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00:00After dying and coming back twice, I finally realized that my arch nemesis Gina and I were just characters in
00:06a novel.
00:07Deanna always said I put on a delicate act and had no backbone.
00:10I used to hate her for being brash and unruly, with not an ounce of poise.
00:14We fought for two whole lifetimes.
00:16In the end, we both ended up as nothing but stepping stones for those cold, selfish men.
00:20The third time I opened my eyes, we both woke up.
00:23Let's team up.
00:24I'll marry into the mafia for you, and you marry Ethan Hale for me.
00:28To hell with our pre-written fate.
00:30Since we can't escape an alliance marriage, then we might as well take the wheel and smash this city's underground
00:35order to pieces.
00:36At the Mafio family banquet, Gianna sat next to me.
00:39She wore a sharp, custom dark suit without a single extra piece of jewelry, except for the faint firm outline
00:45of a gun holster at her hip.
00:47She cut a strike figure against the sea of glittering socialites.
00:50I stole a glance at Gianna, only for my eyes to crash right into hers as she turned around.
00:54Arch nemes meeting again.
00:56Tension crackled between us instantly, sharp with old entity.
01:00However, the next second, I heard Gianna mutter in an extremely faint voice,
01:04Freaking weird.
01:05Why is Liliana that goody two shits sitting there so quiet?
01:08At this point in my last life, shouldn't she be out there showing off and flirting with men?
01:13The champagne glass in my hand almost hit the floor.
01:15She was reborn too?
01:17An untrollable excitement surged in my heart.
01:20We had fought from childhood into two past lives, destroying each other to the death, and neither of us got
01:24anything out of it.
01:25If we were both reborn, didn't that mean we could team up?
01:28Before I could speak, Olivia, the current godther, suddenly had a whim.
01:32Gianna, I heard you just got back from the border.
01:34Can you tell us what you saw over there?
01:36Of course.
01:37Standing tall with wild, proud eyes, she casually started talking about border freight routes and an underground fight rules without
01:43holding anything back.
01:45She commanded the room, sharp and assured as she spoke, turning a fancy society gala into nothing short of a
01:50prelude to a mafia power play.
01:51The entire audience of guests was stunned by her ruthless energy and wildness.
01:56Sitting in the shadows, watching her rayon, unstoppable look, I felt strangely warm inside.
02:01If she were a man, I wouldn't even have to worry.
02:03I'd just marry her and save myself two lifetimes of picking the wrong guy.
02:07Amused by my own thought, my shoulders shook slightly.
02:10As Gianna passed by my side, her steps paused abruptly.
02:13She probably thought I was hiding and fake crying to play the victim again.
02:17Gianna, you were badass tonight.
02:18Gianna froze, and even the tips of her ears flushed an odd pink.
02:22She glared at me guardingly.
02:23Did you hit your head or something?
02:25You're being so weird.
02:28When the party ended, I slowed my steps on purpose and called out to her.
02:32Gianna, wait.
02:35Liliana, stop talking in that sickly sweet forced voice.
02:38It makes me sick.
02:41You dropped your stuff.
02:43My clyingly sweet tone made Gianna break out in goosebumps.
02:45Right then, a figure holding a wine glock toward us.
02:49It was Marco Conti, heir to the Conto family and my husband from my second life.
02:53He walked over with an arrogant, self-assured smirk at Gianna, clearly looking to hit on her.
02:58He never let a pretty woman go.
02:59I nervously clutched the hand chip.
03:01The moment Gianna saw Marco, she looked at him like he was the plague.
03:05Without a word, she took off at a full sprint, vanishing like a shadow, leaving that arrogant
03:10Aaron completely stranded on the spot.
03:12I let out a breath of relief.
03:13Typical Gianna, nothing in her heart but knives, guns, and clubs, never giving any man a good
03:18look.
03:19I looked in the direction Gianna left, making up my mind.
03:22Since both our fates were being used as bargain crimes by our families, then we might as well
03:26rewrite the rules of this game ourselves.
03:29That night, I went back to my private apartment and reviewed my memories from both past lives.
03:34In my first life, my family married me off to Ethan Hale, the young master of the Hale
03:39family, just to secure business ties with the Hale family.
03:43After the wedding, his snobbish, vicious mother dumped strict rules on me every day, wearing
03:48me down with mental abuse.
03:49Ethan stonewalled me and gave me the silent treatment at home while spending his nights
03:54out partying.
03:55I was kept like a pretty ornament in a mansion, dying of depression before I even hit 40.
04:00In that life, Gianna was forced by the Conti family to marry Leo, the unfavored second son.
04:06On their wedding day, Leo was ambushed by a rival faction, shot, and died in the hospital
04:13a few days later.
04:14Gianna was branded a black widow, completely cast aside by her family, living out her days
04:19in rumors.
04:21Back then, the neighborhoods we lived in were just one street apart.
04:24Every time we met, we threw insults at each other.
04:26In the end, neither of us was better off.
04:29We were both trapped by fate.
04:31In my second life, I got smart.
04:34I used every trick to get close to Marco Conti and married him, wanting to use the power of
04:39a top mafia family to crush the Hale family.
04:42But Marco was nothing more than an incompetent, short-sighted idiot.
04:46He turned the family into a toxic mess and triggered a massive internal war.
04:51Gianna's plan to run away failed too.
04:52She was dragged back by the Rizzo family, locked up in the Conto Manor, and became a
04:57widow all over again.
04:59We ended up under the same roof, fighting each other.
05:01In the end, a gang war broke out, and we were both killed in a storm of stray bullets.
05:06Three days ago, I returned to age 20 again.
05:09I finally understood.
05:10We were just characters in a novel, which was why we kept walking the exact same path.
05:15But this time, I will absolutely not follow the script.
05:17I was going to find Gianna and make a deal to flip our fates upside down.
05:21I went down to my father's vault and picked out a limited-edition tactical pocket pistol,
05:26then tracked down Gianna.
05:27She thought I was crazy.
05:29I don't care who you are.
05:31Get the hell out of Liliana's body.
05:33By the time the Rissos rushed over, two muscular female bodyguards were pinning me down on the
05:38sofa.
05:39Gianna was holding a syringe of sedative, about to inject it into my arm.
05:43Gianna, you dare inject me?
05:45And I'll sell every weapon you hid behind the mountain.
05:48You dare?
05:50Try me and see if I dare.
05:52Now that sounds like you.
05:55The Liliana I know was never this submissive.
05:57I have stuff to do.
05:58No time to play around with you.
05:59I rubbed my bruised, regined wrists.
06:02Ungrateful woman.
06:04When you're free, let's meet up.
06:08I have something important to tell you.
06:10I didn't get a text from Gianna about her free time.
06:12Instead, I got an invitation from Mrs. Howell first.
06:15July 3rd, the Howell family was throwing a lavish salon at their private golf club.
06:21I looked at the seating chart, and I was placed right next to Gianna again, cold as ice like
06:25a hitman all day.
06:27Sitting next to her, I don't even know if I'll freeze to death.
06:30Don't flatter yourself.
06:32Who wants to talk to you, crybaby?
06:33I swore secretly that if it weren't for my plan, I would never give Gianna a single good look.
06:38This salon was secretly a match-o-match event for Ethan.
06:42I had zero interest in Ethan now, wishing I could stuff myself into a crack in the floor
06:46to lower my presence to the absolute minimum.
06:48Somehow, Ethan walked over to my side.
06:51He said self-impartionally,
06:52My mother is hosting today, Liliana.
06:55Be sensible and don't wander off.
06:57Stop throwing tantrums and making a fool out of us.
06:59In the original script, Liliana, daughter of the Voss family, had been Ethan's little
07:03follower since childhood, refusing to marry anyone but him, throwing life-or-death tantrums
07:08if he didn't agree.
07:09In his eyes, I had always been a spoiled, rude, clingy ornament.
07:13We had better keep a social distance.
07:15Liliana, you've changed.
07:17I knew that look.
07:17In my last life, when I turned around and married Marco instead, he had looked at me
07:21with that exact same disbelief.
07:23Mrs. Hal saw Ethan talking to me, and her face changed.
07:27She joked mockingly with the other noblewomens,
07:29Ethan is young and successful.
07:32I know he's very popular with young girls, but not just any girl is good enough to latch
07:37onto him.
07:38This was aimed straight at me.
07:39Whispers broke out around us instantly, and countless mocking glances landed on me.
07:44My knuckles turned slightly white around my coffee cup.
07:46I didn't say a word.
07:47I wasn't going to have anything to do with the Hal family this life anyway, and I didn't
07:51want to waste energy on them.
07:53Gianna suddenly stepped right in front of me.
07:55Who is Mrs. Hale saying that for?
07:57Ethan's standards are high indeed.
08:00Three months ago, he got drunk at an underground bar.
08:02He hugged a roadside fire hydrant and kept calling it Mommy.
08:06Ordinary people really can't compete with that.
08:08The whole crowd burst into laughter.
08:10Mrs. Hale turned red, shaking with rage.
08:14Take a look in the mirror more often.
08:16Lillianna would love to put an ocean between herself and Ethan.
08:19I don't know who was shameless enough to walk over and start talking first.
08:22My eyes felt a little warm.
08:25Gianna?
08:26Call me like that again, and I swear I'm putting centipedes in your room.
08:29So you think you're the only one allowed to bully me?
08:32You are completely crazy.
08:34Ethan must have had a screw loosed, but he actually came to my father on his own initiative
08:38to propose an alliance marriage.
08:40I actively avoided the plot.
08:42I didn't chase after Ethan anymore.
08:44Was I still unable to escape marrying Ethan?
08:47Tossing and turning, I snuck out to the small chapel on the hillside,
08:51wanting to pray for a bolt of lightning to strike down that cold, toxic mother and son.
08:55The moment I stepped onto the chapel steps, I heard a sound from the back hallway.
09:00Gianna was sitting on a wooden bench, messily wiping down her gun.
09:03I don't want to marry some rich young master.
09:07I want to go back to the overseas war zone.
09:10I want to drive armored vehicles again.
09:13Why force me into an alliance?
09:15Why can't a woman lead an armed force?
09:17I hid behind a pillar, a tight ache settled in my chest.
09:20I used to Gianna, thinking she was too bright,
09:23stealing all the attention that should have been mine.
09:25But after three lifetimes, all I wanted was to live freely.
09:29Gianna was much stronger than me.
09:31At least she always knew what she wanted.
09:32She wanted open fields, gunfire, and pure freedom.
09:36I didn't ask for much.
09:37Just a stable life, controlled by my own hands.
09:40In a world run by the mafia and old money elites,
09:43women who didn't marry off for alliance, discard like trash.
09:46Every single one of us, trapped by rules and greed, unable to control ourselves.
09:50Liliana?
09:53What kind of mind games are you trying to play in the middle of the night?
09:57Gianna, you came back with memories of both past lives too, right?
10:00Gianna's fingers tighten hard around the gun grip instantly.
10:03What do you want to say?
10:05Let's team up.
10:07This is what I've been wanting to tell you.
10:10Our weddings are set for the same day.
10:12When our convoys pass 10th Avenue, both routes cross a quiet coastal bypass with no cameras.
10:18The cars slow down side by side, hidden by the rest of the convoy.
10:22That's when we swap convoys.
10:24Swap?
10:25Yes.
10:26You take my place and marry Ethan Hale.
10:29You hate mafia rules and internal power struggles.
10:32With the Ricco family's firepower and your combat skills,
10:35the Hales won't be able to control you.
10:37And me?
10:38I understand political strategy.
10:40I'm good at political chess.
10:42I fit the Kanto family far better.
10:44Marrying Leo is better than suffering under the Hales or watching Marco destroy the family.
10:48Us joining forces is better than getting killed in a hay of stray bullets again.
10:52After a long pause, a ruthless and wild smile pulled at the corner of her lips.
10:58Looks like you can do more than just cry.
11:01Deal.
11:02On the wedding day, luxury cars lined the streets.
11:05Black-suited bodyguards locked down the entire block.
11:08I had one last thing to do.
11:10I took a deep breath and made a call.
11:12Leo, if you don't want your wedding to turn into a funeral, don't take your planned route.
11:16Who are you?
11:17Wait!
11:17Wait!
11:18I hung up, adjusted the full veil I'd had made to hide my face,
11:22and got into the wedding car.
11:23According to our precise plan,
11:25when we passed that sparsely populated coastal bypass on 10th Avenue with no cameras,
11:30the two wedding cars slowed down side by side, hidden by the rest of the convoy.
11:34The doors opened.
11:35Gianna and I swapped positions rapidly.
11:37I sat in the black bulletproof SUV, headed for the Conti family, my palms sweating slightly.
11:42This was the first time across three lifetimes that I chose a path with my own will.
11:46At the Conti family estate, the wedding was a very low-key affair.
11:50A hand with distinct knuckles reached in, its palm cool, its fingertips resting against my wrist.
11:56It was Leo.
11:57I let out a quiet breath of relief.
11:58He was alive.
12:00Vows, exchanging rings, receiving blessings from the Godfather and the guests.
12:05The entire ceremony went extremely smoothly, without anyone noticing the bride had been swapped.
12:11Wearing my heavy white veil, I kept my head down.
12:15All I could see was the luxurious carpet and the sharp hem of Leo's tailored suit towners on the other
12:21side.
12:21The wedding at the Hale estate was far more lavish and lively.
12:25The Hale family thought they were marrying the submissive, easy-to-control daughter of the Voss family and hosted a
12:31grand reception in high spirits.
12:34Wearing her white veil, Gianna uncharacteristically maintained elegance the entire time, without revealing a single flaw.
12:40Both weddings concluded at the exact same minute, according to the strictest ironclad rule in the mafia and high society
12:47circles.
12:48Once the wedding is held, witnessed by all guests, and vows are spoken, it is set in stone.
12:54Even if both families found out, the brides were swapped later, for the sake of their family's pride and reputation,
13:02they would never dare publicly clarify it.
13:05Otherwise, they would become the laughingstock of the entire underground world.
13:09After the wedding ended, I was sent into the second son's bridal suite at the Conti estate.
13:15I sat properly on the edge of the luxurious bed, waiting quietly.
13:20Outside, steady footsteps approached from far to near.
13:23The door was pushed open, and Leo, the second son of the Conti family, walked in.
13:28He wore a sleek, pitch-black bespoke suit, his face clean and handsome, yet carrying a coldness and exhaustions from
13:35hiding in the dark all year round.
13:37Leo walked slowly to the front of the bed, and the second he saw my face clearly, his pupils shrunk
13:44violently.
13:44How is it you? Didn't I marry Gianna from the Risso family? Aren't you supposed to marry Ethan Hale?
13:52Leo calmed down extremely fast.
13:54What on earth is going on? Where is Gianna? What did you do behind my back?
14:00I sat calmly by the bed.
14:03Leo, calm down. The wedding is over, and everyone witnessed your wedding with their own eyes.
14:08Saying the bride was wrong now will only turn the Conto family into a laughingstock in the circle.
14:13For your already difficult situation in the family, it would be a destructive blow.
14:19Leo's face darkened instantly.
14:21Looking at his deep and guarded eyes, I leant forward slightly.
14:25Leo, didn't you recognize my voice?
14:27It was you. How did you know there was an ambush on that road? Who are you really?
14:32I am your wife.
14:33I laid out my bargaining chips word by word.
14:37Gianna is fierce and only knows guns and violence.
14:39She has no heart for political scheming, and she can't help you balance Marco, let alone help you inherit the
14:46Godfather seat.
14:47But I can. I certainly could.
14:50In my last life, I married Marco and witnessed all his baseness and incompetence with my own eyes.
14:56I knew far too well what kind of trash he was.
15:00Every day, he bragged to the Godfather about controlling the underground order.
15:04But all his business plans and hits were dreamed up by a handful of smugglers in his crew.
15:09He stole others' hard work and threatened his subordinate's families at every turn,
15:14resorting to dirty tricks and nursing petty grudges.
15:17If such a useless person took over the Conti family, it would be a total disaster for the whole circle.
15:22Marrying you wasn't on a whim.
15:24I'll help you pull down Marco and sit firmly in the Godfather seat.
15:28You give me power, stability, and worry-free honor.
15:33As for Ethan Hale, if he doesn't want to live comfortably, there are uncomfortable things waiting for him.
15:39Leo knitted his brows and stared at me.
15:41He had probably never seen a woman like me, talking zero romance on her wedding night, every sentence a calculation.
15:49Marco has a powerful maternal family backing him, and father favors him.
15:53As for me, I can't even protect the few men my mother left behind.
15:57I've dodged more bullets than eaten hot meals over these years.
16:01Liliana, you're a smart woman, betting on someone who could die at any moment.
16:04What on earth do you want?
16:06Marco is an idiot.
16:08Handing the family to him, everyone will be finished within a few years.
16:11Although you have no power or influence, your mind is clear enough.
16:15I am making a deal with you.
16:17I help you sit in the Godfather seat, and you guarantee I get the power and freedom I want.
16:22Leo stared at me for a long moment, then gave a slight, wordless nod.
16:29Tonight was an accident. I'll take the couch.
16:32At dawn the next morning, the housekeeper knocked urgently on the master bedroom door.
16:37Leo, Mr. Ethan Hale is blocking the reception room with his men.
16:41He insists on seeing you and Miss Liliana.
16:44What was bound to come had finally arrived.
16:46Liliana Voss, are you deliberately playing me?
16:50My father was already preparing to go to your house to sign the post-marriage alliance agreement.
16:55And you pull a stunt like this on me?
16:57Who gave you the nerve to swap yourself out?
17:00Before both families officially announce the details to the media, come back with me now.
17:06For old times' sake, I can choose not to hold this against you.
17:11In his mind, I was still that same Liliana who revolved around him, refusing to marry anyone else.
17:18Him getting the Hale family to nod to the marriage had been the ultimate favor in his eyes.
17:23I should have been waiting to sign the papers on my knees in gratitude.
17:27Ethan had always been high and mighty, never understanding what it meant to cherish anything.
17:31Now that I had turned around and married the second son of the Conti family,
17:35he undoubtedly thought this was just another one of my cheap tricks to get his attention.
17:40Ethan, are you out of your mind?
17:41The wedding vows were spoken before the priest and the godfathers of both families.
17:46The legal documents are signed, and the whole city witnessed it.
17:50A convoy mix-up outside the chapel was merely a little joke played by God.
17:55How could a woman like me have the power to pull off a stunt like that
17:59right under the noses of the mafia and the high society elites?
18:03Instead of coming here to demand an explanation from me,
18:07you'd better think about how you're going to face the Rizzo family when you get back.
18:10Look, Gianna's got an explosive temper.
18:13She's not some delicate flower your family can push around.
18:17A flicker of panic crossed Ethan's eyes.
18:19Last night, when he entered the bridal suite expecting me,
18:23only to find Gianna sitting on the bed, calmly playing with a handgun,
18:27he had been completely stunned.
18:29The Hale estate was probably in total chaos by now.
18:32Back when my father made concessions on contracts again and again
18:36just to secure a commercial alliance with you,
18:38you always complained that I was soft, weak, and useless,
18:43standing by while you and your mother mocked me.
18:45Now you've gotten your wish and married the heiress of the Rizzo family.
18:49Shouldn't you be thrilled?
18:50Why come here and bother a woman who's already married into the mafia?
18:54Ethan was left speechless, his face flushing bright red.
18:57In the end, he could only glare at me with bitter hatred
19:00before storming off with his bodyguards in humiliation.
19:03I watched his departing figure, my heart utterly devoid of emotion.
19:08The absurd entangments that had bound me across two past lives
19:12had finally come to a complete close.
19:15I knew better than anyone that to gain a foothold in a mafia family,
19:19the loyalty of the staff was the only true foundation.
19:22Ever since I moved into the estate as Leo's wife,
19:25I treated the servants fairly and justly,
19:28rewarding merit, punishing mistakes,
19:31without a single drop of snobbish heiress attitude.
19:33In less than two days, the housekeeper, the maids,
19:37and even the entire security detail were thoroughly won over by me.
19:41Only Leo remained silent and cold every day,
19:43keeping a distant and restrained distance from me.
19:46I wasn't in any rush.
19:48Manipulating men was what I did best.
19:50I refused to believe Leo could play the chaste saint forever,
19:53sleeping on a separate couch while living under the same roof with a beauty like me.
19:58On the third night, I hardened my heart,
20:00picked up the bedding Lee had spread on the sofa,
20:02and threw it right back onto the master bed.
20:05When he finished processing gang intelligence and opened the door to sleep,
20:09I was leaning against the doorframe in a daringly cut, thin silk nightgown,
20:14blocking his path.
20:15Gianna and I have already swapped.
20:17You are my rightful husband now.
20:19Now, sleeping on the couch every night,
20:21won't people like Marco mock you if word gets out?
20:24Don't be so distant.
20:26No wonder Gianna always complained about my delicate act.
20:29Even I felt goosebumps on my arms performing it.
20:32Leo's usually stern, cold-faced, flushed furson
20:35from his neck all the way to the tips of his ears,
20:37looking like a boiled lobster.
20:40Marco's informants are everywhere in the estate.
20:44Restrain yourself.
20:46Once I secure my own independent properties in a state,
20:49you can mess around all you want.
20:50With that, he sidestepped me, nimble as a cat,
20:54and swiftly dragged his bedring right back to the sofa.
20:57So he was the chaste, self-restrained type.
21:00No wonder even a proud girl like Gianna
21:02couldn't escape being dragged into his fate across two past lives.
21:06Teasing a man who appeared so serious and stoic on the surface
21:09was surprisingly satisfying.
21:12Liliana Voss, get your ass out here.
21:14A loud shout abruptly jolted me from my sleep.
21:17Gianna burst into the bedroom like a storm,
21:19her combat boots thumping against the carpet.
21:22The way she marched in made me feel
21:24like she was carrying an assault rifle to blow me to pieces.
21:27Panicked, I tried to scramble under the bed,
21:29but Gianna reached out and hauled me out like a rag doll.
21:33Gianna, I haven't crossed you lately, have I?
21:36If you're going to shoot me,
21:39at least let me wake up first, okay?
21:41After all, swapping marriages was my idea.
21:44If she was suffering under the hails
21:46and came to hold me accountable, it was only natural.
21:49But the next second, as Gianna looked at me,
21:52her eyes actually turned slightly red.
21:55Liliana, how the hell did you survive 20 years
21:57in a hellhole like the Hale Estate in your first life?
22:00What?
22:01Gianna recounted everything that had happened
22:03at the Hale Mansion.
22:04On the second day of the marriage,
22:06Mrs. Hale couldn't wait to establish her authority
22:08over her new daughter-in-law,
22:10ordering her to get up at five every morning
22:12to prepare breakfast and dine with her,
22:14not a single minute late.
22:16Gianna was used to the wild freedom of war zones.
22:19How could she tolerate such suffocating high society rules?
22:22She simply slept until noon every day,
22:25letting the old woman smash tea papes in anger
22:27in the main living room without even batting an eye.
22:30Ethan spent his days hiding at his company to avoid the drama,
22:33completely ignoring the household conflict,
22:36and letting his mother and his new wife stay at a standstill.
22:39Until yesterday, when Gianna strolled downstairs at her leisure,
22:43Mrs. Hale completely lost her mind.
22:45She summoned the bodyguards,
22:46brought out a wooden cane used to discipline servants,
22:50and demanded that Gianna kneel in the hallway
22:52to recite the Hale family rules,
22:55promising to obey them from then on.
22:57Gianna wasn't about to take that abuse.
22:59With a single gunshot,
23:00she blew the dining table into splitters.
23:02Mrs. Hale had never seen such a violent mafia display in her life
23:06and fainted on the spot.
23:07The house full of housekeepers and servants shook with fear,
23:10not a single one daring to step forward.
23:12In just a few days,
23:13Gianna single-handedly brought the entire Hale family
23:16into submission through sheer firepower.
23:18Mrs. Hale had thought she was marrying in
23:20a weak, easily bullied girl like me,
23:23thinking she could put on grand-grother-in-law ours.
23:25She never expected an armed hitwoman
23:27to walk through the front door instead.
23:29No matter how rich the Hale family was,
23:32they feared the arms and firepower backing the Risso family,
23:35leaving them no choice but to swallow this bitter pile.
23:38I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
23:40A mafia force dealing with a toxic high-society woman,
23:43it worked every single time.
23:45The Hale family rules are suffocating and tedious.
23:49That old woman is vile,
23:50and Ethan is a cold-blooded ghost.
23:53Liliana, you were locked in that hellhole
23:55for 20 years in your first life,
23:57with no status, no child,
24:00getting degraded every single day.
24:03How on earth did you endure it?
24:05Gianna usually navigated gunfire
24:07without showing a trace of fear,
24:09but now her eyes were blood shock,
24:11every word brimming with indignity on my behalf.
24:13A sudden wave of emotion choked up my chest,
24:16leaving me unable to speak.
24:18Across two past lives,
24:19we had fought to the death,
24:21and the outside world believed
24:22we were bitter enemies.
24:24Yet now,
24:25the person who understood
24:26how much I had suffered back then,
24:28and who felt the most outrage for me,
24:30was actually her.
24:31It's all in the past.
24:32Coming up with a swap
24:33was at least proof you have a brain.
24:35The Hale family can't trap me anyway.
24:37If you get mistreated,
24:39here in the Kanto family,
24:41just come tell me,
24:42and I'll bring my crew
24:43to smash all his turf to pieces.
24:47Good grief,
24:48this wasn't an arch-nemesis at all.
24:49This was my absolute strongest ally.
24:51I was deeply moved for a long time,
24:54but very soon I hit a new problem.
24:56I suspected my current husband
24:58had performance issues.
25:00Yes,
25:01erectile dysfunction.
25:02We had been married for two whole months,
25:04and Leo hadn't touched
25:05a single finger of mine.
25:07In my second life,
25:08Marco didn't touch me
25:09because he was out sleeping with starlets,
25:11but Leo stayed in the estate
25:13every single day,
25:14without even a female assistant around him.
25:17Every morning,
25:18he processed accounts
25:19and intelligence in the study,
25:21sitting there all day long.
25:23When bedtime came,
25:25he either turned off the lights
25:26to wash up in the dark
25:27or closed his eyes,
25:29lying down as if I were invisible.
25:31If he were a normal young man,
25:33how could he have zero reaction
25:34facing a woman like me?
25:36I walked around in front of him
25:38in sheer nightgowns every day.
25:40Could he really be a saint?
25:42I looked down at myself.
25:43My figure was definitely top-true,
25:45so the problem certainly wasn't on my end.
25:47He definitely couldn't get it up.
25:49I had to test him properly.
25:51To figure out the truth,
25:53I used my channels
25:54to acquire various rare
25:56and expensive tonic herbs,
25:57personally cooking
25:58a concentrated,
25:59musicional soup
26:00and bringing it to Leo.
26:01He was staring at an arm-smiggling manifest
26:04at the time,
26:05completely off guard.
26:06He picked up the bowl
26:07and drank most of it
26:08in one gusp,
26:09before realizing
26:10something was wrong.
26:12What did you put in this?
26:14It tastes so strong.
26:16I put on an innocent act.
26:18Tonics I found for you.
26:20I heard they have miraculous effects
26:22on a man's performance down there.
26:25Leo instantly clamped a hand
26:26over my mouth,
26:28preventing me from saying another word.
26:30That night,
26:31he still didn't sleep in the master bed.
26:33According to the bodyguards,
26:35the second son spent the second half
26:36of the night
26:37taking a freezing cold shower
26:38in the bathroom.
26:40For the first time,
26:41I felt a sense of defeat
26:42from someone other than Gianna.
26:44Leo would rather take cold showers
26:46all night than touch me.
26:48It seemed the person
26:49he truly cared about in his heart
26:50was still Gianna.
26:52Aggrieved to the extreme,
26:54I printed a divorce agreement
26:55on the spot,
26:56slapped it onto the desk
26:57the next morning,
26:58grabbed my suitcase,
27:00and went back to my family's estate.
27:02As luck would have it,
27:04Gianna was returning too,
27:05and the two of us
27:06ran right into each other
27:07at the neighborhood gate.
27:08My heart was suffocating with anger,
27:10and seeing her
27:11made me even angrier.
27:13I gave Gianna a sharp glare.
27:14The last person
27:15I want to see right now
27:17is you.
27:19With that,
27:20I slammed our front door
27:21shut behind me.
27:23Hey, princess!
27:24How on earth
27:25did I offend you
27:26this time?
27:27I turned a deaf ear,
27:29rushing into my bedroom
27:30to cry my eyes out.
27:32After crying
27:33for who knows how long,
27:34I drifted off to sleep
27:36on the bed.
27:37In the middle of the night,
27:38I felt a wave of warmth
27:39beside me
27:40and reached out instinctively.
27:42I gasped in surprise,
27:44opening my eyes
27:45only to see
27:45Gianna pinned underneath me.
27:48You looked off this afternoon,
27:50so I climbed over the wall
27:51to see what kind of joke
27:52you were making of yourself now.
27:54Still angry at Leo,
27:55I pulled the blanket
27:56around myself.
27:57None of your business.
27:59I don't need you.
28:00Laughing at me,
28:01Mrs. Hale never stops.
28:02She insisted I wasn't
28:03dutiful enough
28:04and wanted to assign
28:05two young,
28:06pretty female secretaries
28:07to Ethan as companions.
28:09I originally had
28:10no objections.
28:11I'm returning to the war zone
28:13in two years anyway,
28:14so if he wants a divorce,
28:16all the better.
28:17Assign them if she wants.
28:18I don't care to fight
28:19over a man with them.
28:20Who knew those two women
28:21once inside the mansion
28:23didn't go tempt Ethan?
28:24Instead,
28:25they picked my lock
28:26in the middle of the night
28:27and tried to climb
28:28into my bed.
28:29They said following Ethan
28:30meant being tormented
28:31to death
28:32by the old woman
28:33sooner or later,
28:33so they'd rather be
28:34my female bodyguards.
28:36At least they wouldn't
28:37have to suffer
28:37those suffocating rules.
28:39Gianna,
28:40I'm willing
28:41to be your female
28:43subordinate too.
28:45Get lost.
28:47What are you jumping in for?
28:49If you were a man,
28:50I would have married you
28:51long ago.
28:52Back then,
28:52I only picked fights with you
28:53so you'd look at me more.
28:54Gianna shivered
28:55in disgust from my words.
28:57Of course I was joking.
28:58I wasn't crazy enough
29:00to drag Gianna
29:01into being hunted
29:01by both families.
29:03I asked her why
29:04she was visiting
29:04her parents' place
29:05and the reason
29:06almost made me
29:07choke with laughter.
29:08Turns out she looked up
29:09those two girls' files,
29:11gave them a sum of money,
29:12and set them free
29:13from the Hale family
29:14to live their own lives.
29:16Who knew Mrs. Hale
29:17still wouldn't stop
29:18turning around
29:19to throw a tantrum
29:20at Ethan,
29:21forcing him
29:22to get a divorce.
29:23Ethan was about
29:23to take over
29:24the core family businesses.
29:25How could he break ties
29:26with the Rizzo family
29:27and their mafia background
29:28at a crucial moment
29:29like this?
29:29If they fell out,
29:31not only would their
29:31mafia protection vanish,
29:33but their commercial network
29:34would collapse instantly.
29:36After discussing
29:36with old Mr. Hale,
29:38Ethan temporarily placed
29:39his confused mother
29:41under house arrest
29:42in a suburban sanitarium.
29:44Old Mr. Hale
29:45had been strictly managed
29:46by Mrs. Hale for years,
29:47living a miserable life.
29:49How could Gianna miss
29:50such a perfect chance
29:51to strike back?
29:52On the day of Ethan's
29:53takeover celebration banquet,
29:55Gianna droolily hired
29:56two hot,
29:56suchry women
29:57and sent them
29:57into old Mr. Hale's
29:58private villa.
29:59Old man,
30:00getting a taste of youth
30:01late in life,
30:02was delighted
30:03every single day.
30:04Mrs. Hale couldn't even
30:05take care of herself,
30:07running back and forth
30:08between the sanatorium
30:09and the villa
30:10in a frenzy,
30:11no longer having the energy
30:12to cause trouble
30:13for Gianna.
30:14Ethan was caught
30:15in the middle
30:15and the Hale mansion
30:16descended into
30:17utter chaos.
30:19I just wanted
30:20to applaud.
30:21Why didn't you teach me?
30:22Such an effective move
30:23earlier.
30:25I suffered
30:26twenty years
30:28under that old woman
30:29for nothing.
30:30In my first life.
30:32When daylight broke,
30:33I had slept peacefully
30:34beside Gianna,
30:35completely unaware
30:36of when two men
30:37had entered the room.
30:38Leo and Ethan
30:39stood at the bedroom door
30:40looking at each other,
30:41staring at Gianna
30:42and me lying together,
30:43their faces so dark
30:45they looked ready to kill.
30:46We really didn't do anything.
30:48Gianna covered her face
30:49and sat to the side,
30:51explaining,
30:52completely waking me up.
30:53By the time
30:54I was fully awake,
30:55I had already been stuffed
30:57into the black
30:58bulletproof car,
30:59headed back
31:00to the Conti estate
31:01by Leo.
31:02Leo kept a dark face
31:03the entire way.
31:05Before I could explain,
31:06he suddenly leaned over,
31:08pressing me down
31:08and kissing my lips fiercely,
31:10depriving me of breath.
31:12My mind went blank
31:13from the kiss,
31:14completely forgetting
31:15that I was still mad
31:16about his ineffectiveness.
31:19I will never sign
31:20the divorce agreement.
31:22Don't even think about it.
31:24Leo's voice was gruff
31:25and raspy,
31:26his eyes filled
31:27with unhidden possessiveness.
31:28I nodded mindlessly
31:30in agreement,
31:31only realizing
31:31what had happened
31:32a moment later.
31:33Panicked,
31:34I pushed Leo away,
31:35touching my swollen lips,
31:37my cheeks burning like fire.
31:39Thinking I hadn't
31:40taken it in,
31:41Leo cupped the back
31:41of my neck end,
31:42repeating the process
31:43from a moment ago
31:44with practical action.
31:46Completely out of oxygen,
31:47I slumped in his arms,
31:48panting.
31:49What did you just say?
31:52I don't agree to a divorce.
31:56Don't think about
31:57shaking me off
31:58in this lifetime.
31:59It was my excessive
32:00restraint before
32:01that made you misunderstand.
32:03Giving you the idea
32:05to run off with
32:07another woman.
32:08Oh, run off
32:09with another woman.
32:10Gianna was my
32:12other woman?
32:14Before I had a second
32:15to think,
32:16Leo had already
32:17pushed me back
32:18onto the bed.
32:19After one night,
32:20I realized Leo
32:21was perfectly fine
32:22in that department.
32:23I finally began
32:25living sweet,
32:26harmonious days.
32:27The second son
32:28of the Conti family,
32:29who appeared so refined
32:30and scholarly,
32:31was like a completely
32:32different person in bed,
32:34beyond endurance.
32:35In between,
32:36I wanted to return
32:37to the Voss estate
32:38to rest for a few days.
32:40But before my foot
32:41even stepped out
32:41the front door,
32:42Leo scooped me up
32:44and carried me
32:44straight back
32:45to the bedroom.
32:47Liliana,
32:48oh Liliana,
32:49why did you go
32:50and provoke
32:50this quiet maniac?
32:54Darling,
32:56I really won't
32:59run anymore.
33:02It seems you don't like me
33:04acting too much
33:05as much of a gentleman.
33:06Leo whispered coldly
33:07against my ear,
33:08giving me zero chance
33:09to escape.
33:10I learned my lesson
33:11and I'd do it again
33:12next time.
33:13That day,
33:14supporting my sore waist
33:16in front of the estate's
33:16main billing,
33:17I was replanning
33:18my escape route
33:19when I ran right into Marco,
33:21who was visiting
33:22the Godfather.
33:23Liliana,
33:24Gianna was originally
33:24supposed to marry Leo.
33:27How did she end up
33:28married to Ethan
33:28by mistake?
33:30Mr. Marco,
33:32things just happen
33:33that way.
33:34That's reality.
33:35Marco naturally
33:36didn't believe my nonsense,
33:37but he couldn't produce
33:39any evidence either.
33:40To smoothly inherit
33:41the Godfather position,
33:43he dreamed of aligning
33:44with the Rizzo family,
33:45who controlled
33:46massive amounts of arms.
33:47When Gianna married
33:49Ethan instead,
33:50how could he accept it?
33:51I heard you used to hate
33:52Gianna to the bone.
33:54Are you truly content
33:55watching her marry Ethan,
33:57the man you loved most?
33:58Why wouldn't I be content?
34:00It was a completely
34:01mutual arrangement.
34:02Mr. Marco,
34:03you're overthinking.
34:04I was immature in the past.
34:05Now I am Leo's wife,
34:07and we are doing very well.
34:09You don't need to worry yourself.
34:11Damn it.
34:12I better not let Leo hear
34:13about my past with Ethan.
34:14My wife couldn't take
34:15any more punishment.
34:17Very well.
34:18I hope you stay this lucky.
34:19I instantly grew alert.
34:21Marco was a complete lunatic.
34:23Across two past lives,
34:25he had held a grudge
34:26over not getting Gianna.
34:27In this life,
34:29Gianna had similarly
34:30rejected his recruitment,
34:31marrying Ethan,
34:32who had business ties with him.
34:34Given his style,
34:35whatever he couldn't have,
34:36he would smash to pieces.
34:38I didn't dare delay,
34:39immediately having Leo
34:41assign men to secretly monitor
34:43Marco's every move.
34:45Unsurprisingly,
34:46three days later,
34:47Marco sent an invitation,
34:48asking everyone to a party
34:50at his private estate
34:51in the western suburbs.
34:52That estate was surrounded
34:54by high walls,
34:55with security personnel
34:56holding tactile firearms.
34:58Under the guise
34:58of a business gather day,
35:00Marco invited
35:00all the major underwear figures
35:02and elite representatives
35:03in the city.
35:04In the hall,
35:05music blasted from the speakers.
35:07Marco wore an expensive,
35:08bespoke suit,
35:09sitting the prime spot
35:11on leather sofa,
35:11smoking a cigar.
35:13If you didn't know
35:13his background,
35:14anyone would think
35:15he was a legitimate businessman.
35:17I stuck close to Guyana
35:18all night,
35:19my hand resting on the grip
35:20of the pistol in my pocket.
35:22Don't stand so close to me.
35:26The way Leo looks at me,
35:28he looks ready
35:28to blow my head off.
35:31Headshot or not,
35:32we haven't died just once.
35:34Dying at the hands of our own
35:36is better than dying
35:37mysteriously at Marco's hands.
35:39After several glasses
35:40of strong liquor,
35:41most guests in the hall
35:42were tipsy.
35:43The bodyguards at the door
35:44started gathering
35:44to smoke and play cards.
35:46Their guard,
35:46completely lowered.
35:48Just when I thought
35:49tonight would pass peacefully,
35:50a female server in uniform
35:52walked up to Guyana
35:54with a tray of drinks,
35:55saying her cousin
35:57from an overseas mercenary squad
35:59was in town
35:59and waiting to see her
36:01in the small wooden cabin
36:02in the backyard.
36:04Hearing this,
36:05Guyana's face
36:06darkened instantly.
36:07In my memory,
36:08Guyana indeed had a cousin
36:10far away in an overseas war zone,
36:12but the gang had a strict rule.
36:15Foreign mercenaries,
36:16could never step foot
36:17into this city
36:18without the godfather's
36:20personal written permission.
36:21I immediately realized
36:23it was a trap.
36:24Marco wanted to frame
36:25Guyana
36:25for secretly bringing in
36:27external armed forces,
36:29giving him a legitimate reason
36:31to eliminate her on the spot,
36:33ruining the entire
36:34Rizzo family
36:34in the process.
36:36Guyana instinctively
36:37turned to look at me.
36:39Under the table,
36:39I gave her palm
36:40a subtle squeeze.
36:42Sure.
36:43I haven't seen him
36:44in a long time either.
36:45Lead the way.
36:46The maid led Guyana
36:47toward the isolated cabin.
36:49I greeted Leo,
36:50took four top bodyguards
36:52with guns,
36:53and quietly followed
36:54from the back door.
36:56The door to the isolated cabin
36:58was slightly eye,
37:00the tall surrounding trees
37:01blocking the sunlight
37:02completely.
37:03Ma'am,
37:04your cousin
37:05is waiting inside.
37:06The coffee is getting cold.
37:07Just as Guyana
37:08was about to push
37:09the door open,
37:10a large hand
37:11reached out from inside
37:12to grab her arm.
37:13Elite bodyguards
37:14hidden in the woods
37:15surged forward,
37:17knocking the thug
37:18pretending to be
37:19the cousin down
37:19with a gunstock,
37:21snapping his wrist joint
37:22with a sharp crack.
37:23The maid turned pale
37:24with fright,
37:25turning to run,
37:26only to be blocked
37:27by the men I brought.
37:29You've got quite the nerve,
37:31attempting to murder
37:32the young Mrs. Hale
37:33and the eldest daughter
37:35of the Rizzo family.
37:36Tie this woman up.
37:37Ma'am,
37:38don't kill me!
37:39I was just taking money
37:40to do a job!
37:44To save his own skin,
37:45the thug immediately confessed
37:47Marco's instructions
37:48word for word,
37:49seeing that the scheme
37:50was completely exposed.
37:52The maid's eyes
37:53turned fierce,
37:54and she lunged at us
37:55with a knife,
37:56only to be shot dead
37:57on the spot
37:58by a bodyguard.
37:59Damn it.
38:01With her dead,
38:02we don't have
38:03direct physical evidence
38:04to prove Marco
38:05planned this.
38:06This maid was clearly
38:07a suicide operative
38:08trained by Marco.
38:09The only witness we had
38:11was this thug.
38:12Rushing to confront
38:13Marco now
38:14would only allow him
38:16to counter-accuse us
38:17of maliciously slandering
38:18the heir of the Canto family.
38:20Footsteps sounded
38:21in the distance.
38:22A few strolling guests
38:23were walking over.
38:24I quickly had the bodyguards
38:26gag the thug
38:27and stuff him into the trunk
38:28before anyone noticed.
38:30Marco led the group
38:31from front.
38:32His eyes aidening
38:33when he saw
38:33Gianna and me
38:34standing under
38:35the tree together.
38:36What are you two
38:37doing here?
38:37I immediately clutched
38:38my head
38:39and feigned
38:40dibbyness.
38:42Liliana drank
38:43too much
38:44and lost her temper
38:45with me again,
38:47insisting on coming
38:48out here
38:48to pick a fight
38:49with me.
38:50Gianna,
38:51just you wait.
38:51I am definitely
38:53settling this account
38:53with you later.
38:54Since Marco
38:55wanted to ruin
38:56Gianna's reputation,
38:57we would use
38:58his own tricks
38:59against him.
39:00Gianna's men
39:01fed the thug
39:01a silencing drug,
39:02dumped him back
39:03in the underground district.
39:05Taking advantage
39:06of this,
39:07I spread the word
39:07about Marco's
39:08petty actions
39:08over the years,
39:09secretly seizing
39:10gang assets
39:11and sending gunmen
39:12to eliminate
39:13his own brothers.
39:14Everyone assumed
39:15the thug was silenced
39:16because he knew
39:17Marco's secrets.
39:19To think Marco
39:20would do something
39:21so despicable.
39:22Fighting internally
39:23for personal desire,
39:25this man's vision
39:26is far too narrow.
39:27The mafia values
39:29rules and capability
39:30above all.
39:31Acting this recklessly,
39:33he isn't fit
39:34to inherit.
39:35The rumors
39:35quickly reached Marco
39:37and the old godfather,
39:38Viterio.
39:39Marco never imagined
39:40that the trap
39:41he meticulously set,
39:43far from harming
39:43a hair on Gianna's head,
39:45ended up plunging himself
39:46into a crisis of trust.
39:48These dark details
39:49were half true
39:50and half false.
39:51Once they truly enraged
39:52the old godfather,
39:54he would be
39:54completely finished.
39:55With no way
39:56to clear his name,
39:57Marco could only
39:58swallow his rage.
39:59In a fantastic mood,
40:01I sat on the estate balcony
40:02drinking black coffee,
40:04feeling completely at ease.
40:05Marco's reputation
40:07is collapsing.
40:08That was your doing.
40:11Wasn't it?
40:12As a prime successor,
40:13Marco failed to separate
40:15public and private matters.
40:16Completely unable
40:17to bear responsibility.
40:19I merely gave
40:20a gentle push,
40:22protecting Gianna
40:23while clearing
40:24the path ahead for you.
40:26Shouldn't you
40:27praise me?
40:29I knew full well
40:30that the step
40:30I took today
40:31officially placed me
40:32opposite Marco.
40:33This was a path
40:34of gang power stuffle
40:36with no retreat.
40:37If Leo had reservations
40:38in his heart,
40:39blaming me
40:40for acting too ruthlessly,
40:42I would have
40:43nothing to say.
40:44Leo looked deeply
40:45at me,
40:46his eyes filled
40:47with admiration.
40:49You have a
40:50meticulous mind,
40:51sharper than many
40:52of my rivals.
40:54This was the first time
40:55he had praised me
40:56from the bottom
40:58of his heart.
41:04Then kiss me.
41:06Consider it my reward.
41:10I calculated
41:12every step,
41:13navigating carefully,
41:15never seeking
41:16a man's sweet words.
41:17I simply wanted
41:18to stand firm
41:19step by step,
41:21carving out
41:22a brand new
41:23path of life
41:23that belonged to us.
41:25Leo was now willing
41:27to consult me
41:27on everything,
41:29actively bringing
41:30gang internal affairs
41:31and underground
41:32smiggling accounts
41:33for me to review.
41:34The disguises
41:35and acts
41:35I used to rely on
41:36were gradually
41:37rendered useless.
41:39Playing weak before
41:41was to make him
41:41lower his guard.
41:43Now that his heart
41:44was moved,
41:45acting would only
41:46seem forced.
41:47At night under the lamp,
41:48I verified the accounts
41:50of port shipping
41:51under the gang.
41:52Leo should have been
41:53in the study
41:54handling intelligence,
41:55yet he insisted
41:56on lingering
41:57in my bedroom.
41:58You have official
41:59business to handle.
42:01No need to keep
42:02me company here.
42:04Gang affairs
42:05can be handled
42:06any time,
42:07but time spent
42:08with my Liliana
42:08is limited.
42:09My hand trembled,
42:10ink smudging the paper.
42:12Only then did I realize
42:13just how disgusting
42:14I sounded back when.
42:15I coosed Gianna
42:16in that fake,
42:17sugary tone.
42:18Liliana,
42:18I am your husband.
42:20In front of me,
42:21you don't need
42:21to put on an act.
42:22Don't copy me.
42:23A layer of goosebumps
42:24rose across my body.
42:25In the blink of an eye,
42:27Autumn arrived.
42:30Ma'am,
42:31news came from
42:31the Ritzo family.
42:34The young Mrs. Hale
42:35is pregnant,
42:36over two months along.
42:38Hearing the news,
42:39I felt both joy
42:40and shock.
42:41The joy was that
42:42Gianna had finally
42:43secured her footing
42:44in the Hale family
42:45with leverage.
42:46The shock was that
42:47I knew her personality
42:48too well.
42:49She loved gunfire
42:50and freedom
42:51and it was impossible
42:52for her to willingly
42:53stay locked
42:54in a luxury mansion,
42:55raising a child.
42:56A normal woman
42:57getting pregnant
42:58felt full of joy,
43:00but to her,
43:01this elite marriage
43:02felt more like
43:02a pair of shackles.
43:04This was definitely
43:04the calm before the storm.
43:06Gianna was bound
43:07to pull off
43:07something huge.
43:09Leo keenly noticed
43:10my distraction,
43:11reaching out
43:12to gently squeeze
43:13my fingertips.
43:13What are you
43:14thinking about?
43:16Nothing.
43:17Just feeling emotional
43:19after hearing
43:19Gianna is pregnant.
43:20It feels like
43:21everyone is putting
43:22on an act
43:23in this high society drama.
43:24If fate hadn't changed,
43:26we would still be
43:26following the damn script
43:27of our past two lives.
43:29Me dying in the Hale family,
43:30Gianna dying
43:31in a hail of stray bolts.
43:32Fortunately,
43:33we woke up,
43:34taking control
43:34of our own destinies
43:35once more,
43:36no longer living
43:37as anyone else's backdrop.
43:39By late autumn,
43:40the internal situation
43:41of the Conti family
43:41reached the brink
43:42of explosion.
43:43The gang may attain
43:44solid evidence
43:45accusing Marco
43:45of secretly using
43:46dark web channels
43:47to smuggle
43:48and embezzling accounts
43:49from arms deals.
43:51The old godfather,
43:52Vittorio,
43:53was completely disappointed
43:54in him,
43:55freezing all his
43:55overseas accounts
43:56and stripping his command
43:58over the family's
43:59direct strike force.
44:00Marco was driven
44:01to a dead end.
44:02To seize back power,
44:03he decided to make
44:04one final gamble.
44:06He secretly mobilized
44:07peripheral mercenary forces,
44:08controlled by his
44:10mother's family,
44:10colluding with rival gangs,
44:12preparing to
44:12force the old godfather
44:14to abdicate through violence.
44:16Gianna and I
44:16had long been exchanging
44:17secret intelligence,
44:19keeping a close eye
44:20on Marco's movements
44:21at all times.
44:21What he didn't know
44:22was that his communications
44:24had long been tapped
44:25by me.
44:26I extracted his
44:27encrypted records
44:28of money transfers
44:29and mercenary deployments,
44:31handing them
44:31to the old godfather
44:32in advance.
44:34Gianna was even more
44:35direct and decisive.
44:36She personally met
44:37the leader of that
44:38mercenary squad,
44:39relying on the Ritzo
44:40family's prestige
44:41in the industry
44:42and double the breach
44:43of contract fee.
44:44Gianna secretly bought out
44:45control of the squad
44:46three hours before the coup.
44:48The two of us shared
44:49perfect hand to stand in,
44:51laying a trap,
44:52simply waiting for Marco
44:53to walk right in.
44:54Late at night,
44:55in the main hall
44:56of the Conta State,
44:57the routine meeting
44:58had just ended.
44:59The heavy bulletproof doors
45:00were suddenly blown open
45:01by tactical explosives.
45:03Wearing tactical body armor
45:04and holding an exalt rifle,
45:06Marco led over 20 armed gunmen
45:08surrounding the hall.
45:10Put your guns down!
45:12Old man, you're old!
45:14It's time to yield the seat!
45:15The elders fell into chaos,
45:17but Leo merely sat on the sofa,
45:19slowly swirling the whiskey glass
45:21in his hand.
45:22Gianna and I stood
45:22on the second floor balcony,
45:24looking down at the hall
45:25from above.
45:27Clear the room!
45:28Leave no one alive!
45:30However,
45:31deathly silence
45:32filled the hall.
45:33Not a single gunshot rang out.
45:35On the contrary,
45:36those heavy gunmen
45:37turned their muzzles
45:38in an instant,
45:39infrared lasers
45:39locking onto Marco's own chest
45:41and temples in Unanus.
45:42Mr. Marco,
45:43your contract was bought out
45:45by the Ritzo family
45:46three hours ago.
45:48Now,
45:49we answer to Mr. Leo.
45:51Marco froze completely
45:52on the spot,
45:53the fury on his face
45:54instantly turning
45:55to pale horror.
45:56The entire armed gang rebellion
45:58spittered out completely
45:59within seconds.
46:00The fruit peel Gianna spat out
46:01almost hit my face,
46:02and I silently moved
46:03half a step to the side.
46:05Unrefined woman,
46:05though I liked it.
46:08You two are in cahoots,
46:09laying a trap
46:10just to make a fool out of me!
46:12That's it?
46:13Pathetic.
46:14Not even as good
46:15as when I played in the snow
46:16with mercenaries
46:17in the war zone as a kid.
46:18Marco was completely stripped
46:19of his family name,
46:21dragged to a dark suburban basement
46:22for strict confinement,
46:24awaiting trial
46:25by the family court.
46:26The factional followers
46:27who once attached themselves
46:28to Marco
46:29were cleared out entirely,
46:30leaving the family refreshed.
46:32Marco's birth mother,
46:33Lucia,
46:34was stripped of all
46:35privileges and confined
46:36to a remote town.
46:37After this battle,
46:38the old godfather
46:39completely saw Leo's
46:40boldness and capability.
46:42With the support
46:43of godmother Olivia
46:44and the council of elders,
46:45Leo officially took over
46:46the godfather seat,
46:48controlling all the family's
46:49armed forces
46:50and underground businesses.
46:52As deep winter approached,
46:54Gianna's baby bunt
46:55grew increasingly noticeable.
46:56Upon learning this news,
46:58Mrs. Hale's attitude
46:59took a complete U-turn.
47:01She attached extreme importance
47:02to bloodline inheritance,
47:04arranging an entire
47:05private medical team
47:06and bodyguards
47:07to watch Gianna
47:0824 hours a day,
47:10trapping her in the mansion
47:11like a prisoner.
47:12Unable to stomach
47:13this suffocating surveillance,
47:15Gianna scaled a wall,
47:16ditching the bodyguards,
47:18and drove to the Conti estate
47:20late at night.
47:21Do you really plan
47:23to give birth to this child
47:24for the Hall family?
47:26Giving birth is merely
47:27a commercial investment.
47:29Ethan Hale is a pure businessman,
47:31and I have no interest
47:33in getting entangled
47:33with him emotionally.
47:36But I need a legal heir
47:38to legitimately take over
47:39one-third of the ports
47:40and shipping routes
47:41under the Hale family name.
47:42Once the old man dies,
47:44those assets will naturally
47:45transfer to my child's name.
47:47It's the cleanest way
47:48to absorb assets.
47:50Who says this is
47:51their Hale family's child?
47:52It's clearly
47:53my Riggo family's child.
47:55Keep the baby,
47:56dump the father,
47:57my Riggo family's
47:57legitimate line
47:58has this one single child.
48:00As for Ethan,
48:01his usefulness
48:02is already exhausted.
48:03Only then did I learn
48:05that after Marco's fall,
48:06Ethan was overwhelmed
48:07with business handovers,
48:09completely unaware
48:10that Gianna was pregnant.
48:11It was only when
48:12her belly grew larger
48:13that Mrs. Hale noticed.
48:15Otherwise,
48:16Gianna could have hidden it
48:17until the child was born.
48:19Without letting
48:20the Hale family know.
48:21Right at this moment,
48:22urgent reports arrived
48:23from the overseas war zone.
48:25The cross-border port
48:26and mining area,
48:27jointly controlled
48:28by the Conti and Rizzo families,
48:30suffered a concentrated attack
48:31from rival gangs.
48:33The Garrus commander
48:34was killed in action,
48:35and several core smuggling routes
48:37were in total crisis.
48:39The family committee
48:40called an emergency
48:41high-level meeting.
48:42Old Godfather Vitruo
48:44and the elders
48:44unanimously decided
48:45that the Rizzo family
48:47should take over command.
48:48However,
48:49old Rizzo was advanced in age,
48:51carrying shrapnel in his body
48:52from past gang wars,
48:53and several legitimate cousins
48:55had fallen combat
48:56in overseas war zones years ago.
48:58No one expected
48:59that Gianna,
49:00heavily pregnant,
49:01would personally take up
49:02this armed mobilization order.
49:04An encrypted letter
49:05was delivered to my palm.
49:07Liliana,
49:08I'm leading the team overseas
49:10to restore order.
49:11That old woman
49:12in the Hale family
49:12stares at my belly
49:14every day.
49:14If I stay any longer,
49:16I won't be able
49:17to stop myself
49:18from pulling a gun
49:19and blowing her head off.
49:21Being pregnant
49:21doesn't stop me
49:22from racking a bolt
49:23and firing a gun.
49:24Hold down the local turf
49:26and accounts with Leo for me.
49:27Wait for my return.
49:28I clutched the letter,
49:30my fingertip trembling slightly.
49:32She was truly heading
49:33to the smoke-filled battlefield
49:34while pregnant.
49:36Upon hearing the news,
49:37Ethan drove frantically
49:38to the private airport docks.
49:43Giana,
49:43don't push yourself too hard.
49:46Prioritize staying alive.
49:48All right, crybaby.
49:53While I'm gone,
49:54don't let anyone bully you.
49:57Harsh breaking sounds
49:58echoed from behind.
49:59Giana!
50:02Get down here!
50:03Giana!
50:05Mother told me
50:06you are already
50:08four months pregnant.
50:10Why have you been
50:11keeping it from me?
50:15I didn't hide it
50:16from anyone.
50:17You just never
50:17paid attention.
50:18To me as your wife.
50:21You're carrying my child.
50:22You are the young mistress
50:23of the Hale family.
50:25There are mercenaries
50:26to guard the turf outside.
50:27It's not a pregnant woman's
50:29job to risk her life.
50:30Get down now.
50:31I forbid you from going.
50:33Ethan,
50:34before becoming your wife,
50:35I am first a daughter
50:36of the Ricco family.
50:38Defending my family's territory
50:39is my duty.
50:40It was rare to see
50:41this arrogant elite master
50:42acting so humble.
50:43I was wrong.
50:44I neglected you in the past.
50:46Come back with me.
50:47All the Hale family's
50:48industries,
50:49port shares,
50:50I will transfer them
50:50all to your name.
50:51Let's live properly.
50:54No need.
50:55Ethan,
50:55the quiet life you speak of
50:57is no different
50:58from prison to me.
50:59As her words landed,
51:00Gianna reached out
51:01and pressed the comms button.
51:02All units,
51:03move out.
51:05Engines roared,
51:06dust swirled,
51:07and several armored vehicles
51:09followed closely behind,
51:10grandly charging
51:11towards the overseas war zone.
51:13Ethan froze on the spot,
51:15reaching out his hand,
51:16grabbing nothing at all.
51:17The convoy drifted further
51:18and further away.
51:19He had once possessed
51:20the most dazzling,
51:21sharpest woman in this city,
51:23but sadly,
51:23his realization
51:24came far too late.
51:25I stood high on the dock,
51:27gazing far toward
51:28the direction of the war zone.
51:29That was Gianna,
51:31wild and free,
51:32with no one capable
51:33of trapping her.
51:34In deep winter,
51:35victory reports
51:36arrived continuously
51:37from the overseas war zone.
51:39Several strong hosts
51:40of rival gangs
51:41were cleared out
51:42with thunderous force,
51:43and all core shipping routes
51:45were reclaimed.
51:46Relying on her
51:47iron-blooded command style,
51:48Gianna was awarded
51:49the title of
51:50Supreme Commander
51:51of Armed Forces
51:52by the gang's
51:53highest committee,
51:53becoming a formidable figure
51:55of absolute authority
51:56across the city's underworld.
51:58The local situation
51:59was completely settled.
52:01The old godfather
52:02stepped down behind the scenes,
52:03and Leo officially
52:04took over as godfather,
52:06controlling all the Conti family's
52:08underground networks
52:09and armed connections.
52:11Meanwhile,
52:11I officially took charge
52:12of internal family affairs,
52:14money laundering channels,
52:16and social networks,
52:17keeping the rear
52:18in perfect order
52:18with godmother Olivia's
52:20assistance.
52:21Lacking Gianna's presence,
52:22the Hale family
52:23fell into total disarray,
52:25Mrs. Hale was permanently
52:26confined to a remote sanitarium,
52:28and the household
52:29descended into
52:30internal friction.
52:31Suffering double blows
52:32in love and career,
52:34Ethan made frequent blunders
52:35in business negotiations,
52:37completely losing his voice.
52:39Countless times,
52:40he dispatched legal teams
52:41and bodyguards
52:42to the overseas war zone
52:43to invite Gianna back,
52:44only to be chased back
52:45by gunshots
52:46without exception.
52:47Gianna and I
52:48maintained contact
52:49through encrypted emails.
52:50I asked her
52:51when she planned
52:52to bring the child back.
52:53When this kid learns
52:54how to shoot,
52:56I'll bring him back
52:58to claim the mining inheritance
53:00under the Hale family name.
53:02By the way,
53:03he's already got
53:04auntie down pat.
53:05Don't forget to cut him in
53:07on a slice of that
53:08vast fortune of yours.
53:10In your dreams.
53:12Early sun broke
53:13after the snow,
53:14the heating inside
53:15the main building
53:16of the Conti estate
53:17running comfortably.
53:20Liliana,
53:21you've neglected me
53:22for too long lately.
53:25That private doctor
53:26has been running
53:26to your room
53:27quite frequently lately.
53:29Have you taken
53:30a liking to him?
53:31I really want to
53:32clear him out right now.
53:33My private doctor
53:35just told me
53:35that in seven months,
53:37an heir will report
53:38to the Godfather.
53:39Little baby,
53:40say hello to your daddy.
53:42Little baby?
53:44Liliana,
53:45we're having a child?
53:47I pulled his hand
53:48placing it against
53:49my still flat
53:50lower abdomen.
53:51Leo froze
53:52completely on the spot.
53:53The cold and decisive
53:55new Godfather
53:56instantly revealing
53:57a rare stiffness
53:58and loss of composure.
53:59The next second,
54:00he scooped me up sideways,
54:02carrying me inside,
54:04urgently issuing
54:05lockdown orders
54:05to the security chief
54:06behind him.
54:07Raise the estate's
54:08floor heat temperature
54:09by three degrees
54:10immediately.
54:11Cover all steps
54:12with anti-slip carpets.
54:13Also,
54:14keep that private doctor here.
54:16arrange a full set
54:17of top medical equipment
54:19for him in the side wing
54:20on standby.
54:22Twenty-four hours a day.
54:24Leo gently set me
54:25onto the sofa,
54:26kneeling on one knee
54:27before me,
54:28carefully holding
54:29my hand to his lips,
54:30his eyes filled
54:31with uncontrollable,
54:32wild joy.
54:33I'm going to be a father.
54:36Liliana,
54:37the future of the entire
54:39Conti family
54:40belongs to our child.
54:41Watching this normally
54:43cold-blooded ruler
54:44reveal such awkward
54:45tenderness,
54:46I couldn't help
54:47but laugh,
54:48hooking my arms
54:49around his neck.
54:50As the spring snow
54:51melted,
54:52the encrypted satellite
54:53phone in the study
54:54suddenly ran.
54:55The display connected
54:56to the overseas war zone.
54:58I swiped to answer,
54:59and the screen revealed
55:00Gianna in tactical camouflage.
55:02In the frame,
55:04Gianna sat casually
55:05on the head
55:05of a heavy armored vehicle.
55:07She held a newborn infant
55:08with dark eyes
55:09with one arm,
55:10while her other hand
55:11efficiently wiped down
55:12a pistol magazine.
55:14Liliana,
55:16Leo told me
55:17you're pregnant?
55:18Look at my son.
55:20His cry is fiercer
55:22than a .50 caliber
55:23heavy machine gun.
55:24When I return
55:24to the city next year,
55:26I'll casually take down
55:28a few of those
55:29Hale family ports
55:30as a first birthday
55:31gift for him.
55:32Looking at Gianna
55:33in the video,
55:34still radiant
55:35and unrestrained
55:36by anyone.
55:37I couldn't help
55:38laughing out loud.
55:40Keep your hands
55:41off the hail ports.
55:42I'm not helping
55:43you fight lawsuits.
55:44Hanging up the call,
55:46the sunlight outside
55:47the window
55:47was just right,
55:48spilling across
55:49the snow-covered estate.
55:51I once thought
55:52my life was destined
55:53to be a tragedy,
55:54worn down
55:54by high-silody rules.
55:56Yet Gianna and I,
55:57two arch-nemeses
55:58entangled for half a lifetime,
56:00awakened in a single moment.
56:02Gianna conquered
56:03the smoke-filled battlefield,
56:05gripping absolute
56:06armed power.
56:07I controlled
56:08a vast family network,
56:09sitting firmly
56:10in high power,
56:11standing shoulder-to-shoulder
56:13with the man beside me
56:14who cherished me.
56:16Rules are written
56:17by the victors,
56:17and this time,
56:19we won everything.
56:20the brother-to-shoulder
56:20a good thing.