I am the most secret Principessa of the Sicilian "Shepherd" Mafia.

For my safety, my identity was a closely guarded secret since birth.

I lived in the shadows, leaving the outside world entirely ignorant of my true standing.

On my wedding day, my mafia fiancé allowed his female bodyguard to feed my family's heirloom token to his dog.

He mocked me for coming from some "backwater" family, claiming I wasn't worthy to be his bride.

He even threatened to wipe my family off the map..

Looking this, I simply made a single phone call.

Moments later, armored vehicles crashed through the estate gates, and our family’s chief Consigliere knelt me in front of the terrified crowd:"Principessa, your father sent us to bring you home."

It was only at that moment that my arrogant fiancé finally understood.

The woman he had humiliated was the sole heir to the "Shepherd" family that controlled the European arms trade.

But it was too late for regrets.

I am the most secret Principessa of the Sicilian "Shepherd" Mafia.

For my safety, my identity was a closely guarded secret since birth.

I lived in the shadows, leaving the outside world entirely ignorant of my true standing.

Most of the time, I stayed in our family's fortress deep in Sicilian countryside, secretly handling European mafia affairs.

When I came of age, my family arranged a marriage to the heir of the "Lion" family, Matteo Leonardo.

The "Lion" family is a rising power in the Naples region, with businesses ranging from port smuggling to casinos and hotels.

However, to be honest, this family's influence is like a child's toy compared to our "Shepherd" family.

According to tradition, the night before the wedding, the groom must meet the bride face to face to discuss ceremony details and exchange covenant tokens as a sign of respect.

I sat in the designated guest room, from sunset to midnight, but Matteo Leonardo never showed up.

This public snub made my family guards' faces darken with anger.

Near midnight, the door opened, but it wasn't Matteo.

A tall woman with short red hair walked in.

She sized me up without courtesy, her eyes assessing me like cheap merchandise.

"You're that Sicilian Anita, aren't you?" she said arrogantly.

"Mr. Leonardo is busy tonight and doesn't have time to see you. He sent me to tell you that for the ceremony, all you need to do is show up on time. Got it?"

"According to tradition, he should come personally," I stated calmly.

She snorted,looking down on me. "Tradition? Here, Mr. Leonardo's word is tradition. He put me in charge of all the wedding formalities."

She was Carla, Matteo's personal bodyguard and... his serect mistress.

Carla continued, "Hand over your family token. Matteo delegated this to me."

As she spoke, she spotted the pair solid gold pocket watches in my hand—the supreme token crafted by "Shepherd" family artisans over a full year, Its intricate mechanisms contained the encrypted coordinates for future weapons trade routes.

She sneered, snatching it away roughly and examining it with disdain. "No wonder you're country bumpkins. To be marrying into the Leonardo family and only bring out something as outdated as this token."

Before I could react, she tossed one of the gold watches to the Doberman Pinscher lying at her feet.

The beast immediately began pawing and chewing at the golden case.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" My voice was as cold as ice.

Carla looked up when she saw me, revealing an undisguised smirk of contempt.

She shook the other pocket watch in her hand. "Oh, you mean this? Matteo said he could dispose of your token however he pleased. He thought bringing out mass-produced trash from some insignificant country family like yours would just invite ridicule."

I forced down my rage. "This marriage is an alliance. You should show me some respect."

Carla scoffed, walking toward me as she looked me up and down in my simple wedding gown. "Matteo said a woman like you just embarrasses the Leonardo family when standing beside him. The woman at his side needs to be powerful enough—like me."

I almost laughed from the sheer audacity "Are you seriously this stupid?" I shot back. "Your Don need to take responsibility for your impolite behavior"

With that, I didn't wait for her reply.

I took out my satellite phone and directly dialed Matteo's secure line.

"Matteo," I said enunciating every syllable, "Regarding the destruction of the covenant token, you owe me an explanation."

Our wedding was the result of multiple high-level negotiations between our families. If my family learned how the "Lion" family was treating their Principessa, the consequences would be catastrophic.

If Matteo apologized now, there might still be room to turn things around.

"An explanation?" Matteo's voice was slurred with hangover and undisguised arrogance. "I don't need to explain myself to some country bumpkin. You should be grateful I'm even marrying you. You don't get to tell me what to do—and you should consider it an honor that your little gift is good enough for my dog to play with."

I said, calmly, enunciating each word, "I am the bride your father agreed to. What you're doing is an insult to me and my family..."

Before I could finish, all I heard from the other end was a busy tone.

He'd hung up.

Carla deliberately kicked the watch still under the dog's paw with the tip of her high heel.

"Anita, I'd suggest you know your place," she said. "Being allowed into the Leonardo family is already a favor from Matteo to your family. "

Seeing my silence, she thought I was afraid and became even more audacious. "Look at you, so plain. Probably never even held a gun, have you? Matteo needs a woman who can help him handle 'problems. Not some burden who needs protection."

I looked down the corridor, where two men in black suits stood—people my family had assigned there.

Carla followed my gaze, showing no fear.

"Anita, don't be a dreamer. This is Leonardo territory. Do you really think those two guard dogs you brought can walk out of here alive? Matteo won't blame me for dealing with someone as insignificant as you."

She continued, "I'm warning you for the last time—either just stay away now, or..." she glanced at the Doberman chewing on the watch, "I'll make you just like that watch—broken trash, fit only for a dog to chew on"

Since coming of age and participating in family affairs, no one had dared to threaten me to my face.

Anger boiled inside me, but my face remained calm.

"I. Don't. Think. So." I articulated each syllable.

Several waiters and low-ranking Leonardo members in the corridor gasped in shock.

"Is she crazy? Talking to Carla like that?"

"Mr. Leonardo clearly doesn't care about her..."

"How dare that underwater family challenge Carla?"

The surrounding chatter made Carla even more excited.

She tried to slap my face, but I turned my head to avoid it.

"Did you hear that? A useless ornament like you, still want to be our Mamma? Dream on!"

I wasn't bothered by the taunts.

"Carla," I said coldly, "I'll warn you once more. Pick up the watch, then get out of my sight."

"Fucking bitch! " Carla was completely enraged by my attitude, She cursed and grabbed my collar, threwing a punch to my face.

"Is the Leonardo family’s dog, only good for using its fists?" I blocked her arm, my movement swift.

I easily parried several of Carla's attacks .

Frustrated, she pulled out the dagger from her waist. "You fucking bitch! Stop moving! Do you want me to carve up that pretty face?"

Faced with her waving dagger, I didn't confront her directly, only dodged back.

Our Consigliere's words echoed in my ears—it was still not the time to reveal my strength.

Seeing that I was still only defending, not attacking, Carla thought I only knew a few basic moves and grew bolder.

Just as the dagger tip was about to touch my clothes, an impatient shout came from the end of the corridor.

"Stop! What all the noise about?"

A tall, imposing man stood at the entrance of the corridor, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit.

He was indeed handsome, but his eyes showed nothing but annoyance at this spectacle before him.

His gaze skipped over me and landed on Carla beside me.

"Did she scare you, my little kitten?" he said to her in a low voice, his fingers tracing the curve of her waist, his tone filled with performative affection.

Carla immediately leaned into his arms, masking a practiced vulnerability.

"Matteo," her voice trembled with a feigned distress, "I was just trying to defend your authority, but she..."

Matteo finally turned his attention to me, the false tenderness vanishing from his eyes instantly.

"Carla," his voice was steady, "I trust you, not to start fights like some street thug."

Carla took his cue immediately, lifting her chin. "It's all because of that woman. Can you believe the nerve showing up to our wedding with something so cheap?"

She contemptuously kicked at the intact watch on the ground.

Matteo finally settled on me with a critical eye. "You're the one supposed to be my bride. "

I had to admit, his looks were indeed impressive enough to make many women swoon.

"Matteo Leonardo," I began, dropping the honorifics, "I'm Anita Rossi, the fiancée your father personally approved."

"Save your introduction. I have zero interest in you, or in that irrelevant little family of yours hiding away in some corner of Sicily. Even though you're marrying me, I'll never touch you."

His words were a blatant challenge and slap in the face.

I took a small step forward, "This marriage is an agreement carefully reached between the Leonardo family and mine. "As your political wife and partner in alliance, I deserve your basic respect！"

My words made his expression instantly darken.

"Respect? " he scoffed, "Anita, look at you, then look at me."

He spread his arms as if presenting his kingdom, "The Leonardo family? We just opened a direct arms route to Eastern Europe! Know what that means? Means a flood of cash, means more firepower, means in Naples—hell, all of Southern Italy, no one dares say 'no' to us anymore!"

His voice was filled with pride, and the guests in the corridor showed expressions of either awe or envy.

His gaze fell back on me, full of contempt, " But, you wear rags, without a single decent piece of jewelry. What makes you think you have what it takes to stand by my side?"

He raised his voice, "If it weren't for my father being old and senile, threatening me with disinheritance, I wouldn't even spare you a second glance! Don't think that after the ceremony, you'll be the mistress of the Leonardo family. I'll never acknowledge you. You're nothing but a tool my father is using to make a deal!"

"Since you've made your position so clear," I said calmly, yet with a tone of decisive finality, "there's no need to maintain this farce of a marriage. So—"

I paused, my gaze sweeping over the triumphant Matteo and the woman in his arms, then over the surrounding faces of shock or mockery.

"—today's wedding is called off."

Matteo froze for a second, then as if he'd heard the world's biggest joke, he brushed past Carla, took a step forward.

"Anita, don't play these little games with me," he said in a low voice, threatening.

My voice turned cold, "I simply want nothing to do with someone who treats a family alliance as a joke."

"And as for your precious Leonardo family and that Eastern European arms route you were just bragging about..." I dragged out my words, "they mean absolutely little to me."

Everyone around me froze at my words. Matteo's arrogance vanished, replaced by pure disbelief.

Seeing this, Carla immediately stepped forward to try and calm him. "Matteo, don't listen to her lies! She's just some hick from the sticks—has no clue about the real value of that arms shipment, that's why she's acting all nonchalant!!"

But Matteo was clearly stung by my words. He ignored Carla, his eyes locked on me, looking as if he could devour me alive.

His meticulously planned, hugely invested channel, the capital he relied on to boast about, had been casually mentioned by a woman he'd looked down on.

His earlier composure and arrogance were completely gone, replaced by frantic rage.

"I'm giving you one last chance! Are you sure you want to call off this wedding?!"

I met his furious yet slightly panicked gaze, my eyes unwavering, and gave a slow, deliberate nod.

"Absolutely sure."

Matteo clearly didn't expect me to be so firm, and his expression darkened.

Seeing this, Carla quickly stepped in, "Don't worry about it, Matteo," she said urgently, pressing her body against his arm, "A woman like her who doesn't know her place would never have been welcomed into the Leonardo family anyway!"

Matteo nodded slightly, but there was hesitation in his eyes. "But... all the invitations have gone out. Every important person from Sicily is out there, especially the representative from that so-called 'Shepherd' family. If we call off the wedding now, our family will become a laughingstock all across Italy."

Carla immediately pressed a hand to her heart in a dramatic vow of loyalty. "Matteo, you still have me, don't you?"

Matteo's eyes lit up. "Carla, you're saying...?"

Carla nodded vigorously, "The wedding goes on as planned! I'll be your bride!" For her, jumping from a bodyguard to the mistress of the Leonardo family, even nominally, was a dream come true.

Matteo was so moved he almost took her hand. "Carla... perfect! That's what we'll do! Don't worry, I'll make you a official member of the family afterward, put you in charge of the nightclubs on the south coast!"

I coldly interrupted them: "Done with your act yet? "

Carla's voice turned venomous: "Matteo, she's just jealous. That's what women from lesser families do best—feign indifference just to catch your attention."

Matteo raised an eyebrow, looking at me thoughtfully again .

Carla's whisper seemed to hit his narcissistic heart perfectly, and the corner of his mouth curved in a knowing, contemptuous smile.

"You're right, Carla," he said, "There are definitely some low-born women who'd use cheap tricks like this to get my attention."

He took a step forward. "Anita, I'll admit you have more cunning than those brainless women who just throw themselves at me. This feigned composure is... somewhat interesting."

He paused before slowly adding, "But since you dared to unilaterally call off our engagement, there's no way I can allow you to become my wife now. But if you're willing to bow your head, recognize your place... I might be generous enough to consider keeping you by my side."

A flicker of jealousy crossed Carla's face, but she immediately replaced it with a more triumphant and submissive expression, nestling against Matteo.

"Stay by your side?" I repeated, my tone flat and emotionless. "In what capacity?"

"As my mistress, of course," Matteo stated it as if it were the greatest honor, "This is already the greatest privilege a woman of your status could hope for!"He paused meaningfully.

The Leonardo soldiers and sycophants present snickered, all looking at me with mockery and contempt.

Under everyone's focused gaze, I showed no sign of discomfort.

"Are you finished?" I looked up, my gaze unruffled, sweeping over Matteo and Carla clinging to him, "Your imagination is quite vivid. Too bad you're wasting it."

Matteo's face darkened instantly.

"Anita!" His voice held clear warning and impatience, "This is your last chance! Be my mistress, and at least you'll enjoy the protection and wealth of the Leonardo family. Or," he emphasized, trying to apply pressure, "choose nothing, along with your pitiful little family, and face my wrath!"

I shook my head slightly, "Matteo Leonardo, I have to admit, you're on a completely different level from your father. At least he understands the hierarchy—he knows who he can offend, and who he must respect."

My words made Matteo's face turn pale. He hated being compared to his father, especially when it was a comparison that belittled him.

"Anita Rossi!" He practically roared, pointing his finger at me, the finger trembling with anger, "How dare you challenge me again and again! What the hell do you think you are!"

He strode forward, his face almost touching mine, spitting his words in rage..

"I've changed my mind! A mistress? You're not worthy!" His voice was hoarse,"You listen to me right now, right this fucking second—get down on your knees and apologize to me and Carla! Apologize for all your audacious words!"

Carla added fuel to the fire beside him, "That's right! On her knees! Mr. Leonardo, she must pay for her insolence!"

Matteo took a deep breath, as if pronouncing a sentence, saying word by word: "After apologizing, you stay behind. Not as a guest, but as a servant! From today on, you'll be Carla's personal maid! That's the price for humiliating the Leonardo heir!"

This proposal clearly thrilled Carla, and she looked at me with eyes full of anticipation about the humiliation she could soon inflict.

I remained standing in place, not even a trace of fear on my face, just watching him as if watching a clumsy performance.

This utter indifference completely ignited what remained of Matteo's sanity.

He completely shed his mask, a cruel smile appearing on his face, "Fine! Great! Since you refuse grace, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

He looked around at all the Leonardo family members present, announcing loudly, "Tie this woman up and throw her into the alligator pond behind the estate! I want to watch her get torn to pieces with my own eyes!"

The bodyguards behind him immediately grew restless.

Matteo's gaze locked on me again, "And when you're dead, I'll immediately send men to Sicily, find that pathetic little family of yours, and wipe them out! Kill all the men, sell the women into the cheapest whorehouses! I'll make sure everyone knows what happens when you cross the Leonardo family, when you cross me Matteo Leonardo!"

The corridor fell deathly silent, everyone stunned by Matteo's undisguised murderous intent.

But I didn't panic, didn't beg."Oh?" I asked softly, my voice small yet clear to everyone present, "Is that so?"

Faced with Matteo's blatant death threat, the corridor fell as silent as a tomb.

But I just lifted my chin slightly, meeting his crazed gaze, the corners of my lips even curving into a faint, cold arc.

"Oh?" I asked softly, my voice quiet, yet piercingly clear to everyone present, "Feed me to the crocodiles? Wipe out my entire family? And just how do you plan to do that, Matteo Leonardo?"

My calm completely enraged him. "Grab her!" he roared at the bodyguards.

In front of everyone, I calmly pulled out the specially encrypted satellite phone —a device so rare only two existed in the world, capable of directly commanding the core forces of the "Shepherd" family.

One was with my father, and the other had been given to me when I came of age, essentially granting me absolute authority over the entire family.

This action caused Matteo and Carla to freeze. They didn't recognize such top-tier military equipment, but my demeanor made them subconsciously afraid.

I directly pressed the speed dial.

My father's voice came through steady, yet with a hint of concern. "Anita? The ceremony should be starting by now. Is everything going smoothly? How's your groom?"

He was clearly still expecting the wedding to proceed normally.

I gave a meaningful glance at the grim-faced, Matteo before me, "Father, I'm afraid the wedding won't be happening."