Chapter 4

The surrounding staff burst into laughter.

“Ms. Veyra, be careful. Don’t let her dirty your shoes.”

Ever since my mother met my father at eighteen, he had treated her like a princess.

She had never suffered the slightest humiliation.

My father always said my mother was the most important person in our family, and that he and I had to protect her with everything we had.

But now, for my sake, she was being forced to endure this.

I watched my mother slowly lower her head toward the toe of Brianna’s shoe.

The next second, she drove a knife straight into Brianna’s foot.

Brianna screamed in pain and kicked my mother to the floor.

“You miserable bitch!”

“Break her hand. Let’s see whether she ever tries something like that again.”

The guard brought an iron bar down hard on my mother’s hand.

Her face twisted in agony.

Even as her whole body convulsed from the pain, she lifted her head and forced a smile for me.

“Baby… close your eyes… don’t look…”

I sobbed until I could barely breathe and twisted desperately, trying to get to her.

Brianna threw back her head and laughed.

“How touching. Too bad no one is coming to save you today.”

At that moment, the sound of synchronized footsteps came from outside.

Hope exploded in my chest.

“My dad is here! You hurt his wife—you’re all dead You hurt my mother. You’re all dead!”

Everyone in the room panicked.

The staff exchanged frightened looks, and the guards loosened their grip on me.

Brianna’s smile stiffened.

The backstage door burst open.

A greasy, overweight man walked in.

It wasn’t my father.

Brianna immediately ran to him, clung to his arm, and burst into tears.

“Thank God you’re here, honey! These people are pretending to be Mrs. Marchetti and Mrs. Castellano. They insulted me and even tried to hurt me.”

Then she turned toward us, her eyes filled with triumph.

“See? My husband is the vice president of Titan Realm Studios. None of you are leaving here alive.”

I stared at Ray Stone’s limp and suddenly remembered him.

He worked for my father.

He had once ruined a money-laundering route connected to one of the casinos. My father had personally broken that leg.

Later, Ray had knelt outside our estate for three days and three nights.

My mother had taken pity on him and begged my father to spare his life.

I shouted, “I’m Isabella Marchetti! That woman is my mother, Elena Marchetti!”

Ray Stone froze.

His gaze snapped toward my mother, and terror flashed in his eyes.

Her face was covered in blood and badly swollen. She was almost unrecognizable.

He started toward her, but Brianna grabbed him.

“Don’t believe her, honey. They’re impostors.”

“Mrs. Marchetti would never leave home without bodyguards.”

Ray stared at Elena’s ruined face, unable to recognize her.

Then he noticed the lack of security and convinced himself Brianna had to be right.

“Everyone in Manhattan knows Don Marchetti and Don Castellano treat their wives like queens.”

“If Mrs. Marchetti hadn’t spoken for me back then, I would already be dead.”

He roared at the guards.

“Break both bitches’ arms and legs. Let everyone see what happens when someone pretends to be Mrs. Marchetti or Mrs. Castellano.”

The location marker on my watch showed my father getting closer.

I looked at their ugly faces, my chest heaving.

Just wait.

Not one of you is getting away.