From Maid to Madre

Gianna Rossi struggled in the slums for over a decade before she accidentally discovered she was the biological daughter of the don of the Ricci famiglia, also known as the Gray Wolf famiglia, Domenico Ricci. She tried to reunite with her family, only to be ruthlessly driven away by the Soldati outside the estate. They left her battered and bruised. Her lover, Matteo Santoro, wiped the blood from her wounds and swore he would infiltrate the famiglia himself to seek revenge against the Ricci family's fake Principessa on her behalf. Once he successfully seized power and took control of the Riccis' arms operation, he would restore Gianna to her rightful place as the cherished daughter of the Ricci family. She believed in his sacrifice and endurance. She hid in the shadows as his secret lover, convinced that his public displays with the fake Principessa were nothing but an act. Yet one night, Matteo got engaged to the fake Principessa. Gianna stood in the corner wearing a server's uniform, watching their happiness unfold. She was a fool who had been played for. Chapter 1 The tip was thrown at Gianna Rossi's feet just as the engagement party for the Gray Wolf famiglia's Principessa began. She bent down to pick up the crumpled bills, but her gaze kept drifting to Matteo Santoro in the center of the crowd. Her throat tightened with bitterness. Just this morning, they had been wrapped up in each other. Now, he was the Principessa's fiancé and the famiglia's newly promoted Underboss. The sight of them embracing intimately was particularly painful to watch. Gianna turned to leave. Before she could take a step, she heard a woman's languid sigh. "Just drinking is so boring!" Lucia Ricci toyed with her revolver, her beautiful eyes sweeping across the room before finally locking onto Gianna. "Hey, you with the tray. Come here!" "Principessa, how may I serve you?" Gianna lowered her voice, trying to disguise her natural tone. The other woman tossed her a shot glass the size of a thumb and commanded, "Put it on your head." Gianna looked up in shock, only to see Lucia waving the gun in her hand with an unrestrained smile. "I'm in a good mood today. Let me show everyone my shooting skills." Gianna's heart clenched. She looked desperately toward the distinguished, aloof man. Cigar smoke swirled around him, blocking his line of sight. There was no rescue or intervention as she had hoped. He simply checked the safety, then handed the gun back to Lucia. His movements were smooth and elegant, his tone indulgent. "Keep your hand steady. Don't frighten the guests." "Hurry up!" A Soldato shoved Gianna roughly forward. Gianna stumbled two steps, trembling as she raised her hand and placed the glass on top of her head. "Don't shake. You're shaking so much that I can't aim properly." Lucia raised the gun with one hand, her posture arrogant and casual. Facing the dark barrel of a gun, fear was instinctive. A familiar cramping sensation seized Gianna's stomach. She bit her lip to control it, letting the taste of iron spread through her mouth. The bullet grazed her scalp, and the glass shattered instantly. Gianna tried to dodge the shards, but her legs gave out. She crashed backward into the towering champagne tower behind her. Millions of dollars' worth of premium champagne cascaded down, burying her in the wreckage. "What a waste! The Principessa's aim was perfect. Why did she even dodge?" "That's limited edition vintage wine at hundreds of thousands a bottle!" Gianna knelt on the broken glass. The shards had already pierced her knees, and the cramping in her stomach made cold sweat pour down her face. She could not even manage an apology. She could only look toward that man through her disheveled hair. He still stood in the same spot without even frowning. Then he reached out to wrap his arm around Lucia Ricci's shoulder. "Are you hurt?" "So boring! She can't even be a decent target." Only then did Matteo glance at her, as if she were a complete stranger. "Today's a good day. Don't let the help ruin the mood." Right. He was now Don Ricci's successor, the newly appointed Underboss of the Gray Wolf famiglia, a man of distinguished status. She was just a girl raised in the slums. The difference between them was like heaven and earth. But the word "help" still pierced her heart like a poisoned blade. "As for her..." He considered for a moment, his tone indifferent. "Drag her out. Don't let her be an eyesore in front of the Principessa again." The butler looked relieved and immediately ordered men to drag her toward the back door. Her body was dragged across the carpet covered in glass shards. Blood and wine mixed together. Still, Gianna did not struggle or cry out. The vows he made to others intertwined with the estate's bell chimes, crashing brazenly into her ears. Every heartbeat came with a stabbing pain. By the time she returned to the suburban villa, it was nearly midnight. Gianna gasped for breath as she fumbled for the pill bottle by her pillow, trembling all over. This was a specialty medication, only available through specific channels. The price was shockingly high. She poured out two pills and swallowed them dry. Before the medication could take effect, her phone lit up with a transfer notification. [Matteo transferred $50,000.00 to you.] Immediately after came a brief message. [Gigi, be good. Stop taking those part-time jobs. I can afford to take care of you.] Seeing that name and remembering the decisive moment he handed over the gun, her stomach pain intensified again. She turned off her phone, curled up under the blanket, and listened to the rain outside the window as her consciousness gradually faded. She did not know how much time had passed when the bedroom door handle turned. She jolted awake. A man stood in the doorway. His custom suit was somewhat wrinkled, and his tie had been loosened. He carried a medical kit. His face still bore traces of rain, making him look travel-worn. "Sorry, I woke you." She did not speak. The room filled with the invasive smell of tobacco and women's perfume, repeatedly reminding her of tonight's nightmare. Matteo did not mind her silence. The newly promoted Underboss who stood above others now knelt on one knee beside the bed, gently grasping her scarred calf. "Be good. Don't move." When she flinched instinctively, he pulled out tweezers and cotton swabs, carefully picking out the tiny glass fragments with a gentle, focused expression. "Does it hurt badly?" After treating her wounds, he tried to touch her face, but she turned her head away. Gianna lowered her eyes and hesitated for a moment. "Shouldn't you be with the Principessa tonight?" Why did he still come here? One moment cruel, the next kind. Matteo's hand froze for a few seconds before he withdrew it. He seemed to detest that title. His originally gentle expression instantly turned cold, revealing a trace of impatience. "Why bring her up?" He removed his coat, still damp with cold air, and slipped under the covers. From behind, he pulled Gianna completely into his embrace. Matteo held her so tightly that it almost suffocated her. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, like a weary traveler who had finally found a place to rest. "Gigi, it's just us now. Don't mention anyone else." His warm breath teased her ear, his voice tender and low. "I just missed you." Chapter 2 God had abandoned Gianna on 13th Street. The place was filled with heroin, gunfire, and the rotting stench of sewers. They also called it the slums. After her parents died in a shooting, her grandmother, Rosa Argento, raised her. Matteo was three years older than she was. When they first met, he was a defiant teenager who had escaped from a fighting ring. He became a target for everyone because of his face, too refined and almost sinister in its beauty, combined with his fierce and untamed nature. Rosa was kindhearted. She dragged him back from death's door, though she had her own reasons too. In this godforsaken place where people devoured each other, Gianna needed an older brother to protect her. Hence, they became family, relying on each other to survive. Matteo would grab a rusty pipe and risk his life when street thugs tried to extort Gianna. Even with two broken ribs, he refused to let go. He bit off the other guy's ear. He would also push his only can of corned beef onto her plate after working in the black market, then hide in a corner gnawing on moldy bread. He poured all his violence and tenderness into protecting her. Until a mercenary group from a distant war zone noticed his reckless ruthlessness. The night before he left, Matteo climbed into Gianna's attic. His face was young and scarred, but his ambition was obvious. He pulled out a ring made from a soda can tab and slipped it onto her finger with clumsy reverence. "Gigi, stay alive and wait for me. When I carve out my own territory, I'll come back for you and Rosa. "I'll buy you the most expensive jewels and move you into the strongest fortress in the heart of the city. I'll make everyone who ever looked down on you kneel and kiss the tips of your shoes." Gianna knew the road ahead would be dangerous. She threw herself into his arms, nodding through her tears. Later, her grandmother fell ill from years of hard work and passed away in the dead of winter. Before she died, she trembled as she handed Gianna a pendant engraved with a wolf head crest. "If you get the chance, go to the city center. Your parents are there. You're the biological daughter of Don Domenico Ricci!" Gianna did not know what a Don meant. She did not want power or prestige. She only wanted her grandmother to live. That was all. A week after the funeral, rain poured down in sheets. A car stopped in front of the iron gate outside. Gianna saw Matteo in the back seat. He wore a well-tailored black coat. He looked naturally aristocratic and radiated an aura that warned people to keep their distance. He was nothing like the boy in the tattered tank top. Through the curtain of rain, she cried out, "Matteo, you really came back!" Matteo tossed aside his umbrella and strode through the dirty water on the ground. He pulled her soaked body into his arms, his voice shaking. "I told you I'd come get you! Gigi, I'm sorry. I came back too late! I failed Rosa..." He brought her to the prosperous city center. Within the Gray Wolf famiglia's territory, he arranged a heavily guarded villa for her and sent the best doctors to care for her health. However, he was busy. During the day, he fought for territory and negotiated arms deals. At night, he circulated through high society. Sometimes he disappeared for days at a time. She never complained. Because she knew Matteo was fighting for their future. Until a year ago, when he came home reeking of blood and told her his decision. Matteo held her, his expression solemn. "Gigi, I'm planning to get close to the Gray Wolf famiglia. Rosa told you with her dying breath that you're the real Ricci Principessa. I know you don't care about that. "You never complain to me, but that doesn't mean I'm not aware. You just wanted to see your birth parents from a distance, but the Ricci Soldati treated you like a threat and drove you off. "The rifle butt smashed into your back. You came back crying but didn't dare tell me..." Matteo cupped her face, violent intent surging in his eyes. "The Gray Wolf famiglia is the underground king of this city. Without power, you don't even have the right to approach them! That fake Principessa named Lucia stole what's yours, enjoying the glory that should belong to you, while you were chased away like a rat. "I won't accept it! It makes me furious! "Gigi, I want revenge! I'll use that fake Principessa to work my way into the family's inner circle and take control of all of Don Ricci's arms channels! I'll make that woman fall in love with me, then reveal the truth at her happiest moment and watch her fall from grace! "I'll get back every humiliation you suffered a hundred times over! I'll bring you home in glory." Back then, he made that promise with such sincerity. Chapter 3 When Matteo left, Gianna was still pretending to sleep. She only opened her eyes after the engine noise faded at the end of the alley. She stared at the empty pillow beside her and reached out to touch the lingering warmth. For a year, she had lived like a mistress. At first, when she saw Matteo on the news escorting Lucia to casinos and racetracks with an adoring smile, she had broken down too. Yet he told her, "It's just an act! If I don't make it convincing, how can I fool that tricky Don Ricci? Gigi, my heart belongs only to you." She desperately convinced herself that Matteo was sacrificing himself for the plan. He was swallowing his disgust to please someone else, all to help her reclaim justice and give her grandmother closure. However, last night, when he slipped the engagement ring onto Lucia's finger and vowed to protect her for life, Gianna wavered. Over the next few days, she wandered aimlessly around the neighborhood. By chance, she spotted a familiar ruby necklace in an underground auction catalogue. It was her grandmother's most treasured possession! It was also the family heirloom stolen years ago during the chaos, something Rosa had murmured about even on her deathbed. She immediately called Matteo and explained. "Don't worry, Gigi. The Ricci family is hosting tonight's auction. I'll be there." His tone softened. "Not even God can take what belonged to Rosa. I'll bring it back to you tonight." Maybe she had been overthinking. He was still the same Matteo who treasured her above all else. Gianna did not have the credentials to enter the main hall, so she waited at the VIP exit by the back door. The night wind cut like knives, but she stubbornly refused to leave. As long as she got the necklace back, Rosa's spirit could rest in peace. Matteo had promised her. He never broke his promises. Three hours later, the doors slowly opened. Matteo emerged with his arm around Lucia. The woman held the leash of a purebred Doberman. In his hand was an elegant velvet box. The necklace! He really bought it! Gianna was about to step forward, but what happened next rooted her to the spot and sent ice flooding through her veins. "Do you like it?" Lucia frowned in mock reproach. "The style is so dated, and the gemstone quality is terrible. Why did you spend seven million on this junk?" "It was fun." He casually pulled out the necklace. "Didn't you say Duke needed a new collar?" Under Gianna's horrified gaze, Matteo bent down and fastened Rosa's treasure around the Doberman's neck. The old woman's dying wish now hung around a dog's throat. "Oh my! You know what?" Lucia giggled and patted the dog's head. "It looks tacky on a person, but on my baby, it actually looks quite elegant. You really do have an eye for these things." "As long as you're happy." The woman kissed him goodbye and turned to enter the stretch limousine. "Why?" Gianna finally lost control and rushed in front of him. "Didn't you say you'd definitely bring it home tonight? How could you put it on a dog? Take it back! Take it back right now!" Matteo let her grab at him, his expression calm. "Gigi, calm down." He spoke as if educating a child throwing a tantrum. "It's just an old necklace with crude workmanship and a flawed gemstone. If you like jewelry, I'll have someone send you a box of new pieces tomorrow. Every single one will be ten times more expensive than this." "I don't want them! I only want Grandma's necklace!" Gianna screamed, tears streaming down her face. "You promised me! Why did you lie? Why would you trample on Grandma's dignity—" "Because Lucia wanted it," Matteo cut her off, his tone matter-of-fact. "Just now at the auction, she took one look and fell in love with that necklace. So many eyes were watching, and plenty of them were Don Ricci's informants. If I refused her over something so trivial, it would raise suspicion and undermine my plan to secure my position in the family." He pulled her into his arms, coaxing gently. "Gigi, would you really destroy everything I've been working toward over one necklace?" "For your plan..." Gianna shoved him away. "I can endure a lot, but when it comes to Grandma, I won't compromise!" "This is just temporary." Matteo's brow furrowed, as if disappointed by her unreasonableness. "Once I officially take control, I'll definitely get that necklace back!" She fell silent, too drained to argue. She turned and walked away. Matteo froze, then reached out to grab her. "Where are you going? It's so late, and it's not safe—" "Don't touch me!" Gianna shook him off. "Don't touch me with the same hand that just petted that dog. It disgusts me." Chapter 4 After that argument, Gianna and Matteo fell into a cold war. He stopped visiting, and she refused to reach out first. Lately, in her dreams, she kept seeing a warm family that did not exist—doting parents with relatives gathered around them. This longing was like an addiction. It flared up during rainy nights in the city, gnawing at her bones and piercing her heart. Hence, despite Matteo's strict warnings, she found herself drawn once again to the gates of Orleen Estate. Tall iron railings wrapped in electrified barbed wire loomed above. Armed Soldati stood guard at the entrance. "What do you want? Get lost!" They spotted her again. A rifle butt struck Gianna's shoulder. She grunted in pain and collapsed to the ground. Just then, the Don's wife, Isabella Bianchi, stepped outside. Their eyes met. Isabella froze in place. A powerful instinct deep in her blood made her heart race. The pale, delicate face and those features bore a striking resemblance to the Don in his youth. She looked more like a Ricci than their pampered Principessa did. "Stop! Let her go!" She rushed forward, struggling to control her emotions. "Child, who are you? How old are you?" Gianna ignored the searing pain in her shoulder and struggled to stand. She wanted to call out 'Mamma'. This was the closest she had ever been to home. If she just spoke up, if she just... The harsh sound of brakes cut through the air. An armored SUV screeched to a violent stop beside them, radiating menace. A tall, cold figure strode over quickly. Matteo shoved Gianna backward with one hand, sending her crashing into the wet, cold mud again. "What are you doing?" Isabella cried out and moved to help her up. "Madre, be careful!" He stepped in front of Isabella, his face full of vigilance. "I just got word that enemy forces might have sent a spy. This woman had plastic surgery to look like the Don when he was young—bone shaving, jaw reshaping, the works. She's trying to get into the Ricci family with bad intentions!" What was he saying? Gianna was stunned. He was the one who brought her back to the city. He was the one who promised to help her claim her identity. He was the one who... "Plastic surgery?" Isabella's outstretched hand froze in midair. The compassion in her eyes was instantly replaced by shock and suspicion. "But those eyes..." "Modern cosmetic surgery can fake even retinas, let alone a face." Matteo refused to budge. "Take her inside for interrogation!" This was her first time entering the estate. Unfortunately, everyone else sat while she knelt. "Similar. So similar!" Domenico Ricci squinted as he studied her. "Even with your warning, we still need to verify before we can be certain. "Ricci blood cannot tolerate any confusion!" The family doctor quickly arrived. In the blood draw room, there was only the doctor, Gianna, and Matteo as the overseer. The needle pierced her vein. She felt no pain. She only looked at him again and again, her eyes pleading like someone on the brink of death. He simply adjusted his cuffs. From start to finish, he never looked at her once. After the blood draw, the doctor took the sample to the inner laboratory. The Ricci family had the most advanced equipment. The testing time was significantly shortened. Gianna was taken to a holding room to wait. The entire day felt as long as a century. "Don Ricci, the results are in. Biological kinship probability is 0%. Not related by blood." That was impossible! Matteo had secretly run a test using hair samples from Domenico and Isabella. It proved she was the real Ricci Principessa. Why was it that now… In her panic, she suddenly remembered a detail from earlier. It was Matteo! After she left the blood draw room, he stayed behind for a few minutes. Long enough to bribe the doctor and falsify the results! Domenico flew into a rage. "How dare she impersonate Ricci blood! I'll..." "Don Ricci!" Isabella's heart softened after all. She sighed. "Spare her life. Just teach her a lesson and throw her out." "Then we'll use the whip." He snorted coldly. "Twenty lashes. But her life and death are in God's hands!" On the estate's punishment frame, a saltwater-soaked whip fell again and again. Gianna was beaten until her flesh split open, but she swallowed her screams. Not far away, Matteo was wiping tears from Lucia's ruined makeup, completely ignoring the brutal scene behind him. After 20 lashes, she was nothing but a bloody mess. They tossed her out of the estate like garbage. Gianna leaned against the wall, struggling forward. Suddenly, someone grabbed her and pulled her into a car. "Gigi!" "You tampered with it, didn't you?" Matteo did not deny it. "If you're acknowledged now, you'll die. "The family is currently fighting over Arupean shipping routes. Plenty of enemies have their eyes on that position. If you show up now, you'll just become a living target! "I'm saving you." Gianna laughed bitterly and finally shouted what was really in her heart. "Are you afraid she'll fall apart when she learns the truth, or can you just not stand to see her hurt? You keep saying this is all for revenge, but the way you're acting now, you're clearly protecting her!" Matteo slammed on the brakes. The momentum threw her against the seat back, pulling at her wounds. Her face went deathly pale from the pain. "Get out." She had exposed his unconscious favoritism. She did not apologize with red-rimmed eyes like she used to. Instead, she simply left. Chapter 5 Gianna moved back to 13th Street. The place still held traces of her grandmother and memories that belonged to their youth. Matteo had once said, "Gigi, I'll keep this house forever. When we're old and tired of all the fighting and killing, we'll come back here and plant flowers." She curled up on the old couch, clinging to memories to survive. Not long after, an eviction notice appeared on the front door. It bore the all too familiar wolf head seal. The reason was simple. The Ricci Principessa had her eye on this land. She wanted to build a private live fire shooting range here to practice the marksmanship she had shown off at her engagement party. Gianna had no choice but to go to Matteo and beg him to save this home. "Hiding in that filthy place to nurse your wounds, not even answering your phone. Gigi, you're getting more and more willful." Neither of them mentioned their past argument. He still treated her gently, drying her damp hair with a towel. "Are you really going to tear down Grandma's house for her?" "That place is too rundown. The foundation is sinking, and the area is dangerous. It's not suitable for you to live there." He turned and pointed to the renovation blueprints on the table. He refused to budge. "I already had people pick out a plot of land for you in the southern suburbs. I'll hire the best designer to recreate Rosa's old house exactly as it was. All the furniture, decorations, and even the tree in the yard… I'll have everything moved there for you." "Recreate?" Tears instantly flooded Gianna's eyes. "Can you recreate memories? You used to say..." "You need to move on." Matteo seemed somewhat impatient now. He picked up his cigar again and took a drag. "Since she asked for that land, I can't refuse. This affects my future authority in the family." "Matteo, my grandma saved your life!" For the first time, she used that debt as leverage, begging humbly. "She pulled you out of a pile of corpses and fed you back to health, spoonful by spoonful. For the sake of that life she gave you, please don't tear it down. Please? I'm begging you!" Watching the injured woman drop to her knees, intense conflict flashed in Matteo's eyes. However, he received a call from Lucia just then. "Baby, have they started yet? I can't wait to run wild on my new turf!" He quickly made his decision. "Gigi, stop this. I'll remember her kindness for the rest of my life, but that doesn't conflict with what Lucy wants. Be good." His heart had completely turned toward another woman! All that gratitude could not compete with Lucia's passing whim. When Gianna rushed back to the old house, construction had already begun. She broke through the warning line and threw herself in front of the bulldozer without hesitation. "You can't tear it down! No one touches this house!" "Crazy woman, you got a death wish?" The driver jumped in alarm. The bucket stopped less than three feet above her head. "Move!" The foreman walked over and shoved her impatiently. "This is a Gray Wolf famiglia project. If you want to die, go somewhere else!" "I'm not leaving!" She knelt on the ground, her voice shrill. "Under the tree in the garden, my grandmother's ashes are buried there! You can't tear it down!" Matteo had personally buried the urn under the tree because they could not afford a cemetery plot. Rosa had also said she could not bear to leave home. "Ashes?" The foreman frowned, then spoke into his phone for a few moments. A moment later, Matteo's cold, distorted voice came through the speakerphone. "Dig them up and send them to a public cemetery. Don't let something this trivial delay the construction schedule." Gianna stopped crying. Her eardrums buzzed, and she wondered if his response was just a hallucination. When Rosa died, he had been grief-stricken. Only two years had passed. Rosa, who had loved him like her own grandson, had become something trivial he no longer wanted to deal with. "Move!" The foreman had his orders. He had no more concerns. Several Soldati rushed forward and forcibly dragged Gianna away from the tracks. The bulldozer started again. The bucket fell mercilessly. The walls collapsed, and the old locust tree was uprooted. "No!" Gianna watched helplessly as her loved one's resting place was crushed under steel treads. Overwhelming grief tore through her body and soul. The cramping in her stomach intensified. Blood spilled from her mouth. The world spun around her, and the roaring sounds gradually faded away. "Someone help! She's dying!" She collapsed there in front of the ruins. Chapter 6 When Gianna woke up again, she was already lying on a hospital bed in the city's public hospital with an IV needle in the back of her hand. The nurse said an unknown Good Samaritan had saved her, paid for her emergency treatment, and then left. A red and green Christmas stocking hung at the head of the bed. Its bells jingled in the warm air from the heater. Today happened to be Christmas Eve. It was her birthday—and Lucia's birthday. How ironic! They were born on the same day, yet their fates could not have been more different. In past years, Matteo had always celebrated her birthday with her. Whether he was just a street thug on 13th Street or later the powerful man in the Gray Wolf famiglia, every year on this day, he would cancel all his social obligations, tie on an apron, and cook for her himself. Besides delicious food, he would also make birthday cakes in different styles. Then, he would light the candles and kiss her forehead. "Gigi, whatever you wish for, I'll make it come true." A sudden vibration from her phone interrupted her memories. Matteo's name flashed on the screen, making her traitorous heart race when it should have been dead. Had he regretted it? Did he see those ruins and finally feel guilty? Or did he remember that today was her birthday? She pressed the answer button. "Hello?" "Gigi." His voice came through the receiver. There was no urgency or remorse. It was more like he was brushing her off. "I have several important meetings tonight, plus obligations with the Don. I can't get away. "Go buy yourself something good to eat. Use the card however you want." Gianna was about to speak when the background noise grew louder. The pop of champagne, elegant jazz music, and Lucia's playful voice grew closer and closer, piercing her eardrums. "Baby, come here! The elaborate tiered cake you made is so beautiful! Everyone's waiting for you to cut the first slice for me!" The so-called obligations were actually a birthday party. It was not that he had no time to celebrate her birthday. He had simply changed the recipient. He was giving the devotion that once belonged only to her to his target of revenge. Exactly the same, or even more. "Okay, coming." After responding gently to Lucia, he switched to a businesslike tone. "I'm busy. That's all." "Matteo! I'm sick. I'm in the hospital." She did not want to beg for pity. She just wanted to test his reaction. "I coughed up blood. It really hurts! Can you come see me?" The man was silent for two seconds, then let out an extremely light scoff. "Gianna, when did you learn to lie and put on an act? "When you came to pick a fight with me, weren't you still full of energy, yelling and screaming? Now that I didn't chase after you to comfort you, you're making up this excuse about coughing up blood to gain sympathy?" "I'm not lying! It's real—" "Enough!" Matteo cut her off coldly. "Today's a special day. If you want to throw a tantrum, wait until tomorrow." The call ended. The busy tone was like a blade, stabbing her heart over and over. An hour later, news of a spectacular fireworks show in the city center hit the trending topics. He gave the whole city a show of romance while leaving her alone to die. In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the presidential suite, Lucia changed into a wine-red slip dress. Like a lazy cat, she nestled in Matteo's arms. "Baby, I'm so happy tonight." She looked up at him with hazy eyes, her fingers circling the buttons of his shirt. "This is the most unforgettable birthday I've ever had." Matteo's gaze drifted somewhat absently to the emptiness outside the window. For some reason, after hanging up the phone earlier, he felt an inexplicable irritation. Gianna's voice had sounded too weak to be fake. But he quickly suppressed that thought. Lucia was clearly falling for him, and Domenico was gradually delegating power to let him handle core affairs. At this critical moment, he absolutely could not let Gianna's manipulation ruin everything! "What are you thinking about?" Lucia pouted in dissatisfaction. Her warm breath brushed against the side of his neck. "Don't leave tonight, okay?" Matteo came back to himself and looked down at the radiant woman in his arms. "Okay." He stubbed out his cigarette, reached out to pull Lucia's slender waist closer, and lowered his head to kiss her lips. The kiss was highly skilled but utterly cold. Gianna's pale face flashed through his mind again. Matteo frowned. He would just let her cool off for one night. Tomorrow, after he finished his work, he would pick out a few gifts for her and apologize. She had never had much of her own opinion anyway. A few kind words and everything would be fine. The curtains slowly closed. Some people were wrapped up in pleasure while others fought for survival. He had no idea that some departures never required goodbyes. Chapter 7 There were two minutes left before Christmas Eve ended. Gianna's phone screen lit up abruptly once more. It was Matteo again! Gianna stared at that name for a long time. As she prepared to hang up directly, her trembling hands accidentally hit accept instead. "Mmm..." The low groan a man only made during intense pleasure mixed with the creaking of a bed frame stabbed into Gianna's ears. She held the phone, feeling as if she had been struck by lightning. Her mind went blank. She was not some naive little girl. She knew what those sounds meant. "Baby, slow down!" Unlike her usual arrogance, Lucia's voice was now seductive as she screamed and begged for mercy. After the storm passed, the woman giggled flirtatiously. "Baby, you're so skilled. Have you done this with someone else before?" Gianna's breathing hitched. The sound of a lighter came through the receiver. With laziness and hoarseness, Matteo answered simply, "No." "Really?" Lucia clearly did not believe him. "Have you never had a girlfriend before?" This time, he said much more. "I had one, but she was boring and rigid—like a block of wood. I wanted to touch her, but she was too conservative. She kept going on about saving the best for after marriage. It was completely dull." Gianna's stomach churned again. She began to gasp for air. She remembered Matteo holding her and saying, "Your body is weak. I want to wait until you're healthy and willingly marry me. You're a treasure, so I can't bear to treat you carelessly." It turned out he was not cherishing her. Facing a block of wood, he simply could not summon any desire. "Not like you..." Matteo seemed to roll over and pin Lucia down, his voice thick with lust. "You're a natural temptress. "Lucy, you're my first woman. Only you can make me crave more." The phone fell to the floor. The call ended. The respect and care Gianna thought she had were simply because she was not charming enough, not wild enough, not as exciting as that mafia Principessa! The time had already passed midnight. Christmas had arrived. Her birthday was completely over. Gianna picked up the phone and opened her photo album favorites. On her 20th birthday, Matteo had just established a foothold in the city. With injured hands, he made her a lopsided rabbit cake. On her 21st, he became the renowned Signor Santoro. He gave her a cake decorated like an oil painting with "To Gigi, with love" written on it. On her 22nd, he became the powerful man everyone feared. The cake was as exquisite as a work of art. He firmly said he would marry her. This year, he sent her a live erotic broadcast. "Happy birthday to me..." She sang softly to the empty air. She closed her eyes. It felt as if her grandmother was still beside her, holding her warmly. After singing the last line, Gianna deleted the entire album. Then she raised her hand and forcibly pulled out the IV needle. After a sharp pain, a few drops of fresh blood fell on the white sheets. Gianna did not press down to stop the bleeding. She could not even feel the pain. Compared to the pain of flesh being carved from her heart, what did this superficial wound matter? Barefoot, she stepped onto the cold floor and walked step by step toward the hospital room door, toward a night without Matteo. The moment she pushed open the door, cold wind from the corridor rushed in and dried the tear tracks on her face. The nurses were busy distributing candy and giving patients blessings, celebrating Christmas together. Taking advantage of this gap, Gianna slipped out of the ward. She looked back one last time at the window. "Matteo," she whispered softly, saying goodbye to someone who was not even there. "That was the last time I waited for you. From now on, we'll go our separate ways, never to meet again."