Chapter 3

Those words seemed to hit a sore spot for Luca.

His eyes reddened. He raised his hand and slapped me, but it was lighter than any previous slap.

"I forbid it! You are a Vito by blood. Who dares let you die?"

Enzo panicked too. He stepped forward, pressed my shoulders, and pushed me back onto the bed, his tone carrying a rare plea.

"Sophia, stop this."

"I know you're in pain, but recover well, and in the future… I'll cherish you more, okay?"

Looking at the plea in his eyes, I felt only absurdity.

Where was this before?

When he carved out my kidney, when he made a fuss over Ella's tiny wound, why didn't he think of cherishing me?

I closed my eyes and stopped looking at him.

I let Enzo cover me with the blanket again and bring the medicine bowl to my lips, but I refused to open my mouth.

In the stalemate, my second brother Marco pushed the door open, followed by a pale-faced Ricardo.

Seeing me, Marco's eyes reddened. He quickly walked to the bed.

"Sophia, it's good you're awake. You scared your second brother to death."

When I was first acknowledged by the Vito family, Marco was the best to me of everyone.

He took me sightseeing, told me how much the family had missed me over the years, and often couldn't hold back tears when he got emotional.

But later, after Ella tearfully tattled a few times, he changed his face and accused me of being two-faced.

Seeing him, I felt even more annoyed and avoided the hand he reached out to me.

Marco's hand hovered in midair, stiffened, then withdrew with a sour expression.

Seeing this, Ricardo stepped forward and took the medicine bowl from Enzo.

"Let me. She might listen to me."

It was no wonder he was so confident. After all, over the years, anyone with eyes could see how much I accommodated this fiancé, how deeply I loved him.

Just as he walked toward me, the hospital room door was pushed open again.

"Sister Sophia, I came to see you."

Ella walked in weakly, wearing a hospital gown.

Luca immediately stood up to support her: "Ella, you just had the transplant surgery. You're still weak. Why did you come?"

Ella shook her head, her gaze landing on me, full of feigned guilt.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't stopped Sister Sophia that day, none of this would have happened."

"I feel uneasy. I had to come apologize to her."

She took the medicine bowl from Ricardo and sat down by my bed.

"Sister Sophia, don't be angry with yourself. Drink your medicine and recover well. Everyone is worried sick about you."

"I know you still blame me, but I really didn't mean to take anything. Everything in the Vito family should have been yours…"

Her words seemed conciliatory, but every sentence implied I was petty and throwing a tantrum with my own body.

Before her spoon could touch my lips, I raised my hand and knocked the bowl away.

With a clatter, the porcelain shattered, and the hot medicine splashed all over Ella.

Her wrist and collar instantly reddened.

Ella cried out, her eyes instantly reddening, her voice choking with sobs.

"Sister Sophia… how could you do this? I just wanted to feed you medicine…"

She bit her lip, looking utterly wronged, tears swirling in her eyes.

"Sophia! You're insane!"