- 8 hours ago
You Humiliated Me with Snakes Now Let the Snakes Devour You
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Short filmTranscript
00:00My fiancé's adopted sister, Vanessa, couldn't stand me.
00:03Tormenting me was practically her favorite pastime.
00:07She deliberately shredded my swimsuit.
00:10I simply grabbed a pair of scissors and turned it into a sexy bikini.
00:13My slim waist and gorgeous curves instantly stealing everyone's attention.
00:18Vanessa stood off to the side, jaw clenched, already plotting her next move.
00:22It came on my wedding night with Carter.
00:25I was soaking in the bathtub when she dropped a venomous nake into the water.
00:29It slid out from under the foam and came straight at me.
00:32My face went white.
00:33I started to rise, reaching for my robe.
00:35And that was when Vanessa burst in with the crowd behind me.
00:40Aria Marchetti, finally got you somewhere you can't save yourself.
00:44I won the bet. Look at her, she's terrified.
00:46This is the famous Aria, the Carter dragged in off the street.
00:48Don't cry yet, sweetheart. Trash always cries the second it realizes it's trash.
00:52They were already sending each other money, eyes crawling all over me.
00:56She's got nothing on. I think I just caught a glimpse of something.
00:58Come on, snake. Get closer. Then I get a real look.
01:01My chest heaves.
01:03Carter, where are you? Get in here and throw them out!
01:05I'm scared of snakes.
01:07He showed up just outside the door, not caring in the least what was happening to me.
01:11What are you screaming about? Don't you love flaunting your body in front of people?
01:14Now you've got a stage for it.
01:16It's just a snake. You came from not-don't-play-precious now.
01:19He was right. It was just a snake.
01:21So I picked up my phone and called Roman.
01:23Roman.
01:24The Don of Chicago.
01:26And the closest friend I'd had since we were kids.
01:29Roman, come get me and round up every snake in this city.
01:33A few bastards are in serious need of a pit to sit in.
01:36What I didn't know was that on the other end,
01:38Roman had already put five men on the floor.
01:41My wedding had pushed him to the edge of something.
01:44He'd spent the whole night in the boxing gym.
01:48Aria, someone hurt you? I'm on my way.
01:51Ha! What did she just say?
01:53Lock us in a snake pit? Is Aria talking about me and Carter?
02:01Aria, what exactly makes you think you can do anything to us?
02:05Round up every snake in the city, like you're some kind of queen.
02:11Right?
02:11None of them knew I was the heir to the Marchetti family.
02:14To them, I was just the woman Carter had dragged into the Whitmore family.
02:19I pressed my arms hard against myself and sank as low into the foam as I could.
02:23But the foam wouldn't last.
02:24Soon it would be gone, and so would the only thing between me and the snake gliding through the water.
02:29The men crowded the bathroom doorway, all waiting to watch me break.
02:33I clenched my fist, shaking with rage, and glared at Carter.
02:36The second I trembled, more of the foam in front of me melted away.
02:39I went still at once, not daring to move again.
02:42But I couldn't hold back the tears.
02:43The Nessa walked to his side and laid a hand on his shoulder.
02:48Carter, you can't help her right now.
02:49Finn and I have a bet going.
02:51Ten million on it.
02:53I bet you love me most that you won't lift a finger for Aria for at least half an hour.
02:58He'd bet you'd cave and save her before then.
03:00I still held on to a scrap of hope.
03:02I thought he'd refuse her this time.
03:04Instead, he lifted his hand without hesitation and kissed her on the cheek, smiling.
03:08You.
03:10Always such a tease.
03:12Don't worry.
03:13I won't let you lose the bet.
03:14Carter, you're so good to me.
03:17Finn, don't forget to send the money.
03:19Pay Vanessa!
03:20If he won't, we'll cover it for him!
03:23Carter loves Vanessa more than his own wife.
03:26I need to start getting close to Vanessa.
03:27Vanessa lifted her chin and looked down at me, smug and arrogant.
03:31I stared at Carter in disbelief.
03:33He reached out and smoothed the few loose strands of her hair.
03:38Don't look at me like you want to eat me alive.
03:41Vanessa's my little sister.
03:42You just married into this family.
03:44You should be taking care of her.
03:46Carter, you're still hiding it from her.
03:48You never actually intended to legally marry her, did you?
03:53My head snapped toward Carter.
03:55Carter, he sighed, not a flicker of guilt on his face.
04:01Carter, what is he talking about?
04:03My voice trembled.
04:04I never imagined that three years of giving him everything would end as a joke.
04:08Exactly what you heard.
04:11Arya, you're a girl with nothing.
04:13You've got talent, sure, and a good heart, but you'll never be enough for me.
04:17The Whitmerds are old money.
04:19You'll never set foot in my family.
04:21I just didn't want to break your heart, so I kept it from you.
04:23His real wife is Vanessa.
04:25That's why Carter let Vanessa pull her pranks on you.
04:27I was completely stunned, which meant Carter had been playing me the whole time.
04:31I'd quietly used my position as a mafia heiress to help him, the illegitimate son, to cure his place's air.
04:37And now, I was being thrown away.
04:40Was it fun playing me like this?
04:42The contempt on his face cut into me like a knife.
04:46Yes.
04:46In that moment, the last bit of hope I had for him shattered, too.
04:50I was about to call Roman and tell him to hurry.
04:52Vanessa rushed in and snatched the phone right out of my hand.
04:55I just remembered, the bet has one more rule.
04:58No calling for help before the half hour's up.
05:03Arya, you're really just Carter's mistress.
05:05Letting him throw you a wedding at all was generous of me.
05:13If I could have gotten that robe on, I'd have stood up and torn Vanessa's mouth off.
05:17She saw my face darken and only smiled brighter.
05:21What, you think you've earned the right to be angry?
05:24Go on, stand up and hit me if you've got the guts.
05:27They can't wait to see what's underneath.
05:29I could do nothing, just clench my fists and curl up in the water.
05:32Suddenly, the snake's head broke the surface right beside me.
05:35I couldn't help screaming, and the men only got more seconds.
05:38My voice came out forced.
05:39Carter, I'm begging you one last time.
05:42Make them leave.
05:43Bring me a robe.
05:45Because he knew.
05:46He knew the thing I feared most in this life was snakes.
05:48The fight for power in my family was brutal.
05:51When I was a child, my stepmother, afraid I'd win,
05:54locked me in a room full of snakes and left me to die.
05:56There were bones in that room, and the stench of rot.
05:59I'll never forget it as long as I live.
06:01I told Carter that secret, and he handed my weakness straight to Vanessa.
06:04He ignored me and only pulled Vanessa tighter into his arms.
06:08What are you still angry about?
06:09You got to be Carter's mistress.
06:11That's already far more than you deserve.
06:13So what if you have to show us your body?
06:15Right?
06:16What's the harm in a look?
06:17When Carter gets bored of you, come find me.
06:19Take good care of me with those amazing skills of yours,
06:22and I'll keep you in luxury.
06:24Aria, if you can handle Carter, I bet you're pretty good in bed.
06:28I want a taste too.
06:29Right then, I was like an object for anyone to pick over.
06:32Powerless.
06:33Burning with rage.
06:34Carter.
06:35Vanessa.
06:37Remember exactly what you did today.
06:40I'll pay it back double.
06:43I'll grind the families you're so proud of into dust.
06:46The whole room roared with laughter.
06:48What could a poor girl like you possibly do to bankrupt our family?
06:52Knowing I couldn't move, Vanessa rushed over and slapped me.
06:55She dragged her nails across my cheek on purpose, slitting the skin.
06:58My face burned.
07:00Bitch, I hate this face of yours most.
07:02Made to lure men in.
07:03And there's one more thing I want to tell you.
07:05After the bet's over, I'm going to lock you in here alone.
07:09Just you and the snake.
07:10Just like when you were a child.
07:11And once you've played with the snake enough, the boys can enjoy you.
07:15I just worry that when this is all over, you're the one who dies badly.
07:19Furious, Vanessa slapped my other cheek.
07:26And right then, more of the foam dissolved.
07:28The snake glided toward me.
07:30She smiled, lied.
07:31And the men behind her got louder.
07:33Ugh!
07:33My money!
07:34If I'd known Carter loved Vanessa this much, I never would have taken that stupid bet.
07:38Aria, you're useless, costing me my money.
07:41I'm going to be the first to have a taste of you.
07:44I'm not even bored of her yet, and you dare talk like that?
07:47Then I'll go beg Vanessa.
07:49You love her most.
07:49You can't say no to her.
07:50Right, dear Vanessa?
07:51Carter, just give Aria to them.
07:53The wedding with Aria may have been fake, but I'm still upset.
07:56Hand her over to them, and I'll be happy.
07:58Fine, whatever you want, as long as you're happy.
08:00I watched them lord over my fate like they had the right.
08:03Carter gave me one last pitying look.
08:06Aria, don't hate me.
08:07Hate where you came from.
08:09Vanessa left and came back carrying another snake.
08:11One snake isn't enough?
08:13Add another, and she'll definitely jump up out of the tub.
08:17Then you'll all get to see her body.
08:19Ten million.
08:20Worth it, isn't it?
08:21I glared at every single one of them.
08:24You'll pay for all of this.
08:25Huh, if your family were powerful, sure, we'd be scared.
08:28But you're just a poor girl.
08:29Right, what can you do, angry throw one punch at me?
08:31In our world, the best someone like you can hope for is to be a secret mistress.
08:34You'll never get to show off in public.
08:35Whether I'm worth showing off isn't for trash like you to decide.
08:37I'm warning you, get out of this bathroom now, or you're all dead.
08:42Aria, this is Carter's world.
08:43You still dare to threaten us?
08:44I turned and glared at Carter.
08:46He blew out a stream of smoke, his eyes full of mockery.
08:49Vanessa clapped and laughed.
08:52She really is a hick.
08:54She has no idea how our world works.
08:56I curled my lip into a cold smile.
08:58So people like you, the so-called elite, get to decide who lives and dies?
09:03Trample anyone's dignity you please.
09:05It's that simple?
09:08Obviously, money and power mean you can do whatever you want.
09:11Enough talk.
09:12Aria, you'd better catch this snake.
09:15Vanessa suddenly flung her arm and threw the snake in her hand at my face.
09:18I watched the snake come closer and closer, every muscle in my body tightening,
09:22my body almost bolting out on the snake.
09:25With my life on the line, being seen really didn't matter anymore.
09:28Then, suddenly, the door flew open.
09:31Roman walked through it with the storm itself, and the snake never touched me.
09:34His hand shot out and caught it clean from the air, an inch from my face.
09:38The whole room went dead silent.
09:40He didn't even glance at the thing.
09:42He tossed it aside.
09:43He wrapped his coat tightly around me, his eyes already on me, soft for half a second.
09:47Then gone, replaced by something that made every man in the room forget how to breathe.
09:52Behind him, a wall of men in black poured in and sealed every day.
09:56Sorry I'm late.
09:57He said, low, just for me.
09:58Then he turned, and his voice dropped colder than the water I was sitting in.
10:02Now, somebody tell me why my Aria is in a bathtub with a snake.
10:06The room fell into Dead's Island.
10:08Roman's very presence was suffocating.
10:10Carter's face went pale instantly.
10:12Who the hell are you?
10:14How did you get into my private residence?
10:16Roman said coldly.
10:17Aria called me, and I think we need to have a conversation about respect.
10:21Then his gaze landed on me again, carrying a trace of disappointment.
10:25This is the man you chose, Aria?
10:26I ignored Roman.
10:27Wrapping the coat he had given me tighter around myself, I sat down in a chair.
10:33Well then, your game starts now.
10:35At last, Carter realized something was wrong.
10:38What game?
10:38These people don't tell me they're actors you hired?
10:41He roared and stretched forward to fight, but Roman didn't know what they were dodging.
10:45He shot his side accurately and kicked Carter hard enough to send him flying across the room.
10:49Carter crashed at Vanessa's feet.
10:51The other men fell silent, barely daring to breathe.
10:54Uh, Aria, who, who are you exactly?
10:57By then, Roman and his men already had guns aimed at Carter and the others.
11:01She's someone pathetic idiots like you could never touch.
11:04Carter's eyes widened.
11:05He looked at me as though he were seeing me for the first time.
11:08You think you can scare us?
11:09Vanessa sneered.
11:10You're just this bitch's friend.
11:11This is our estate, our territory.
11:13Roman let out a mocking laugh and slowly applauded.
11:16His eyes filled with ridicule as he looked at Vanessa.
11:18You're incredibly confident, but you're also a fool who has no idea what real power looks like.
11:23I stood up, still wearing the oversized coat I grabbed in a hurry, but my voice carried unmistakable authority.
11:29I never liked explaining things.
11:31I preferred proving them through action.
11:33At my command, the men began hauling in large wooden crates.
11:36The boxes seemed to move on their own, hissing sounds coming from inside.
11:41Miss Aria.
11:42Vanessa's eyes widened as she stared at the crate.
11:45Aria, what are you doing?
11:46What's inside those?
11:48Show them.
11:48One of the lids rattled lightly, and I smiled.
11:51Snakes.
11:52Venomous snakes.
11:53Didn't I already tell you?
11:54I was going to throw all of you into a snake pit.
11:56You think you're like my stepmother?
11:57She locked me in a room full of venomous snakes, but she could never play with me the way I'm
12:01about to play with you.
12:02Aria, how dare you?
12:04You sent snakes to torment me in the bath, so I'm sending snakes to feed on you.
12:09What's wrong with that?
12:09I straightened up, and the guard instantly understood.
12:12Move every crate into the house.
12:14Seal all the doors and windows.
12:16Don't leave a single crack open.
12:17Yes, ma'am.
12:19Vanessa and the others backed away like cornered animals.
12:21Aria, if you feed us to snakes, the Whitmore family will never forgive you!
12:26You think the Whitmoles won't forgive her?
12:28Once your fathers learn who she really is, they'll be the ones kneeling before her.
12:32The guards opened the crate.
12:33The screams that bothered echoed throughout the entire estate.
12:36I let out a cold laugh and turned away.
12:40Let them enjoy themselves.
12:42I ordered.
12:42Then I walked out of the room with Roman beside me.
12:44Carter and Vanessa fled in panic, but the snakes lithered after them relentlessly.
12:49Damn it!
12:50Vanessa got us killed!
12:52The others had nowhere to run either.
12:55As I climbed into the black sedan, I could still hear Vanessa screaming.
13:00Nice.
13:00I muttered as I settled into the passenger seat.
13:03Roman took the wheel and sped away.
13:05We drove to a secluded place surrounded by mountains and water.
13:08I got out and entered the villa.
13:10When I came back out after changing into clean clothes, I heard Roman on the phone.
13:14On the other end, I could hear Carter and Vanessa begging miserably for mercy.
13:18Don't let them die too easily.
13:20Roman instructed.
13:21I felt nothing.
13:22The moment Carter abandoned me, I had severed every connection between us.
13:26Roman asked, handing me a glass of expensive red wine.
13:29Feeling better now?
13:31These scratches are nothing.
13:32I grew up in a world filled with betrayal and violence.
13:35I've survived worse.
13:36I handed him a glass.
13:37As he took it, he suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer.
13:40Can you give me another chance this time?
13:42I stared at him for a long moment.
13:44You like me?
13:45Yes.
13:46I've liked you for a very long time.
13:48But back then, you loved Carter.
13:50So now, Aria Marchetti, would you be my girlfriend?
13:53I smiled at him.
13:55Okay.
13:56Let's give it a try.
13:57He lowered his head and kissed me without hesitation.
14:01Three minutes later, I pushed him away.
14:03To my surprise, Roman laughed.
14:06I don't see you blush very often.
14:08I smiled back.
14:09I don't see you act this gentle very often.
14:11He was the dark king of the underworld, and I wasn't much different.
14:14We should have been enemies, yet fate kept bringing us together.
14:17Roman, second in command, sat out on the balcony, letting the wind blow through his hair.
14:21You two really started making out like nobody else was here?
14:24Roman and I burst into laughter at the same time.
14:27In the ICU, Carter and Vanessa were undergoing emergency treatment.
14:31Carter was pushed out first.
14:32His face was deathly pale.
14:33While trying to escape the snake, he had fallen badly and shattered his leg.
14:37One of his legs was now in a cat, and even the slightest movement threatened to tear open the wound
14:42again.
14:43How's Vanessa?
14:44He asked, every breath sending pain through his body.
14:47Sir, her condition is critical.
14:48She needed 16 stitches.
14:50Damn it!
14:51Find Ari, I'll make her pay twice over!
14:53Sir, please calm down, JIT orthopedic sir.
14:55How the hell am I supposed to calm down?
14:56She ruined both of us!
14:57I'd find her!
14:57The Whitmore family arrived a few hours later.
15:00They looked at Carter and Vanessa with a mixture of fear and anger.
15:05What exactly did you do?
15:06His father demanded.
15:08She was involved with another man.
15:10Carter muttered.
15:11That man was Roman Castellano?
15:14The one from Chicago?
15:16Not just from Chicago.
15:17A strange voice interrupted.
15:19The door opened, and Vincenzo Marchetti walked in, wearing an expensive suit.
15:23Aria belongs to my family.
15:25The room fell silent.
15:26My daughter.
15:27You used her.
15:28You betrayed her.
15:29And you allowed these animals to humiliate her in the most disgusting way possible.
15:33You're the head of the Marchetti family?
15:35That's right.
15:36And now, Mr. Whitmore, you're finally experiencing the consequences of disrespecting my daughter.
15:41He turned to leave, then stopped at the doorway.
15:43Your company will begin liquidation tomorrow.
15:45Everything.
15:47Every asset.
15:48Every share.
15:49All of it liquidated.
15:50Consider it compensation for the way you treated my child.
15:57The next morning, the financial market descended into chaos.
16:01Whitmore Industries' stock collapsed.
16:03Investors pulled out in vain.
16:04Banks began demanding immediate repayment of loans.
16:07The Whitmores were pushed to the brink of bankruptcy.
16:10After that, Vanessa remained in psychiatric treatment for a long time.
16:14She had nearly lost the ability to care for herself, though she fully understood the crimes she had committed.
16:19To protect themselves, the Whitmore family cut ties with her completely and abandoned her.
16:23Carter managed to find me at a restaurant one day while I was having dinner with family and friends.
16:28He was frighteningly thin and almost unrecognizable.
16:31The perfect appearance he once took pride in was gone.
16:34He dropped to his knees in front of everyone, no longer caring about dignity.
16:38Aria, please.
16:39I made a mistake.
16:40I was stupid.
16:41I was arrogant.
16:42It was all my fault.
16:43Every eye in the restaurant turned toward us.
16:45Please give me another chance.
16:46I slowly set down my napkin and rose to my feet.
16:49No, you don't get a second chance.
16:51You knew exactly what you were doing and you did it anyway.
16:54You never deserved me, Carter.
16:56You never did.
16:58I just didn't want to admit it.
17:00Then I turned and walked away.
17:05Aria, please.
17:06He shouted after me.
17:08I never looked back.
17:09Roman stepped in front of Carter, towering over him.
17:13What exactly are you trying to do to my girlfriend?
17:16Carter trembled and stumbled back two-step, not daring to move again.
17:22After that, my relationship with Roman deepened quickly.
17:25The first time we slept together was in his bedroom.
17:27It wasn't wild or frantic.
17:29It was low, tender.
17:32Baby, I've waited a long time for this.
17:34He whispered against my lips.
17:36How long?
17:37I asked.
17:38When you were little and told me you wanted to rule the world, that was the moment I decided
17:43that if anyone stood beside the queen someday, it would be me.
17:47Over the following weeks, everything changed.
17:49Roman had me move into his penthouse.
17:51We took long walks through the city late at night.
17:53When I worked on expanding the family business into new industries, we sat together in his
17:58study.
17:58Together, we built something that belonged entirely to us.
18:01Aria, what do you want?
18:02He asked me one evening.
18:04Not revenge?
18:05Not power?
18:06What do you actually want?
18:07I thought about it carefully.
18:08About everything I had fought for.
18:10Everything I had lost.
18:11Everything I had destroyed.
18:13I want peace.
18:14I want to enjoy life.
18:16Then we'll build it together.
18:17My father wanted to meet Roman.
18:20That meant something serious.
18:21In my family, meetings with the head of the household were never casual matters.
18:26We sat across from him in his private office, leather chairs facing the massive mahogany desk
18:30that had belonged to the Marchetti family for three generations.
18:34My father's sharp gaze moved between Roman and me, like a man who had spent his entire
18:39life studying human nature.
18:40So, he finally said,
18:42You're here to ask for her hand, Castellano.
18:45Roman answered without hesitation.
18:47Yes, sir.
18:47And why should I entrust her to you?
18:49You're the head of a Chicago crime syndicate.
18:52You're ruthless.
18:54Dangerous.
18:55Because I never will.
18:56Roman said simply,
18:59Because I fell in love with her when she was a little girl.
19:01And I realized there was someone in this world worth more than power, money, or anything else.
19:06My father stared at him for a long time.
19:08Then he looked at me.
19:09Is this what you want, Aria?
19:11I met Roman's eyes and saw the person I had known my entire life.
19:15The boy who held my hand when I was afraid.
19:17The young man who protected me as I grew into something powerful.
19:20The dangerous man who had just destroyed a family to defend my honor.
19:25Yes.
19:25I said.
19:26My father smiled.
19:27Then you have my blessing.
19:28Roman and I were married in a small church in Chicago with only family and our closest friends present.
19:34Roman stood at the altar in a perfectly tailored black suit.
19:38The moment he saw me in my white gown, his gaze softened in a way it never did for anyone
19:43else.
19:43We looked into each other's eyes and exchanged vows that went beyond word.
19:48I promise to protect you.
19:49Roman said firmly, not because you need protection, but because protecting you is my choice.
19:55I promise to stand beside you, never above you, and I promise you'll never doubt my love again.
20:02When he kissed me, it was gentle and full of love, carrying years of waiting within.
20:07Life with Roman was nothing like life with Roman.
20:10Carter had been cold and distant, while Roman was thoughtful and fully present in every part of my life.
20:16Carter hid me away, but Roman introduced me to his world openly, treating me like his queen instead of a
20:22mistress.
20:22My status in the mafia world rose almost overnight.
20:26Respected families began seeking alliances with both the Marchetti and Castellano families.
20:31Business opportunities that had once been out of reach suddenly opened their doors to me.
20:36But more importantly, I was happy.
20:38We turned an entire floor of his penthouse into my office.
20:42I was building something new, expanding our family businesses into entirely different industries.
20:48Roman supported every decision I made.
20:50He always stood beside me and never tried to control me or place himself above me.
20:56One night, while we were working together, he said,
20:58You know, I used to wonder what you ever saw in someone like Carter.
21:01I looked up from my laptop. I said quietly,
21:04I was blind and lonely. I thought he could fill the space you left behind.
21:09I stopped myself, but Roman reached across the desk and took my hand.
21:13Where did I go?
21:15He asked softly.
21:17You were supposed to be there.
21:19I continued.
21:20If I'd had the courage to see what was right in front of me.
21:23Roman came around the desk and pulled me into his arms.
21:26You have courage now, and now you can see clearly.
21:28That's what matters.
21:30Two years after our wedding, I became pregnant.
21:32The day he found out, Roman held me and cried.
21:35I had never seen him like that before.
21:37Our baby?
21:38He asked hoarsely, as though he couldn't believe it.
21:40Mm-hmm.
21:40I nodded with a smile.
21:42He looked down at my still flat stomach, his eyes lowly turning red.
21:45Boy or girl, I don't care.
21:47He said.
21:48As long as the baby takes after you a little.
21:50I teased him on purpose.
21:51What if the baby takes after you instead?
21:53He said with a low laugh.
21:54Well, nothing we can do about that.
21:56Pulling me closer.
21:57At least no one will dare bully the kid.
21:58Our child.
21:59Our kingdom.
22:00Our life together.
22:01After that, Roman practically became a different person.
22:04He strictly forbade me from lifting anything heavy.
22:07He even wanted to carry glasses of water for me.
22:09Every morning, the smell of butter and coffee drifted from the kitchen the moment I opened
22:13my eyes.
22:14The man who could sit through an entire family meeting without changing expression, now stood
22:19awkwardly in the kitchen in his dress shirt, studying pregnancy recipes.
22:22One time, he nearly poured sugar into the soup instead of salt.
22:26I laughed so hard I couldn't stop.
22:27With a dark aggression, he carried the pot away and forbade me from ever mentioning it
22:31again.
22:32But the next morning, he still woke up early to try another recipe.
22:36At night, he carried me out to the lounge chair on the terrace and tucked a blanket around
22:40me.
22:40When the wind swept through the garden, he would rest his hand gently against my stomach and
22:44speak softly to the baby.
22:46Listen carefully, little one.
22:47He said with complete seriousness.
22:49Don't give your mother a hard time.
22:50I laughed at his arm.
22:52The next second, he lowered his head and carefully kissed my stomach.
22:55As the weather gradually turned colder, he began canceling unnecessary social events so
23:00he could come home for dinner with me every night.
23:02Sometimes, we did absolutely nothing except curl up on the couch and watch movies together.
23:06When I fell asleep against him, he would gently brush my hair behind my ear and lower the volume
23:11on the television.
23:12One night, in the middle of a rainstorm, I suddenly craved strawberry cake.
23:16Roman didn't complain once.
23:17He threw on a coat and went out immediately.
23:19An hour later, he came back carrying a cake box.
23:21Cold rain clinging to him while water dripped from his hair.
23:24I felt bad and reached up to dry his hair, but he lowered his head and kissed my fingers
23:28with a soft smile.
23:30Don't look at me like that.
23:31Whatever you want round right now, I'll find a way to give it to you.
23:35Later, I heard that Carter and Vanessa were living miserable lives.
23:39Carter vanished from public view and survived on what remained of the Whitmore family inheritance.
23:43Vanessa's mental state improved somewhat, but she never returned to the person she used
23:47to be.
23:48At formal gathering, people no longer even mentioned their name.
23:51Meanwhile, Roman and I finally had a life that truly belonged to us.
23:55We had Lucia.
23:56For two years later, our son Marco was born.
23:59Lucia was like a little princess.
24:01Even as a child, she knew exactly how to soften Roman's heart.
24:04Every time, she wrapped herself around his leg and called out,
24:07Daddy, the cold, dangerous man everyone feared would immediately pick her up.
24:11Marco, on the other hand, was far more mischievous.
24:14One time, he snuck into Roman's office and scribbled all over important documents of crayon.
24:19Everyone thought Roman would lose his temper.
24:22Instead, he stayed silent for a few seconds and carefully put the document away.
24:26This is my son's first signature.
24:27He said.
24:28The entire conference room fell silent.
24:30And as for me, I was no longer simply a woman standing beside a powerful man.
24:34In the mafia world, I had my own status, my own name.
24:37Many people were even more afraid of offending me than they were of offending Roman.
24:42Because they understood something very clearly.
24:44I wasn't merely Roman's wife.
24:46I was power itself.
24:47And yet, every night, after work was done, Roman still came looking for me.
24:50Sometimes in the study.
24:52Sometimes out on the terrace.
24:53He would wrap his arms around me from behind and rest his chin lightly on my shoulder.
24:58He always said.
24:58For what?
25:00Thank you for surviving that night.
25:04Thank you for calling me.
25:06Thank you for giving me the chance to love you properly.
25:09Even after all those years, he still said those things.
25:12And I would turn around and kiss the man who had bent his entire life waiting for me.
25:15Beyond the windows, the city lights never went dark.
25:18And my family was right there in my arms.
25:20By the time I turned 30, I had become one of the most powerful women in organized crime.
25:26Not because I married a powerful man, but because I possessed power of my own.
25:30The Marchetti-Castellano Alliance controlled business territory stretching from the East Coast to the Midwest.
25:36We held billions in legitimate business interests.
25:39Everything we built rested on respect and loyalty rather than fear.
25:42Our employees stayed because they were treated well and paid generously.
25:46Our allies remained loyal because we kept our promises and rewarded loyalty generously.
25:51Our enemies only needed to make one mistake before realizing how foolish it was to go against us.
25:56Roman watched me work with an admiration that never seemed to fade.
26:00I married a queen.
26:00You married a woman who could have been destroyed by betrayal but chose to rise above it.
26:05Exactly. A queen.
26:07Fifteen years later, Roman and I stood on the deck of a yacht anchored off the coast of Monaco.
26:12The sea breeze drifted around us while downstairs, Lucia, Marco, Sofia, and little Antonio were already asleep.
26:18Lights shimmered across the distant water, quiet as a dream.
26:22Roman wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin lightly on my shoulder.
26:26What are you thinking about?
26:28He asked softly.
26:30Us.
26:30I said with a smile.
26:31From those broken, painful beginnings to the family we had now.
26:35The night that once felt impossible to survive had become distant memories.
26:39Roman took my hand and slowly laced his fingers through mine.
26:42Any regrets?
26:43I turned to look at him.
26:44After all these years, he still looked at me exactly the same way he always had.
26:48Focus.
26:49Tender.
26:49As though I were still his entire world.
26:51Never.
26:52I answered quietly.
26:53He lowered his head and kissed me.
26:55The sea wind tangled my hair while waves crashed softly against the yacht.
26:59And downstairs, our children slept peacefully.
27:02They would grow up surrounded by love.
27:03Never forced to repeat the lives we had lived.
27:06Roman pulled me into his arm.
27:07Every year from now on, I'll be right beside you.
27:10I rested against his chest and laughed softly.
27:13The night stretched on endlessly.
27:14And at last, our story had found its gentlest ending.
27:19We'll be right beside you.
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