"Your sister had another fight with Alessandro," my mother said gently. "She wants to stay at your place for a while. Tomasso has already agreed."

"So just let her stay, capisci? Seeing you only reminds her that you were once promised to Alessandro. You know how sensitive she is."

"But... why?" My voice cracked as I cut her off.

"Why what?"

Silence lingered for a heartbeat.

Then my father's voice came over the line, heavy with alcohol.

"Sweetheart... I know you've never forgiven us for letting Camilla marry Alessandro."

"But we had no choice. If we hadn't secured that alliance, the Vitale Family would've been finished. Our standing in the Cosa Nostra would've collapsed. The tribute would've stopped coming..."

I slowly closed my eyes.

These excuses.

I'd heard them so many times they no longer sounded like words.

Only noise.

But that wasn't what I wanted to know.

What I wanted to ask was...

Why?

Why was I always the one sacrificed?

Why was burying the truth more important than protecting their own daughter?

Why was Camilla...

A girl switched into my cradle...

Worth more than the child they had searched thirteen years to find?

Was the Vitale Family's reputation truly more precious than my life?

On the other end of the phone, my father continued talking.

The longer he spoke, the sicker I felt.

"I understand," I whispered at last.

"I'll do as you ask."

The moment the call ended, I stumbled into the bathroom.

I barely made it to the sink before I doubled over, vomiting until my stomach cramped.

When I finally looked up, a pale, hollow-eyed stranger stared back at me from the mirror.

I hardly recognized the woman reflected there.

That was the moment I made my decision.

If everyone in my life only cared about Camilla...

Then they could have her.

I was leaving.

I walked back into the sitting room and dialed the number I hadn't called in years.

The elderly woman who had once cared for me in the mission-house answered almost immediately.

"Iris," I said quietly, "I want to go overseas with you."

"I want to help build the new refuge."

After listening to her answer, I closed my eyes and smiled through tears.

"Yes."

"I've made up my mind."

"I can leave with you at the end of next month."

After ending that call, I immediately dialed my private physician.

"Don't tell Signor Graziano about the pregnancy."

"I want it to be a surprise."

"A surprise?" a familiar voice repeated behind me.

The study door had just opened.

Tomasso stood there, having caught only the last few words.

Without missing a beat, I smiled faintly.

"Your birthday is at the end of next month."

"It's a birthday surprise."

His entire face brightened.

He crossed the room in quick strides and wrapped me tightly in his arms.

"Thank you, Serafina."

"You don't have to do all this."

"I don't want gifts."

"I just want you to be happy."

"Every single day."

Once...

Those words would've made me cry with happiness.

Now...

They only made my heart colder.

"My parents called earlier," I murmured against his shoulder.

"They asked me not to upset Camilla while she's pregnant."

"I'm... really hurting, Tommy."

He hugged me tighter, gently rubbing my back.

"They don't mean anything by it."

"My brother says Camilla's temperament has become impossible since the pregnancy."

"He actually left the country today just to avoid arguing with her."

I slowly shook my head.

My eyes turned red.

"That's not why I'm upset."

I lowered my gaze, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm just sad..."

"That I'll never be able to give the man I love a child..."

"The way my sister can."

For the briefest instant...

Tomasso went completely still.

His embrace stiffened.

And before he hid it away...

I caught it.

A flicker of disappointment.

Tiny.

Almost invisible.

But real.

"I'm sorry, Tommy."

"I've only ever been a burden to you."

I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood as tears slipped silently down my cheeks.

His expression quickly softened again.

His thumb unconsciously brushed over the wedding ring on his finger.

Again.

And again.

Slowly.

Like a habit he'd repeated thousands of times.

Like a silent confession only he understood.

"Don't ever think that."

"I told you two years ago."

"Even if you could never have children..."

"I would still love you."

"Exactly the same."

A bitter laugh nearly escaped me.

Exactly the same?

Would he?

"There is something else," he said after a pause.

"I already promised your parents Camilla could stay here for a while."

"What do you think...?"

He phrased it like a question.

As though I truly had a choice.

Yet beneath those careful words...

I heard the plea.

He wanted me to say yes.

He needed me to.

So I smiled.

A perfect smile.

"Of course."

"I don't mind."

"I wouldn't want to make things difficult for you."

Relief flooded his face so quickly it almost hurt to watch.

"Serafina..."

"You're incredible."

I swallowed the bitterness burning in my throat.

"Incredible?"

"In what way?"

He smiled warmly.

"You're the perfect wife."

"The perfect sister."

"The perfect daughter."

"I can't think of a single flaw you have."

I smiled back.

Small.

Quiet.

Bitter enough to break my own heart.

So...

This was what being "good" earned me.

My parents choosing Camilla.

My husband choosing Camilla.

Everyone protecting the woman who had orchestrated my nightmare.

Sheltering a criminal.

Covering up her sins.

Leaving me alone to bleed.

Feeling the slight tremble running through my body, Tomasso gently pulled me closer.

His voice was softer than ever.

"You're exhausted."

"Come on."

"I'll help you get some sleep."

Late that night, after making certain my breathing had settled into the slow rhythm of deep sleep, Tomasso carefully slipped his fingers from mine.

Without making a sound...

He rose from the bed.

Then quietly disappeared into his study once again.

Tomasso never knew that earlier that afternoon, while he was away, I had hidden a miniature camera inside his study.

It was tucked into a place so carefully concealed that not even his most trusted soldiers would think to search it.

That night, I sat alone in the darkness, staring at the live feed on my phone.

The door opened.

Tomasso walked in.

He stood before the wall covered with Camilla's photographs, reached out, and gently lifted one into his hands.

His fingertips lingered on her smiling face as though she were something too precious to touch.

Then he spoke.

"Camilla..."

"Alessandro didn't leave for overseas today because he wanted to avoid you."

His voice was low.

Tender.

Painfully so.

"Why are your eyes always fixed on him?"

"Why do you insist on carrying his child?"

He lowered his head, letting out a bitter laugh.

"Tonight..."

"Serafina told me she wanted to give me a child of my own."

"For a moment..."

"I was actually moved."

His fingers tightened around the photograph.

"She really is a good woman."

A long silence followed.

Then came the words that shattered whatever was left inside me.

"But..."

"She'll never be you."

"If she could give me a blood-heir..."

"Maybe..."

"I could love her a little more."

"But that's impossible now."

I stared at the screen, my fingers gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white.

At last...

I understood everything.

He wanted children.

He longed for a family of his own.

And somewhere inside him...

There truly had been a place for me.

Small.

Fragile.

Conditional.

Yet despite that...

He had willingly buried every possibility.

He had abandoned the chance to have a child with me.

He had buried his own future...

Simply because the woman he loved was Camilla.

Very well.

Tomasso...

If your heart belongs to her so completely...

Then I'll make sure...

She belongs to you.

The next morning, Camilla arrived with an entire convoy of attendants.

Soldiers carried suitcase after suitcase into the Graziano compound.

She wasn't visiting.

She was moving in.

I looked toward the kitchen and froze.

Steam drifted through the doorway.

Tomasso was inside.

In the two years we'd been married...

He had never once entered that kitchen for me.

Not to cook.

Not even to make me a single cup of coffee.

Now...

He stood over the stove himself.

Suddenly, I understood.

Whatever he was making...

It had never been meant for me.

It was for the woman he truly loved.

At breakfast, Camilla picked up a shrimp dumpling with elegant fingers.

She took one small bite before smiling sweetly and holding the rest toward me.

"Sis..."

"Does Tommy really not know you're allergic to shrimp?"

She paused deliberately, her smile widening.

"Well..."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"After all..."

"He probably only remembers that I love shrimp."

My fingers tightened around the spoon.

I said nothing.

Across the room, one of the soldiers accompanying her shifted slightly, quietly observing every reaction.

Just then, Tomasso emerged from the kitchen.

"Last dish."

"Shrimp with egg."

He wore thick heat-resistant gloves.

Every movement was careful.

Gentle.

Like someone serving the most important person in the room.

He placed the plate before me.

"Serafina."

"You've always been delicate."

"Eat a little more."

"It's good for your health."

Camilla blinked innocently.

"Tomasso..."

"You didn't actually forget she can't eat shrimp... did you?"

She tilted her head with a playful smile.

"Then again..."

"I suppose that's understandable."

"How well can two people really know each other after such a rushed arranged marriage?"

The smile vanished from Tomasso's face.

His expression stiffened.

He looked at me, guilt flashing through his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Serafina."

"It's my first time cooking, so I..."

Before he could finish, nausea surged violently through me.

I covered my mouth and rushed toward the bathroom.

Behind me, hurried footsteps followed.

"Serafina!"

Tomasso reached me first, gently rubbing my back.

Before I could steady my breathing, Camilla appeared at the doorway.

She leaned lazily against the frame, amusement sparkling in her eyes.

"My, Sis..."

"You look exactly like I did a few months ago."

"Morning sickness was miserable."

She smiled brightly.

"What a shame..."

"That's something you'll never get to experience."

She was about to continue when Tomasso suddenly interrupted.

"Camilla..."

"You suffered that badly from morning sickness?"

The hand resting against my back faltered.

Its warmth suddenly felt uncertain.

As though it could leave me...

And return to her...

At any moment.

"Of course I did."

Camilla pouted dramatically.

"I've sacrificed so much carrying your brother's baby."

"And what do I get?"

"The great Don picks fights with me every day."

Her hand drifted lovingly over her stomach.

"Being pregnant is exhausting."

"So what if I'm a little bad-tempered?"

She huffed.

"Sometimes..."

"I don't even want this baby anymore."

Tomasso's expression changed instantly.

Without thinking, he reached out and caught her hand.

His thumb unconsciously rubbed the wedding ring on his finger.

"Don't say things like that."

"When this baby is born..."

"He'll be the rightful heir to the Graziano Family."

"My brother will owe you everything."

Camilla's face lit up.

She smiled triumphantly before naturally leaning against Tomasso's chest.

"Serafina..."

"You're so lucky."

"Tommy is far more considerate than Alessandro has ever been."

Tomasso's ears flushed red.

Almost awkwardly, he steadied her shoulders.

"You're in the final months now."

"You have to be careful."

Just then, Camilla met my eyes.

A strange smile flickered across her face.

The next second, she clutched her stomach and cried out.

It was perfect.

Too perfect.

Her hand had reached her belly before the pain even appeared on her face.

Tomasso didn't notice.

He panicked immediately.

"Camilla!"

Without a second thought, he swept her into his arms.

As he hurried toward the door, he turned back only long enough to say,

"Serafina."

"I'm taking Camilla to the doctor."

I didn't answer.

I simply stood there.

The ache inside my chest spread little by little until it became impossible to breathe.

Silent tears slipped from my eyes and disappeared into the sink below.

Tomasso...

You're not even trying to hide it anymore.

The moment my parents learned Camilla wasn't feeling well, they rushed over.

The old Don's cane echoed sharply across the marble floor as he hurried inside with my mother close behind.

The entire household revolved around Camilla.

They fussed over her.

Comforted her.

Asked if she had eaten.

Asked whether she was frightened.

Asked if she needed anything at all.

Not once...

Not a single time...

Did either of them ask how I was.

Instead, they turned to Tomasso and reminded us again and again to take good care of Camilla.

Before leaving, they even arranged for the most expensive private nurse the Family could hire...

Solely to look after her.

Camilla lounged across the sofa like a queen surrounded by loyal subjects, basking in every ounce of attention. A smug smile curved her lips as she lazily rested one hand over her swollen belly.

"Oh, honestly," she laughed, her tone dripping with self-satisfaction. "You're all treating me like I'm made of crystal just because I'm pregnant. Isn't everyone being a little dramatic?"

Before anyone else could answer, she turned to me with feigned innocence. Her fingers stroked her stomach almost theatrically, as if she had rehearsed the gesture.

"Oh... I completely forgot." Her eyes sparkled with cruel amusement. "You can't have children anymore, can you? Tell me, Serafina... you're not jealous of all the attention the little pregnant woman is getting, are you?"

A chill settled over my face.

The Vitale matriarch immediately sensed the tension and hurried to smooth things over before the atmosphere collapsed.

"Of course not," she said with an uneasy smile. "Serafina has always been generous. She loves you just as much as the rest of us."

Camilla's lips curled ever so slightly.

Then she turned toward Tomasso.

"What about you, Tommy?" she asked sweetly. "Do you love me too?"

Tomasso froze.

The question had caught him completely off guard.

His eyes instinctively drifted toward me before quickly looking away. His thumb unconsciously rubbed over the gold wedding band on his finger, betraying the conflict he tried so hard to hide.

I looked around at every familiar face before me.

The made men.

The false daughter.

The smiling elders.

Every one of them wore the same carefully crafted mask.

Behind those warm expressions was nothing but deception.

The last trace of warmth inside me quietly died.

"Of course," someone answered with an easy laugh. "To Tomasso, you're family. Naturally he loves you."

I didn't stay another second.

Without another word, I offered a casual excuse, turned around, and walked out.

I had no desire to keep performing in their carefully staged little family play.

By the time I returned to the compound after finalizing every detail of my escape to the Yvora Republic with Iris Everett, it was already well past ten that night.

The Vitale couple had long since departed.

The mansion was wrapped in silence, every hallway swallowed by darkness.

Only a thin strip of light leaked from beneath the door of Tomasso's study.

Almost on instinct, I opened the hidden camera feed I had secretly installed weeks ago.

The image that appeared made my blood run cold.

Camilla.

She wasn't asleep in the guest room where everyone believed she was resting.

Instead, she lay sprawled across Tomasso's desk, her dress hanging carelessly from one shoulder, looking entirely at home.

She circled her arms around his neck, smiling with effortless confidence.

"So..." she purred, her lips almost brushing his ear. "You married Serafina just to keep Alessandro loyal to me?"

One slender finger slowly traced the center of his chest.

"You've loved me for so many years."

Her voice became softer, sweeter.

"And yet you ended up blood-bound to a woman who can never give you an heir."

She tilted her head.

"Tell me, Tomasso... don't you regret it?"

His breathing turned uneven.

He deliberately looked away from her.

"As long as you're happy..."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"...nothing else matters."

Camilla smiled in victory.

She caught his jaw between her fingers and forced him to look directly into her eyes before pressing her lips against his.

The kiss lingered.

Deliberate.

Possessive.

When she finally pulled away, her eyes shimmered with dangerous temptation.

"You've done so much for me."

"I should reward you."

Her fingers slipped over his collar.

"Tonight..."

"I want to belong to you."

Tomasso's entire body stiffened.

For a fleeting second, hesitation flashed across his face.

Seeing it, Camilla only laughed softly.

"Relax."

She rested a hand on her rounded belly.

"I'm already seven months along. The doctor said we'll be fine... as long as we're careful."

The final thread of his restraint snapped.

He pulled her fiercely into his arms.

The distance between them disappeared.

Outside, lightning tore across the night sky above the compound.

A deafening clap of thunder rolled through the estate, shaking the windows.

Just as Tomasso reached his breaking point, something suddenly flashed through his mind.

His expression changed.

"Serafina..."

His voice caught.

"She's terrified of thunderstorms."

He hurriedly gathered his clothes, threw them back on, and rushed upstairs without another thought.

When he pushed open our bedroom door, only the warm glow of the bedside lamp greeted him.

I lay beneath the blankets, breathing steadily, seemingly fast asleep.

Only then did he finally release the breath he'd been holding.

Relief softened his features.

He leaned down, pressed a feather-light kiss against my forehead, then quietly slipped into bed beside me.

For the next two weeks, he played the perfect husband whenever the sun was up.

Gentle.

Patient.

Attentive.

But every night, once darkness covered the estate, he disappeared behind the closed doors of his study...

...into Camilla's waiting arms.

At last, Alessandro arrived.

The Don himself had come to bring Camilla home.

The moment his eyes landed on me, surprise flickered across his face.

Perhaps regret.

Perhaps admiration.

For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.

Finally, he sighed.

"I did think about you these past two years."

His voice carried unmistakable guilt.

"It wasn't that I didn't care."

He lowered his eyes.

"But for the honor of the Family... I didn't have another choice."

After a long pause, he looked back at me.

"I hope... you don't hate me."

Bang!

The bedroom door upstairs burst open.

Camilla swept down the grand staircase, her heels striking the marble floor with sharp, echoing cracks like gunfire.

"Alessandro!"

She smiled brightly as though nothing in the world had ever gone wrong.

"I forgive you."

She waved toward the second floor.

"Go upstairs and pack my things."

"I'm coming home with you."

The instant Alessandro disappeared upstairs, the sweetness vanished from her face.

Her smile twisted into something vicious.

She slowly turned toward me.

"Serafina."

Her voice was filled with naked contempt.

"You pathetic little castoff."

"You actually believed you could compete with me for Alessandro?"

I didn't even bother answering.

I simply turned and walked away.

That only made her angrier.

She rushed after me, grabbing my arm with enough force that her nails pierced my skin.

"I really thought fate had finally smiled on you."

She laughed mockingly.

"Even after Alessandro threw you away, I figured at least one man still wanted you."

Her smile widened.

"But what a joke."

"Tomasso never loved you either."

Every word landed like another blade.

"Isn't that pathetic?"

Her eyes glittered with cruel satisfaction.

"So what if you were the Vitale family's real blood daughter?"

"So what if you were Alessandro's original fiancée?"

"In the end..."

She leaned close enough for only me to hear.

"...he still put his ring on my finger."

The room fell deathly silent.

Camilla's smile became almost inhuman.

Her whisper was soft.

Venomous.

"Remember this, Serafina."

"As long as I'm alive..."

"No one in this world will ever choose you."

"Not Father."

"Not Mother."

"Not Tomasso."

"And certainly..."

"...not Alessandro."