The Donna’s Return

The instant the dagger was about to sink into my skin, I twisted my body hard. The blade grazed past my shoulder, slicing open a bloody gash.

"Hah, how dare you dodge!" Giovanna shouted furiously and slapped me across the face. "Hold her down!"

Two of her friends increased their grip, pinning my arms flat against the floor. Another woman pulled out a cigar, lit it, and pressed it straight onto my arm.

A sharp sizzling sound filled the air. The stench of burned flesh spread as my whole body convulsed in pain, cold sweat soaking through my clothes in seconds.

"Talk! What tricks did you use to seduce Fabrizio?" Giovanna held the dagger, the tip pressed under my chin.

"I didn't," I said, my voice shaking from the pain. "Ten years ago, the Camorras kidnapped him. I blew up a car to save him. How could I ever seduce my own son?"

"Keep making things up. Go on," Giovanna sneered. The dagger in her hand slashed hard across my cheek. "I've seen photos of Liliana. She was a hundred times prettier than you! A plastic freak like you doesn't even deserve to talk about her."

Agonizing pain flared across my face. Blood streamed down my jaw and dripped onto the floor.

Just then, footsteps sounded at the doorway. A scar-faced man walked in.

It was Enzo Cerri, Fabrizio's most trusted Capo. His father had once been my personal bodyguard.

"Enzo, save me," I said with difficulty, as if I had grabbed onto my last lifeline.

Enzo froze for a moment and stared at my face for a long time, his brows drawn tight. "How do you know my name?"

"I'm Liliana. I held you when you were a baby," I said urgently.

Before he could respond, Giovanna beat him to it and shoved the burning cigar into my mouth. I screamed as searing pain tore through my tongue, leaving me unable to speak.

"Enzo, don't listen to her nonsense," Giovanna said, pointing at me. "She's a liar. She's bait sent by a rival family, trying to dig up our secrets."

Enzo's gaze flickered as he crouched down to examine me. "Your voice and your eyes do look a bit like the late Donna."

"So what if they do?" Giovanna snatched the gun from Enzo's hand and aimed it at me. "Her passport says Ella. She's only 38. If Liliana were alive, she'd be 50 by now. Isn't that obvious enough?"

She gave an order. "Search her bag! I want to see what else she's hiding."

One of the women pulled out my fake passport and handed it to Enzo.

He studied the photo and information, his expression gradually turning cold. "Your name is Ella, not Liliana."

"Fabrizio changed my name to protect me." I shook my head desperately. The wound in my mouth tore open again, blood pouring out. "He was afraid of traitors coming after me. That's why I had to live under a fake identity."

"Still lying!" Giovanna said impatiently as she raised the dagger. "Since you won't tell the truth, guess I'll have to force it out of you."

The dagger pointed straight at my throat. I could feel death breathing down my neck.

Just then, Enzo suddenly reached out and stopped her. "Wait. Don Medici isn't back yet. He needs to decide this himself."

"Let him decide?" Giovanna raised an eyebrow. "You think he'd believe this old woman's nonsense?"

"No matter what, we can't kill her," Enzo said firmly. "Don Medici is extremely sensitive about anything related to the Donna. If she really has some kind of background, we can't afford the consequences."

Giovanna shot me a vicious glare and put the dagger away. "Fine! We'll let her live for now. When the Don gets here, we'll see how he deals with this liar."