By the time Serena returned to the hospital, Mattia had finished his examination. The small figure lay on the hospital bed, his face flushed with fever. When he saw her, he reached out his arms. "Mamma, hold me."

Serena pulled him into her arms and pressed her cheek against his.

Mattia asked softly, "Mamma, where's Papa?"

"Papa's busy."

"Will he come see me when he's done?"

"He will."

The doctor called her to his office to talk. He said the best option for now was to wait for a match from the bone marrow registry or find a close blood relative to test.

A close blood relative. That would be Adriano.

Serena clenched her fingers.

That period of her life was the deepest nightmare she would ever know. She thought she would never have to face that man again, but now…

She had not yet figured out what to do when her phone buzzed. It was a message from Luca.

[In a meeting. I'll stop by the hospital later.]

She did not reply. When she took Mattia for a follow-up exam, they passed by the maternity ward. That was where she saw Luca. He was supporting a young woman, treating her carefully and cautiously like she might shatter at any moment.

The woman's belly was slightly rounded. The way Luca looked at her was so tender it was almost absurd.

When Serena was pregnant, he had been careful too. However, now that she thought about it, it was more like a performance for her benefit.

She was about to turn and leave when Mattia broke free from her hand and ran over.

"Papa!"

Ginevra Bianchi's eyes went wide. "Who's this child? Why is he calling you 'Papa'?"

Her expression shifted. "Luca, you put on such a show chasing after me, but you have a child with another woman behind my back?"

She raised her hand and swung it at her own stomach. "Then I'll get rid of this one right now!"

Luca's expression changed. He grabbed her wrist with one hand and, with the other, shoved Mattia hard.

Mattia fell to the ground. The back of his head hit the tile floor with a dull thud.

"It's a stray kid running around calling strangers his father!"

Serena rushed over and pulled Mattia up. He clutched the back of his head, tears welling in his eyes, but he did not dare cry out loud. He just stared at Luca and asked quietly, "Papa, why did you push me?"

Serena moved Mattia behind her and stood up. She looked directly at Luca. Her heart was pounding wildly. She told herself that as long as he explained, as long as he said those things were not true, she would believe him.

Serena wanted so badly to believe him.

"Luca, tell me. What's going on?" Ginevra stared at him too.

Luca looked at her, then at Ginevra. He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all that remained was impatience.

"Did I say something wrong? I'm not the child's biological father. Who his father is and how this child came to be… Serena, you know that better than I do."

He looked at Ginevra, and his tone softened. "Ginevra, you know how I treat you. I do have a past with her, but that's over. How could I possibly like someone who's been..."

He paused, then said each word deliberately, "... used and thrown away."

Serena heard something shatter. It was not her heart but all the beliefs she had desperately built up over the years.

She remembered that after being rescued from Adriano's hands, she had nightmares every night. Luca would hold her and say, "Serena, it wasn't your fault. You're a victim. Don't ever think of yourself as dirty."

Yet now, to prove his loyalty to another woman, he tore open her wounds himself.

Ginevra stared at Serena for a long moment, then suddenly laughed. "Oh, I remember now. You're Serena Vitale, who climbed into bed with the Romano family's eldest son for money and mafia connections. The one who got filmed in those videos, right?

"Tsk, how do you even have the nerve? You dumped Luca back then because he was illegitimate, and now that he's made something of himself, you come crawling back. You're even trying to play the sympathy card, making some bastard from who knows where call him 'Papa'?"

Serena's body trembled. Images from that dark time surfaced in her mind.

Adriano was a monster. During the time he kept her locked up, he had used wax, whips, and chains on her. Memories she buried deepest were dragged back to the surface.

Her face went pale, and her breathing became labored. She clutched her chest and crouched down.

"Mamma, what's wrong?" Mattia cried out in terror, "Papa, you have to save Mamma!"

"Stop putting on an act. Luca, let's go," Ginevra sneered.

Luca did not even glance at her. He helped Ginevra turn around and walked away.

The world spun, and Serena's vision blurred. The sound of Mattia's sobbing drifted in and out, but Luca's cold, retreating figure remained painfully clear.

During those dark days when she was locked away, she cried every single day. However, every plea for mercy only brought more vicious torment from Adriano.

In those agonizing moments, all she thought about was Luca. Now, she could never rely on him again.

When Serena woke up again, she was in a hospital room. Luca sat at the edge of the bed, wearing the gentle smile she knew so well.

"Serena, you have to understand my position. After you gave birth to Adriano's child, you lost the ability to have more children. The Romano family is vast, and I need an heir to solidify my position as Don."

He sighed. "Ginevra and I, it's not what I wanted. But don't worry, the person I love has always been you and only you. Once she gives birth, we'll go back to how things were before. Okay?"

Serena looked at him and suddenly felt like she was staring at a stranger.

She had listened to this voice, seen this face, and heard these gentle words for over ten years. Now, however, hearing them only made her feel cold all over.

"Mattia's sick. Can you get tested for a bone marrow match?"

Luca paused, then smiled again, though it did not appear sincere. "Of course. After all, Mattia is my son too. Right?"

Serena did not answer. She got up and went to Mattia's room. She asked the doctor and learned that Mattia's condition had worsened because of emotional distress. He needed surgery as soon as possible.

Lying in the hospital bed, Mattia finally asked the question weighing on his mind, "Mamma, why didn't Papa acknowledge me?"

Serena forced a smile. "He was just joking."

"But Mamma, they all call me a bastard." Mattia's tears fell, guilt written across his face. "They said I'm a rapist's child and that you don't love me either."

Only then did Serena realize that while she was unconscious, her past had been dragged into the open again. Her body trembled. She could feel her depression threatening to resurface, but for her child's sake, she dug her nails into her palms and held herself together.

"That's not true. My Mattia is so wonderful. How could I not love you?"

Over the next few days, she did not go anywhere. She stayed in Mattia's room. She heard plenty of cruel gossip. If this were before, Serena would have collapsed already. However, she had to hold on.

One day, she received a call from the hospital saying a match had been found, but they needed to convince the donor's family. She rushed to the hospital and pushed open the door.

Ginevra sat inside.

The doctor gave them both a meaningful look, then stood and left.

Serena understood. This was Ginevra's way of cornering her, but she had nowhere else to turn.

"Ms. Bianchi, please. I'm begging you to save Mattia. Name your terms. I'll agree to anything."

Ginevra folded her arms, her gaze full of contempt. "You really are shameless. After everything Adriano did to you, you still gave birth to his child. What, did you fall in love with him?

"If you ask me, that kid getting sick is karma. He's better off dead. Why are you even trying so hard?"

Serena grabbed her hand. "No, Mattia can't die. Please!"

Ginevra shook her off. Serena stumbled into the desk but did not cry out in pain.

"You want me to save that bastard? Fine." Ginevra smiled.

"Get on your knees and beg me. Show me you're sincere enough, and I'll agree."

Serena dropped to her knees without hesitation. Ginevra froze for a moment, then her smile widened.

"Hahahaha... Serena Vitale, look at yourself. You look just like a dog right now! How about this? If I tell you to leave Luca, would you agree to that too?"

"I would." Serena looked straight at her. "As long as you save Mattia, even if you ask for my life, I'd agree."

Ginevra sneered, "You think I'm an idiot? A vain woman like you could never give up Luca. Here's the deal. Agree to one last request and I'll save that bastard."

Serena's heart pounded. "What is it?"

"Keep my cousin satisfied."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the door opened. A brutal-looking man walked in while holding a phone. A shrill female voice came from the phone. Serena thought it sounded familiar.

The next second, the phone was tossed in front of her. When she saw what was on the screen, her body began to tremble uncontrollably. It was a video from when Adriano had kept her locked up.

"It's very simple. Just do everything in the video again."

"No... Please, no..." Serena scrambled to her feet to leave, but the man grabbed her.

"Don't touch me! If Luca finds out, he'll kill you!"

Ginevra laughed coldly. "You don't know yet, do you? Luca's the match. He said you and that bastard disrespected me, and he told me to teach you a lesson so that I could vent my anger. Watching you suffer makes him happy. Why would he come save you?"

Serena's expression crumbled piece by piece. She shook her head as tears fell silently. "No... It's not like that... Luca said he wouldn't let me get hurt again..."

"Yeah, right." Ginevra rolled her eyes. "Gabriele, I'm leaving. Enjoy yourself."

"You got it."

The man's foul breath hit Serena's nose. She almost gagged.

"Come here, sweetheart. Let me take real good care of you."

"Don't touch me!" She struggled violently, but she could not budge him. His rough hands roamed over her body, making her stomach churn. In desperation, she bit down on Gabriele Esposito's hand. He threw her against the wall, and the world spun.

Gabriele grabbed her by the hair and slapped her across the face several times.

"Goddamn bitch, who are you trying to fool? You did all kinds of shit in that video, and now, you're playing innocent with me?"

Serena was pinned down and violated. No matter how hard she fought, she could not escape. When the brutal assault finally ended, Serena was thrown to the floor, discarded and broken. After a long time, she gathered her clothes and barely covered herself before leaving.

She could not see Mattia right now as she was afraid he would worry, so she went home.

In the shower, she broke down and sobbed. She stood in front of the mirror and looked at her ruined reflection. She used to think the dark period of her life was over. She never imagined it would happen again.

It turned out no one would ever be her salvation. She could only rely on herself.

She gave herself one month. If Luca would not help, she would go to Adriano and make him save Mattia.

The next day, Serena carried a bowl of soup and pushed open the hospital room door. Luca sat at the edge of Mattia's bed.

"I'm not a match either." Luca stroked Mattia's head.

"But don't worry. I'm already putting more effort into finding a match. We'll have results soon."

The soup bowl shattered on the floor, and the liquid splashed onto Serena's pants.

"But Ms. Bianchi said... you're a match. She said as long as I..."

Before she could finish, her wrist was seized violently, and the wound tore open. Blood seeped out and stained her sleeve red.

Luca did not even glance at it. His gaze was as cold as a blade. "Why did you look for Ginevra behind my back?"

Pain spread from her wrist to her heart.

Serena suddenly laughed. It turned out that in his eyes, she was such a vicious woman—someone who would threaten his beloved Ginevra just to get a bone marrow match.

She opened her mouth to explain, but Luca's phone rang. Ginevra's crying voice floated out from the speaker. Every word was clear and piercing.

"Luca, if Ms. Vitale can't stand me, I can leave... But why did she use AI face-swap technology to create pornographic videos to slander me? Now, everyone thinks my private life is a mess. I can't go on living like this..."

"Ginevra, don't panic!" Luca's expression changed drastically. He hung up and opened his news app. Ginevra's video was ranked first. The comments had already broken a million.

A large hand closed around Serena's throat. "Was this your doing?"

"I didn't..." Serena struggled to breathe until her face turned purple.

"If not you, then who?" His fingers tightened. "Are you so jealous that Ginevra's carrying my child? But you can't have children. Whose fault is that?"

'Can't have children.' Those three words stabbed into Serena's heart like knives.

That was right. She could not have children because he was the one who had her uterus removed.

"Bad Papa! Don't bully my Mamma!" Mattia lunged over and pounded his little fists against Luca's leg.

Luca shoved him away with one hand. The child's head hit the edge of the bed, and blood immediately began streaming from his nose.

"Mattia!" Serena struggled like a madwoman.

"A bastard actually thinks he's worth something?" Luca dragged her toward the door.

"Let me tell you something. If anything happens to Ginevra, your life and that bastard's life won't be enough to pay for it!" He made a phone call. "Turn the city upside down if you have to, but find Ginevra! Also, put Serena Vitale's filthy videos on trending for three days."

Serena was shoved into the back seat. She only had time to look back once. Mattia lay on the floor, reaching his little hand toward her. It was covered in blood.

By the time they found Ginevra, it was already late at night. She stood at the railing in a white dress by a lake on the outskirts of the city, her hair disheveled.

"Ginevra!" Luca rushed over.

"Luca!" Ginevra cried pitifully. "I'm ruined. I'm already ruined. I'm not worthy of you anymore..."

"It's fake! It's just AI!"

"But everyone's seen it... People's words can destroy you, Luca." Ginevra trembled as she pointed at Serena. She said, "Ms. Vitale, I know you're jealous that I have Luca's love, but you shouldn't slander me like this!"

She sobbed as if her heart was breaking. "Now, everyone thinks my private life is as messy as yours. Are you satisfied? Luca and I can't even have our wedding now!"

Luca looked at Serena like she was already dead.

Serena's lips trembled. "It wasn't me... I didn't... It was you who told your cousin to..."

The words caught in her throat as those terrible images surged up. Rough hands, disgusting laughter, the despair she felt when she struggled but could not break free…

What if? What if she told him and Luca sought justice for her?

"Enough!"

Luca cut her off sharply, his eyes full of disgust. "What else do you want to say? You won't be satisfied until you drive Ginevra to her death, huh? I never realized how vicious you were!"

He lowered his voice. Each word was like a knife. "Say one more word and I'll make that little bastard in the hospital join you in the grave."

Serena felt like all the strength had been drained from her body. It turned out that in his heart, her life and Mattia's life combined were not worth as much as Ginevra's tears.

Luca pulled out his phone, opened the app, and soothed Ginevra. "Look, I already took down your video and put hers up instead. The comments are all cursing her. They're all defending you..."

On the phone screen was the video of Serena being assaulted by Gabriele. Comments kept refreshing.

[This woman's obviously a whore.]

[Disgusting. No wonder the Don dumped her!]

[She deserves it. That's what happens to mistresses…]

A shrill scream tore from Serena's throat. She clutched her chest desperately. Those rough hands felt like they were crawling over her body again. That lewd face swam before her eyes.

The nightmare from five years ago overlapped with the present. She felt herself floating upward, drifting into the air.

She looked down at the woman below, pale and broken, discarded like trash. Was that her?

She could not let her depression take over. Mattia was still waiting for her.

Ginevra suddenly screamed. "Don't show me that! I feel sick! I'm ruined. I don't want to live anymore!"

She made a show of jumping into the lake.

"Ginevra!" Luca rushed over to grab her, and his shoulder slammed into Serena.

Serena was the one who was knocked into the lake instead. Freezing water surged from all directions, flooding into her nose and mouth. She thrashed desperately. The last thing she saw was Luca carefully supporting Ginevra as they walked away.

He never even looked back.