From Stand-In to Queen

Everyone said I was lucky. After the Don, Lucas Vaughn, brought me back to his estate, I became the woman he treasured most. He would halt billion-dollar deals just to be home on time to put me to sleep. He even learned sign language in secret, just so he could communicate with me after my vocal cords were damaged. At first, I didn’t dare give him my heart. Whenever he looked at me, his focus would drift. He showered me with gifts, yet always disappeared on the days that mattered most. As the child in my womb grew, and as Lucas’s devotion intensified day by day, I let my guard down. I devoted myself completely to the role of wife and Donna. Until the night I gave birth. I hemorrhaged during a difficult labor, but Lucas never showed up. After surviving by sheer luck, I finally saw the trending news. Lucas attended a Thames-side gala arm-in-arm with rising movie star, Serena Vale. That was when I understood. To him, I had only ever been a substitute. He broke his rules for her again and again. He indulged her humiliations toward me and even shoved me toward armed attackers at the brink of life and death. Filled with hatred, I closed my eyes and sank into the deep sea, just as he wished. Later, he knelt, clutching the hem of my dress, begging, "Zoe, please give me one more chance. I’ll repay you with my life." His life was worth too little now. I no longer wanted it. Chapter 1 The hospital room was cold and silent, a single-occupancy ward stripped down to the bare minimum. When the door was kicked open, I was forcing myself to endure the tearing pain in my abdomen while rocking my newborn daughter, Luna Vaughn, to sleep. "How is your recovery, Miss Lang?" Her tone was deliberately restrained, yet nothing could conceal the innate elegance she carried. The moment I saw her face clearly, I froze. So this was Serena Vale, the national darling who had recently been appearing everywhere at Lucas Vaughn's side. My fingers trembled as I instinctively pulled the blanket tighter around myself. Before I could think further, she bent down toward the swaddled baby, handling her casually. Her sharp, manicured nails scraped across my daughter's cheek, leaving a red mark behind. "So it's a girl?" she said lightly. "Lucas needs an heir who can inherit the family. Your womb is really disappointing." Her mockery hit me like a blade. I shook my head frantically. That was not true! When he had leaned down to feel the baby's movements, his eyes had been full of anticipation. I had seen it clearly. "Don't get worked up." Serena chuckled softly, her voice dripping with disdain. "She doesn't look like Lucas at all. She looks like you. Hopefully, she won't end up like you—crippled." I raised my hands urgently, signing with shaking fingers: [Please don't curse my daughter. She is healthy.] "Tsk. Communicating like this is such a hassle." Her red lips moved closer to my ear, every word sharp enough to cut flesh. "You really think giving birth to a child secures your place as Donna? Do you know why Lucas still hasn't married you? "Oh, right. I forgot to introduce myself properly. I'm Serena Vale, Lucas's first love. Back then, I went abroad to further my career and suggested the breakup. That's when he chose you. What? Don't you think we look quite alike? "One more thing. Lucas couldn't bear to hold me back or let me suffer through childbirth. So he sweet-talked you into becoming a breeding mare. I'll raise the child. What he did with you was just for appearances. It's over now." She was standing very close. Close enough that I could see my own disheveled reflection in her eyes. As I stared at her face, cold crept into my heart, inch by inch. It was true. We looked seventy percent alike, especially our eyes and brows. Suddenly, I remembered how Lucas would always lose focus when he looked at me. Could it be because… No. That couldn't be right. She had to be lying. I refused to believe an outsider, rejected such a blood-soaked truth. I would only believe what Lucas said himself. So I stubbornly signed again: [The Don loves me. He swore it.] "A mute stand-in with quite the backbone," Serena sneered, contempt flooding her eyes. "Waaah!" A piercing cry suddenly exploded through the room as my daughter began thrashing violently. What happened to her?! I lunged toward the crib in panic. Serena recoiled in exaggerated fear, deliberately raising her voice, "Miss Lang! How could you be so cruel? Just because he didn't come see you, you take it out on a newborn?" Her assistants at the door turned to look, their faces filled with disgust. "Figures. A mistress who abuses a baby just for money." "Breaking up someone else's relationship. How shameless." "Staying in a dump like this? Must have been dumped by her sugar daddy." … The vicious whispers drilled into my ears. I wanted to argue, to explain, but no sound would come out. "Miss Lang, I know you're angry," Serena continued softly. "I heard you went through a difficult delivery. Lucas was with me on a yacht that night, celebrating. He didn't make it back to you. I'm really sorry. "But she is Lucas's flesh and blood." Serena frowned, looking heartbroken. "If you don't want to raise her, I'll take her back and care for her. That way, he can rest easy." I didn't understand why she was suddenly repeating herself so loudly. The next second, the metallic stench of blood filled the air as Lucas walked in. Chapter 2 Dressed in a charcoal-gray bespoke suit, Lucas strode in, the residual menace of the negotiation table still etched between his brows. The moment he took in the rundown room and Luna crying herself hoarse, his expression darkened. "Why would my Consigliere, Marcus King, choose a dump like this to house them?" Lucas's voice was razor-sharp. "If anything happens to the child, he'll be buried with her." His gaze swept the room before finally landing on me. There seemed to be concern in his eyes. The instant our gazes met, days of pent-up grievance surged, as if I'd finally found a place to let it spill. I raised my hand. I wanted to ask why he disappeared during my delivery. I was desperate to ask about his relationship with Serena Vale. I longed to hear him deny that I was nothing more than a substitute. Yet before anything could begin, Serena ended it. "Lucas..." Serena looped her arm through his, her eyes reddening at the corners. "Miss Lang isn't doing well at all. She seems emotionally unstable after childbirth. She lost control and hurt the little Principessa." She gestured meaningfully. "Look, even her legs are bruised." Their intimacy, carried out as if no one else existed, sliced through my last shred of hope. Lucas's gaze snapped toward me, a storm erupting in his eyes. "What's this?" His voice was ice-cold, rage barely restrained. "So the moment something displeases you, you become this vicious?" I shook my head frantically, crying as I pointed at Serena, my hands repeating the strangling motion over and over. My lips trembled violently, but all that came out were broken, rasping breaths. "Drop the victim act." I knew how much he loved Luna. Hurting our daughter crossed his absolute line. The pity he once held for me curdled into disgust. "Luna is crying like this, but as her mother, you feel nothing?" Serena spoke gently from the side, fanning the flames. "She's probably hungry. Why not let Miss Lang breastfeed her? Once she's full, she'll calm down." Lucas nodded without hesitation. "Then hurry up and feed her." My entire body went rigid. The room was filled with his Soldati. Several assistants stood by the door. Here? Right here? Was he really going to strip me of all dignity like this? I looked at Lucas in despair, my eyes filled with pleading as I signed: [Can you ask them to leave first?] "What are you stalling for? Can't you hear Luna crying herself breathless?!" He understood sign language, but he simply chose cruelty. "Miss Lang, Luna comes first," Serena said with feigned kindness. "Look how pitiful she is. At a time like this, why care about pride? As a mother, you should learn to sacrifice." My daughter's cries grew sharper, like a chainsaw tearing back and forth through my nerves. With no other choice, I gave in and reached for the buttons of my hospital gown. At that moment, Marcus pushed the door open, his eyes colliding with mine. My hands froze. The shame of breastfeeding in front of strangers made it impossible to continue. I looked back at Lucas again, silently begging him to leave me at least this shred of dignity. He lost patience. Turning to the Soldati behind him, he issued a cold command, "Strip her. Feed the child. Now." The towering Soldati obeyed, stepping forward and pinning my shoulders like I was a prisoner. How did it come to this? What did I do wrong to deserve this humiliation? I struggled desperately, but I couldn't break free. [Don't force me! Please!] I kicked in panic, my eyes screaming what my voice could not, my throat already hoarse. Lucas stood by and watched my despair unfold, but made no move to stop it. "Since you gave birth, then do your job as a breeding mare. Why are you unwilling even to feed her?" This was the second time I heard that word today. He said it himself; I could no longer deny it. While I stood frozen in shock, the Soldati roughly tore open my collar. Buttons snapped loose. My pale chest was exposed, laid bare under the gaze of countless men. In that moment, I did not feel human. Instead, I felt like livestock placed on an altar, waiting to be slaughtered. Chapter 3 By nightfall that same day, I was escorted back to Fog Harbor Estate. There was no stretch limousine waiting at the gates or butler bowing in greeting. I was not taken back to the top-floor master bedroom. Instead, the Soldati shoved me into a confinement room. The space was bare, with only a narrow iron window letting in a draft. "The Don ordered you to reflect in here. Do not disturb the little Principessa." After that, the man turned and left. I braced myself against the wall and sank to the floor. The memories I had sealed away came rushing back, sharp with irony. Two years ago, Lucas had pulled me out of the ruins of St. Laurent. He told me that since the world had no place for me, Fog Harbor Estate would be my sanctuary. Back then, Lucas would finish handling the gang's blood-soaked business, wash away the stench of gunpowder, and drive across half the city late at night just to buy me a slice of cake I had casually mentioned. He would tirelessly read bedtime stories to me and accompany me through night after night of brutal morning sickness during my pregnancy. When he learned that the child I carried was a girl, his affection never wavered. He personally oversaw the construction of the manor's tower, ensuring it was a luxurious palace for our unborn child with the finest natural light. I still remembered how Lucas had wrapped his arms around me from behind, his palm resting on my swollen belly, his voice low and gentle. "Zoe, our daughter will be the most noble Principessa in all of Sicily." He had kept his word. He even personally inspected the length of the fibers in the nursery carpet. Every fragment of that former tenderness had now turned into blades, slicing me apart piece by piece. I once believed I was his one true love. In reality, I was nothing more than a shadow filling Serena's absence. Now Serena wore the season's latest couture, standing under spotlights with his arm hooked through hers, appearing side by side at every public event. Meanwhile, I had just given birth and was discarded like trash in this dark corner, burdened with the accusation of abusing my own child. [I did not do it!] [I would never hurt my daughter!] I cried as I signed desperately into the empty air, trying to plead my case to gods who were not there. No salvation came. I did not know how much time had passed before the heavy iron door opened again. Lucas walked in against the light. The black Italian suit outlined his tall, rigid frame. The face I once adored was now coated in frost. "Serena is raising the little Principessa now. You had better put away your filthy thoughts." I struggled to my feet and tried to reach for the hem of his pants. Before my fingers could touch him, he flicked my hand away in disgust, as if brushing off dust. [I just want to see my daughter. Please.] My signing was frantic and pitiful, terrified that even this request would be denied. "You think you are worthy of seeing the little Principessa?" [Why am I not worthy? I am her mother! And you? What am I to you?] Lucas suddenly grabbed my chin, his fingers digging in hard, as if he wanted to crush my bones. "Then I will make it clear for you. You are nothing more than a toy I picked up to pass the time when I was lonely abroad. The child was an accident! "If it were not for the fact that you resemble Serena, why would I have spoiled a lowly cripple like you? Luna was only allowed to live because Serena begged for mercy. Do you understand? "Dare to pull any more tricks, and I will make sure both of you disappear from this world." The violence surging in his eyes sent my heart plunging into an icy abyss. There was a time when he could not bear to speak a single harsh word to me. Now, he spoke as though sentencing traitors to death, telling me to die alongside my child. Serena had not lied. From beginning to end, I was nothing more than a mute substitute kept alive inside a cage of lies. Only when I lowered my gaze and stopped resisting did he finally release me. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers with visible disdain. "Behave yourself. Do not force me to clean house." Chapter 4 The days of confinement were a slow execution. That afternoon, I was leaning against the frost-covered window when I unexpectedly saw Luna on the lawn below. The cradle stood near the grass. No one was around. By sheer chance, the main door had not been locked properly. My heart surged as I slipped out. Before I could reach her, I saw the cradle sliding toward the pool. No! "Get out of the way!" Lucas moved faster than I did. He lunged forward and caught the cradle in time. He turned on me at once, fury blazing. "Were you trying to drown her while no one was watching? Zoe, just to get back at me, you would even hurt your own flesh and blood?" [Not me! I was trying to save her!] I flailed, signing frantically, only to hear him laugh coldly. "The blood of the Langs really is filthy to the core." What did that mean? Was he talking about my family? Did he know them? Why had he never mentioned this before? "Since you like water so much, then go cool off in it." With Luna cradled securely in one arm, Lucas shoved me hard into the pool with the other. He knew I could not swim. The icy water soaked into my C-section wound, pain flooding my body until I went numb. Through the rippling water, I saw him standing by the pool, watching my struggle with indifference. Just before my consciousness faded, I thought I heard someone shouting in panic. It had to be an illusion. The Don who once loved me was already gone. The Lucas Vaughn standing there only wished for my death. When I woke again, I heard his voice outside the door. "Do not let her die in the manor. If the police or the media catch wind of it, it will be a headache. I do not have time to deal with that mess." So saving me was only to avoid trouble. A few nights later, rain lashed the darkness. The door to the confinement room was kicked open. The heavy smell of whiskey mixed with blood rushed in. Lucas staggered inside, his collar torn open. The sharp, commanding eyes he once had were now bloodshot. He looked like he had just finished a gunfight. The violence had not yet faded, yet beneath it was a fragility on the edge of collapse. I recoiled in fear, but he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into his arms. "Do not hide from me." He buried his head in the hollow of my neck, his breath scorching my skin. "Zoe... let me hold you for a while." My rigid body slowly softened. Against all reason, I wrapped my arms around his waist. Half-asleep, he murmured my name, the long-lost warmth unmistakable. I hated myself for still longing for him, for foolishly hoping our shattered relationship might still turn around. Morning came, and the dream ended. When Lucas realized who was in his arms, he shoved me off the bed without hesitation. "Are you that desperate for a man?" He straightened his suit, his cold authority restored. "Do not misunderstand. I drank too much last night. I thought you were Serena." He stepped over me, slammed the door, and crushed my heart completely. That night, breaking news aired. "The Vaughn Group and the Vale Group announce a historic alliance. Don Lucas Vaughn will marry award-winning actress Serena Vale by the end of the year." On screen, Lucas held the beauty by the waist and declared to the cameras, "She will be my only wife, and the most noble Donna of the Vaughn family." A mouthful of blood burst from my lips without warning. So this was my ending. Chapter 5 When I woke up, the dull, crushing pain in my organs was still tearing through my nerves. Lucas still had not come to see me. Of course, he had not. He was probably busy preparing for his wedding. Suddenly, chaotic footsteps echoed down the hallway. I braced myself against the wall and staggered toward the door, catching fragments of hushed voices drifting through the air: "kidnapping", "Naples syndicate", "hostage exchange". Each word sent a chill down my spine. The door was kicked open. Lucas stood at the boundary between light and shadow. Beneath his black trench coat, the outline of a holster was visible. The man who always controlled the board with cold precision now carried a restlessness he could not fully conceal. At the same moment, Serena's shrill, unhinged scream burst from the phone in his hand. "Lucas! Save me! These lunatics grabbed the wrong person! They want to kill the last of the Lang family. I’m innocent! That illegitimate child isn’t mine either! They made a mistake! Give them Zoe! Hurry!" "Take her." Lucas ended the call. His gaze fell on me, stripped of all warmth. The Soldati moved immediately, dragging me toward the door. I did not resist, just staring at him in a daze. So there was no need to weigh anything. Not even a second of hesitation. To save the woman he loved, I was a bargaining chip he could sacrifice at any moment. … The abandoned Sicilian port reeked of salt and decay, the sea wind heavy with iron and rust. Floodlights mounted atop shipping containers stabbed into my eyes. Serena was bound beneath a crane tower, her makeup smeared, her elegance in ruins. My Luna, the child I had fought so hard to bring into this world, had been tossed onto a rust-coated oil drum. Her cries shattered in the wind, each one carving into my heart. "Let Serena go. She’s the one you’re after." Lucas shoved me forward with one hand tucked casually into his pocket. As a Don forged in gunfire and blood, he knew exactly what would happen to me after that push. The entire world mocked my foolish devotion, painfully clear in the cold rain of that night. I finally understood. I was Serena’s substitute. His plaything. Everything except a human being. Yet I no longer cared. If it meant getting my daughter back, I would do anything. I stumbled forward and took that cold, trembling little body from the masked thug’s hands, clutching her tightly against my chest. The warmth we shared in that moment—mother and daughter pressed together—was the last comfort I had left. Then everything unraveled. There was never meant to be a fair exchange. The deal was broken without warning. A thug suddenly lunged forward, dagger flashing as it drove toward Serena, who had just been untied. "You’re asking to die!" Lucas roared, drawing his gun, but his body reacted faster than the bullet ever could. To shield Serena, he yanked me violently toward him and shoved me straight into the gleaming blade. I held Luna and turned back in disbelief. In those eyes that once consumed me, there was not a trace of remorse, only relief that Serena had been saved. The blade sliced into my arm. Blood sprayed. Police sirens wailed in the distance. The thugs scrambled into their vehicle, fleeing the scene without even noticing me collapsing to the ground. All I saw were headlights growing brighter and brighter, my shadow stretching suddenly enormous before my body felt strangely weightless. Bang. The violent impact hurled me into the air. Shattering pain exploded through my bones, the screech of tires ripping open a sealed corner of my mind. Memories came crashing back like a tidal wave. Another stormy night. Blinding high beams. Behind the windshield, a cold, shadowed face filled with murderous intent… Lucas Vaughn. It was him. The car accident that stole my memory was never an accident. I remembered. I remembered everything.