Chapter 2

“The R&D team is running short on funds.”

“Oh? How much do they need?”

“Three million dollars.”

“Three million? That’s quite an appetite, darling. I just transferred two million dollars into the R&D team’s account last month. They’ve spent it already?”

“The last round of funding was used to search for the mermaid. Look—the mermaid in the pond is meant to treat your mother’s illness. As long as that fish is alive, your mother still has hope.”

He said it with complete sincerity.

If I hadn’t been reborn, I probably would have believed his performance all over again.

“The Whitmore family is wealthy enough to rival a nation. A mere three million dollars is nothing to your family.”

Now that I had been reborn, there was no way I would give him cash again. Because I knew that every dollar transferred to the R&D team had ended up in the pockets of his Bellucci family.

“Ordinarily, it wouldn’t be much. But half a month ago, a shipment my family was sending to India ran into an extreme storm and capsized in the Pacific. The entire cargo and all personnel sank to the bottom of the sea. We paid out an enormous amount in compensation.”

“How did I not know about this?” he roared furiously.

“I suppressed the news. Imagine what would happen if the whole world found out. Whitmore Group’s stock would plunge to rock bottom. By then, forget three million dollars—we wouldn’t even be able to take out one million.”

I spoke with righteous conviction.

When it came to business acumen, Matteo truly couldn’t compare to me.

As for his position as a mafia Don—without his marriage alliance with me, he would be nothing.

“Besides, I’m Mrs. Bellucci now, not Miss Whitmore. Do you really think my father would give me that much money?”

He flew into a rage at once and grabbed me by the throat.

“Charlotte, I’m beginning to find you more and more disobedient. The Whitmore and Bellucci families are in the same boat. Besides, this money is meant for your mother’s medical R&D team. If your mother ends up critically ill, don’t regret it then. You should understand that much.”

I glared at him.

Back then, he was the one who said he could find a medical team to treat my mother specifically, and that he would protect my family’s business from the persecution of other mafia families. He had also promised that within a year of our marriage, my mother’s condition would improve.

But now, three years had passed since we got married, and he was still using insufficient research funding as an excuse to ask me for money.

In my previous life, I had believed his lies again and again, emptying out all my savings, yet my mother had never gotten any better.

“I understand. I’ll find a way to ask my father for it.”

With that, he left my bedroom.

The next morning, the Bellucci estate came alive with activity.

Everyone treated the captive in the pool as a priceless asset.

I watched it all from the balcony on the second floor.

In my previous life, I had watched from this balcony as Matteo claimed the woman Neris became.

Matteo did not love anything he could not control.

That was his greatest weakness.

So this time, I would give him something he could never control.

At midnight, during the gap between the servants’ shifts, there was a blind spot in the surveillance cameras near the garden pool.

I had learned every corner of this house as Matteo’s prisoner.

I changed into a simple black maid’s uniform, covered my hair with the same black wig, darkened my brows, and removed my glasses and jewelry.

Charlotte Whitmore disappeared.

Lily appeared.

The Bellucci guards saw only another young maid carrying food toward the fountain.

That was exactly what I wanted.

When I reached the edge of the pool, the merfolk immediately opened his eyes.

His gaze was sharp.

“You again.”

His voice was hoarse.

I stopped.

“You remember me?”

“I remember everyone who brings me food and keeps me trapped.”

His words were colder than I had imagined.

I set the tray down by the pool.

“Eat.”

He looked at the food.

Then he looked back at me.

“Why?”

“Because you need strength.”

“Strength to stay here?”

I looked away.

“No.”

“Strength to leave.”

For the first time, his expression changed.

“You can help me leave?”

Good.

I had heard the question I wanted.

“Not today.”

His face hardened.

“Then you’re lying.”

“I’m not.”

I took a step closer.

“I’m telling the truth.”

I looked at the chains around the pool.

“Right now, you don’t have legs.”

His gaze lowered.

“You can’t walk.”

“If you escape now, Matteo’s men will hunt you down.”

I paused.

“But after the full moon…”

I met his eyes.

“When you complete your choice and become who you are meant to become…”

“Then I will take you away.”

He stared at me for a long time.

“Why?”

The answer was simple.

But I couldn’t tell him the truth.

“Because you belong to the sea, not to the mafia. The sea is your home. I want to send you home.”

“And you? Do you want to go home?”

“Yes. But I don’t have a home anymore.”

As I spoke, tears fell from my eyes.

A flicker of light passed through his eyes.

Perhaps surprise.

Perhaps hope.

He looked away.

“I don’t trust humans.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you still here?”

I picked up the empty tray.

“Because you don’t have to trust me today.”

I turned to leave.

“Just remember my promise.”

Before I could go, his voice stopped me.

“What’s your name?”

I froze.

The answer had already been prepared.

“Lily.”

I took one step, then looked back.

“And yours?”

He hesitated, as if giving me his name was more dangerous than taking food from me.

“Neris.”