I sucked in a sharp breath, straightened my spine with the dignity my mother had taught me, and forced a smile onto my face.
"Well, congratulations. Becoming the next Donna of the Marconi Family is just around the corner."
"But that gown is mine. Take it off," I said, my voice dropping to ice.
I lunged forward to reclaim it, but before my fingers could even brush the fabric, one of her soldiers—assigned by Colino himself—drove his foot into my stomach.
The force knocked me flat against the polished floor. Pain exploded through my gut like a grenade. I could feel everything twisting, shifting—as though my organs had been rearranged by the brutal impact.
Piper picked up a pair of scissors from the seamstress's table. Her tone was gleeful as she traced the blade over the delicate silk, savoring the moment.
"Colino said no matter what I do, he'll clean up my mess. That's what it means to have the protection of the Family."
The sharp edge tore through hand-stitched lace. Slashed through soft silk that my mother had saved for years to afford. With each cut, she shredded the last gift my mother had ever given me—the only piece of her I had left.
I just lay there on the cold floor, watching the pieces flutter down like snowflakes in a graveyard.
Even my hatred felt dull now—numbed by the crushing weight of everything I had lost.
Piper strutted out of the boutique, her heels clicking against the marble like a victory march, leaving nothing but wreckage in her wake.
I dragged myself back to the penthouse… or rather, what used to feel like home.
Once I got there, I tore open every drawer and closet with trembling hands, yanked out every gift Colino had ever given me—the jewelry that now felt like shackles, the designer bags that were nothing but gilded cages, the stuffed animals from those early days when I still believed his lies.
One by one, I threw them all in the trash.
Behind me, I heard footsteps approaching.
Familiar ones.
Colino paused at the door, his hand resting on the carved mahogany frame. "What did you throw away?"
I didn't even look at him.
"Just some garbage I should've gotten rid of long ago."
He didn't seem to care. As if suddenly remembering something, he added casually, "I heard Piper accidentally damaged the wedding gown. But don't worry. I've asked the seamstress to rush a new one. It'll be ready in time for the ceremony."