Chapter 3

I thought of my previous life, when I had been busy crushing the rival family that had "killed" Lorenzo, working myself into a miscarriage until I was so thin I weighed barely seventy pounds.

Even when my grandmother died, I, her only family, had not made it in time to see her one last time.

And before I died, Lorenzo and Rosalie had laughed and called me an idiot.

My rage surged out in a roar, but my mind became calmer than it had ever been.

They had staged this elaborate drama because they wanted me to be the sucker and still keep their good name, didn't they?

Fine. Then I would make sure they lost every scrap of reputation they had.

I bit down hard on the tip of my tongue, forcing down the storm of emotion, lowered my head, and called 911.

Then I turned to glance at the coffin and suddenly asked in a soft voice,

"How exactly did Lorenzo die? What time, down to the minute? Is there a death certificate?"

"What do you mean?" Salvatore immediately shot back.

"Lorenzo died because of you. If he hadn't been coming home to cook for you, how would he have walked into an ambush? And now you dare suspect him?"

"Really?" I gave a faint scoff.

"But after I heard the news of Lorenzo's death, I fainted. When I woke up, I had not even seen his body before you tried to bury him. Isn't that wrong?"

The roomful of family members exchanged looks.

"That's true. I never saw the Don's body either."

"I didn't see a death certificate."

"He went straight from the hospital into the coffin. That is a little fast. At the very least, we should have been allowed to say goodbye."

A cold gleam flickered in Rosalie's eyes. She handed the child to someone else, turned, and walked out.

Bianca answered shrilly, "That's because Lorenzo was covered in wounds. I was afraid it would frighten all of you!"

Salvatore quickly picked up the thread. "This is life and death. Could anyone fake something like that?"

At that, the family members who had begun to doubt nodded one after another.

"True. Who would joke about the Don's life?"

"And there really was someone inside the coffin. I saw it when they closed the lid."

I sneered. "As his wife, I am not allowed to see him one last time? Then now--"

"I will go say goodbye to Lorenzo properly."