I had two fathers.

One was Vincenzo, who was gentle and cultured. The other was Matteo, who was called "Il Diavolo Sanguinario", meaning the bloodthirsty devil, by everyone.

Both were men my grandfather, Don Rossi, had chosen for my mother, Sofia.

In my last life, my mother had chosen Vincenzo, thinking he was the man she could trust for the rest of her life. But after a woman called Carla came between them, he grew colder toward my mother and me. He took Carla's side and became convinced that my mother had drugged him on purpose and slept with other men.

In his eyes, I was a bastard whose father was unknown.

After my grandpa passed away, Carla framed my mother repeatedly. Vincenzo would let her get away with it every time. He had even forced my mother to apologize and locked us in the basement, to the point of starving to death in the end!

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at my fifth birthday party.

My grandpa was still gravely ill, and he was urging my mother to make a choice. "Sofia, whoever you choose will inherit everything in the Rossi family and protect you and Lia in my place."

Mom held me in her arms, hesitant to make a decision.

I pointed at the man everyone called the Diavolo Sanguinario. "Pick him! Only he can protect us!"

After I shouted to choose Matteo, my mother, Sofia, looked down at me in shock. "Lia, what are you talking about?! You just told me yesterday that Vincenzo treats you the best. Why are you choosing Matteo now?"

Matteo had a terrible reputation among the Families. Everyone said he was bloodthirsty and ruthless, with enough blood on his hands to stain the entire river red. I used to hide whenever I saw him, crying and begging my mother to hold me. But they would never know that in my last life, the terrifying Diavolo Sanguinario was the only one who avenged my mother and me.

I gritted my teeth and grabbed my mother's clothes with my hand. "No! I want Matteo! Vincenzo is a bad man. You can't choose him!"

My grandfather, Giuseppe, had just started to speak when he suddenly started to cough violently. The private doctor immediately rushed over and quickly helped him away.

Before he left, my grandfather looked at Mom and me for a long moment, his eyes full of worry as the guests around us started whispering.

"Don Rossi's cancer has already progressed to Stage Three, yet he's still forcing himself to hold this birthday party. He's obviously doing this to pick a husband for Sofia."

"Why did Lia suddenly choose Matteo? That is a man who won't think twice before murdering someone."

"Vincenzo is a good choice. He's gentle and cultured. Not to mention the Bello family is powerful, too. Sofia can't go wrong with him."

The discussion was just underway when the doors to the banquet hall swung open, and Vincenzo walked in. He was dressed in a black suit, wearing an easy smile on his face, looking harmless to anyone who did not know better.

The moment I saw him, the fear from my last life came rushing back, and I shrank into Mom's arms. His gaze scanned the room before finally falling on my mother, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

"It's just a little girl's birthday party, yet the Don made it so grand and invited every VIP from every family. Isn't that a little unwarranted?"

As soon as he finished speaking, something near the dining table caught his eye.

Carla was holding a glass of red wine, and she then pretended to lose her balance as she stumbled toward my mother. The wine splashed across Mom's expensive gown, a large patch of red blooming across it, staining it.

Vincenzo's expression immediately changed as he hurried over and caught Carla. It sounded as though he was scolding her, but I could hear pity in that voice. "Why are you so careless?!"

Then, he turned to Mom and roared, "Sofia! What is the meaning of this? Carla came over to offer you a toast out of the kindness of her heart, but you shoved her on purpose? Where are your manners as a host?!"

Mom frowned and coldly said, "I didn't even touch her as she ran into me herself. I don't think she even has an invitation. She probably snuck in."

Carla's eyes immediately turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes as she grabbed Vincenzo's arm. "Vincenzo, don't blame her. It was my fault. I just heard that it was Lia's birthday, so I specially prepared a gift and came to celebrate. I just wanted to offer Sofia a toast. I didn't think I would upset her. I'll leave right now and stop bothering everyone."

She raised a hand as she spoke to wipe away her tears and turned around, looking as though she had suffered some terrible injustice and wanted to leave.

I was so angry my body trembled. Hanging onto my mother's arm, I shouted, "She's lying! She did it on purpose! She's the one who ran into Mom!"

Vincenzo immediately stepped in front of her and shouted at my mother. "Apologize! Sofia, you have to apologize to Carla!"

My mother's expression turned cold when she heard Vincenzo asking her to apologize. "I won't apologize for something I never did."

The moment she finished speaking, one of Vincenzo's men rushed forward and kicked her in the knee. My mother let out a gasp and dropped to her knees on the cold marble floor, sweat instantly beading her forehead.

I was so scared, and I cried as I reached for her. "Mom! Mom, are you okay?"

Vincenzo walked over and kicked me to the ground. My forehead slammed into the sharp corner of the cake table. A blinding pain shot through me, and warm blood trickled down my face.

I wiped at it and saw my hand come away red.

The second my mother saw I was bleeding, she immediately crawled over and shielded me. However, Vincenzo viciously stepped on her fingers and ground them under his foot. My mother's face turned pale with pain, and even her voice was shaking as she said, "Vincenzo, let me go! Lia's still a child!"

Vincenzo let out a sneer, his eyes full of contempt. "She's nothing but a fatherless kid! If you don't apologize to Carla, whatever comes next isn't my fault!"

The guests all stood by and watched. Some looked uneasy, but no one dared to step forward. They were afraid of Vincenzo's influence, and they were even more afraid of getting dragged into trouble. One by one, they lowered their heads.

"Sofia had a daughter before getting married, and nobody even knows who the father is..."

"Vincenzo's right. She brought this upon herself for not following the rules!"

"I heard Don Rossi doesn't have much time left. Once he's gone, the Rossi family will belong to Vincenzo. Don't meddle in their affairs!"

Every word cut into my heart like a knife.

I clenched my fists and shouted through gritted teeth, "I'm not! I'm the principessa of the Rossi family! You're the bad one!"

My mother was still trembling from the pain, but she still reached for me with everything she had. "Lia, don't be afraid. Mom's here... Have you lost your mind?! Lia is your daughter!"

Vincenzo let out a cold sneer as if he had just heard a joke. "My daughter? If you hadn't drugged me back then, why would I have even slept with you? You're just another shameless woman trying to trap me with a daughter!"

Carla stood off to the side, sobbing as she said, "How could you do something like that?! Even if you wanted to keep Vincenzo around, you shouldn't have used a trick like that."

I shuddered with rage. I had never learned the truth until Matteo avenged us in my last life. Carla was the one who had drugged Vincenzo and wanted to force him to take responsibility for it after the fact.

But that day, Vincenzo happened to be at my mother's house.

Afterward, Carla had spread rumors everywhere. She said my mother had a messy private life and had been involved with many other men, so no one could tell whose child I was. That was why Vincenzo hated my mother so much and doubted that I was his daughter.

Giuseppe had treated him like family, yet now, he believed Carla's lies and let her torment my mother and me.

I struggled to get up on my feet and then pointed at Carla as I screamed while still swaying, "You're the one who spread lies and drove us apart! You're the evil one and the liar!"

The moment Vincenzo saw me accuse Carla in front of everyone, his face darkened. He grabbed my arm and lifted me into the air. "Apologize to Carla!"

I cried out in pain, but I still glared at him and Carla. "I won't apologize! You're both bad people! I hate you!"

Vincenzo was so furious, he laughed. "You're just a child without a father! This is already lighter than what you should be getting!"

Then, he suddenly let go after he was done speaking, and I fell headfirst toward the floor.

The pain I expected never came as a pair of strong hands caught me instead.

It was Matteo!

I raised my head and looked up at him. He was dressed in a black suit with the Sorrentino family crest pinned to his collar. His face was expressionless, but a terrifying aura surrounded his entire being.

He held me close, then reached down and helped my mother up from the floor.

"This is a birthday party organized by the Rossi family. Outsiders don't get to cause trouble here." His voice was not loud, but the whole banquet hall went silent. Everyone looked at him, their eyes full of fear and caution.

Vincenzo's men rushed forward at once. One of them slammed a fist into Matteo's face, and blood immediately spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Then, even more men closed in. They punched him from every side as they mocked him and beat him.

"Matteo, you bloodthirsty lunatic. You think you can interfere in Vincenzo's business?"

"Do you think the Don would ever let Sofia marry you? You're just a gangster who only knows how to fight and kill!"

"Get out now, or we'll make sure you die here today!"

Matteo was covered in blood, but he never loosened his hold on my mother and me for even a second. Then, his men finally rushed in as well and started fighting with Vincenzo's people. Tables and chairs crashed over, and wine glasses shattered across the floor.

My mother cried out, "Stop! If this keeps going, I'll call in the Rossi family soldati! I'll make sure that both of you pay the price!"

Only then did Vincenzo call off his men and look at Matteo coldly. Suddenly, Carla clutched her stomach and cried out weakly, "Ah... my stomach… It hurts so much... I drank the wine Sofia handed me just now. Was there something wrong with it?"

With that one sentence, she pushed all the blame onto my mother as Vincenzo's eyes instantly turned red. "Did you drug Carla? You knew she was carrying my child, and you wanted to kill her?"

My mother looked at him coldly. "I never poured her any wine. She did not even have an invitation. She's not worth dirtying my hands for."

"You dare talk back to me?!" Vincenzo roared, his eyes full of cruelty.

"I'm warning you, Sofia. If you don't kneel and beg Carla for forgiveness, then once the Don is gone, I'll make sure you and that fatherless girl die! Don't think I won't do it! The Don is gravely ill now. He can't protect either of you!"

He was using my grandfather's illness to threaten my mother.

Even as I was curled up in Matteo's arms, I reached out to my mother. "Mom, don't be scared. Matteo will protect us. My grandfather's status can only go to Matteo. Vincenzo is a bad man. You can't trust him."

My mother lowered her head and looked at me, her eyes full of heartbreak and hesitation. She reached out and touched my bleeding forehead, tears falling one after another onto the back of my hand. It was unnervingly warm.

After a long time, my mother finally nodded. She pulled me into her arms and said to Matteo, "Thank you."

Matteo looked at my mother, and the hard edge in his eyes softened a little. He gently shook his head. "It's what I should do."

My mother forced herself to stand with me in her arms, then turned to take me away so my wound could be treated.

When Vincenzo's men saw that my mother and I were both covered in blood, they exchanged looks. None of them dared stop us. They could only pretend not to see.

I looked back at Matteo as I rested in Mom's arms.

He was standing there, staring coldly at Vincenzo.

I knew he would protect us.