The Donna’s Return

Enzo stepping in saved me for the moment, but Giovanna clearly had no intention of letting me go.

She had someone bring over iron chains and tied my hands behind my back to the kitchen water pipes. The metal bit into my wrists, and blood from my wounds dripped down the chains.

"Are you going to talk or not?" Giovanna crouched in front of me, casually playing with a dagger. "If you don't, I'll slice your skin open piece by piece."

I clenched my teeth and stayed silent. There was only one thought in my mind: Once Fabrizio arrived, everything would become clear.

While I struggled, the pendant around my neck slipped free and fell out.

It was a family crest, carved by Fabrizio himself. I had worn it close to my body for ten years.

The moment Giovanna saw it, her eyes turned red. She snatched it away. "Fabrizio gave you this? You shameless woman! You're not worthy!"

She gripped the pendant, jealousy twisting her face, then suddenly raised the dagger and drove it straight into my palm.

"Ah!"

Agonizing pain exploded through me. My whole body trembled as blood surged along the blade and splattered onto the floor, pooling beneath me.

"Talk! Who are you, really? What exactly is your relationship with Fabrizio?" Giovanna screamed, forcing the dagger even deeper.

I was in too much pain to speak. I could only bite down hard on my lip as tears mixed with blood and ran down my face.

Seeing that I still wouldn't answer, Giovanna grabbed the phone from my pocket and unlocked it with my fingerprint.

The screen lit up, showing the lock screen photo of Fabrizio and me taken last year in Holbeck.

When Giovanna saw it, she started shaking with rage and rapidly scrolled through the messages.

"Mamma?" she shrieked when she saw the contact name. "You actually made him call you that? You even boss him around like he's a little puppy?"

She lifted the phone and smashed it hard into my face.

"You shameless woman! What kind of sick tricks did you use to brainwash him like that?"

At that moment, she suddenly dialed Fabrizio's number. Her expression instantly softened.

"Honey, the engagement party's in a couple of days. I wanted to ask what kind of gift we should prepare for your mother."

She deliberately covered my mouth with her hand so I couldn't make a sound.

Fabrizio's low voice came through the phone. "No need to overdo it. My mother's coming back tomorrow. Just make her happy when she gets here."

Giovanna's face turned deathly pale. After she hung up, her eyes filled with vicious fury. "So you really are lying. His mother isn't back until tomorrow. You're nothing but a complete fraud!"

She raised the dagger and aimed it at my face.

"Since you love seducing other people's men so much, I'll ruin this face of yours. Let's see who you can seduce after that!"

The dagger crept closer and closer. I closed my eyes in despair.

Just then, familiar footsteps sounded outside the villa, along with the scent of a burning cigar.

Fabrizio was here.