- 12 hours ago
My Mother Died To Crown Me
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:02Dad is the godfather of the Moretti family, running the city's black market arms trade.
00:06Mom is the only heir of the Severino family.
00:13Mom and Dad's love is a legend in New York's popular world.
00:19On the surface, the Severinos run a high-end private hospital.
00:23In reality, they control New York's underground drug trade.
00:26And Mom is the family's top doctor.
00:28Years ago, Dad saved Mom from an assassination attempt.
00:31He got framed for leaking secrets.
00:33Because of that, he loses his chance to become a core member of the East Coast Mafia Commission.
00:38He never regrets it because he loves Mom.
00:41The private medical center outside New York, close to the public, is Dad's gift to Mom.
00:46The night I'm born, Dad hires New York's biggest orchestra to play outside our estate all night.
00:50People say I'm the only witness to this legendary love.
00:55Until I'm five, a beautiful woman starts visiting our house often.
00:59She's always by Dad's side.
01:00She corners me in the garden, strokes the toy Dad gave me.
01:04You know, your mom's old now.
01:06She can't even hold a scalpel steady.
01:10Only I can protect your Dad's future.
01:13Soon, I'll be the one in charge here.
01:17You know, your mom's old now.
01:19She can't even hold a scalpel steady.
01:23Only I can protect your Dad's future.
01:26Soon, I'll be the one in charge here.
01:29I don't fully understand, but I repeat her words to Mom.
01:32The next day, I hear the family talking about her.
01:35The Moretti family's genius sniper, Vivienne, suffers permanent nerve damage in both hands from an accident.
01:40Mom is in the study, polishing her scalpel blades shining.
01:45Nina, Mom just got rid of a piece of trash for you.
01:50Do you like this gift?
01:53Dad, when are you back?
01:54I barely finish the words when I see him storm past me, face dark, heading straight for the study.
01:59He kicks the door open.
02:01Mom sits at the desk, calmly polishing a silver scalpel with a velvet cloth.
02:07Sophia, was this you?
02:09Vivienne's hands, ruined! Her whole life is over!
02:12Do you even know how important she was to me?
02:14Mom looks up.
02:15She was trash.
02:17I cleaned her up.
02:19What's the problem?
02:21You!
02:25What's the problem?
02:26You!
02:29She was a genius.
02:31Do you know how much effort I put into training her as an assassin?
02:35And you just destroy her!
02:37My legs go weak. That gun, I've seen it.
02:40Dad uses it on every mission.
02:41It's killed countless enemies.
02:43I scream and rush forward, throwing my arms around Mom to shield her.
02:47Dad, you can't hurt Mom!
02:49For a moment, the fire in Dad's eyes wavers when he sees me.
02:52The gun dips slightly. Mom quickly pulls me into her arms.
02:56I can feel her heart racing, but she's smiling.
03:00So, your subordinates matter more to you than your own daughter?
03:07Sophia, you disappoint me.
03:11Vivienne only admires me.
03:12She did nothing wrong.
03:13It's you!
03:14You can't tolerate anyone!
03:17From today, she stays in our house.
03:19I'll take care of her myself.
03:21Until she recovers.
03:24This is what you owe her.
03:25I watch as Broadback disappear.
03:27And for the first time, the legend's about Dad.
03:29They don't seem so bright anymore.
03:33I watch as Broadback disappear.
03:35And for the first time, the legend's about Dad.
03:37They don't seem so bright anymore.
03:39The next day, Vivienne moves into our house.
03:41She's in a wheelchair, her hands wrapped in thick bandages.
03:44Dad pushes her inside himself.
03:46She stays in the guest room next to Mom and Dad's bedroom that used to be my room.
03:50The one with the best sunlight.
03:51But Dad tells me to give it to her.
03:53Dad hires the most professional private nurses to care for her around the clock.
03:57He even moves his study into her room so he can work while keeping her company.
04:01Dad barely goes anywhere else.
04:03Even at night, he stays in her room.
04:05I often hear laughter, light and happy, and Dad's gentle voice soothing her.
04:09Overnight, it feels like Mom and I don't belong in our own home anymore.
04:12Vivienne is a good actor.
04:13When Dad is around, she leans weakly in her wheelchair, speaking softly.
04:17Eyes always red.
04:20Boss, it's my fault.
04:22If I didn't admire you so much, if I didn't hang around,
04:25Mrs. Morello wouldn't have misunderstood.
04:27My hands.
04:28It's okay.
04:29As long as I see you every day, I'm happy.
04:31Don't worry.
04:32I'll make sure she answers to you.
04:34But the moment Dad leaves, Vivienne's eyes turn sharp as knives.
04:37I'll be back soon, Vivienne.
04:41Clean this room.
04:42A five-year-old brat still playing with such childish things.
04:46Yes, miss.
04:47Tell Sophia this is compensation.
04:48Her precious daughter now belongs to me.
04:53Tell Sophia this is compensation.
04:56Her precious daughter now belongs to me.
05:00Nina, don't cry.
05:02Remember, when a dog bites you, you don't kill it right away.
05:05You first pull its teeth, cut its claws so it can't bite or scratch.
05:09Then, take your time.
05:12Watch it panic and despair.
05:14I half understand.
05:17That night, a lot of people come to our house.
05:20Doctors from the Severino family hospital and important members of the Moretti family.
05:25Dad thinks Mom will give in.
05:26He relaxes a little.
05:27At the dinner table, Mom raises her glass, smiling calm and graceful.
05:31Tonight, I invited everyone to witness something.
05:35Miss Vivienne was badly injured in an accident, leaving permanent nerve damage in both hands.
05:39As a doctor and godmother of the Moretti family, I feel deeply for her.
05:42So, I've decided to personally handle all her rehab for free.
05:46Using all my resources.
05:47Until she fully recovers.
05:50Dad and Vivienne's faces change instantly.
05:52A killer, doing rehab for her victim.
05:55This isn't treatment, it's torture.
05:57Vivienne's pride is under the scalpel, stripped away one cut at a time.
06:03Vivienne's pride is under the scalpel, stripped away one cut at a time.
06:07Dad almost loses it on the spot.
06:09But he looks around at all the heads of both families in the room and grits his teeth, forcing himself
06:13to stay calm.
06:14Sophia, you.
06:16Mom sets down her wine glass, cutting him off.
06:18What? You don't trust my medical skills?
06:22Or do you think I'm taking revenge?
06:25Her gaze sweeps the room, landing on the doctor's.
06:29What do you think?
06:30Mrs. Marotti is world class. Of course we trust her.
06:32Yeah, having Mrs. Marotti in charge is Vivienne's luck.
06:35He knows Mom is setting him up. Publicly.
06:37In front of all these people, he can't question his wife's skills.
06:40He can't admit she's taking revenge.
06:42If he does, it'll look like the alliance between the Marotti and Severino families is broken.
06:47For a family boss, that's deadly.
06:50Vivienne sits in her wheelchair, trembling with anger, her hands under the bandages seeming to ache all over.
06:56Sophia, don't get smug. Mr. Marotti won't let you get away with this.
07:00Vivienne.
07:01Relax.
07:04The first step in nerve rehab is electrotherapy.
07:09Don't worry. I'll handle it myself, making sure the current hits every damaged nerve ending.
07:15Vivienne's face drains of color. Electroshock therapy.
07:19She knows exactly what that means.
07:31I can already see her struggling on the treatment table, screaming at me.
07:39After sending the guests away, Dad finally loses it. He slams his hand on the table.
07:44Enough, Sophia. Do you have to be this cruel?
07:47Cruel, Luca.
07:49When you brought that woman home, did you ever think about how I feel?
07:52When you pointed a gun at me for her, did you think about I'm your wife?
07:56When you let her bully your daughter, did you think about being a father?
07:59You're the one who pushed everything to the limit.
08:08Her voice is quiet, but every word cuts straight to the heart. The whole dining room falls silent.
08:14Dad moves his lips, but no words come out.
08:17Nina. Let's go home.
08:21It was my fault, okay? My fault. My fault.
08:29It was my fault. Don't chew me, Felis.
08:32And then what? I gave you a chance.
08:34I messed everything up. I apologize, but please don't take my daughter away. Please.
08:38I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
08:41This is supposed to be our home.
08:42It's all my fault. Please don't leave. Don't take our daughter with you.
08:46But the way she says it, it's time to go.
08:52Please don't leave. Please don't leave.
08:56It feels like stepping into a cold, empty hotel.
09:06After that night, Dad gives in. He can't risk his future and reputation.
09:10Vivian's rehab treatment is set.
09:12The location is the private medical center Dad once gifted Mom outside New York.
09:16The next day, Mom moves us there.
09:18She says the house is too dirty and needs disinfecting.
09:21The retreat is beautiful like a fairytale castle, but the air feels heavy and tense.
09:25Every nurse and doctor bows respectfully when they see Mom, eyes full of awe and fear.
09:30Vivian's treatment room is at the very back.
09:32I sneak a peek once.
09:33Through thick glass.
09:34I see Vivian strapped to the table.
09:37Mom wears her white coat and mask, eyes cold and focused.
09:40She holds two metal probes, moving them along Vivian's arms.
09:43Every touch makes Vivian's body jerk violently.
09:46She lets out muffled, sharp screams.
09:48The sound. It's like nail scraping glass, piercing my ears.
09:52I run back to my room, trembling under the blanket.
09:55Dad comes to see me once.
09:57He looks thinner, bloodshot eyes.
09:59He holds me close, voice force.
10:01I know Mom's hurting you, but Vivian, she doesn't deserve this.
10:05Please, talk to her. Make her stop.
10:08She'll break Vivian if this goes on.
10:10I look at him seriously.
10:11Daddy, do you still love Mommy?
10:14He freezes, doesn't answer for a long time.
10:16He just hugs me tighter, as if drawing strength from me.
10:19Nina, grown up things are complicated.
10:21You'll understand one day.
10:23I don't understand. All I know is, Mom is unhappy.
10:26Vivian's screams become the retreat's daily soundtrack.
10:28A month later, they finally release her.
10:30Curls up at the sight of anyone, whispering over and over.
10:34Don't shock me. Please, don't shock me.
10:37She's gone mad.
10:38When Dad comes to pick her up, he sees her like this.
10:40The cold, ruthless mafia boss.
10:42His eyes are red, almost bleeding.
10:44He doesn't yell at Mom, he doesn't lose his temper.
10:47He just stares at her calmly, eyes like a deep, unfathomable abyss.
10:50Sophia, you win.
10:53He says it quietly.
10:54Mom takes off her glasses, wipes them, voice calm as ever.
10:57The war has only just begun.
11:00Dad carries the broken Vivian out of the retreat.
11:02I think it's over.
11:04I'm wrong.
11:05Dad's counterattack comes faster and harsher.
11:07What he wants to destroy isn't Mom's career or reputation.
11:11It's me.
11:15Dad uses the family connections to transfer me to a new school.
11:19In fact, it is not a school.
11:20It's a training camp run by several East Coast families,
11:23designed to turn kids into professional assassins.
11:25He says I'm the future heir of the Moretti family,
11:27but Mom has spoiled me too much.
11:29I need real training.
11:31He says it's for my own good, but every other heir gets private education.
11:34No heir ever gets sent to an assassin training camp.
11:37Mom disagrees.
11:38Luca, if you dare touch Nina, I swear to God!
11:41If you like playing games, then let's play.
11:44I want to see whose methods are better.
11:47Your ways of torturing people, or my ways of training.
11:51I'm taken away in a black SUV.
11:54Mom runs after the car, screaming my name heart-wrenching.
11:57I press my face to the window, watching her figure shrink until she disappears.
12:01The camp is worse than anything I imagined.
12:02It's hell. The instructors follow Dad's orders without question.
12:06They're especially strict with me.
12:08At five years old, but I train with ten-year-olds.
12:10Wake up at four a.m.
12:12Run ten kilometers with weights.
12:14Finish or no food.
12:15Days are filled with combat, shooting, obstacle courses.
12:18Kids die here all the time.
12:20Fall down. No comfort. Only cold scolding.
12:22Future heir of the Moretti family, this is all you got?
12:26Don't you dare embarrass us!
12:29Crying tears are for the weak!
12:32You want to be weak? You die here!
12:34At night, I lie on the cold metal bed, covered in bruises, aching for Mom.
12:39I get sick often, running high fevers.
12:42But the doctors are cold, one shot then.
12:45Mr. Morelli said minor illnesses don't need treatment.
12:48Pushing through builds your willpower.
12:50I feel like I'm dying.
12:51One stormy night, I get another high fever.
12:53I hear the dorm door crash open.
12:55A tall figure stands in the doorway.
12:58It's Dad, he walks to my bed.
13:00Sophia? Want to see your daughter?
13:01Red Hutch, the abandoned warehouse of the poor.
13:04Come alone. Don't play games.
13:05Or, you better be ready to collect her body.
13:08He hangs up, roughly lifts me from the bed,
13:10wraps me in a blanket, and tosses me into the car.
13:12I don't know where he's taking me.
13:14I only know, there's no love in his eyes.
13:17Only burning, insane hate.
13:18He's not trying to train me.
13:20He's using me, to drive Mom crazy.
13:25The abandoned warehouse looms like a giant beast in the dark.
13:29The air smells of rust and gassing.
13:31Weeds grow in the cracks of the cracked concrete floor.
13:34Dad ties me to a rusty iron pit.
13:36My fever keeps rising.
13:37I keep screaming for Mom.
13:39Mom!
13:40Nina, don't be afraid.
13:42Your mom will be here soon.
13:44Daddy just wants to play a game with her.
13:48A game about choices.
13:50Soon.
13:51The screech of brake shatters the rainy night.
13:54Mom is here.
13:55She's all alone.
13:56Wearing a thin coat soaked to the bone.
13:58When she sees me tied to the pillar,
13:59the normally calm eyes fill with fear and rage.
14:02Luca!
14:03You madman!
14:04Let my daughter go!
14:06Dad smiles standing between us.
14:07See that?
14:08Sophia, Nina's running a fever of a 103.
14:10If we don't treat it, she'll fry her brain and become an idiot.
14:14Mom turns pale as paper.
14:15What do you want?
14:16Simple.
14:16Now you choose.
14:18Jump in your cell,
14:19or watch your precious daughter burn into a fool.
14:22A cement shoe, one of the family's cruelest punishments.
14:24The feet go into the cement.
14:26Wait for it to harden and throw the man in the river.
14:28Even the body never floats.
14:29I'll give you ten seconds.
14:31Ten.
14:32Nine.
14:33Mom looks at me.
14:34Tears pouring down.
14:35She seems to be regretting,
14:36loving a man like this,
14:38getting tangled with him,
14:39and dragging her own child into the mess.
14:41Three.
14:42Two.
14:43Stop!
14:43I'll jump.
14:45She turns back,
14:46looks at me.
14:46Nina.
14:47I'm sorry.
14:50Mom loves you.
14:52Then she closes her eyes and steps in.
15:06Dad's smile freezes.
15:07He can't believe what's happening.
15:09A familiar figure steps out from behind the soldiers.
15:11It's the head of the medical center the one Mom trusts most.
15:15He walks to the iron barrel, helps Mom down.
15:17Then turns to Dad with a pitying smile.
15:19Mr. Moretti, you lost.
15:22Madam knew you'd try to threaten her with your daughter.
15:24So she replaced all the cement here with ordinary plaster powder beforehand.
15:28Dad is completely stunned.
15:30He looks at the barrel, then at Mom's safe unharmed,
15:32and his expression shifts from shock, to anger, to total defeat.
15:35Like a tiger with its teeth pulled, he collapses to the ground.
15:39Sophia, you're cruel.
15:42Mom brushes the plaster from her feet, walks up to Dad, speaking slowly.
15:46Luca, I told you the war has only just begun.
15:51You think kidnapping Nina gives you leverage over me?
15:54You underestimate a mother, and overestimate yourself.
15:57Soon, the soldiers Mom brought have Dad under control and take him away.
16:01She reports his actions to the Mafia Commission.
16:04Dad is investigated for abusing his power, maliciously targeting the Severino heir,
16:09and kidnapping the Moretti heir.
16:11I return to the medical center with Mom.
16:14After the fever subsides, I fall seriously ill.
16:16Mom never leaves my side.
16:17She feeds me.
16:19Cooks for me, tells me stories.
16:20Her arms are still warm, but something feels different.
16:23Her gaze.
16:24Besides love, there's a sharpness I don't fully understand.
16:28Two weeks later, after consulting with Moretti family leaders,
16:31the Commission hands Dad over to the Severino family.
16:33He loses his position as Moretti Mafia boss.
16:36I, as the heir, become the new leader of the family.
16:39The Severinos lock Dad in their private prison for 10 years.
16:42They try to make Mom divorce Dad, cutting ties with the Moretti family, but she refuses.
16:47On the day Dad goes to prison, Mom is pruning an orchid.
16:50She does it slowly, like she's crafting a work of art.
16:52Nina, do you hate your father?
16:54I shake my head.
16:55I don't know what hate is.
16:56I only feel sad.
16:57That's right.
16:58Don't hate.
16:59Hating someone is exhausting.
17:01The cleanest way is to remove them from your world.
17:03Like trimming these extra leaves.
17:05Mom starts teaching me more than fairy tales and piano.
17:08She teaches anatomy, letting me know every bone, every vein, every nerve.
17:12She teaches chemistry, showing me the makeup of poisons and how they act on the body.
17:16She teaches psychology, how to read people, how to exploit human weakness.
17:20She says,
17:21Nina, I can't protect you forever.
17:23The sharpest weapon in this world isn't a gun or a knife.
17:26It's your mind.
17:27You have to be stronger, smarter, colder than anyone else.
17:30That way, no one will ever hurt you again.
17:32I become her perfect creation, calm, rational.
17:35Even cold, ten years pass in the blink of an eye.
17:40When I'm fifteen, Dad gets out of prison.
17:43He's old now.
17:44His back is hunched.
17:45Half his hair is white.
17:46The fire in his eyes completely gone.
17:48He comes looking for us.
17:49That day, I'm in the garden, watering Mom's newly grown black tulips.
17:53He stands not far away, staring at me guilty, trying to make up for the past.
17:59Nina, you've grown so much.
18:01His voice is dry hoarse, like sandpaper scraping across wood.
18:04I ignore him, keeping my focus on the flowers.
18:07He fidgets, takes a worn cloth doll from behind his back.
18:10This, this was your favorite when you were little.
18:13I kept it all these years.
18:14I look at the doll, the one he brought me from France when I was five.
18:18Vivienne had thrown it in the trash, but somehow he saved it.
18:21Do you want something?
18:23I ask coldly.
18:24My coldness stabs him.
18:26A sheen of tears forms in his cloudy eyes.
18:28Nina, I know I was wrong.
18:33Every day these ten years, I've been regretting it.
18:36He's almost begging.
18:38Can you let me see your mother?
18:41I just want to say sorry, just once.
18:44Then Mom comes out of the house.
18:46She wears an elegant white dress.
18:48Ten years have passed, yet there's no trace on her face, only more poise, more icy calm.
18:53She stands on the steps, looking down at him like he's a stranger.
18:56Luca?
18:58What are you doing here?
19:00Dad trembles, moves a few steps forward, then stops abruptly.
19:04Sophia, I...
19:06Leave.
19:06His face changes instantly.
19:08His fists clench.
19:09The pleading in his eyes turns to resentment and anger.
19:16The pleading in his eyes turns to resentment and anger.
19:20Sophia!
19:20You're going too far!
19:22I've already paid for what I did!
19:24What more do you want?
19:25Can't you forgive me?
19:26I am Nina's father!
19:28Mom smiles.
19:29Father?
19:30The father who used his daughter as a weapon for revenge?
19:35Luca...
19:35What right do you have to say that word?
19:38I warn you leave now, and never come near us again.
19:42Or I won't mind sending you back for another ten years.
19:45Dad loses it completely.
19:47Sophia!
19:48You witch!
19:50You...
19:50You ruined everything!
19:52He lunges like a mad beast at Mom.
19:54I instinctively jump in front of her, but he doesn't aim for Mom.
19:57His target is the black tulips behind me.
19:59The priceless black tulips Mom spent ten years cultivating from Dutch seeds.
20:03The main ingredient for her new medicine.
20:05He wants to destroy it.
20:06But before his foot hits the flower bed...
20:09He screams, convulses, and collapses flat.
20:12Foaming at the mouth, eyes rolling back, acute heart attack.
20:15Mom watches coldly as he writhes in pain.
20:17Then pulls out her phone.
20:189-1-1, this is Sophia's private medical center.
20:21Someone's having a heart attack.
20:22We need an ambulance.
20:23She hangs up.
20:24Nina?
20:25See?
20:26Trash belongs in the trash.
20:28Polluting my garden?
20:30How awful.
20:33The ambulance screams in and out.
20:35Sirens wailing.
20:36By the time they carry Dad away, he's in a deep coma.
20:39I stare at the cloth doll on the ground.
20:41My heart a mess of emotions.
20:43Mom walks over, picks up the doll, and tosses it into the nearby trash can.
20:47Useless thing.
20:48Just takes up space.
20:49She takes my hand and leads me into the study.
20:51On the wall hangs a huge diagram of the human nervous system.
20:54See the vagus nerve?
20:56With the right drug or physical stimulase, you can overexcite it.
20:59Making the heart crash, blood pressure drop, triggering cardiac arrest.
21:03The whole process looks exactly like a natural heart attack.
21:05Nina, guess how I did it.
21:08A chill runs down my spine.
21:10I remember just now, when Dad lunged at Mom.
21:13I instinctively stepped in front of her.
21:15I was holding the small watering spray inside it.
21:18It was Mom's specially prepared nutrient solution.
21:20A few drops accidentally splashed onto Dad's hand.
21:23Is it... the nutrient solution?
21:27Smart girl.
21:28It's a specially designed neurotoxin.
21:30Colorless, tasteless, absorbed through the skin.
21:33The timing of the attack depends on the dose and absorption speed.
21:36I calculated it perfectly enough for him to reach my flower bath.
21:39Mom.
21:40You... you meant to kill him.
21:46Mom.
21:47You... you meant to kill him.
21:49No.
21:50I just wanted him silenced forever.
21:52A dead man or a vegetable won't go around spreading lies ruining my reputation.
21:58It's better for you, for the medical center.
22:02For everyone.
22:03Suddenly.
22:03I understand what she meant ten years ago when she said,
22:06The war has only just begun.
22:07Her goal was never just to send Dad to prison.
22:10Her goal was to erase him from this world completely.
22:13Leave no trace.
22:14Three days later, news comes from the hospital.
22:16Dad survived.
22:17But the brain damage from prolonged oxygen deprivation has left him a vegetable.
22:21He's moved into our medical center.
22:23The same room Vivienne once stayed in.
22:26Mom personally designed his rehabilitation plan.
22:28Every day, I watch nurses wheel him into that treatment room.
22:31Where Vivienne's screams once echoed.
22:33I don't know what happens inside.
22:36All I see is Dad's body shrinking before my eyes.
22:38Wasting away.
22:39Like a plant drained of every drop of life.
22:41And Mom's black tulips.
22:43Blue more vibrant than ever.
22:44Almost.
22:45Unnatural.
22:46On my 18th birthday, Mom throws a grand coming of age party for me.
22:50The venue is the banquet hall of our medical center.
22:53Important figures from every major family in New York's underground world attend.
22:57Mom holds my hand introducing me to each of them.
23:00This, is my daughter, Nina.
23:02And the future head of both the Moreci and Severino families.
23:05Applause fills the hall.
23:07People look at me with admiration and envy.
23:09But I feel like I can't breathe.
23:10All of this, feels like a carefully built cage.
23:13Halfway through the party, and uninvited guest storms in.
23:16Vivienne, 10 years have passed.
23:17She is no longer the hysterical woman trapped in a wheelchair.
23:21She wears a sharp black leather jacket and flawless makeup.
23:23Her hands are still curled unnaturally.
23:25But her eyes are clear again cold and vicious.
23:29Sophia!
23:30Her shrill voice instantly silences the entire hall.
23:33Ten years.
23:34I'm finally back.
23:35And I'm here to expose this true face of this poised aide Newman.
23:39I want to file a report.
23:40Ten years ago, Sophia deliberately injured me and leave my hands permanently disabled.
23:44Ten years ago, she framed the boss of the Moreci family and sent him to prison.
23:48She's nothing but a murderer!
23:50The entire hall erupts in shock.
23:52All eyes turn to Mom, but Mom remains perfectly calm.
23:55She even lifts a glass of champagne and gently swirls it.
23:58Vivienne, watch your mouth.
24:00You say I hurt people.
24:02Where's your evidence?
24:07You say I hurt people.
24:10Where's your evidence?
24:11Evidence.
24:13This is the evidence.
24:14For ten years.
24:16I've spent every single day collecting proof of your crimes.
24:19I found the employee who switched the cement for you back then.
24:21He's willing to testify.
24:23And I traced the source where you bought the neurotoxin.
24:25Sophia, today is the day you fall!
24:28One of the investigators steps forward and begins carefully flipping through the documents.
24:32For the first time, Mom's expression changes.
24:34But it isn't panic.
24:35It's amusement.
24:36She looks at Vivienne like she's watching a clown perform.
24:39Viviana, you know what your biggest weakness is?
24:42You're too stupid.
24:44And far too impatient.
24:47You think finding my evidence will bring me down?
24:50Did it ever occur to you?
24:52Why it was so easy for you to find it?
24:54Vivienne's expression stiffens.
24:56What do you mean?
24:57It means I let you find it.
25:00Every piece.
25:02Including today.
25:04When you brought investigators and walked straight into my territory.
25:08She snaps her fingers.
25:10The banquet hall doors slam shut.
25:12Dozens of men in black suits pour in from every direction surrounding Vivienne and the investigators.
25:17In an instant, the hall becomes a sealed cage.
25:20The guests tremble in fear.
25:22Even Vivienne begins to panic.
25:23Sophia, what are you doing?
25:25Are you challenging the authority of the commission?
25:27No.
25:28She walks up to Vivienne and speaks in a voice only the two of them can hear.
25:32I'm simply finishing what I started ten years ago.
25:36Taking out the trash.
25:38For good.
25:42Vivienne's pupils shrink instantly.
25:44She tries to step back, but two bodyguards grab her shoulders and hold her in place.
25:48Sophia!
25:49Have you lost your mind?
25:50There are so many people watching!
25:52Mom lets out a soft laugh.
25:53Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the disturbance.
25:56It seems we've had a small accident.
25:58But now please enjoy a special program I prepared for you.
26:01As soon as she finishes speaking, the giant screen in the center of the hall lights up.
26:05Surveillance footage from the medical center appears.
26:08On the screen is Vivienne.
26:09She sneaks into the records room, stealing files.
26:15Then she meets with several employees who were fired from the medical center, handing them envelopes of cash.
26:21Finally, the screen freezes on a scene of Vivienne embracing a man.
26:25I recognize him.
26:26He used to be dad's underboss.
26:28The same man who betrayed him during that conspiracy years ago, the one who was later shot dead.
26:32So Vivienne had been working with him all along.
26:34Her so-called admiration back then was never real.
26:37It was a calculated approach.
26:39What she wanted was revenge.
26:40Revenge against Luca and Sophia, the two people she believed destroyed her lover.
26:44When the video ends, the entire hall falls into dead silence.
26:49No, that's not true.
26:55No, that's not true.
26:57Vivienne's face turns as white as paper.
26:59She framed me! Sophia framed me!
27:02Mom walks up to her, eyes cold.
27:04Framed you?
27:06Vivienne, all I did was show everyone exactly what you've done.
27:09No!
27:10More than ten years ago, you and your lover conspired against my husband, trying to steal family secrets and ruin
27:17him.
27:17I only crippled your hands.
27:19That was already mercy.
27:20But you never learned your lesson.
27:22You really think I didn't know what you've been doing these past ten years?
27:25Every person you contacted, every meeting you had, every word you said, all of it, was under my control.
27:32I kept you alive simply because I wanted to see how big a wave a stray dog like you could
27:37make.
27:38Turns out, not much.
27:41Every word Mom says cuts into Vivienne like a knife.
27:44The investigators understand the situation now.
27:47They close the file and look at Vivienne coldly.
27:50Vivienne, you will come with us now and assist with the investigation into the old leak of family secrets.
27:55Vivienne completely loses control.
27:57Like a mad woman, she breaks free from the bodyguards and lunges toward me.
28:00She pulls out a gun and points it straight at me.
28:03Sophia!
28:04If I can't kill you, I'll kill your daughter!
28:06Then you'll know what it feels like to lose the person you love most!
28:10Everything happens too fast.
28:11No one has time to react.
28:13All I see is a bullet flying straight toward me.
28:18Mom steps in front of me.
28:19The bullet sinks deep into her chest.
28:21Blood instantly spreads across her white dress.
28:23Like a crimson rose blooming, suddenly in the snow.
28:29The whole world seems to fall silent.
28:31I watch Mom slowly collapse, my mind going completely blank.
28:35Mom!
28:36Warm blood soaks through my dress, sticky and burning hot.
28:39Call an ambulance! Now!
28:40The banquet hall erupts into chaos.
28:42Vivienne is restrained on the spot,
28:44looking at Mom lying in a pool of blood.
28:46She bursts into hysterical laughter.
28:49Sofia! You lost.
28:51In the end, you still lost!
28:53I can't hear anything.
28:54In my world, there is only the sound of Mom's breathing growing weaker and weaker.
28:58Her hand grips mine tightly.
28:59Her lips move like she's trying to say something.
29:02I lean closer to hear her.
29:04Nina, don't be afraid.
29:07Do you like this gift?
29:10There is even the faintest trace of a smile at the corner of her lips.
29:13I suddenly look up at the chaotic scene around me.
29:16Was this?
29:16Part of her plan too.
29:18Her own life is her final coming of age gift to me.
29:20When you cut the weeds, you remove the roots.
29:23With her death, she will make sure Vivienne can never rise again.
29:26With her blood, she clears the last obstacle from my path.
29:35The ambulance finally arrives.
29:37As they lift Mom onto the stretcher, she gathers the last bit of strength and presses something cold into my
29:42palm.
29:43It's the silver scalpel she polished countless times.
29:46The blade gleams reflecting my tear-streaked face.
29:49The hospital hallway is brightly lit, yet cold as ice.
29:53The emergency room light stays on for a long, long time.
29:56Then finally it goes out.
29:58The doctor walks out, exhausted, and shakes his head.
30:01I'm sorry.
30:02We did everything we could.
30:04I stand there, unmoving.
30:06I don't cry.
30:07I don't scream.
30:08I only tighten my grip on the scalpel in my hand.
30:10Mom, I received your gift.
30:12Don't worry.
30:12From today on, I will become you.
30:14A better version of you.
30:15I will become the rightful leader of the Moritti and Severino families.
30:18And Yon who dares lay a hand on them will become the next piece of trash beneath my scalpels.
30:23I lift my head and look toward the window at the end of the corridor.
30:26Outside, the night is deep, and my war has only just begun.
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