At my formal betrothal announcement ceremony, Carmelo Conti, the old Don of the Conti Famiglia places the ring that symbolizes the authority as a Don before me and tells me to choose my groom.

Whoever I choose shall become the heir.

I don't hesitate to pass the ring to Aldo Conti, Simone Conti's uncle.

The atmosphere in the hall goes eerily silent. Everyone knows that Simone and I are childhood friends.

I've taken a bullet from a rival aimed at Simone before. Till now, I still have the scar to prove it.

Meanwhile, Aldo is Carmelo's youngest brother. He's also known as the most cold-blooded and blood-thirsty assassin in the family. No one dares to provoke him at all.

What everyone doesn't know is that I've made a completely different choice in my previous lifetime. At that time, I had chosen Simone.

On the same night after we held our wedding at the cathedral, Simone and my stepsister, Clodia Moretti, slept together.

All the elders in both families were enraged, to say the least. They had Clodia flown to Novarria, and she was never to return ever again.

Simone pinned the blame on my possessiveness. Since then, he traveled everywhere with young women who looked like Clodia. He often flirted with them right in front of me, too.

Later on, I was hunted down by the assassins. Before I died, I managed to dial Simone's number so that I could call for help. All I heard were his low panting and Clodia's loud moans.

Just like that, I breathed my last with immense hatred in my eyes.

Now, I've gotten reborn. In this lifetime, I shall grant Simone's wish by letting him be with Clodia.

But he has the nerve to regret everything he's done to me.

In my past life, I chose Simone Conti, who eventually betrayed me. In this life, I chose Aldo Conti, the most ruthless executioner in the Conti Famiglia.

I hadn't anticipated Simone's return. I had only just come out of the study of Carmelo Conti, the Don of the Conti Famiglia, and was making my way through the Famiglia's underground range when I spotted Simone at the shooting station. He was surrounded by several Made Men of the Conti Famiglia.

I expressionlessly walked behind them, heading straight for the exit.

Upon seeing that I had no intention of paying any attention to him, Simone felt slightly unsettled, causing his grip to falter while practicing shooting. His pistol slipped from his grip, hit the ground with a muffled thud, and rolled exactly to my feet.

"Pick it up for me, Eva."

Those around stopped what they were doing, waiting for the drama to unfold. They all assumed I would bend down humbly and obey blindly, just like I used to.

I didn't budge. I kicked the gun sharply in the next instant, sending it straight into the drainage grate nearby. I asked coldly, "Have your hands gone useless?"

Simone's arrogance instantly faded away as he stared at me with complete disbelief.

It was then that one of the Made Men asked, "Is this a new trick of yours, Eva Moretti? You're about to choose your husband soon, so now you're trying to play hard to get to get Simone's attention, huh?"

I was just about to retort when the sound of gentle footsteps approached.

Clodia Moretti came through the side door, dressed in a scarlet haute couture dress. Simone had given me that exact dress for my birthday a year earlier.

I had been thrilled about that present for a long time back then, so much so that I never dared to wear it and kept it safely preserved in my closet. I still recalled Simone complimenting me at the time, telling me I was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Clodia, however, was the one wearing that dress at that moment.

Clodia walked over to Simone and deliberately leaned against his arm. She spoke in a feigned, coy tone, saying, "Simone said I look prettier in this dress than you ever did, Eva. You're not upset, are you?"

She spoke while deliberately exposing several fresh hickeys on her neck, looking at me provocatively.

Simone didn't push Clodia away. He allowed her to lean against him while keeping his gaze fixed on me, looking for any indication that I was going crazy with jealousy.

"I know you'll hand over the ring to me at the formal betrothal announcement ceremony tonight. What's the point of playing hard-to-get with me now, Eva?"

He was completely certain of himself. "You just left Papa's study, didn't you? Did you use the fact that your mother once saved Papa's life to force him into ordering me to become your husband, Eva?"

He scoffed after saying that. "It's pathetic, really. Your mind is completely consumed with manipulating me into marriage. I'll agree to marry you, but after the vows, you'll dutifully play your part as the Donna and never interfere with my relationship with Clodia. Otherwise…"

He looked me straight in the eyes, a triumphant smile playing on his lips. "I'll leave you behind, Eva. You wouldn't want to end up dead in a car crash just because you have no one left to guard you, would you?"

I shuddered and looked at him with surprise, realizing in that exact moment that he had also been reborn with his past-life memories intact.

Upon noticing my stunned expression, Simone assumed that he had me cornered. He gave a proud, dismissive laugh, took Clodia by the hand, and strode out of the range, leaving me standing motionless.

Those Made Men nearby started muttering to one another, and jeering laughter broke out all around.

"Ms. Moretti didn't even dare to retort this time."

"Ms. Moretti is deeply in love with Mr. Conti, after all. She can put up with whatever women Mr. Conti keeps around him."

I looked after the departing Simone and scoffed, slowly releasing the grip of my hands. I thought the whole thing worked out perfectly well, as I had no intention of choosing him as my husband regardless.

It was my choice that night that would determine who would become the future Don of the Conti Famiglia.

There were plenty who had assumed that Simone would spare my dignity and walk into the hall by my side. He, however, had his arm around Clodia's waist as he made a high-profile entrance into the hall.

In that instant, everyone's attention was drawn to them.

Clodia was wearing a matching dress in the same color scheme as Simone. She was donning a large pink diamond ring on her ring finger, with her neck covered in hickeys.

Those present instantly murmured with each other while the men exchanged suggestive, knowing looks. They were all speculating that Simone and Clodia had just emerged from sleeping with each other.

There were even some who whispered mockingly, "It's so pathetic. I mean, even with the absolute power to choose her husband, she can't hold onto Simone's heart."

In my past life, such humiliation would have caused me to break down in tears.

In this life, I didn't even bother looking up. I sat quietly in the head seat, gently swirling the glass of red wine in my hand, completely ignoring them.

Simone had been waiting for me to lose my temper and cause a scene, so my complete indifference left him strangely irritated.

He strode over to me and said, "You'd better drop this high-and-mighty act of yours, Eva. If you behave yourself tonight, I'll allow you to come into my room once the ceremony is over."

Clodia tugged at Simone's sleeve and asked in a spoiled manner, "Isn't having me in bed enough, Simone?"

Simone burst out laughing. He reached out to cup Clodia's chin and asked, "You're determined to wear me out, aren't you, you little vixen?"

I suddenly recalled my past life. Simone and Clodia had publicly humiliated me in the exact same way back then. I had trembled with rage, but Simone had only laughed, telling me he loved watching me go crazy with jealousy.

I merely felt utterly repulsed as I looked at them now. I actually laughed instead of getting angry this time. I set my wine glass and mocked him without hesitation, asking, "Who would ever want to step foot in your room?"

In that instant, everyone in the hall burst out laughing.

Simone was laughing the most out of everyone. "Do you not intend to choose me as your husband, Eva?"

He stared straight into my eyes, asking, "Who are you going to choose, then? You ought to know that there isn't a single soul in the Famiglia who doesn't know you love me to the point of giving up your own life, Eva."

He looked at me with pure derision. "Do you actually intend to pick Aldo, then? It's clear to everyone that this uncle of mine is nothing but a psycho who uses brutal methods and doesn't have a romantic bone in his body."

He looked at me with absolute confidence, asking, "Do you actually have the nerve to pick him, especially considering how weak you are?"

I suddenly thought of Aldo. I remembered that when I died in my past life, the very last thing I saw before closing my eyes was that terrifying man.

He eliminated all my pursuers on his own and ran into the hospital holding me, completely covered in blood. He shook violently in that moment from the terror of losing me, and despite his cold nature, his burning tears streamed down onto my face.

Upon seeing me lapse into silence, Simone assumed I was scared. He scoffed and asked, "What's the matter? Did fear finally catch up to you, Eva?"

Clodia sauntered over with a swing of her hips. "Eva probably recalled the rumors about Aldo."

She spoke in a cloying tone, deliberately raising her volume for the guests present. "It's common knowledge that Aldo is exceedingly vicious when eliminating people.

"It is also known that he abstains from women. I recalled that some reckless woman tried to seduce him once, and he had her drugged and dumped straight into the trashiest red-light district."

She covered her mouth and said with a giggle, "Eva would probably be tortured to the point where death would be a relief if she actually picked Aldo just to be spiteful."

In that instant, another wave of roaring laughter broke out among the guests.

I remained seated this time, not even moving an inch. I looked indifferently at Clodia and said, "It's none of your business who I choose."

Clodia's triumphant smile faltered for a moment. "You don't have to be like that, Eva."

She leaned in as fake tears quickly welled up in her eyes and whispered, "I'm just looking out for you, Eva. You surely won't mind if I have Simone's complete devotion, right? You were foolish enough to take a bullet for him, after all.

"If you're left completely starved for affection after the wedding, I'll buy you a few toys to keep you company, Eva."

"Shut up," I hissed, looking at her with revulsion. I had no intention of hearing any more from this deranged couple, so I rose to my feet to leave.

Without a second thought, Clodia poured white wine all over herself, which instantly drenched the front of her dress and made her nipples visible beneath the fabric.

She shrieked in feigned distress, saying, "I was only trying to be helpful by telling you to pick Simone, Eva! Why do you hate me so much that you had to throw wine at me? I put so much effort into getting this dress custom-made!"

Simone swiftly removed his suit jacket and wrapped it around Clodia. He turned to glare at me as he kept her protected in his arms. "Your jealousy is truly unbearable, Eva! How could you possibly compare to Clodia?"

He yelled, "You'd better stay here and reflect on your actions, Eva! You'll apologize to Clodia in front of everyone present once the formal betrothal announcement ceremony begins!"

Having said his piece, Simone guided Clodia toward the upstairs dressing room with his arm around her.

I felt sick to my stomach, so I went up to the second-floor balcony for some air. I then turned around and headed back inside to go downstairs to the main hall, just when the reception was about to get underway.

Clodia actually followed me after she finished changing. She cut me off right at the landing of the stairs, looking entirely provocative. "You know that I'm the one Simone actually loves. You'll be nothing but a wife in name only after tonight, Eva."

She stroked her belly triumphantly and continued, "I'm already pregnant with Simone's child, so when the time comes, everything in this Famiglia will belong to me, Eva."

In my past life, I found out that the child was actually just a bastard from a random hookup with an escort at some bar. I tried to be helpful by telling Simone the truth, but he lashed out at me, calling me insanely jealous, and went so far as to lock me in a dungeon to rethink my behavior.

I noticed that she was staring straight at my face, as if waiting for me to explode in anger. I found it utterly absurd, though. I figured she was repeating her usual trick.

I had no intention of wasting even a second on her since the ceremony was about to start, so I simply brushed past her and hurried downstairs.

Clodia lost her patience after seeing that I wasn't falling for her provocation. She suddenly rushed ahead of me and lunged, reaching her hand out toward my back.