Chapter 1

I get approached for legal representation by my ex-boyfriend, Dante Romano, once I become the most prominent lawyer in the country.

I am Dante's secret lover—the woman he could never openly claim—four years ago. I am unable to reveal our relationship, receive a ring, and am forbidden from ever setting foot inside the Romano Famiglia estate.

It is because of the century-old tradition governing the Romano Famiglia—only a woman who rolls a 20 on the 20-sided gold die 20 consecutive times can become the Donna of the Romano Famiglia.

I try countless times over the course of four years, yet every single roll lands on a "one". I eventually become the laughingstock of the entire eastern side of the country, with them claiming I don't have what it takes to become the Donna.

However, the return of my foster sister, Sofia Conti, changes everything. She casually tosses the die and rolls a "20" 20 times in a row, securing her engagement to Dante that same night.

It is only later that Dante confesses to me. "I tampered with your golden die so that it would always land on a 'one,' Elena. Sofia comes from an ordinary background and needs a legendary story to earn her place in this world. You understand why I did it, right?"

It turns out that four years of my humility, struggles, and being a laughingstock are nothing more than a stepping stone he paves for another woman.

I leave Kingsbay and head to Ravenport alone while they celebrate their wedding of the century, starting from scratch as a low-level intern. Four years later, I eventually become a legendary lawyer with an undefeated record.

Dante suddenly arrives at my office to plead his case, pushing a half-million-dollar check toward me while saying, "You're the only one who can win this, Elena."

I look at him and smile faintly. I then pull open a drawer and place the same 20-sided gold die from years ago right in front of him. "I'll represent you as long as you roll a '20' 20 times in a row."

Chapter 1

Elena's POV

Dante Romano's gaze faltered slightly as he looked at the die on my desk. He recognized it immediately, having personally ordered its creation years ago.

He had placed a weighted core in it, meticulously engineered to ensure that regardless of how it was thrown, it would always land on the exact same side—one.

He raised his hand to rub his temples, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Please quit playing around, Elena. You ought to know how troublesome this case is. If the Romano Famiglia loses its business in Vallenzia, the entire Famiglia's foundation will be shaken.

"Sofia is ultimately family to you, regardless of whether you wish to acknowledge it. There's no point in holding onto old grudges from four years ago."

I flipped through the documents in my hands, keeping my head lowered. "You all have never considered me part of the Famiglia, though."

In that instant, a brief silence settled over the office.

Dante subsequently reached out to pick up the die and cast it once, and sure enough, it landed on one.

He shook his head in resignation and asked, "Is the money not enough? You should name the price, then. Do you want a million or perhaps ten million dollars? Do you perhaps want to join the core ranks of the Romano Famiglia?"

He then lowered his tone, taking on a more enticing quality. "Your Mamma's medical expenses must be quite a strain on you, wouldn't you say?"

I briefly stopped typing on the keyboard after hearing that.

Dante immediately caught this subtle slip, a flash of smugness appearing in his eyes as he continued, "I'll cover all of your Mamma's subsequent medical expenses. You'll get top specialists and a private nursing home, with full funding with no cap. You only need to step forward and help me win this lawsuit, Elena."

I pressed the Enter key, closed the dossier, and lifted my eyes to cast a brief glance at him. I had nearly forgotten what kind of person he truly was after not having seen him for four years. Dante never asked for anything. He simply took what he wanted.

I stated flatly, "You've made a mistake—Mamma passed away four years ago."

Dante's expression instantly shifted. "T-That's impossible…"

I rose to my feet and headed for the door without turning around. "If my memory serves me right, Mamma passed away on the day you and Sofia held your wedding."

I stepped out of my office, and Lucia Bianchi, my assistant, hurried over to walk alongside me.

She then lowered her voice and said, "Dante controls the majority of the trade routes in eastern Vallenzia. He is also intricately connected to the senator in Ravenport. He won't let the matter drop if we turn him down, and he manages to survive this investigation, Elena."

I smiled faintly and said, "Dante won't survive this. He's not facing a mere contract dispute case—it's a case involving the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act."

Lucia furrowed her brow slightly, still feeling skeptical. "He has already assembled a team of elite legal counsel, though."

I offered no immediate response. I finally spoke once I settled into the car, saying, "I'll be joining the prosecution team against the Romano Famiglia."

I then rolled up my car window, isolating the clamor of the crowd outside.

I closed my eyes and recalled the case files for Dante's case—a decade-long smuggling operation at Grayford Port and money laundering conducted through shell companies across three continents, with over 300 families impacted.

There were more than 300 million dollars involved, and if treated discreetly, the entire case would be presented as nothing more than an ordinary business dispute. Dante only had to pay a minor settlement for the case to be settled, if that were the case.

However, the objective of my law firm was to advocate for justice.

It was already nighttime when our meeting in the office concluded, and the air outside was bitingly cold. I returned to the entrance of my apartment building, where a black Rolls-Royce stood parked by the roadside.

Dante leaned against the car, holding a cigar. Sofia Conti was standing next to him, holding a young girl in a princess dress. That young girl, Bianca Romano, was giggling as she called Dante "Papa".

Chapter 2

I stared at Bianca, completely lost in thought. She appeared to be about four years old. She wore a pink jacket, her dark curls falling softly around her face, and tiny shiny leather shoes adorned her feet. I thought that if my child were still alive, they would have been the same age by now.

I knew Sofia was talking because her lips were moving, but I couldn't hear a single thing she was saying. I kept my focus entirely on Bianca, who was being held in her arms.

I couldn't help but wonder if my child would have giggled that way, or if they would have reached out to take my hand when crossing the street, or if they would have called me "Mamma".

I felt a dull ache throbbing in my chest, so I finally forced myself to look away. I sounded calm, even somewhat detached, as I asked, "Did you track me down here expecting me to change my mind? It's not going to happen. I'm not taking the Romano Famiglia case."

Sofia set Bianca down and hurried toward me, gripping my wrist tightly before I could even step back. "I'm begging you, Elena."

She wept as she said tremblingly, "I know I was in the wrong before; I shouldn't have fought you for Dante. If you're angry, take it out on me—hate me or do whatever you want with me.

"What would happen to my daughter, who is only four years old, if anything happens to the Romano Famiglia? Do you really have the heart to let her spend her life hiding from investigations and enemies?"

It had been exactly four years since Dante and I broke up. I stared at Sofia, thinking that time had been remarkably generous to her appearance. She looked almost exactly as she had before, but the innocence that had once lived in her eyes had long since disappeared, replaced by greed, ambition, and calculation.

She was nothing more than a terrified, anxious girl hiding in a corner of the orphanage when I first met her. She was quiet and timid back then.

I was the one who brought her into my life, gave her the finest education, and even sent her abroad to study in Eldoria.

I actually believed for a time that she was caught in the middle, torn between us, even when Dante was getting engaged to her. That was until I caught them intertwining in my bed, until my Famiglia's business' confidential files completely vanished, and until Papa's company came crashing down.

Sofia fell to her knees before me on the very day everything collapsed into total ruin, sobbing violently. "I'm sorry, Elena, but I'm deeply in love with Dante. You're a capable person, so you can definitely thrive even without him, Elena. Dante is my sole reliance, though, so I'm begging you—please give him up to me."

I had always given Sofia whatever she wanted ever since growing up. It was no different this time, but what she gave me in return was something that would haunt me forever.

Sofia cut off Mamma's treatment expenses on the very day of her wedding with Dante, and due to the unpaid fees, Mamma's medication was discontinued. At the same time, the team of specialists pulled out of the intensive care unit. Mamma had already passed away by the time I received the phone call.

That massive blow caused me to miscarry a few days later, and before I even had the chance to hold my child, they had already died in infancy.

I left Kingsbay and went to Ravenport after being broken beyond repair. It was at that moment that I finally saw Sofia's true nature. She had never been weak or helpless. She was a venomous snake—one that waited patiently before sinking its fangs into the places that hurt the most.

I would have demanded answers and sought an explanation in the past, but now, I was too weary from it all. I simply withdrew my hand and turned toward the entrance of the apartment building.

"Elena Marino!" Dante bellowed as he grabbed the strap of my briefcase and yanked it back hard before I could even react, causing the briefcase to slip off my shoulder.

In that instant, case files spilled across the pavement, leaving hundreds of pages scattered about our feet. The file lying on top was open, its title clearly visible. "Federal Fraud Investigation: The Romano Famiglia."

Dante caught sight of it and smiled. He seemed genuinely delighted as his tense shoulders relaxed. "I knew it, Elena. You haven't changed at all. You actually started investigating this case a long time ago, even though you refused verbally."

I realized that Dante had mistakenly thought that these notes I stayed up all night to make were to find a way to clear his name. I couldn't be bothered to set him straight. I gathered the documents one by one and closed the case file. I then walked into the apartment building without sparing them another glance.

I didn't even bother to turn on the lights in the room as I slowly crouched down, pulled out my wallet, and looked at the photo of Mamma smiling warmly at me. There was also a cut-out scrap of a pregnancy report that read "four weeks pregnant" right next to it—the only proof that my child had ever existed.

Dante and Sofia had moved on to a new life long ago. They had built a family together, managing a life that belonged completely to them.

I was the only one trapped in the past from four years ago, unable to escape. "It's been four years, and I ran into them again today. Dante thought I was going to save him, but this time, I swear I'll personally send them to hell."

Chapter 3

I sensed that something was off when I arrived at the law firm the following morning. I noticed that as I walked by, people would avoid my gaze and stop talking abruptly. I instantly felt a tightness gripping my stomach.

I hadn't even had the chance to ask what happened when Lucia suddenly rushed up to me. "Something happened, Elena!"

I set down my briefcase and asked, "What's the matter?"

Lucia handed me the tablet and said, "Romano Famiglia had released an official announcement this morning."

I glanced over the screen, my brow furrowing deeper by the second. Romano Famiglia had officially announced that I would be acting as their lead defense attorney.

I continued staring at the screen as the spokesperson for Romano Group faced the camera, speaking with an air of smug triumph.

"Mr. Romano is completely innocent, and those self-proclaimed victims are merely engaging in malicious extortion, instigated by foreign entities. It is known that the law firm Ms. Marino works at never accepts compromised cases, so the fact that Ms. Marino stepped in is absolute proof that Romano Group is innocent."

I gritted my teeth in response. It was both a brilliant and ruthless move on their end. In just a few short hours, they had pushed me to the opposing side of all the victims involved in the case, and at the same time, they dragged the reputation of the law firm I was working at straight into the gutter.

"It gets worse," Lucia said as she swallowed nervously. She then opened my inbox, and the unread messages instantly flooded the screen. There were hundreds, even thousands of them, and every single one was full of insults aimed at me.

"We trusted you!"

"You were the one who told us to keep fighting, and now you turn around and take money from the Romano Famiglia!"

"You promised that you would help us, so what's the meaning of this?"

In that instant, a heavy silence settled over the office. I stared at the screen for a few moments before lowering the tablet. Dante hadn't changed at all. He would simply upend the chessboard if he found himself unable to control the match.

I raised my head, speaking with a clarity that ensured everyone present could hear.

"I need an official statement put out right away, Lucia—the law firm won't represent Romano Group in any capacity. I will assume the role of legal counsel for the opposing party against Romano Group instead. I also need you to help me book the earliest available flight to Duskbay."

Lucia was confused. "D-Duskbay?"

"I'm going to go and meet with every single victim myself."

That statement was issued within an hour, and the response was extremely intense. There were major news outlets covering the matter by evening, with everyone speculating about who, between Dante and me, was actually telling the truth.

I boarded the plane and flew directly into the damp, biting sea breeze of Grayford. I traveled along the coast over the next couple of days, listening to victims tell the exact same story of despair in various languages.

I had just finished organizing the files in my hands late one night when I suddenly received a message on my phone. "You have to return at once; something happened at the law firm."

I instantly felt my heart sink. I rushed back to the law firm, only to find that police cars had already surrounded the building and that the conference room was packed with people.

Dante was standing casually by the window, looking as though he owned the place. There was a stack of thick documents stamped "Highly Confidential" on the desk in front of him.

It was then that one of the partners of the law firm stated with a grim expression, "Sabini Group case files were leaked, so they're getting ready to sue the law firm, Elena."

I felt a chill run down my spine. That was the biggest lawsuit our firm had handled in the past year, representing six months of painstaking labor and millions of dollars in legal fees. If confidential data were compromised, the consequences would be catastrophic.

In that instant, the atmosphere within the conference room grew increasingly heavy and suffocating.

Dante stepped away from the window and walked toward me with a smile. "Why won't you take my case, Elena?"

He slid a folder over to me and said, "You should take my case, Elena. I'll ensure your law firm weathers this storm if you do so."

In that instant, a deathly silence pervaded the conference room.

Dante took another step forward and continued, "If you refuse, your law firm, along with your entire career, might very well be ruined right here and now."

I looked past him, fixing my gaze on Lucia; after all, in the law firm, aside from myself, Lucia alone retained access to the Sabini Group case documentation, and she had been strangely quiet ever since I walked in. I instantly noticed the unshed tears brimming in her eyes the moment our eyes met.

Lucia whispered, "I'm so sorry, Elena, but my child is starting school soon, and they took care of the school admission for us."

She couldn't even bring herself to look at me, her shoulders shaking constantly. "In all honesty, going against the Romano Famiglia never ends well."

It turned out that the pain of the betrayal was far worse than I expected. Lucia wasn't even supposed to be working on this case.

I was the one who promoted her, mentored her, and entrusted her with highly sensitive information that rarely reached ordinary lawyers, and yet at this moment, this was what my trust had become.

I chuckled softly. I had placed my trust in Sofia, only to be betrayed by her, and now it was Lucia's turn. It seemed like I hadn't grown nearly as much as I thought I had.

I turned around and looked at Dante, asking, "Did you think I stayed at the law firm because I couldn't protect myself?"

I took off the law firm's ID card and tossed it onto the desk, saying, "I stayed because this firm gave me a second chance when I had nothing. I would never let it be destroyed because of me."

Upon hearing that, the partners quickly shook their heads. "Y-You don't need to do this, Elena—"

I raised my hand to cut them off. "I'll take full responsibility for everything related to this incident since this breach happened under my supervision."

I felt an unexpected wave of relief after saying that. "I'll be resigning, effective immediately."

In that instant, a collective gasp echoed through the conference room, while Dante's confident expression disappeared completely. "Have you lost your mind, Elena?"

I paid no attention to him and said, "If I step away, the law firm will no longer be impacted."

I cast one final look around the conference room. Three years ago, this law firm had helped me piece my life back together. I would always be grateful for that, but gratitude wasn't the same thing as belonging.

I picked up my briefcase, turned, and headed for the door. I felt that these four years of growth were plenty for me and that I had to walk my own path from here on out. "I'll be seeing you in court, Mr. Romano."

Chapter 4

In the following weeks, the scandal surrounding the law firm dominated the headlines, which the media took great pleasure in.

I had been one of the most respected litigators in the city just before, but in the blink of an eye, I was branded a fraud, a traitor, and a lawyer willing to sacrifice victims' rights for money.

I stopped checking my social media and turned a deaf ear to the cruel insults and accusations. I devoted myself entirely to the countless witness statements stacked before me instead.

It finally stopped snowing on the day of the fraud trial. There were countless reporters and onlookers gathered outside the courthouse. They had waited months for this case to go to trial, so now everyone wanted to be there for the moment it began.

Dante looked completely at ease on the other side of the crowd. He wore a well-tailored suit, his expression relaxed and confident. Bruno Sartori, his lawyer, was standing right beside him. He was a shrewd litigator and my longtime rival.

Bruno calmly adjusted his cufflinks before offering me a courteous nod.

Dante, on the other hand, didn't bother with these formalities. "I'll give you one last chance to drop the case, Elena. If you're willing to yield, I'll pay the breach of contract fee for you. I also have ways to make the criminal investigation vanish."

I nearly laughed out loud, thinking that some people were simply incapable of changing. "What if I refuse?"

Dante's smile became cold and merciless. "Your reputation will be beyond saving by the end of today. You might even end up locked in the exact same cell as the people you sought to put on trial, Elena."

I shook my head and said softly, "You ought to know that I'll never surrender nor fear you in this lifetime, Dante."

Dante hadn't even had the chance to offer a response when another voice shattered the tense atmosphere.

Sofia was standing a short distance away, holding their daughter, Bianca, in her arms. She looked incredibly nervous, unlike Dante. She had every right to be, though, because by the time the sun set, everything they had built could be reduced to nothing.

Bianca suddenly struggled in Sofia's embrace and hurled the cup of milk in her hand directly at me, splashing it all over my head and face until it dripped down my hair. She then pointed directly at me and yelled, "You're evil! You'd better leave Mamma and Papa alone!"

In that instant, several cameras whipped around toward us.

I looked down at the wet stain spreading across my clothes, then back at Bianca, whose resemblance to Sofia was uncanny, extending even to her irrational petulance.

I crouched down slightly so that our lines of sight were level and asked, "Isn't it right for someone to step in if someone harms innocent people?"

Bianca instantly furrowed her brow.

I shifted my gaze to Sofia before Bianca could say anything. "What about the people who destroy other families? What about the ones who rob a daughter of her mother?"

Sofia's face instantly turned deathly pale. "Shut up, Elena!"

I kept going, asking, "What about the people who kill someone else's unborn child?"

"That's enough!" Sofia shrieked, looking as though she were on the verge of a total breakdown.

"What child?" Dante snapped his head around and glared intently at Sofia. He was met with absolute silence, so he grabbed my wrist and asked, "What child are you talking about, Elena?"

I yanked my arm free from his grip as years of pent-up rage surged inside me. I then snarled, "Why don't you ask your legendary Donna, who somehow rolled 20 20s in a row?"

I turned and walked away after saying that. I then headed to the courthouse restroom to try and get the milk stains out of my clothes since the hearing was about to begin.

I noticed that the woman reflected in the mirror had aged, though she had grown stronger, too. I took a deep breath and reached to pull the door open, only to find that the door wouldn't budge. I furrowed my brow and gave it a hard tug, realizing that it was actually locked.

I could hear the sounds of keys jingling outside the door, followed immediately by a trembling voice. "I'm sorry, Ms. Marino. Don Romano promised me a huge sum of money if I just kept you locked in there until you missed the start of the hearing. It won't be that long since you'll only need to be absent for 30 minutes."

It was then that the sounds of footsteps faded away down the hallway, and before long, there wasn't a single sound outside the door.

In that instant, the bailiff's voice, echoing as they began calling the case, rang out in the distance.

I looked around the restroom and noticed that not only were there no exits, but I also knew that no one would be coming to my rescue. I eventually spotted the small window positioned above the sink. It was highly elevated and locked, but it was my only way out.

I snatched up a wooden mop handle left by the janitor and swung it hard.

…

In the courtroom, the atmosphere had shifted from anticipation to ridicule as the bailiff called the court again for the third time. In the plaintiff's seats, not a single person had appeared from beginning to end.

"Elena is such a coward! She actually fled before the hearing even began!"

"I said it all along that the Don of the Romano Famiglia paid her off—this so-called trial is nothing but a scam!"

In the defendant's seat, Dante calmly adjusted his tie, a faint smile crossing his face.

Bruno rose with composure, addressing the bench respectfully. "Your Honor, as neither the plaintiff nor her lead counsel has appeared today, we move for an immediate dismissal of the action."

Fabio Manara, the judge, glanced up at the clock, a hint of regret showing on his face. He then reached for his gavel and said, "In light of the fact that the plaintiff's lead counsel hasn't appeared, the court stands prepared to—"

"Hold on!"

It was then that a voice rang out from the back of the courtroom, prompting everyone to turn around to look.

I stood in the doorway, catching my breath with one hand propped against the frame. I had bloody cuts all over my face and body, and shards of shattered glass were tangled in my hair. I slowly walked over, and with each step forward, fresh blood dripped from my fingertips onto the floor.

In that instant, everyone in the courtroom fell silent; the only sound was the continuous reverberation of camera shutters from various points. Under the scrutiny of the gathered crowd, I walked slowly up to Judge Manara before coming to a halt. "I'm Elena Marino, the counsel representing the plaintiff, Your Honor."

Dante, who was on the other side of the courtroom, jumped to his feet, a look of complete disbelief written all over his face.