Their Oaths Die before I Do

On the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, the two men who cherish me above all else are absent. One is Vittorio Luciano, the only son of the Luciano family from the east, while the other is Carlos Gambino, the heir to the Gambino family from the south. This is a matter that could easily be settled with a few words, yet they try to think up all sorts of excuses to brush me off. "Anna, a gunfight has broken out at the port to the north, so I really can't step away." "I have to hold a family meeting with the elders. I can't skip it." However, the two men have barely hung up on me when I see them appear beside my adopted younger sister, Liliana Siciliano, at her coming-of-age ceremony. The two men stand guard, one on either side of Liliana, and anyone can tell that they're treating her like the most precious thing in the world. I look down at my phone, tears dripping onto the screen as I read the coldly indifferent excuses they sent me once again. How very ironic. The protection they once promised me is now all hers. However, what they don't know is that I won't make it past this winter. Chapter 1 Anna's POV In the banquet hall, the champagne tower refracted the light from the chandelier in a dazzling display. Liliana Siciliano, my adopted younger sister, was dressed in a custom-made white gown all the way from Marlon, the sapphire necklace symbolizing the family's bloodline hanging around her neck. As the crowd surrounded her and lavished her with blessings, her cheeks flushed pink, and she shot a shy look at Vittorio Luciano and Carlos Gambino. "Then… Vittorio, Carlos, can you two promise me one thing? I know I can't compare to Anna's noble status, so all I wish is to have you two by my side for every important moment of my life. Is that okay?" She gazed at the two men with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Vittorio and Carlos exchanged smiles before answering dotingly, "We've been doing that all this while, so naturally, we'll continue to do so in the future." All this while, huh? It all made sense now. All the times they stood me up, all the clumsy excuses they tried to brush me off with… Unable to stand it any longer, I stumbled over my feet as I dashed out of there. The only thought in my mind was to flee, to keep running forward. All around me was nothing but white. Then, I tripped over something on the ground and plunged straight into the thick layer of snow. It was snowing heavily. As the snow threatened to bury me alive, I morosely thought that maybe I should just give up and allow myself to die right there. Eventually, I lost consciousness. By the time I came around, it was already the next day, and I was back in my manor. Liliana pushed open my room door and entered with a tray of breakfast, a smile curving her lips. "Anna, you're awake! Vittorio and Carlos were busy helping me host my coming-of-age ceremony last night, so they weren't able to pick you up from the church. I hope you're not angry at them. "Anyway, I specifically instructed the kitchen to make your favorite eggs Benedict. You can think of it as a form of apology on their behalf." She set the tray on the bedside table, her demeanor as gentle as ever. Yet, I knew better than anyone else the sheer wickedness she was hiding beneath that smile. If it weren't for her deliberately luring me to the banquet hall yesterday, I would still have thought that Carlos and Vittorio were busy with their family matters. "Take it away." I turned my head away, not wanting to look at her. However, she took a step closer. "Anna, aren't you going to eat? Then how about I feed you?" Picking up the tray, she thrust the fork at my mouth without any warning, the sharp tips digging into my lower lip. The pain had tears springing to my eyes immediately. I smacked her hand away, causing the tray to crash to the floor and the glassware to shatter. "Ah! Anna, what are you doing?" As though shocked and scared, she shrank back a few steps. In the next second, the door flew open, and Vittorio and Carlos rushed inside almost at the same time. Carlos instantly pulled Liliana behind him in a protective gesture, his gaze dropping to the glass shards on the floor before lifting to me. A deep frown knitted his brows. "Just what do you want? We simply didn't spend time with you last night, yet that had you throwing a temper tantrum and running off. If it weren't for Liliana worrying about you and insisting on dragging us around to look for you, you would've already frozen to death outside! "She even woke up at six this morning to supervise the kitchen staff as they made breakfast for you! How could you take your anger out on her?" Liliana had been worried about me? As if! She must have just been eager to see me looking like a mess. At the same time, it must have been a good opportunity for her to put on an act, showing how "kind" she was. But who would believe me? Taking in how protectively Carlos was standing in front of Liliana, I suddenly recalled how he had done the exact same for me many years ago. At the time, he said that he would definitely beat up anyone who dared pick on me. However, he was the very person picking on me now. "Vittorio, Carlos, don't blame Anna for this. This is all my fault. If it weren't for my frail body, I wouldn't always be bothering you two and causing her to misunderstand you. You guys stay and explain things properly to her. I-I think it's better if I step out first…" With that, she spun on her heels and ran out of the room, but not before everyone saw the way her eyes had reddened. Carlos didn't even hesitate to chase after her. Chapter 2 Anna's POV Once Carlos and Liliana were gone, I switched my attention to Vittorio, who was still standing by the window. He didn't move from his spot and merely turned his head to glance at me. "Why aren't you explaining yourself?" A laugh escaped my lips. If this had happened in the past, I would've definitely rushed toward him and screamed myself hoarse in a bid to clarify things, all while showing him evidence of my innocence. I would've insisted that this was all an act that Liliana was putting on. However, no one had ever once believed a single word I said, and I was genuinely exhausted. After learning that I had cancer and wouldn't live past this winter, I had lost even the energy to fight. All I wanted to do was quietly live out the rest of my days. My original plan had been to tell them about it at my coming-of-age ceremony, but now, it looked like I didn't need to bother. After all, it wasn't like they cared. "Why should I?" I lifted my head to gaze at him. "Don't tell me you don't know just how much I hate her. Yes, I purposely knocked the breakfast tray over, because every time I see her, I get so sick that I feel like puking." His eyes were filled with confusion at my unreasonable attitude. In the end, he didn't respond and simply turned to leave. I grew up with Vittorio and Carlos. I was the previous Don's daughter, but my mother died young, and my father was away from home more often than not. Vittorio was the only son of the Luciano family, but because his mother was a foreigner, he was shunned by the other members of the family. As for Carlos, ever since his father died, his uncles had been trying to get rid of him. Three children from three different families, all ostracized by their own families, ended up becoming each other's only support. Carlos and Vittorio once vowed that they would protect me for the rest of their lives and treat me like the most precious thing in the world. Eventually, they slowly climbed their way up. Carlos personally killed the four uncles who were in his way and was able to stabilize his seat as the heir to the family, while Vittorio got rid of the elders who were against him, one after another. Everyone used to think that I was the most important person to them. Once, I simply coughed a few times, yet one abandoned the territory deal he had just secured, while the other halted a family-ordered execution. Both then rushed back overnight to see me. Tucked under the blanket and leaning against the headboard, I took in their travel-worn appearances, feeling somewhat amused yet exasperated. "It's just a light cough. Is this really necessary?" Regardless, both of them refused to leave. "You used to be so healthy, but look at how many days you've been coughing this time. You really need to get this checked out properly." "Territory can always be reclaimed, but a life lost is gone forever." As the saying went, people never knew how blessed they were until they lost it all. I never understood it until the day Liliana entered our lives and everything began to change. Liliana was an orphan my father brought back from Nabrus. Back then, she cowered on the church steps, a filthy-looking girl whose entire body trembled as she spoke. At the time, she reminded me of a frightened kitten, and out of pity, I decided to drag her into my circle of friends. I was the one who forced Vittorio and Carlos to be friends with her. At first, they treated her like an enemy, even reminding me, "One can never be too cautious. Aren't you worried that she'll snatch everything away from you one day? By then, it'll be no use crying." Yet, I never bothered taking their words to heart, completely unaware that a day like that would actually come to pass. I had no idea when it started, but they began to look at Liliana more, their gazes lingering longer and longer. What truly lit the fuse for the conflict between us was what happened during the annual family horse-racing day last year. Vittorio and Carlos both refused my invitation to go, claiming that they had something important to do. However, I eventually spotted them from afar, one on either side of Liliana as she rode on the white horse that they had gifted me—a horse that even I myself couldn't bear to ride. Urging my horse into a gallop, I charged over to them and demanded an explanation for why they had lied to me. The loud noise startled the horse, causing it to rear up and fling Liliana from its back. Carlos immediately lunged forward to catch her before yelling at me, "We're by your side every single day. We just weren't this one time, and you immediately came over to pick on Liliana? Since when did you become so unreasonable?" Curled up in his embrace, Liliana shook her head. "Carlos, don't blame Anna. It's my own fault that I fell from the horse…" Vittorio merely glanced at me, not saying a word as he took Liliana from Carlos' arms and strode off with her. They didn't even bother giving me a chance to explain. From then on, I became a vicious person in their eyes. Now, however, none of that was important anymore. Chapter 3 Anna's POV I wiped my tears dry and packed my luggage. I wanted to die under the aurora, so I had already booked a flight to Briland that would depart in five days. After that, I dug out everything Carlos and Vittorio had ever gifted me all these years. I didn't want to keep a single present from them, not any of the jewelry or the other things. As for the letters and photos, I tossed them into the fireplace before setting them on fire. The fire burned for a very long time. I sat nearby, watching the flames eat away at the letters and photos like a starving beast. Once only ashes were left, I finally turned away. By then, it was already dark outside. Suddenly, my phone screen lit up with a message. It was from Liliana. "Anna, the transfer of control over the Northern Corridor was finalized this afternoon. The network you've spent five years building belongs to me now. "Vittorio and Carlos have been doing my every bidding like a couple of lapdogs. They didn't even bother consulting you—not once. Tell me… how did something you treasure more than anything end up in my hands so easily?" Attached was an internal letter of appointment from the Siciliano family, and Liliana's name was at the very top of the list. The arms trafficking network she was about to take over was one I had spent five whole years carving out from nothing. Other than Vittorio and Carlos, no one else on earth knew about every single detail of it. Although I already knew that I had long since lost my place in their hearts, I still would never have expected that they would hand over something I had risked my very life to obtain to Liliana just like that. Unable to endure it any longer, I rushed out of the manor and headed straight for Vittorio's family headquarters. However, I was stopped at the gates by the guards, who told me that Vittorio had gone south with Liliana to attend Carlos' charity gala. In the past, I was the one the two men flanked, but now, that person had become Liliana instead. That realization made me feel as though a hand had wrapped around my heart, squeezing it tightly. By the time I arrived at the charity gala, the ceremony was already over. Carlos had just made a generous donation, earning a standing ovation from the city's elites. Meanwhile, the person standing beside him on the stage, holding his wineglass as he accepted everyone's praise, was none other than Liliana. Someone asked Carlos with a smile, "Judging by how this woman is standing beside you, I'm sure that she's someone special to you, right, Mr. Gambino?" Carlos responded honestly, "She's the person I care about the most in this whole world." Despite knowing his choice long before this, I still couldn't help the way my heart clenched in pain when I heard his words. I squeezed my way through the crowd and charged forward to seize Liliana by the wrist. "What gives you the right to steal my arms trafficking network from me?" "Ah! Anna, you're hurting me!" Flashes of light went off all around us as everyone turned their attention to us. "Anna, let go! What's got you going crazy this time?" Carlos grabbed my arm and yanked me back with a harsh tug before positioning himself between me and Liliana. Vittorio was also staring at me with a deep frown. "I've gone crazy? If I have, that's only because all of you drove me to madness! I put my life on the line and worked on that arms trafficking network for five entire years! Why has that become hers now?" I shoved my phone screen at them, showing the screenshot of the letter of appointment. Carlos replied impatiently, "So what? That network isn't important to you anyway. Whether you have it or not won't affect your status as Principessa. Liliana, however, needs that right now to stabilize her footing in the family!" That was probably the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard in my entire life. "So she can take what's mine just because she needs it? You clearly know just how much I risked my life to complete it! And just because you said I don't need it, that means I don't need it? What logic is that? What gives you the right to say that?" I kept my eyes locked on Carlos the entire time I spoke. "It's different for you." Carlos was obviously growing more and more impatient. "You have Vittorio and me to protect you, while Liliana has nothing. She only has herself to rely on." Despite his familiar features, this man standing before me suddenly seemed like an utter stranger. He was well aware of how difficult and precarious my situation had become after my father passed away, with everyone in the family eyeing my position. The face of the young man who once promised to protect me until I was able to fully take over the entire family now overlapped with the one before me, and all I could feel was sheer revulsion. Without any warning, tears spilled down my cheeks, followed by a violent churning in my chest before I coughed out a mouthful of blood. The red liquid splattered onto the floor by my feet. Carlos froze at the sight of the blood, his entire body going stiff. "Anna…" A hint of panic and heartbreak surfaced on his face. Chapter 4 Anna's POV However, before Carlos could say anything, Liliana suddenly dropped to her knees before me. "Anna, please don't blame them! If you want someone to blame, blame me! It's my fault that I'm just an adopted daughter. Vittorio and Carlos only did this because they were heartbroken at how I was always being picked on. Everything is my fault, so just blame me and me alone!" Tears glistened in her eyes, making her appear utterly pitiful as she played the victim, as though she were the one who had suffered the most. The hint of guilt in Carlos' eyes instantly vanished as his expression darkened. He immediately turned his anger on me. "Are you done with your nonsense? Liliana is already begging you on her knees! What else do you want? All this over a network? Seriously?" I gave a bitter laugh. He was the one who used to say that there was no one more meticulous than I was. Yet now, with a few casual words, he made it sound as though everything I had done was worthless—that I was worthless. Both he and Vittorio should know better than anyone else what that network meant to me. It was meant to be proof that I deserved the Siciliano name, that I was worthy. Even more so, it was practically my life. "Let's go, Liliana. We shouldn't bother wasting any more time on her." Carlos took Liliana's hand and turned to leave. At last, Vittorio spoke up. "Liliana is an adopted daughter, so there's no denying that this network will be more useful to her than to you. Just back down for now. Carlos and I will make it up to you in the future." They would make it up to me? I was going to be dead real soon, so how were they going to do that? "And if I refuse to back down?" The furrow between his eyes deepened. "Anna, you know that doing that will be pointless. Don't make the situation uglier than it already is." "Oh? And what are you going to do about it? Kill me?" For a long while, he simply stared at me. In the end, though, he chose to leave without another word. Once again, they had abandoned me. By the time the crowd fully dispersed, it was already late into the night. Just as I was about to head back, footsteps rang out behind me, drawing closer. In the next second, a hand clamped over my mouth before I was dragged into a nearby alley, where three figures surrounded me. "This is our target?" "Yeah. That woman says that we can do whatever we want to her. Just be sure not to kill her." I struggled to get to my feet, yet one of the men grabbed me by the hair and yanked my head back. A hard slap landed on my cheek, causing my head to snap to the side from the sheer force. As a callused hand began tearing at the collar of my jacket, I kicked my legs wildly and shrank back as far as I could. "Get away from me! Don't touch me!" Somehow, I was able to fish out my phone and dial Vittorio's number, all while still struggling to escape the men. In my mind, I chanted desperately, "Please… Vittorio… save me!" Yet, even though I called him over and over again, no one answered. Out of sheer despair, I called my personal doctor, Pietro Rossi. However, the call had barely gone through when my phone was snatched away and smashed against the ground. Another harsh smack had my head spinning and dots dancing in my vision. "Looks like your little lover is ignoring you. In that case, I won't hold back anymore." With that, two of the men pinned me down by the arms, rendering me immobile. The only thing I could do was shut my eyes in despair. Someone ripped my purse from me and tossed it to the ground, causing the contents to spill out. "Boss, look!" One of the men kneeled to snoop through the items before suddenly letting out a curse. "Damn it, she has some sort of disease!" "Fuck! What shitty luck! Who knows whether it's contagious? Let's go!" Following that, the three men left me behind and fled, all the while swearing. I lay sprawled across the icy ground, a bout of violent coughs wracking my body. Then, my vision went dark as I lost consciousness. However, right before the darkness took me, I vaguely heard Pietro calling my name. … By the time I regained consciousness, it was already the next day. Pietro stood by my bed and told me that my condition had worsened. I would have, at most, two weeks left to live. "It doesn't matter anymore." Hearing that, Pietro sighed and asked, "Should I inform Mr. Luciano and Mr. Gambino about it?" "They won't care." I got up to take a walk in the garden, only for Liliana's voice to reach my ears. "Oh, come on, Carlos. I just twisted it a little. Is this really necessary?" Turning in the direction of her voice, I immediately spotted Carlos down on one knee on the floor as he massaged her ankle. "Stop wriggling around. I already told you to be more careful and watch where you're going." His tone was gentle, warm, and filled with heartache for her pain. He used to treat me just like that in the past. Tearing my gaze away from them, I spun on my heel to head back inside. Yet, I had barely taken a few steps when Vittorio rounded the corner, a tube of medicated balm for Liliana in his hand. Upon spotting me, he said warily, "Anna, what's done is done. The compensation you'll receive from here on out will only increase, so don't hurt Liliana." So, in his mind, I was now that sort of malicious and wicked person? Despite seeing the wounds covering my body, he was still only worried about me hurting Liliana. He genuinely didn't care about me anymore. "I no longer want any of that." I looked him straight in the eye. "I'll let go of everything that happened before. Consider it repayment for all that we shared over the years. From this moment on, we're even. Also, you don't need to worry. I won't cause any trouble for her." With that said, I stepped around him and continued on my way. Not a moment too soon either, as the instant my back was to him, a gush of bright red blood spilled from my nose. I returned to my room, grabbed my luggage, and departed for the airport without another backward glance. "Carlos, Vittorio, I'm obliging your wishes and leaving. May we never meet again."