The bedroom door was slightly ajar. Inside came Alice's sultry moans and Domenico's low, heavy breathing.

I did not stop walking. I headed straight into the wine cellar.

Ten years of marriage, and I had fallen this far. I drowned my sorrows in alcohol. At midnight, the cellar door swung open.

Alice walked toward me wearing my silk robe. The collar hung open, exposing the suggestive bite marks on her neck.

"You know what Domenico told me, Lucia? He's dying to throw you in the ocean and watch you drown. He says looking at your lifeless face makes him sick and that you're worthless trash in his eyes. You're not even good enough to lick my boots."

I looked at her coldly, my eyes flat and unmoved. "This is the Calvetti family's estate. This is mafia territory, not some playground for college girls. Don't get too cocky or you'll burn yourself."

My words seemed to infuriate her.

Alice raised her hand to slap me across the face. "You bitch, how dare you lecture me!"

Before her palm could land, I caught her wrist in a tight grip.

Ten years with Domenico meant I had seen plenty of bloodshed. I had killed more people than she had probably ever met.

The next second, I slammed her entire body against the dust-covered wall with enough force to make her scream in pain. "I've killed more people than you've ever met. Who the hell do you think you are?"

Alice's body went rigid, and her pupils were filled with terror. She probably thought I was just a compliant pushover.

A few seconds later, she snapped out of it and began shrieking hysterically, "Help! Someone help me! She's trying to kill me!"

While screaming, she deliberately tore at her robe, exposing her shoulders and chest. Then, she hurled herself at the wine rack beside her.

The sound of shattering wine bottles pierced the air. Glass shards and wine splattered everywhere.

She fell perfectly beside the broken glass. A cut on her temple began bleeding. It looked like I had brutally assaulted her.

The cellar door was kicked open. Domenico stormed in, fury radiating off him. In his hand was a Desert Eagle.

It was the weapon he had given me for self-defense all those years ago when he saved me from my adoptive father. Now, it was aimed directly at my forehead.

His eyes immediately found Alice lying on the floor. Murderous intent ignited in his gaze.

For a moment, I could almost feel the cold sensation of a bullet piercing through my body.

"Lucia, are you asking to die?" He spoke through gritted teeth, his voice dripping with violence. "Who gave you the nerve to touch her!"

I stared at the black muzzle of the gun. My mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Did I have to explain myself? What would be the point? He would not believe me.

I started laughing until tears streamed down my face. "You did. You gave me the nerve. Domenico, have you forgotten?"

I looked straight into his eyes and slowly said, "You said no one but you could ever hurt me. You promised this gun would never be aimed at me."

My gaze seemed to sting him. The hand holding the gun trembled slightly.

He lowered the weapon but stepped forward and raised his hand. He slapped me hard across the face.

The sharp crack echoed through the room. My cheek swelled immediately, blood seeping from the corner of my mouth. The pain was searing.

"Three days in the basement!" His voice was cold as ice. "You're not allowed out without my permission! No food, no water!"

He threw those words at me before carefully lifting Alice from the floor. His movements were so gentle, as if he were handling a priceless treasure.

I still remembered how he had held me just like that after I accepted his proposal. Back then, he said he would give me the world.

Now, everything had changed.

I spent three full days in the cold, damp basement without food or water.

During that time, I kept reliving the past ten years. I thought about the moment my father's library was blown to pieces. I thought about how bravely Domenico had saved me from my adoptive father. I thought about how easily he had given away the ring on my finger to someone else.

It turned out that all his vows were nothing more than idle amusement.

On the fourth morning, the basement door finally opened.

Two bodyguards hauled me off the floor like a sack of trash. My legs had gone numb long ago. I could only hang between them as they carried me.

Domenico stood at the doorway, looking down at me from above. There was no sympathy in his eyes, only impatience. "Alice is shaken up and upset. You'll go to the auction tonight and serve her drinks. Make her happy. Consider it compensation."

I nodded numbly. The person Salvatore arranged should arrive soon. I just had to endure a little longer and it would all be over.

The underground black market auction that night was packed with all kinds of people.

I wore a server's uniform, weaving between lecherous men and serving them drinks.

Alice nestled in Domenico's arms, dressed in an elaborate gown while wearing my ring, basking in everyone's flattery.

Halfway through the auction, the auctioneer introduced the next item with exaggerated flair.

"Our next piece is a self-defense weapon from Signorina Tarantino. The craftsmanship is exquisite, and it has tremendous collector's value!"

The moment the dagger was brought out, my breathing stopped. It was the only thing my mother had left me.

Ten years ago, the Calvetti family faced an unprecedented crisis. Their cash flow dried up, and they were on the verge of being swallowed up by other families.

I secretly pawned this dagger I always carried with me and used the money to help Domenico weather the storm. It was my way of repaying him for saving my life.

I remembered how he had held me, swearing in my ear that he would buy it back for me one day and keep it safe.

Now, here it was, displayed in front of everyone as just another item up for auction.

Almost instinctively, I started to raise the bidding paddle. However, a large hand clamped down on my wrist. It was Domenico.

He did not even look at me. He just tilted his chin toward Alice in his arms, his tone indulgent. "Do you like it? I'll buy it for you so that you can use it to protect yourself."

Alice gasped in delight and pressed her chest tightly against Domenico's arm. "Really? Oh darling, thank you! I've always wanted something like this!"

Domenico clearly enjoyed this. He reached out and ruffled her hair.

The bidding started. Alice raised the price without hesitation. In the end, she won the dagger at three times its market value.

When the dagger was handed to her, she played with it in her hands, seemingly quite pleased.

The next second, she picked up an apple from the table and started peeling it clumsily with the blade. Her movements were awkward and deliberate.

"Ugh, this knife isn't sharp at all. It can barely even cut fruit."

She pouted and tossed the dagger carelessly onto the table with a loud clang.

My blood seemed to freeze. That was my mother's heirloom.

Now, it was being used by some worthless mistress to peel fruit, and she was complaining it was not sharp enough.

My chest felt like someone had carved into it with a blade. The pain nearly suffocated me.

Just then, the large screen at the auction suddenly lit up. A grainy surveillance video began to play.

In the footage, a woman whose figure closely resembled mine was meeting with a man. That man was the Underboss of the Calvettis' rival family.

The image was unclear and the audio had been processed, but the content clearly accused me of selling family secrets and leaking the Calvetti family's transport routes.

Domenico's body went rigid. The temperature around him seemed to plummet. He whipped his head around and stared at me, his eyes burning with murderous intent.

"Lucia! You betrayed me?"

The woman's profile in the video made her look similar to me, but her movements were stiff. It was obviously edited together afterward. However, looking at his furious face, I knew any explanation would be useless.

He would not believe me. In his mind, I was just a wife in name only.

Domenico grabbed me and yanked me up. His grip was so tight it felt like he would tear my arm off. He dragged me all the way to the center of the auction stage.

Then he made a shocking announcement. "This woman has betrayed the Calvetti family. She has betrayed me! Today, I'm putting her body up for auction!"

I struggled and grabbed onto his pant leg, trying to bring him back to reason. "Domenico, even the audio in that video is synthesized. Can't you hear it? Someone's framing me! You can't do this to me!"

"Framing you?" Domenico laughed like he had heard the funniest joke in the world. He shook his hand and flung me away without hesitation.

The back of my head slammed hard into the steps of the auction stage. Blood ran down from my forehead and blurred my vision.

Before I could catch my breath, a leather shoe stomped down hard on the hand I was trying to use to push myself up. The sound of bones shattering was unmistakable.

My whole body convulsed from the pain. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

"This is what you get for betraying me." Domenico's voice was cold as ice, devoid of any warmth.

He snapped his fingers. On the large screen behind him, naked photos of me appeared one after another.

Those photos were taken when we first got married. Domenico had coaxed me into posing for them, saying he wanted to capture my most beautiful moments and keep them just for himself.

Now, he had turned those sweet memories into weapons against me.

The moment the photos appeared, laughter and wolf whistles erupted from the crowd below.

The men's gazes swept over me like starving beasts, their mouths spewing vulgar comments.

"That body's not bad at all. Who knew Signora Calvetti was so hot..."

"Wonder if I can get a piece of her tonight. I'd pay top dollar!"

"One dollar." Domenico's voice rang out again, drowning out all the noise. "The original copies of these photos, along with this woman's services for tonight. One dollar gets you both."

His words were the final straw that broke me completely.

I shook my head desperately, tears mixing with blood streaming down my face. "Domenico... please don't... I'm begging you, don't do this..."

Alice nestled in his arms and covered her mouth in fake concern. "Domenico, isn't this too cruel to her? After all, those are her private photos..."

"Privacy?" Domenico laughed coldly, his eyes full of mockery. "A whore who betrays the family has no right to privacy."

My face was pressed against the ground. I could clearly hear the breathing and comments of the men surrounding me.

Those voices slithered into my ears like venomous snakes, gnawing away at what little dignity I had left. I felt like merchandise being appraised and judged.

I could imagine the desire burning in those men's eyes, like flames ready to consume me completely.

Suddenly, a sharp cramping pain tore through my abdomen. It felt like countless needles stabbing into me. My vision went black and I lost consciousness.

…

When I woke up again, I was in a discreet private clinic.

A doctor in a white coat stood beside my bed, his expression complicated. "Signora, you… You're pregnant. Two months along."

Pregnant? I instinctively placed my hand on my lower abdomen. There was a slight swell there.

Two months ago, Domenico came home drunk, and we were intimate. He was barely conscious that night and kept calling out another woman's name. I thought it was just an accident. I never expected a child to come out of it.

The doctor handed me an ultrasound printout. It clearly showed two tiny gestational sacs.

Twins.

I took the ultrasound and froze in place. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. It was joy, despair, and helplessness all at once.

I had already made up my mind to leave. Now, however, the children I had longed for had come at the worst possible time.

For the sake of the babies, I had to speed up my departure. I could not let Domenico harm them.

I went home and packed my things. I was about to contact Salvatore to tell him about the pregnancy and have him arrange for an earlier pickup. However, the door was suddenly flung open.

Domenico walked in. He saw the suitcase behind the door and frowned slightly, his tone impatient. "Look, I know I went too far this time, but running away from home is a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

I looked away expressionlessly, hiding the emotion in my eyes. "You misunderstood. I just want to go out and clear my head."

He raised an eyebrow, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alice is pregnant. I want to keep the child."

My breath caught. My heartbeat stuttered. All the blood in my body seemed to freeze.

Domenico had always been surrounded by women, but none of them had ever been allowed to keep his child. Not even me.

I had always wanted a child. I wanted a family that belonged to us. However, he always said that it was not the right time or that the family business was too demanding. He had refused me again and again.

Yet now, when he looked at me, his eyes held joy and anticipation—emotions I had never seen before.

It turned out he did not dislike children. He just did not want children with me.

I forced a smile, my voice hoarse. "Children are wonderful. Having one sounds nice."

Domenico smiled with relief, his expression relaxed. As long as I was obedient, I could remain by his side forever like a piece of furniture.

"Good. As long as you behave, I won't hold the leaked information against you. The position of Signora Calvetti will always be yours."

I smiled but said nothing.

"Father just contacted me. He wants me to bring you home for a visit. He misses you."

He paused. "Alice is going out with friends tonight. I gave her your car. You'll ride in my passenger seat."

I had no objections. After all these years, I had grown accustomed to his demands.

After changing clothes, I randomly picked out a gift and got into his car. The car had barely started when Domenico's phone rang.

He answered and listened for only a few seconds before his face turned ashen. He suddenly smashed his phone against the interior of the car.