"I wish both of you eternal happiness," I said.

A deathly silence descended upon the villa the moment the words left my lips. Everyone stared at each other with wide eyes.

However, no one noticed the flush that had crept up Cristina's face.

"Must you do this, Serafina? We were just playing a game," Teodoro said while frowning, looking rather upset.

"Si. It is just a game, but I'm writing the ending for you. Shouldn't you feel happy that I'm helping you?" I asked calmly.

Teodoro's expression turned steely.

Cristina discreetly curled her hands into tight fists when she noticed how Teodoro's expression had twisted.

"What are you saying, Serafina? What do you mean you're giving us your blessing? I think there's been a misunderstanding. Teodoro and I always played like this ever since we were children. Don't tell me that you have a problem with that?"

She then removed the ring from her finger and threw it at me.

Coincidentally, the ring hit the corner of my eye, causing the skin to split open.

Blood dripped from the wound as the ring clattered to the floor. The bright red was especially vivid against my skin.

Everyone was astonished by the sudden turn of events.

Panic flickered across Teodoro's face, and he started moving toward me.

"I know that you're not actually as benevolent as you present yourself to be. I know that you can't accept the childhood bond that Teodoro and I share."

Teodoro halted his footsteps upon hearing Cristina's words that were laced with dejection, saying, "This has nothing to do with you, Cristina. We played like this ever since we were children. She just doesn't understand us."

He gently wiped away the tears on Cristina's face. He then looked at me and spat, "Why can't you be a little more understanding?"

I didn't say a word as I bent over and picked up the diamond ring. With everyone watching, I threw it into the trash.

"Why did she just throw the ring away?"

"I don't understand either. Didn't it cost three million dollars?"

"We should find it as soon as possible. We can't just let her throw it away."

Complaints filled the air as they began to rummage through the trash to look for the ring.

"It means nothing to me anymore since nobody wants it," I said calmly.

My voice was soft, yet every word cut cleanly through the noise.

The people looking for the ring immediately stopped what they were doing, looked up, and scrutinized me.

They couldn't believe how uncharacteristically calm I was. In the past, whenever Teodoro showed even a little bit of affection toward Cristina, I would lose my temper and make a fuss.

Teodoro's expression twisted upon hearing my words.

"Did I do something wrong, Teodoro?" Cristina asked when she noticed his expression. "Is Serafina actually angry this time? Maybe we should stop playing this game. But… We've always played like this ever since we were children. Can't Serafina be a little more understanding?"

Teodoro's troubled expression immediately morphed into nonchalance upon hearing Cristina's words.

The people, who had stopped rummaging through the trash for the ring, also resumed their search after a few moments.

I swept my gaze across the people there and watched as Teodoro quietly comforted Cristina, murmuring, "No, you didn't do anything wrong. She's just too petty. We've always played together like this. She'll get used to it eventually."

I turned around and strode toward the door after hearing Teodoro's and Cristina's conversation.

Teodoro grabbed Cristina's wrist. He raised his voice and said, "Stop looking."

The people who were searching for the ring stopped once more and turned to look at him.

Teodoro didn't bother hiding his fury as he said, "She shouldn't have shown up if she's going to act so petty. It's not as if we begged her to join us. If she leaves, she won't be joining us anymore in the future."

I felt as if a heavy weight was crushing my heart when I heard Teodoro's words.

Cristina was the one who disrespected me first. I was Teodoro's fiancee, and yet she had forcefully kissed him right in front of my face. Why was Teodoro pinning the blame on me instead?

In the past, I would have stood up for myself and argued with him. But I had lost interest in defending myself to him. Besides, it wasn't as if I would be achieving anything even if I won the argument.

If Teodoro truly cared for me, he wouldn't hurt me and upset me over and over again.

A sour sensation spread through my chest as I did my best to suppress the tremors that racked through my body. I forced a small smile onto my face.

I waved my hand and said, "Have fun. Don't forget to invite me to your wedding."

The moment I pulled the door open, I heard someone ask, "Isn't Serafina the star of today's party? Is the party going to continue now that she's leaving?"

"Forget about her. I've spoiled her too much. That's why she has such a short temper. Let this be a lesson. She needs to learn. Come on, let's continue."

The people who had been rummaging through the trash ended up going home empty-handed.

It almost seemed fated that the diamond ring would disappear into obscurity.

It didn't take long before the atmosphere in the villa turned lively again.

I strode out of the villa and pulled out my phone, dialing a number that I had committed to memory long ago.

A deep voice echoed from the receiver when the call connected, asking, "Salve. Who is this?"

My heart suddenly started racing. I didn't say anything for a long time, but the man didn't rush me, and we spent a long time in silence.

A few minutes later, I finally whispered, "It's me."

"I know. You can tell me anything. I'll fulfill all of your wishes. You just have to say the word."

"I… Do you need someone who knows how to launder money? That's the only thing that I know how to do," I choked out.

Terrified that he wouldn't believe me, I blurted out, "I'm a real professional when it comes to money laundering!"

"I know," was the man's response.

"Our doors are always open for you as long as you're willing. When would you like to join us? I'll send someone over to pick you up."

"In the next three days. I still have some business that I need to take care of. I'll contact you once I'm done."

"Va bene. I'll wait for you."

Tears streamed down my face when I ended the call. It turned out that a few simple words were more than enough to show someone that you cared.

I was the daughter of a Soldato who worked for a mafia family.

I fell in love at first sight with Teodoro during high school, dazzled by how radiant he was.

Not only was he the president of the student council, but he was also the point guard of the basketball team at the time. He had many girlfriends and was constantly surrounded by people because he was so popular.

His future was also already set—he was to take up the role of the family's Underboss one day.

Teodoro and I were meant to be two parallel lines, whose lives were never meant to intersect with each other.

I studied as hard as I could on how to launder money, just to get closer to him. I attended classes during the day and worked a part-time job after school to contribute to my family's finances.

I clung to this goal, using it to motivate me.

When Teodoro was about to graduate, I plucked up my courage and confessed to him.

At first, I assumed that he would reject me without any hesitation. Never in a million years would I have expected him to accept my confession and be my boyfriend.

I was over the moon with joy and didn't get a single wink of sleep that night.

To get even closer to him, I didn't hesitate for even a second and joined his family. I didn't complain a single time as I worked myself to the bone and helped them with their money laundering.

I even rejected my childhood friend, Emilio Vitarelli's invitation to join his family.

"I need to return to the family to take over as Don, Fina. Why don't you come with me? You can utilize the skills you've learned for the family, and I'll also protect you for the rest of my life."

However, my mind had been filled with nothing but Teodoro at the time. I just wanted to be by his side at all times and never wanted to be apart from him.

"Grazie, Emilio, but I've found the man of my dreams. I want to always be by his side."

I thought about how I had thoughtlessly rejected Emilio, who had doted on me like I was his own sister.

Emilio had already become the new Don of his family at the time.

Meanwhile, Teodoro didn't care about me at all, even though I poured all my blood, sweat, and tears into working for him.

After returning home, I filled the bathtub and scattered more rose petals than usual into the water. I then stepped into the tub and sank into the water.

The warm water washed away the exhaustion that clung to my body, and I accidentally fell asleep while still soaking in the tub.

I was dragged out of dreamland when Teodoro shook me awake. Through eyes that were still weighed down by sleep, I saw him sitting next to the tub and shaking me gently.

"Why are you sleeping here? Who are you throwing a tantrum at now? Get up and go to bed if you want to sleep."

The haze of sleep immediately melted away when I heard his familiar voice, laced with criticism and concern.

"You're back. Mi dispiace. I accidentally fell asleep," I explained calmly. "Can you wait for me in the living room? I want to get out of the tub now."