A Womb Full of Vengeance

The Principessa of New Arcadia City despises commoners. So when I, a girl from the slums, earned a full scholarship to a prestigious art academy, I became her favorite target.

Cassandra Costello destroyed my paintings and tore up my scholarship application.

She even ordered her men to beat me, all because of where I came from.

To survive, I plotted my revenge. My target was her cold and ruthless father—the Mafia Don, Silas Costello, whose only heir was her.

Cassandra thought I was just a one-night stand, a plaything to be discarded at will. But she never knew the women in my family are unnaturally fertile. My plan? To give the Don seven sons and a daughter.

With me and my eight children in the picture, how could Cassandra possibly hope to win?

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1

"How dare you show your face here! You're disgusting, you filthy gutter rat!" Cassandra Costello, draped in a custom-made silk gown, wrinkled her nose in disgust as she glared down at me.

Cassandra, the Principessa of the Costello family that ruled New Arcadia City’s underworld, had invited me to their annual charity gala. Yet, in front of all the powerful and famous guests, she publicly humiliated me.

A familiar, venomous smile curled her lips. "How about I give you a bath?"

A moment later, she flung an entire tray of red wine at me.

I had spent my meager savings—a pathetic fifty dollars—on this cheap white dress just to look presentable as a waitress at this gala.

I stood there, mortified, the red wine soaking my dress and clinging stickily to my skin. The cheap fabric turned semi-transparent, outlining every curve of my body.

Her sharp gaze swept over my drenched form. She snickered, her voice just loud enough for those nearby to hear her mock, "Look at her, dressed like a whore. Enjoying the attention? Showing off that cheap lingerie for everyone?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and, amidst the roaring laughter, fled the banquet hall in a panic.

Lost in the maze-like manor, I stumbled blindly through the dim corridors. The hallways grew progressively darker, and I only stopped when I collided with a hard, broad chest.

A dangerous scent of whiskey and cigar smoke instantly filled my nostrils. I clutched my stinging nose and whispered an apology, "S-sorry..."

A low chuckle rumbled from above my head.

A magnetic voice spoke, "Well, a lost little bird. Where did you fly in from?"

Hearing a voice that commanded absolute authority, I slowly looked up, my breath catching at the sight of his chiseled, handsome features, made all the more imposing in the dim light.

The man was scrutinizing me as well. Moonlight streamed through a window, and the thin, wet fabric of my dress clung to my curves, leaving little to the imagination. My lips were slightly parted, my expression a carefully crafted mask of innocent, wide-eyed shock.

His gaze darkened. An instant later, he pulled me into his arms. He said hoarsely, "An enticing little bird, indeed."

Without hesitation, he captured my lips in a predatory, possessive kiss that left me breathless in the face of his power.

Suddenly, I felt my feet leave the ground. He had swept me up into his arms.

I let out a faint gasp, looking at him as helplessly as a startled fawn.

My innocence seemed to please him. He chuckled lightly, "Don't be afraid, little bird. I'll take good care of you."

I shyly buried my face in his chest, but deep down, a triumphant smirk was playing on my lips.

Of course I wasn't afraid of him. After all, our "chance encounter" was the first step of my revenge.

I was a girl from the slums, but my raw talent for art won me a full scholarship to a prestigious academy.

I had entered the academy full of hope, only to be targeted by Cassandra on the very first day. I remember her staring at a smudge on my canvas and sneering, "Wow. Do they just let any trash in nowadays?"

Because of that one sentence, my world came crashing down. At the academy, I was ostracized, my paintings destroyed, my scholarship applications shredded, and I was even beaten by her men.

Though Cassandra and I were classmates, our worlds were a universe apart.

I thought if I endured it, she would leave me alone, but she only grew more vicious, even trying to get me expelled. This woman nearly ruined my life just because she found it "fun."

After the beating, she had sauntered up to me in her high heels and contemptuously tossed a wad of cash at my feet. "Don't let me see your face again."

I spent a week in the hospital recovering. Yet, she burned my new drawing board with a cigarette simply because the captain of the fencing team, Nico Valenti, had exchanged a few words with me. "Didn't you know I have my eye on Nico?" she had hissed. "How dare you try to seduce him?"

I thought she would send someone to kill me next, but unexpectedly, I was offered a job as a waitress at the Costello family's charity gala.

I stared at the invitation, knowing my moment had come. Tonight, I had to teach Cassandra a lesson, or I would never be free of her.

With that thought, I wrapped my arms around the man's neck and said in a trembling, hoarse voice, "Please… be gentle. This is my first time."