The desire lingering in Simone's eyes quickly faded, replaced by his usual cold arrogance.

It was as if the tender moment with the scarf had been nothing but an illusion.

He calmly tightened his bathrobe. The collar slumped loosely, sliding down to reveal the smooth line of his back.

At his feet, the pale yellow scarf was gently hooked behind him and tucked under the carpet.

Tania stepped forward slowly.

She bent to pick up the scarf, then raised her hand to trace his face. "You care this much about a scarf? If Noemi knew, she'd probably cry tears of joy."

Simone's Adam's apple bobbed. He reached for the scarf, but she pressed down on his wrist.

Her chest almost touched his arm, and her warm breath brushed his neck. "Your heart's racing. That felt good, huh? What's wrong? Do you only let your guard down when you're alone with her private belongings?"

Simone took a half step back but found his retreat blocked by a glass partition.

"Come with me to Valoria's underground casino tomorrow. The prize is the 'Falling Star' wedding dress—the final masterpiece of that top designer."

Simone frowned. "Why do you want a wedding dress?"

"No reason." Tania traced his jaw. Her voice was laced with amusement, but her gaze stayed icy. "I just got word that Noemi's going too."

Simone retreated another half step, distancing himself. "I'll go with you, Ms. Giordano. But you're too close. That's against protocol."

Tania scoffed, pulling her hand back and deliberately leaving the scarf on his shoulder. "Here, keep it. Sweet dreams."

The next evening, Tania stepped into the casino wearing a black mermaid dress that hugged her figure. She instantly drew countless eyes.

Simone followed behind without any expression, blocking off anyone who tried to crowd them.

Not far off, Noemi appeared in a white dress. A flicker of derision flashed across her face the moment she saw them. "Tania, you're here too? I thought you only enjoyed going to bars, surrounded by a swarm of men!"

Tania just smirked coldly. Ignoring the provocation, she walked straight to the center table.

Seeing Noemi, Simone moved to stand by her, completely forgetting whose bodyguard he was.

But Tania didn't care. Tonight, she only wanted to win.

Her luck seemed unstoppable. Chips were piled high before her.

Soon, only she and Noemi remained at the table.

As the dealer dealt, Tania sensed something was off.

Through the first few rounds, her sharp instincts led to two wins, and Noemi's expression darkened.

When it came to the crucial hand, the men gathered around Noemi exchanged knowing glances. They were clearly planning something.

Tania was dealt a pair of Aces. Just as she was about to raise, Noemi boldly pushed all her chips into the center. "All in!"

Her own cards had started as a pair of Kings, but at the exact moment Simone appeared to adjust his tie, she suddenly switched hands, revealing a royal flush.

Noemi raised an eyebrow smugly. "Tania, luck's part of the game. Looks like the dress is mine."

Tania sneered silently. She actually saw Simone signaling the dealer to swap the cards earlier.

But she said nothing. After all, this was someone else's territory. Both she and Noemi were from the Giordano family. They rose and fell together.

Besides, dealing with Noemi was child's play. Tania believed that even if Simone went all out for her, she wouldn't need to give it her all to defeat Noemi.

In the following rounds, whenever Noemi fell behind, Simone's subtle signals helped her turn the tide.

Finally, in the last hand, Tania had a straight, while Noemi held three of a kind—she was losing ground fast.

Simone raised his hand to signal, but Tania looked up at him with a captivating glance.

A jolt of alarm shot through him. He jerked his hand back, and his eyes flickered with something complicated.

When the cards were revealed, Noemi's face drained of color. Her three of a kind lost to Tania's straight.

Tania stood, about to signal the auctioneer to start the bidding, when whispers spread through the crowd.

"So what if she won? Getting the wedding dress won't help. With her wild past, which man would marry her for real?"

"Exactly, giving her a designer gown is just a waste."

The taunts grew louder.

Noemi burst into tears, burying her face in her hands before looking up at Tania with a wounded expression. "Tania, I really want that wedding dress…"

At that moment, the side door to the casino burst open. A group of men in black suits flanked a sharply dressed man who strode to the auction stage.

The man flashed a black badge at the auctioneer and announced in a deep voice, "I'm Don Lanzi's Underboss. By order of the Don, the 'Falling Star' wedding dress is now officially reserved for Ms. Noemi. No matter the bids, the final ownership belongs to her."

The entire casino exploded into noise.

"Reserved? Don Lanzi just has to say the words, and any item can be locked in no matter the price!"

"Oddio! Ms. Noemi actually got Don Lanzi to step in personally?"

"No wonder she dared to compete with Ms. Tania. Turns out she had the Lanzi family backing her. Is she going to become the Lanzi family's Madre?"

Noemi froze for a second, then her shock turned into pure delight. She asked shyly, "May I ask where Don Lanzi is? I'd like to thank him in person."

The Underboss nodded respectfully. "Don Lanzi is occupied. He will meet you at the proper time."

Only then did Noemi turn to Tania with her chin slightly lifted. "Tania, are you going to continue gambling with me?"

She tilted her head innocently. "Oh, right. I almost forgot. Don Lanzi already reserved the wedding dress. Even if you win again, it won't matter. In this world, no one has more say than Don Lanzi."

Tania's expression didn't change. She slowly turned toward Simone beside Noemi. He stood in the shadows, his gaze calm and unreadable.

But when he looked at Noemi, the corner of his lips curved faintly.

The casino was still buzzing when Tania turned and walked out first.

Outside, dozens of black Maybachs lined the street. The emblems bore the exclusive crest of the Lanzi family.

One by one, bodyguards stepped out, each carrying an elegant tray.

On them lay priceless gifts—rare pink diamond jewelry, antique paintings, couture gowns, and even the title deed to a private island.

"My God! Are these all from Don Lanzi to Ms. Noemi?"

"Hundreds of millions of dollars just to make her smile?"

"Look at Tania, though. She fought so hard to win and in the end got nothing. She didn't even get the wedding dress. Who would actually marry her?"

The surrounding guests erupted into whispers, their gazes pricking Tania.

She walked toward her car without any expression, though her fingers slowly curled tight.

"Tania, wait for me!" Noemi hurried after her with Simone following close behind. "Tania, look at all these gifts. They're way too much. I feel bad taking them."

Tania glanced at her coolly. "Feeling bad now? You already accepted them."

A look of hurt crossed Noemi's face.

Simone's throat tightened as he prepared to speak up for her, but at that exact moment, Tania's phone began to ring.

She answered, and her best friend Rita Ludovici's voice came through. "Talia, there's a street race on Ridgeway Road. You in?"

"Yeah." Tania agreed without hesitation. She hung up and went straight for the driver's seat.

"A race? I want to go too!" Noemi immediately clung to Simone's sleeve, acting cute. "Simone, I've never seen racing before. Come with me, please?"

Simone looked at Tania, asking her if it was fine with his gaze.

Tania let out a sneer and pulled open the car door. "My car doesn't take outsiders."

With that, she drove off.

"Why is Tania so petty?" Noemi's eyes reddened as she looked at Simone. "I just wanted to join the fun…"

Simone said nothing. He switched cars, opened the passenger door, and said to her, "We'll just follow behind her."

…

After getting out, Noemi and Simone walked behind Tania. Their conversation carried clearly to her ears.

"Simone, do you think Don Lanzi really wants me to marry him? I heard the Lanzi family's Madre is incredibly respected."

"It's very possible," Simone replied gently. "You're so wonderful. You deserve the best of everything."

"What about you?" Noemi suddenly turned to him with an intense gaze. "Would you give me your blessing if Don Lanzi proposed to me?"

Simone smiled. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

A dull ache spread through Tania's chest.

It was unmistakable. Simone's gaze held a world of tenderness for Noemi, yet it offered Tania nothing but a frozen detachment.

She curled her lips in a bitter smile.

Ridgeway Road was lit up like daylight. Rows of modified race cars lined up side by side.

Tania entered her private lounge and came out shortly after in a new outfit.

The black racing suit hugged her waist and long legs, adding a wild edge to her usual cool beauty. For a brief moment, the area around her fell into stunned silence.

She walked straight toward her silver-gray car. Just as her fingers touched the door handle, footsteps sounded behind her.

"Tania, your car is so cool!"

Noemi walked over arm-in-arm with Simone. Her white dress fluttered softly in the night breeze. "Simone, look! Tania's car is prettier than all the others."

Simone glanced at her. "If you like it, you can learn more about it later."

Tania watched them coldly and opened the car door. Just as she was about to get in, Simone called out, "Wait."

He stepped closer, frowning slightly. "It rained last night. There's water on the curves. Watch your speed."

Having stayed by Tania's side for all these years, he knew her habits better than anyone. Whenever she drove, he was always her navigator.

When she trained, he'd scout the road in advance, memorizing every dangerous turn.

But this time, Simone stayed beside Noemi. He only offered a reminder, with no intention of taking the navigator's seat.

"Thanks for the reminder," Tania replied flatly.

Before putting on her helmet, she glanced at Noemi. "You should watch the person next to you. Don't let her wander around."

Noemi's eyes immediately reddened. She tugged at Simone's sleeve, sounding wronged. "Simone, I didn't mean to bother Tania. I was just curious about racing…"

"Va bene," Simone said, patting the back of her hand. He looked at Tania with a hint of helplessness. "It's her first time. She's just curious."

Then, he looked toward an unused white race car nearby and said to Noemi, "I'll take you for a lap. We'll go slow. It won't be dangerous."

Noemi's eyes lit up. "Really? Simone, you can drive race cars too?"

"I picked up a bit back when I used to train with Ms. Tania."

His tone was casual, but no one knew how much effort he'd put in behind the scenes just to better protect Tania. His driving skills were already on par with professional racers.

Tania watched as he opened the white car's door and carefully helped Noemi into the passenger seat. Something stung lightly in her chest.

A navigator was the racer's other half.

All these years, Simone had been by her side. They worked in perfect sync. Even off the track, when she rested in the seat after training, he'd quietly hand her water and a towel, sometimes even offering a few pointers.

But now, the man who had once been her other half had effortlessly given that important place to someone else.