Chapter 3

At the charity gala three days later, Vincent brought Francesca and their kid.

When I appeared in that black velvet gown, Vincent's gaze practically glued itself to me.

Cassian had personally selected it. The cut perfectly hugged my pregnant curves, and to ensure I didn't catch a cold, a matching shawl was part of the design.

"Alessia?"

He abandoned Francesca, who was busy showing off her diamond ring to the socialites, and strode toward me.

"I admit, you have some tricks up your sleeve to sneak in here," he looked me up and down, that bone-deep superiority compelling him to find fault. "Though the dress isn't bad, could you show a little taste? Your neck is completely bare—couldn't even afford a string of pearls? If you're going to follow me around, don't look so destitute."

I didn't even bother giving him a glance, walking straight past him through the crowd toward the deepest part of the banquet hall.

There sat a round table under heavy guard, covered in a black cloth embroidered with the gold crest of the Vitiello family.

It was the head table. The seats belonging to the Don and Donna.

"What are you doing?!" Vincent suddenly reached out, grabbing my arm roughly, his face instantly draining of color. "That is Cassian Vitiello's seat! If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to draw the attention of those around us.

Before I could shake him off, a shrill scream cut through the elegant symphony music.

"Oh my God! Security! Where is security?!"

Francesca, wearing a gaudy red sequin dress, charged over, lifting her hem like a fighting rooster. She stared daggers at my gown, jealousy practically spilling from her eyes.

"That dress is 'not for sale'!" Her voice was piercingly sharp. "I went to the store to try it on! The clerk said it was custom-made for the mysterious Donna of the Vitiello family! There is only one in the world!"

She pointed at me, her finger nearly poking my nose.

"Alessia, you crazy bitch! Not only did you sneak in, but you dared to steal the Donna's dress? Are you trying to get us all killed?!"

The room instantly exploded into chaos. It was fear. Absolute reverence for the Vitiello name.

"Romano, who did you bring?"

"Get her out of here! If the Tyrant sees this, we're all finished!"

The crowd's accusations sent Vincent into a panic. He wanted to maintain his dignity as a man in front of Francesca, and even more, he wanted to distance himself from me in front of these powerful figures.

"I... I don't know her!" He let go of me, backing away as if I were the plague. "She snuck in on her own! Security! Strip this woman's clothes off! Don't let her defile the Donna's dress!"

Several bribed bodyguards hesitated but began to surround me.

"Vincent, you will regret this," I said calmly, looking at him with a cold indifference that made him uneasy.

I slowly raised my left hand, removing my glove to reveal the ring on my finger.

It was a massive pigeon-blood ruby, like solidified blood, held aloft by a coiled golden snake.

It was the Vitiello family's "Blood Oath Ring," refracting heart-stopping light under the crystal chandeliers.

Last night in the study, when I asked Cassian which ring in the jewelry cabinet was the one he put on me at our wedding, the ruthless man sighed helplessly and hugged me from behind.

"Are the pregnancy hormones making you silly, Tesoro?" He got up and retrieved the ring from the safe.

"Only this one. It represents my life. As long as you wear it, no one on this earth will dare touch a hair on your head."

Unfortunately, for the blind, even the most valuable things are worthless.

The hall fell dead silent.

But then, Frankie erupted into a shrill laugh.

"Still lying!" She pointed at the ring, laughing so hard she bent over backward, as if she had heard the world's biggest joke. "Everyone look! This woman is actually using a glass ring bought from a street stall to impersonate the 'Blood Oath Ring'!"

"Why would the real Vitiello ring be on the hand of a discarded woman like you? Who do you think you are? Cinderella?"

"Stop pretending! Do you want to get us all killed?"

Jealousy had completely clouded her mind. She screamed and lunged at me, grabbing my wrist with a force that threatened to snap my bones.

"Strip this skin off her!"

She began tearing at my dress like a madwoman. In the chaos, my shawl slipped off.

Against the black velvet, my left chest—previously completely covered—was now exposed, revealing pale skin.

And the terrifying tattoo on it.

A black viper, tightly coiled around a blooming red rose. The snake's tongue flicked out, as if ready to devour anyone at any moment.

At that moment, everyone sucked in a cold breath.

The people who had just been laughing along with Frankie now looked like chickens being choked, afraid to even breathe loudly.

Anyone who had survived in the underworld knew that was the exclusive totem of the Vitiello family Don.

The viper represented Cassian, the ruthless Reaper.

And the rose, guarded to the death by the viper... was a mark only his Donna, his only weakness and soft spot, was worthy to bear.

Francesca froze, her face instantly turning as pale as a corpse.

She looked at me, trembling.