It wasn’t Matteo’s slap that had injured me. I wasn’t that weak. When I fell, my body had struck the knife lying on the ground. The doctor later told me the wound had missed my heart by mere inches. If it had been even a little closer, I would have died right there in front of Matteo.
After getting the injury stitched up, I refused to stay in the hospital. Besides, I had endured three knife wounds before. Tasting blood had long since become second nature to me.
When I arrived back at the estate, Matteo was sitting on the living room sofa waiting for me. He lit a cigarette and motioned for me to sit opposite him. Taking a long sigh, he then stared at me with a cold, mocking half-smile.
“My son came home with three broken fingers,” he said slowly.
My eyes shifted toward my bodyguard. He lowered his head, avoiding my gaze. I laughed carelessly, my voice dripping with disdain.
“My man was a bit reckless. So, does Don Bianchi expect me to pay the price with three fingers of my own?”
Matteo’s lips curved into a smile, but it was sharp, like a blade hidden beneath silk.
“Sylvia was so consumed by guilt that she jumped from a building. She survived … but the child she carried did not.”
“Victoria, that was my second child. And you took the child from me. Don’t you think you owe me an apology?”
I snatched the cigarette from his hand and lit one for myself. Through the swirling smoke, my lips curled into a fearless smile.
“You should be grateful I didn’t handle it personally,” I said coolly.
“It was just a fucking bastard. So what if it’s gone? Now you tell me, do you truly expect me to mourn it?”
After that, I signaled for someone to bring the divorce papers again and set them down in front of him.
“Either sign these,” I said coldly, “or one of you dies. Matteo, I trust you don’t need me to explain which choice you should make.”
Matteo didn’t reply. Instead, he smiled and calmly tore the agreement in half. He then turned, pulled out his phone and tossed it onto the table in front of me.
“I knew you wouldn’t apologize,” he said evenly.
“That’s fine. I have a special gift for you instead.”
“Victoria, I’ll have someone pull the oxygen tube from your brother’s throat.”