Serina was discharged after two days in the hospital. When she returned home, she found her ceramic little bear thrown in the trash.
It was the first gift Valerio had given her during her first year in Sicily, a token of their bond—almost like a pledge of love. And now, it lay discarded like garbage.
Before she could ask anything, Danica twisted her body out of the master bedroom.
"Sister," Danica's voice was soft and fragile, "you're back."
Serina frowned. "Who told you to sleep in my room?"
Ignoring the bear, she stormed into the master bedroom—only to find everything in shambles. Torn stockings and used condoms littered the carpet.
Her hand clenched at her side, body tensing, fury burning in her chest.
While she was recuperating in the hospital, Valerio had been entangled with another woman in their bedroom.
She could no longer control herself. Serina spun around and slapped Danica across the face.
"Didn't your mother teach you not to be a mistress?"
Having trained with Valerio for years, her strength was as strong as any man’s, and a single slap left red palm prints blooming across Danica’s cheeks.
Tears welled in Danica's eyes. "Brother-in-law was drunk that day! I... I didn't mean to ruin anything between you!"
"My mother taught me to be kind. I couldn't just watch him suffer and do nothing!"
She lifted her chin stubbornly, acting as if she had been gravely wronged.
Serina felt a wave of disgust at Danica’s hypocritical expression and was about to throw her out when a cold, commanding voice cut through the air.
“What’s going on?”
Valerio rushed in. Seeing the red mark on Danica's cheek, his brow furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.
But he only glanced at Danica before walking toward Serina. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said softly, "Don't be mad, baby."
"That day I was drugged, and your leg was injured... I had no choice..."
"No choice," Serina sneered inwardly. His words sounded so considerate, as if he always had her best interests at heart.
She glared at Danica. "Get out."
Hearing that, Danica opened her mouth to argue, but Valerio's impatient glare silenced her.
"Didn't you hear my wife? Get out!"
Biting her lip in grievance, Danica fled the room.
Serina thought the matter had ended there. But the moment Valerio left, everything suddenly went black.
When she came to, her wrists were tied tightly behind her back and her eyes blindfolded. She couldn’t see a thing. Rough fingers clamped her chin, forcing her head up—then a sharp slap cracked across her cheek.
Smack!
Her ears rang. Before she could steady herself, another blow came. Then another.
The strikes came fast and merciless, each one stinging hotter than the last. By the tenth slap, her cheeks were swollen, her lips split and bleeding.
“You offended someone you shouldn’t have,” the man said coldly.
Serina’s blood turned to ice. She knew that voice—it belonged to Valerio’s subordinate, the one everyone called Butcher, infamous for his brute strength and cruelty.
The mafia organization had a strict hierarchy. Without Valerio's tacit approval, how could he dare to harm her?
Suddenly, she remembered slapping Danica earlier. At that time, Valerio coaxed her so tenderly, and for a moment, she foolishly believed he was really concerned about her.
But this was the truth. He had only been waiting for this moment.
The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth; tears blurred her vision. In a daze, she recalled Valerio's solemn promise when they first got together—that he would protect her forever.
It had only been three years, but the so-called 'forever' no longer mattered to him.
Suddenly, someone approached. Serina tensed up, holding her breath. The next moment, the blindfold was ripped from her eyes. Blinding light made her wince.
Valerio seemed to have rushed in to untie her.
"Don't be afraid, baby. I'm here to save you."
Seeing the genuine concern on his face, her body trembled with a mix of fear and revulsion.
All along, he had subtly protected Danica while pretending to care for her—then played the hero in front of her.
"Valerio, do you even know who struck me?"
Valerio’s hand faltered in mid-air for a brief moment before he forced it to move, his fingers grazing tenderly over her swollen cheek.
"I don't know, but don't worry. I'll find them and make them pay."
Serina closed her eyes, forcing down the rising bile in her throat. She refused to respond.
