At seventy, the godfather tried to force himself upon me
Chapter 2
I knelt and begged him: "No. They're all loyal servants of the family..."
But the gunfire continued. Exhausted, Sean ultimately failed to protect me.
A bullet pierced his skull. He collapsed at my feet, warm blood splattering my ankles.
Kost...Loh roared with laughter, grabbing my numb body and slamming me onto the banquet hall's long table.
"Kiarra, Sean said you were his woman. Is that true?"
"I'll give you one chance to answer me properly. Who truly dwells in your heart?"
His stubbly beard left stinging marks upon my neck.
My eyes filled with humiliation as I summoned every ounce of strength to pull the Italian dagger pinned in my hair, seeking vengeance for Sean and his brothers.
"I'll kill you!"
The dagger failed to pierce his heart.
Instead, he seized my wrist and twisted it, driving the blade into my own abdomen...
Blood stained the white tablecloth. Before consciousness faded entirely, I heard Costello instruct Falco.
"Gianna's youngest daughter. Conspired with outsiders to assassinate the Godfather. Family assets confiscated. The body... disposed of cleanly."
"Sean, for disrespecting elders and coveting the Godfather's wealth, his body is to be dumped in the Hudson River for the fish."
One command, dozens of lives lost.
The scent of blood lingered stubbornly in my nostrils. Only when Lily called my name again did I jolt back to reality.
"Chiara, why are you crying?"
I stared blankly at my surroundings, realising I had been reborn.
At that moment, the ballroom of the Waldorf Hotel bustled with guests.
Beside the jewellery display case Lily had pointed to moments ago stood a figure that filled me with revulsion to my very core.
—The Costello family Don, Don Vito Costello.
Having just instructed Falco to purchase that emerald necklace, he caught Lily’s voice.
He seemed to sense something, shifting slightly on his feet before turning to look my way…
...
“Chiara, shall we head home now?”
The intensity of my hatred made it impossible to control my expression.
Grasping Lily’s hand, I spun around in panic.
Before locking eyes with Costello, I bent low, shielding my profile with my hair, and hurried away from this place of trouble.
Lily couldn't fathom why I'd suddenly panicked.
I had no time to explain.
Back home, I immediately instructed the butler: "Bring Duke."
Duke was a Ragdoll cat Sean had given me.
Snow-white fur, sky-blue eyes, well-fed and plump.
Alas, I'm severely allergic to cat dander, usually daring only a distant glance.
Now, Duke was swiftly brought to me.
I drew a deep breath and buried my entire face in his soft, long fur.
"Miss!"
The maids gasped in alarm.
Yet I clung to the Duke regardless, letting its fur wildly irritate my skin and airways.
Ten minutes later, the Duke was snatched away in panic.
My lips swelled like sausages, my cheeks flushed and puffed, covered in a rash. My eyes and nose streamed with tears and snot from the allergy, leaving me utterly wretched.
Lily was terrified, kneeling pale-faced at my feet.
"Chiara, I know you miss Sean, but you can't treat yourself like this..."
She didn't finish.
The villa's front door was suddenly pushed open with force.
A group of men in black suits, led by Falco, strode in.
"Who's Chiara Gianna? Come out, let me see her."
Lily's tears still streaked her face as I, my face swollen like a pig's head, stood before Falco.
"You're Chiara?"
Falco's eyes widened at my appearance. His cloudy gaze fixed on me for a long moment before he spoke.
"Miss Chiara, kneel and heed the Godfather's command."
"Don has decreed that Sean risked his life for the family's honour. Should he not return, you shall inherit all his lawful holdings without precedent and receive the family's highest level of protection."
With my face swollen and red as a pig's head, I knelt on one knee. Suppressing my hatred and the stabbing pain in my throat, I rasped, "Thank you, Godfather."
Clearly, I wasn't the "fleeting glimpse" Costello sought. Falco soon departed with his men.
As for me, having narrowly escaped death and suffering a severe allergic reaction, I passed out immediately.
Amidst the chaos, I seemed to glimpse my past life once more.
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