it around Anastasia's neck.

"Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" he asked, his voice as cold as ice.

I knew any explanation would be futile. He had always believed Anastasia, and always would.

"According to family rules, what's the punishment for stealing important property from an heir?" Leone asked his assistant beside him.

The assistant bowed: "Fifty lashes, Young Master Leone. To be carried out publicly in the courtyard as a warning to others."

Leone's gaze swept over my pale face, without a hint of wavering. "Carry it out."

I was dragged to the cold courtyard by two large Soldatos. A rough stone pillar served as the whipping post. They bound my wrists to it.

The sound of the whip cutting through the air was sharp and piercing.

The first lash landed across my back, the pain of splitting skin making me almost faint. I bit down hard on my lip, tasting blood. The second, third... pain spread like flames.

The courtyard was filled with onlookers—family members, servants, and the other rejected women.

Their gazes varied, but no one spoke up for me.

Anastasia nestled in Leone's arms, burying her face against his chest as if unable to bear the cruel sight, but I could see the suppressed smile playing on her lips.

Leone stood there the entire time, watching with an impassive expression.

His eyes regarded me like a despicable, unknown criminal.

Thirty, forty... consciousness began to blur; only the pain was real.

When the fiftieth lash finally landed, my back was a bloody mess, barely recognizable.

The Soldatos untied my wrists. I collapsed to the ground, my cheek pressed against the cold stone slabs.

"Drag her away. Don't dirty the place," Leone's cold voice came.

No one offered to help me.

Supporting myself on my elbows, I moved inch by inch, using all my strength, dragging my nearly broken body toward the estate infirmary.

Behind me, a trail of blood followed.

By the time I reached the infirmary door, I had exhausted my last ounce of energy.

The Donovitch family's private doctor looked at me with a slight frown. As if under orders, he simply tossed me a roll of gauze and a bottle of disinfectant.

"Mr. Leone has issued orders. No one is to help treat your wounds. You'll have to do it yourself," he said coldly, then turned and left.

Before Anastasia returned to her home country, Leone had always been good to me.

He once spent a hundred million on fireworks just to make me smile. He once single-handedly stormed into enemy territory to rescue me.

Therefore, in my past life, I never would have believed he could be so cruel to me.

Now, leaning against the cold wall, I trembled as I tried to clean my wounds with hands covered in dirt and blood, applying medication, then wrapping them with gauze.

Each movement sent nerve-shredding pain through me.

And with each pain, my resolve hardened.

My phone vibrated. A message from my father:

"Elena, we were ambushed during a family transaction. Critical situation. Request support immediately."

I dragged my battered body through the cold corridors of the Donovitch estate, each movement sending searing pain through my whipped back. I ignored the agony.

In my past life, this was about when I received the news that my father had been shot dead.

I didn't know the details then, didn't understand what had happened. But now I did.

My father, Don of the Volkov family, though stripped of real power, was still my only family.

I had to save him. Since God had given me this second chance, I would change his fate.

My first thought was Leone.

The Donovitch family had formidable power; even a small team could turn the situation around.

I found him in the solarium with Anastasia, selecting wedding dress fabrics.

Silks and satins covered the long table, the air filled with sweetness and luxury.

"Leone," I interrupted them, my voice hoarse with urgency, "I need your help. My father's dealing in New York has gone wrong. He's been ambushed and needs immediate backup!"

Leone looked up from a stack of silk samples, his brow slightly furrowed with annoyance at being disturbed. "Trouble with the Volkov family?"

His tone was dismissive. "Shootouts happen in New York every day. Tell your Soldatos to handle it themselves."

"They can't handle it!" I stepped forward, nearly grabbing his arm. "It was an ambush, Leone! He needs Donovitch support, your men. We've always had a working relationship, haven't we?"

Anastasia gently set down the fabric in her hand, clinging to Leone's arm with her distinctive, delicate voice: "Leone, my love, New York is our territory. If there was a serious firefight, our informants would have heard and reported to you. How could there be no news at all?"

She turned to me with seemingly innocent curiosity: "Elena, are you perhaps too anxious and misunderstood what you heard?"

"I didn't misunderstand!" I pulled out my phone, showing him my father's distress message and the shocking photo of the scene—a chaotic warehouse with flashes of gunfire, blurry but clearly showing casualties.

"Look! This is what he sent! He needs help!"

Anastasia glanced at the screen, a barely perceptible cold smile playing on her lips.

She leaned close to Leone, whispering in his ear: "Leone, darling, we both know Miss Elena is resentful because she didn't become your bride. Could she and her father be... conspiring to deceive you? After all, when would the Don of the Volkov family casually come to New York for a deal?"

Hearing her words, Leone became cautious and suspicious.

"Elena," Leone's voice turned completely cold, laced with mockery, "Anna is right. I can't just blindly trust you."

My heart sank to the depths. Desperate to save my father, I had neither the time nor energy to argue with them.

"Leone, I'm begging you," I abandoned all dignity, my knees buckling as I crashed onto the cold marble floor, looking up at him. "For old times' sake, when my father still served the Donovitch family, please save him. I swear I'm not lying to you. If you just send men, I'll do anything!"

Leone looked at me—the Principessa of the Volkov family who had always maintained a scrap of pride before him—now humbled on her knees.

A flicker of something almost like pain crossed his eyes.

But Anastasia didn't miss this moment of hesitation. She immediately pressed herself against Leone, swaying his arm like a petulant child: "Look how pitiful she is, Leone. Maybe... we should help her?"

Her tone shifted, a malicious glint in her eye. "But we can't just waste our valuable Soldatos for nothing, can we? If Miss Elena is willing to humble herself and be my maid for a day, obey my every command, pass our little test... then we'll send a team, hmm... ten Soldatos to check things out. What do you say?"

I knew Anastasia wouldn't let me off easily. This meant subjecting myself to her whims, trampling my last shred of dignity.

But I hesitated for less than a second. My father's life was worth ten thousand times more than my pride.

"I agree." I looked up, meeting Anastasia's triumphant gaze directly.

"I'll accept your conditions. Please, Leone, send men to this address now!" I sent Leone my father's last known location.

Leone snorted coldly. He waved dismissively, instructing a Capo beside him: "Do as Anna says. Send a team of ten Soldatos."

"Go now!" I insisted, a tiny flicker of hope igniting in my chest.

"What's the rush?" Anastasia said airily. "People need time to prepare. Now then, Elena, your duties begin. Come with me, my shoes need polishing."

The next several hours were the most agonizing of my life.

Anastasia went to every extreme to order and humiliate me.

She made me use my tongue to lick crumbs of food she'd dropped onto her gown clean.

She poured an entire glass of red wine over my unhealed wounds, such intense pain I nearly fainted.

She made me clean the ashes from the fireplace with my bare hands, leaving me covered in soot.

She made me kneel and use my handkerchief to wipe the mud from the soles of her shoes.

I clenched my teeth and endured everything.

I had only one thought: Hold on. Dad will be saved.

During this time, I checked my phone. There was no good news from my father. I was burning with anxiety but dared not show it, fearing Anastasia might make Leone call off the soldatos.

Finally, while she had me precariously balancing on a ladder to clean a massive crystal chandelier, I overheard two Soldatos carried large boxes downstairs.

"This batch of air-fresh flowers from Provence is damn delicate. Miss Anna insists we personally escort them from the airport—such a waste of good men," one complained.

"Tell me about it," the other agreed. "We were supposed to have a special op today, but the boss said it wasn't as priority as escorting Miss Anna's wedding flowers, so it got cancelled."

My mind went blank.

Cancelled? The op was cancelled?

I scrambled down the ladder as if mad, rushing to the Soldato and grabbing his collar: "What op? Was it the op to the abandoned docks in the west? Was it?!"

The Soldato, frightened by my appearance, stammered: "Y-yeah, I think so? A capo assignment. The capo said it wasn't worth wasting time on the Volkov family's bullshit, that Miss Anna's flowers were more important..."

Lies! All lies!

Leone had never sent anyone! Anastasia had never intended to save my father from the beginning! She was just using this as an excuse to torture and humiliate me!

And that team that could have saved my father was dispatched to protect her damn wedding flowers!

I turned ice-cold, my blood seemingly freezing solid.

With the last of my strength, I dialed my father's encrypted satellite phone.

No answer.

Once, twice, three times... only busy signals.

Finally, an encrypted message came through, from our family's Consigliere, David.

"Elena... we found the Don... he... he and the men we sent... all wiped out... the enemy was clean... we were too late..."

My phone slipped from my numb fingers, crashing to the ground, the screen shattering.

I still couldn't save my father.

Reborn, and I still couldn't change fate. The last person in this world who truly cared about me was gone.

I had stayed in this hellish Donovitch family, enduring all this, for my father.

Now he was gone. What did I have left to fear? What was there left to lose?

The last support in my life vanished. I collapsed onto the cold floor.

I don't know how much time passed before my encrypted account received an email.

Sender: Cobella Family Office.

Subject: Invitation to Follow-up Discussion Regarding Marriage Alliance.

The Cobella family. That European arms behemoth rumored to have an old, twisted Don whose previous wives had all disappeared.

Before, I had hesitated, weighed the options.

None of that mattered now.

I extended a finger, trembling yet strangely determined, and clicked open the email.

"...You are cordially invited to Naples, Italy, for a personal meeting with Don Cobella to discuss subsequent arrangements..."

I took a deep breath.

Then I pressed reply, typing my response in the simplest, clearest words.

"I accept the invitation. Will arrive in Naples as soon as possible."