Chapter 2

Mother leaned back in her chair as though she were dealing with a disobedient subordinate.

“You already refused to move in with the Bellandis, so forget about marrying into their family.”

She took a background file from a drawer and pushed it across the desk.

“This is Marcus, a driver in the family fleet. I checked his background. He has no enemies and won't be dragged into any power struggle. If you marry him, you'll at least have a peaceful life.”

I stared at the file and laughed.

Vivian could take my shares and dividends, then marry the Bellandi heir.

Yet I, the biological daughter of the Don and Donna, was supposed to marry a family driver. And Mother somehow called that doing what was best for me.

Father would never agree to this. He had told me himself that no one—not even the Donna—had the right to decide my future for me.

“I won't marry him.”

“Father is still overseas. You can't decide my marriage on your own.”

Mother slapped me.

My head snapped to the side, my ears ringing.

“Seraphina, don't forget who your mother is.”

“Your father being away is exactly why I need to settle this quickly. By the time he returns, the contract will already be binding.”

I clenched my teeth and refused to let the tears fall.

I turned away from the study and hurried back to my room.

Mia, the personal maid who had cared for me since childhood, was the only person in the estate who truly cared about me. The moment she saw me enter with a hand over my cheek, she rushed to my side.

“Seraphina! Your face—”

She pressed an ice pack to my cheek, crying as she did.

“Donna hit you, didn't she? You're her own daughter. Why does she always protect an outsider?”

Only then did my tears finally fall.

Mia suddenly remembered something and picked up a black envelope from the table.

“Elena Bellandi had someone deliver this.”

I took the letter and opened it.

Inside was an obsidian ring engraved with the Bellandi crest.

I recognized it. It belonged to Luca Bellandi.

I closed my fingers around the ring.

Luca was still waiting for my answer.

Over the next few days, Moretti Estate busied itself preparing for Vivian's engagement party.

Mia stood in my room, her face red with anger.

“Donna emptied the jewelry vault. She even gave Vivian the emerald necklace your grandmother left you.”

Her anger rose with every word. “That was meant for her own granddaughter. What right does Vivian have to it?”

Once, it would have hurt.

Now, I no longer cared.

I was lost in thought when footsteps sounded outside my door.

It was Mother's assistant.

“Miss Seraphina, Donna would like you in the sitting room.”

Mother had already instructed the lawyers to draft documents transferring all my shares and dividends to Vivian.

The documents had not even been signed, yet the servants had begun calling Vivian the future Mrs. Bellandi. They treated me with even more contempt than before.

The moment I entered the sitting room, Mother threw a wine-stained wedding gown at my feet.

“Explain.”

I remained where I was. “Explain what?”

She pointed to the broad red-wine stain and fixed me with a cold stare.

“Why does Vivian's wedding dress look like this?”

I gave a small laugh.

“Do you handle family business without looking at evidence too, Donna?”

Mother paused, then sneered.

“You've certainly learned how to talk back.”

She pointed at a maid being guarded by security.

“She saw you enter Vivian's dressing room last night.”

“You were jealous because you couldn't marry into the Bellandi Family, so you deliberately ruined Vivian's dress.”

I turned to the maid crouching on the floor.

“What's your name?”

“Bella.”

“What time did you see me last night?”

“Nine... nine fifteen.”

“Where?”

“Outside the second-floor dressing room.”

“What was I wearing?”

Bella's voice shook. “A pale purple dress...”

I smiled.

Behind me, Mia suddenly spoke.

“You're lying!”

“The second-floor hallway lost power last night. The emergency lights weren't restored until ten.”

“There are no windows there. How could you see the color of her dress in the dark?”

Bella began to tremble and immediately panicked.

“Don't turn me over to security! I spilled the wine by accident while changing the glasses. I was afraid I'd be fired, so I lied...”

Vivian sprang up and slapped Bella across the face.

“How dare you frame Seraphina?”

Then she turned to me, her face full of remorse.

“Seraphina, I'm sorry. Bella works for me, so I apologize on her behalf.”

She sounded sincere, but there was no remorse in her eyes.

Mother had already lost patience. She only wanted the matter over.

“The misunderstanding has been cleared up. That will be all.”

I looked at her. “A servant deliberately framed a member of the family. Our rules require severe punishment. If you let this pass, anyone will think they can accuse me of anything.”

Everyone waited for Mother to decide.

[Why is this girl so stubborn? Of course I know what happened. But that maid belongs to Vivian. If I punish her severely, Vivian will be humiliated.]

[So Seraphina suffers a little injustice. It won't kill her.]

Mother raised a hand.

“Bella disclosed internal information and falsely accused a family member. Terminate her employment and hand her over to security for investigation.”

Bella was dragged away in tears.

Vivian stood there biting her lower lip, her eyes reddening again.

Then Mother spoke.

“Vivian's engagement party is in three days. There isn't enough time to have another dress made. Give her the wedding gown your grandmother left you.”