Giovanni, the childhood sweetheart who promised to marry me the moment we were old enough, proposed to my stepsister at my 21st birthday celebration.

During my lowest moment, Corleone, the don of Lanford's most powerful mafia family, publicly declared that I was the woman he had secretly loved for years.

He promised to protect me for the rest of my life and gave me a wedding beyond my wildest dreams.

For five years, he treated me with endless tenderness and devotion.

Then one day, when I was about to tell him I was pregnant, I accidentally overheard a conversation between him and his consigliere.

"Don, it's been five years. You don't even love your wife, yet for Miss Lilia's sake, you've trapped yourself in this marriage. Are you really going to keep suffering like this?"

"Since I can't marry Lilia, it doesn't matter who I marry. As long as I'm here, no one can interfere with her happiness."

Only then did I realize that my five-year marriage had been nothing but a lie.

Later, I discovered that his safe was filled with Lilia’s letters, hairpins, and photographs. Even the journal he never allowed me to see was filled with her name.

[May Lilia rise to the top and see all her dreams come true.]

[May things go smoothly for Lilia, and that she shines brilliantly.]

[Though I cannot stand by your side, I will do everything in my power to clear every obstacle from your way.]

I tore up my pregnancy report, prepared a new identity, and planned a fire.

From that day on, we’d never see each other again.

Just beyond the door, Corleone lit a cigar. His voice was filled with the regret of loving someone he could never have.

"I know this is selfish. But as long as she's happy, I'd pay any price."

"Love always makes people lose their reason." Consigliere Marco let out a heavy sigh. "Once Mrs. Corleone learns the truth, with how she is..."

Before he could finish, Corleone's expression turned cold.

"Enough.

"I'll compensate her with money and status. As long as she never finds out, everyone can be happy."

I covered my mouth tightly and felt my entire body stiffen.

My husband, Corleone—the man who gently held me every night and lulled me to sleep—had carefully woven a lie around me.

I was nothing more than a tool he used to protect the woman he loved.

Hearing footsteps approaching, I hurriedly turned around and fled back to the bedroom.

Then, the bedroom door was gently pushed open.

Corleone's tall figure loomed over me, carrying a faint scent of tobacco. As usual, he wrapped his arms around me from behind. His warm lips brushed the side of my neck.

"Why are your hands so cold? Sweetheart, who upset you?"

The affection in his voice mixed with the cruelty I had just heard in the study made my stomach churn.

I turned to look at him.

"No. I was just thinking about something.

"A month ago, I submitted my jewelry design samples to the competition in Lanford, but I still haven't received any response."

A trace of panic flashed through his eyes before being replaced by his usual gentleness.

His hand stroked my hair as he pulled me into his embrace.

"Sweetheart, I withdrew your application.

"You already have difficulty conceiving. Competitions like that are exhausting. Your body wouldn't be able to handle it."

I lowered my head and shut my eyes tightly, refusing to let the tears fall.

He always used the same excuse to stop me, saying how he wanted us to have a child together.

Corleone talked about preparing for a baby, yet every night he sat in his study drinking liquor and smoking cigars. He never made any preparations at all.

When I remained silent, he cupped my face.

"I'm sorry for making the decision without discussing it with you."

Corleone pressed a kiss to my forehead.

Suddenly, the phone on the nightstand rang.

Corleone immediately grabbed it and quickly stepped out of the bedroom to answer the call.

I didn't even need to look to know it was Lilia.

Only Lilia's calls had ever made him this anxious.

When he came back, he immediately stood up and put on his black coat.

"Something urgent has come up that I need to take care of. Our fifth wedding anniversary is in three days. I'll make it up to you properly then."

I looked at him and forced a smile.

"I'll have a big surprise prepared for you. You can’t miss it."

Corleone kissed me on the lips.

"I'm looking forward to it, sweetheart."

Then he turned and strode out of the bedroom.

I watched his departing figure and thought to myself, ‘He will definitely like my gift.’

After all, he was about to lose me completely and regain his freedom.

The next morning, Corleone came home carrying Lilia's favorite rose perfume on him.

In his hand was my favorite apple pie, his deep eyes filled with affection.

"Eat it while it's still warm. I made a special trip to the Hillsbalt to buy it."

I lowered my gaze.

Just ten minutes earlier, Lilia had posted a new story of her and a man in bed on Instagram.

Though neither of their faces was visible, the blooming rose tattoo on the man's chest clearly identified him as Corleone.

I'd once asked him why he had a rose tattoo.

Back then, he had kissed my eyes and said, "Because my wife, Isabella, loves roses."

When I told him that my favorite flower was actually camellias, he froze for a moment before pretending to be annoyed with himself.

"It’s my mistake. I'll get it removed tomorrow and replace it with a camellia for you."

I couldn't bear the thought of him going through the pain of removing a tattoo, so I stopped him.

Now that I thought about it, it wasn't that he remembered wrong.

Lilia was the one who loved roses.

Corleone cut into the pie and spoke casually.

"Sweetheart, Lilia's back in the country. I'm planning to host a party at the estate tonight. How about we invite them over for a celebration and a family reunion?"

I looked into his eyes, which were filled with tenderness.

I used to think that tenderness belonged only to me. Now I knew it had always been for another woman.

"Sure," I said with a smile and nodded.

Although I hated Lilia and my stepmother, my father was still here, and so were my friends.

Since I was about to leave, I wanted to say goodbye to them properly.

That evening, Lilia arrived at the party with her arm linked through Giovanni's.

The entire family came with her.

Guests surrounded her, congratulating her on her successful career and happy family.

Like someone blessed with the perfect life, she basked in everyone's attention.

I only exchanged greetings with my friend Ivy, paying no attention to them.

When Lilia saw me, she called out sweetly, "Isabella."

She walked over, but her eyes were full of provocation and smug satisfaction.

Looking at her hypocritical smile, I was reminded of our graduation ceremony five years ago.

In front of everyone, Giovanni had proposed to Lilia.

She had looked at me with the same expression of triumph and disdain back then. And on that very day, Corleone had come to my side and told me he loved me.

Only now did I realize that both men had loved her all along.

I had merely been a tool in their game.

I ignored her, and my stepmother immediately began mocking me.

"Isabella, what kind of attitude is that? Lilia was nice enough to greet you. Why are you giving her the cold shoulder?"

Lilia quickly put on a magnanimous act and grabbed my stepmother's arm.

"Mom, don't blame Isabella. Maybe she's just in a bad mood. I don't mind."

As she spoke, she deliberately raised her hand, revealing the ring on her finger.

I knew that ring all too well.

It was a matching set I had designed myself. One ring for a man and the other for a woman, and Lilia was wearing the woman's ring.

On the fourth anniversary of my marriage to Corleone last year, I had happily shown him the design sketches.

He promised me he would use the finest gemstones in the world to bring them to life. Then we would each wear one and never take them off.

I grabbed Lilia's wrist.

"Where did you get that ring?"

The nearby guests were immediately drawn over.

Many began praising how beautiful it was.

Someone recognized the design.

"Isn't that 'Eternal Heart’, the ring that won the gold at the Lanford Design Competition? So it was designed by you, Lilia!"

The crowd immediately broke into praise.

My father and stepmother looked especially proud.

"Lilia, we're so proud of you!"

Lilia lifted her chin smugly.

"This ring is my award-winning design. It was also a gift from someone very special to me. He helped turn my design into a finished piece. Isabella, no matter how much you like it, I can't give it to you."

Then her eyes reddened, putting on the appearance of someone being bullied and letting a few tears fall.

The guests immediately began criticizing me.

"Isabella is way too jealous."

"Her sister won an award, and instead of congratulating her, she tried to steal her ring."

Just then, Corleone walked over.

I looked at him and confronted him. "Corleone, I designed that ring. You clearly promised me—"

However, he cut me off.

Holding my hand, he spoke gently, as though soothing a child.

"You must be mistaken. There are so many similar jewelry designs these days. It's just a ring. I'll buy you another one.

"Lilia is your sister. As the older sister, let her have this one. Don't argue with her, okay?"

Staring at my husband standing before me, his eyes filled with impatience and protectiveness towards Lilia, I realized there was no point arguing anymore.

After all, my five-year marriage had been a carefully planned lie from beginning to end.

My heart ached, but in the end, I simply smiled.

"You're right. Some things really aren't meant to be mine."

The fake smiles and hypocritical faces made it hard for me to breathe, so I left the party and went for a walk alone in the garden.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of high heels clicking behind me.

I stopped and turned around to find that Lilia had followed me.

Since there were only the two of us in the garden, she immediately dropped her act.

With a smug smile, she began boasting about how she had made Giovanni call off his engagement with just a few tears, and how she had made the powerful Corleone completely obsessed with her.

"The childhood sweetheart you loved so dearly, and the husband you adore, are both crazy about me.

"Corleone personally gave me the design sketches for that ring set. So what if you know the truth now, though? You're just a pathetic woman nobody cares about."

Then she leaned closer and lowered her voice.

"You want to know something? One of those rings is on my finger. The other one is with your husband."

She smirked.

"You're just like your dead mother. Your husband abandoned you just like how your father abandoned her. The two of you are nothing but losers!"

I couldn't take it anymore and raised my hand to slap her.

However, before my hand could land, Lilia suddenly let out a scream and threw herself backward.

Her head struck a flowerpot beside her, and blood immediately trickled down her forehead.

Tears filled her eyes at once as she spoke in a trembling voice.

"Isabella, I know you don't like me, but how could you push me?"

The guests rushed into the garden.

As they gathered around us, they looked at me with undisguised contempt.

"Oh my God, call a doctor!"

"Isabella is so vicious. She must be jealous that her sister won the design competition!"

Corleone and Giovanni pushed through the crowd.

"Move!" Giovanni immediately shoved me aside. "Lilia is pregnant! Isabella, how could you push her?"

The force of the shove made me stumble and fall to the ground.

Just then, Corleone hurried over. He quickly helped me to my feet and raised his pistol at Giovanni.

"My wife is not someone you get to lecture."

For a moment, I almost believed he cared about me.

Giovanni glared at him. "But she pushed Lilia!"

Corleone froze.

Then, with a single sentence, he shattered my illusion.

"Lilia is pregnant. Isabella, you shouldn't have hurt her at a time like this. Apologize to her."

I looked at Corleone, speechless.

He didn't know that I was pregnant, too.

Wanting it to be a surprise, I had planned to tell him on our wedding anniversary. But now, I didn't want to anymore.

Curled up in Giovanni's arms, Lilia cried pitifully and complained that her stomach hurt.

Corleone immediately turned to look at her.

For the first time, I saw the concern and panic in his eyes that he had never shown me before.

In the end, he didn't spare me another glance and said coldly, "Mrs. Corleone is tired. Take her back to her room to rest. She is not to leave without my permission."

Those icy words severed the last shred of hope I had left.

I watched through the window as Corleone and Giovanni carefully helped Lilia into a car through the confines of the bedroom I shared with Corleone.

The way Corleone looked at her was as if they were a loving couple.

A sharp pain twisted through my lower abdomen, pulling me back to reality.

The fall had hurt my baby.

I gently placed a hand over my stomach.

"Just hold on a little longer. I'll take you away from here very soon."