Silvia cried pitifully, looking every bit the terrified prey. Yet, the sight of her stirred the men's savage instincts.

"Boss, this one looks promising. Why don't we have some fun first?" one of them growled.

At that moment, I wrenched free and leaped forward, elbow slamming into Scarface's jaw. With my other hand, I snatched his knife, swiftly cut through Silvia's ropes, and shielded her behind me.

Scarface clutched his jaw and roared, "Shit! Kill her!"

All at once, several burly men lunged at me.

I reacted quickly and took down the first man to charge. However, I was no match for four attackers. Blows rained down relentlessly. Even so, I bore the brunt, keeping Silvia pressed safely into the corner.

"Ms. Romano… Please, stop. I'm begging you… Let her go," Silvia pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

But Scarface had lost his patience. He clicked the gun into place, then aimed it at me. "You wretch! You're asking for it!"

Just as he pulled the trigger, a deafening blast thundered from the warehouse doors.

All heads whipped toward the entrance as Antonio and his men stormed in. In an instant, gunfire erupted.

Antonio barreled toward us like an enraged lion and scooped Silvia into his arms, murmuring, "It's okay, Silvia. I'm here."

She sobbed until she fainted in his arms. Then, he lifted her carefully into the car, gently brushing away her tears.

A beat later, he turned and strode toward me.

"Valentina," Antonio called out, his voice soft but laced with an icy edge. "What are you doing here?"

I forced myself upright, wincing against the pain, and met his scrutinizing gaze.

"Would you believe me if I said I just happened to be here?" I asked with a wry smile.

My words barely left my lips before a slap landed across my face. I crashed to the floor, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth.

"Valentina Romano! When did you start believing in God?" Antonio asked sharply.

I spat out the blood, but in the end, I never spoke of the mass I held for my child.

Right then, Antonio grabbed one of the barely conscious attackers from the floor. He pressed his gun to the man's head and demanded, "Who sent you?"

The man shuddered, eyes wide with terror. Clinging to his last shred of hope, he glanced at me. "I-It was her! She paid us to teach that woman a lesson!"

My heart sank at once, and my blood ran cold.

Antonio let out a chuckle. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger and tossed the body aside.

After that, he crouched, crushing my fingers under his boot. Agony tore through me, and I screamed.

He let out a sigh. "Valentina, your hands used to do exactly as I willed. Why are they now hurting the woman I love most?"

He then drew a knife and added, "You scared my Silvia. Now, you'll pay with what you treasure most."

The blade shone with an icy glint. As soon as Antonio finished speaking, he plunged it into my palm, pinning it to the cold concrete floor.

Pain wracked me. My body convulsed as I screamed, nearly blacking out.

Even then, I remembered Antonio from years ago. He had kissed my hand and said, "Valentina's hands are for playing the piano. Anyone who touches them will pay with their lives."

"Antonio Gallo! I hate you! I never should've saved you ten years ago. And I never should've helped you take control of Oldshore!" I spat, my voice raw with despair.

Ten years ago, I had saved him. But in doing so, I had stepped straight into hell. And now, ten years later, he was the one who cut the last tie between us.

At that point, Antonio had turned to leave. His steps faltered briefly, yet he never looked back.

…

As the searing pain gave way to icy numbness, I used my left hand to fish a micro-tracker from beneath my clothes and pressed it with trembling fingers.

Before long, Luca hurried over with a medical kit. Tears welled up in his eyes when he saw the state I was in. Then, he carefully pulled out the knife.

My right hand was mangled, bloodied, and completely numb.

"Burn everything and wipe out every trace of me," I ordered. "From this day forward, there is no Valentina Romano, the gunwoman in Oldshore."

My voice was weak, yet it carried a resolve I had never known.