I Gave My Mafia Fiancé to My Evil Stepsister

The first thing I did when I came back to life was to pawn off my engagement to the Don of the Schroder family, Edmund, on my stepsister. In my last life, he used the "family rules" to make me give up the one thing I loved—racing. He threw out all my colorful dresses and turned me into his canary in a gilded cage. I died, suffocated and hopeless. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the marriage contract was to be signed. I quietly switched my name with my stepsister Laura's and let Edmund sign the papers. He didn't forget to warn me, "Stay out of trouble. Our wedding is in three days. Be a good girl and wait for me to come get you." But he had no idea I'd already bought a fake ID and passport. In three days, I'd be gone. I'd be free. Chapter 1 I died on a bloody night. A bullet from a rival family tore through my chest. I collapsed in a cold, abandoned warehouse, my vision blurring. The last thing I saw was Edmund, running towards me. He fell to his knees beside me, his cold, gray eyes—usually so hard—shining with tears. His hands trembled as he pressed down on my wound, but blood seeped through his fingers. "Alessia... don't close your eyes. Look at me..." His voice shook. I wanted to tell him that if he had just let me go, if he hadn't trapped me with those damn "family rules," maybe I wouldn't be dying here. But when I tried to speak, only blood bubbled from my lips. Darkness swallowed everything. When I opened my eyes again, I saw the familiar pink velvet curtains and crystal chandelier. I shot up in bed and looked at the calendar on my nightstand: three years ago, to the day. I was reborn. Back to the day the marriage contract was to be signed. Back to the beginning of my nightmare. I didn't waste a second. I bolted down the stairs and threw open the door to my father's study. "I'm calling off the engagement." The room went dead silent. My father’s teacup froze mid-air. My stepmother, Claire, stared with wide eyes. "What did you say?" My father slammed his cup on the table. "You think this is a game? This is the Schroder family! Do you have any idea how many girls would kill to be in your place?" "Then give it to someone who wants it. Like Laura," I said calmly. The anger on my father's face froze. Claire snapped out of her shock, so excited she almost jumped out of her chair. "Are you... are you serious?" my father stammered. I knew exactly what they were thinking. My father always favored the quiet, obedient Laura, and Claire had always dreamed of her daughter marrying into a powerful family. "Of course, I'm serious. Laura's always wanted this, hasn't she? She can have it," I said with a shrug. That was all I came to say. I turned to leave. "I'm calling Mrs. Schroder right now!" my father said, grabbing the phone with glee. Back in my room, I took out the marriage contract and changed "Alessia" to "Laura." Then, papers in hand, I drove straight to Edmund's office. Edmund looked surprised to see me. I always complained his office was nothing but black and white, a boring place I never wanted to set foot in. He glanced at his watch. "You're early. I thought we agreed on three o'clock." I forced a smile. "I... I couldn't wait to see you." A faint smile touched his lips. He took the contract. The terms were already set, so he signed it without a second look. The moment his pen left the paper, a massive weight lifted off my chest. "Good," he said, pleased with my eagerness. "Our wedding is in three days. Be a good girl and wait for me to come marry you." "I will," I nodded sweetly, but inside, I was laughing my head off. The second I left, I dialed an encrypted number. "I need a new identity. A passport, too." "Three days. Usual place," a low, gravelly voice answered. After hanging up, I straightened my hair in a storefront window. The girl in the reflection had a fire in her eyes I'd never seen before. Freedom. My freedom was finally within reach. That night, I met my best friend Chloe at the wildest club downtown to celebrate. The music was deafening, the neon lights blinding, and the air thick with the smell of alcohol and freedom. It was exactly the kind of place Edmund hated. "Alessia, are you sure you should be here?" Chloe asked, worried. "If Edmund finds out—" "He won't be my fiancé for much longer," I said, leaning back on the leather sofa and sipping a Bloody Mary. "Relax, I've got this." A young, handsome bartender came over to mix us new drinks. His movements were smooth, his features as perfect as a Greek statue. High on my newfound freedom, I reached out and gently stroked his chin. "You're a pretty one, aren't you?" Just then, a cold, deep voice—laced with the scent of blood and steel—came from behind me. "Who's pretty?" Chapter 2 I froze, slowly turning my head. Edmund, dressed in a black, tailor-made suit, was standing right there, his presence chilling the air. His gray eyes were locked on my hand, still on the bartender's chin. "Chloe, I just remembered my mom's waiting for me. I gotta go!" My friend's face went white. She grabbed her purse and practically sprinted out of there. Edmund stepped closer, his gaze shifting from my hand to the young bartender. "Get out." The bartender practically scrambled away. The other patrons sensed the danger and cleared out, leaving our section of the club completely empty. Edmund closed the distance, his long fingers wrapping around my wrist like a vice. "Tell me what you were just doing." I yanked my hand away, glaring back at him. "What I do is none of your business." Before I could even react, he moved. One second I was standing my ground, the next I was thrown over his shoulder. I beat on his back and screamed at him, but he ignored me and strode out of the club. "Let me down! You're insane!" I pounded his back with my fists, but his muscles were hard as rock. "Edmund Schroder! Put me down!" He didn't listen. He shoved me into his car, got in beside me, and locked the doors, trapping me in the small space. "And here I was this afternoon, thinking you'd finally learned to behave. Guess it was all an act." "Have you forgotten the Schroder family rules?" He turned to face me, his voice tight with fury. "The Don's wife is forbidden from setting foot in bars or casinos." Memories from my past life flooded back—endless days and nights shackled by those rules, the suffocating despair of fighting back only to be crushed again and again. "And," his eyes swept over my tight, red slip dress with disgust, "you are forbidden from wearing inappropriate clothing. When you get home, you will write the family rules one hundred times." "Enough!" I finally snapped, my voice shrill. "Stop trying to cage me with your rules! I'm not marrying you!" The air in the car went still. Edmund's face hardened, the chill in his eyes deepening. "What did you just say?" I realized I'd said too much. If he found out my plan now, my escape in three days would be impossible. "I... I was just angry," I forced myself to calm down, looking away. "You're always so controlling. Of course I'd get upset." He stared at me for a long time, so long I thought he'd seen through my lie. "It better have been," he finally said, his voice still ice. "Or you know the consequences." The car stopped in front of my villa. Edmund took off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders. It smelled of his cold, sharp cologne. "Throw these revealing dresses away," he commanded. "And don't forget to start on the rules tomorrow." I gritted my teeth, got out of the car, and watched his black Cadillac disappear into the night. Old anger and new hatred boiled up inside me. I ripped his jacket off and threw it into a nearby trash can. "You stuffy, old-fashioned bastard. Just three more days. I can handle three more days." Chapter 3 The moment I stepped inside the villa, I saw the living room was brightly lit. My father sat in the main armchair, my stepmother Claire sipped tea beside him, and Laura sat quietly on the sofa in a white dress. It was a tribunal, and I was the one on trial. Three pairs of eyes fixed on me. "Look at the state of you!" my father shot up, pointing at my red dress. "Have you no shame? Do you even know what time it is?" I ignored him, kicked off my heels, and started for the stairs. "Wait," Laura said softly. "Sister, did you really give the engagement to me? I still can't believe it..." She looked overwhelmed with gratitude, but the glint of triumph in her eyes gave her away. I stopped and turned to face her perfectly crafted innocent expression. "What's the matter?" I sneered. "Don't you love picking up my trash?" "Alessia!" my father roared. "How dare you speak to your sister like that!" "Stepsister," I corrected him. "Let's be clear about our blood ties." Claire's face tightened, but she maintained her high-society composure. "Alessia, that was uncalled for. Laura has always looked up to you. You shouldn't hurt her like this." "Besides," my father continued, a smug look on his face, "Mrs. Schroder is much more pleased with Laura. She thinks Laura's gentle and poised nature is better suited for the family matriarch. It's too late for you to have any regrets now." Regrets? I almost laughed out loud. If I wasn't so afraid of blowing my cover, I'd tell them I thank my lucky stars for this every single day. "That's right, Alessia," Claire added with a syrupy-sweet, venomous tone. "With a personality like yours, what decent man would ever want you?" I turned to my scheming stepmother. "Aunt Claire, you should worry about your own daughter. It would be a real shame if her new husband sent her packing, wouldn't it?" "You—" Claire's face turned purple with rage. I ignored them and went up to my room. The next morning, while I was still lazing in bed, a maid knocked to say Edmund was here. I dragged myself out of bed, threw on a loose silk robe, and went downstairs. Edmund was sitting in the living room. When he saw my disheveled state, his brow furrowed. "Are the rules written?" he asked, getting straight to the point. I flopped onto the sofa. "My hand hurts. I can't write." His face darkened. "Alessia, don't test my patience." "I really can't," I held out my hand for him to see. "Look, I can barely hold a pen." As he stood there silently, Laura descended the stairs, clearly having spent hours getting ready. "Mr. Schroder," she said shyly, handing him a framed canvas. "I painted this portrait of you last night. I hope you like it." Edmund took the painting and studied it, a flicker of appreciation in his eyes. "This is very well done." Then he turned to me, his gaze filled with disappointment. "You should take a page out of your sister's book." I'm about to make his wish come true, I thought with a cold smile. He'll have his respectful fiancée soon enough. "Now, go get changed," Edmund ordered. "You're coming with me to a family dinner tonight." "I'm not going," I refused flatly. "Take Laura. You seem to think she's more suitable anyway." "You are the one I announced as my fiancée," he said, his voice laced with an authority that left no room for argument. Those words hit me like a needle to the heart. Just like last time, he was marrying me because it was arranged by our elders. If he'd had a choice, he would have picked Laura from the start. This time, I was going to give him what he wanted. Laura immediately jumped in, her voice soft. "Maybe sister isn't used to such formal events. Why don't... I go with her?" Before I could protest, she grabbed my arm and pulled me upstairs. "Sister, let me help you with your makeup." The second the door closed, Laura’s gentle facade vanished, replaced by a smug, triumphant smirk. "You saw it, didn't you? Edmund definitely prefers me." I leaned against the door, watching her little show with amusement. "Is that so? Then why didn't you just tell him the bride has been switched?" Laura's expression faltered. I raised an eyebrow and stepped closer. "You don't have the guts, do you?" I taunted. "You're afraid he'll call off the whole thing if he finds out. Afraid he won't want you." Chapter 4 My words hit a nerve. Laura exploded. "That's not true!" she hissed. "When Edmund finds out, he'll be relieved he's getting the better wife! I'm just waiting to give him a surprise on our wedding day!" She glared at me, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "You better keep your mouth shut. If you ruin this for me, I'll make you regret it." I smirked. "Don't worry. I can't wait for you to be his problem." In the end, I was dragged to the party. Two hours later, we arrived at The Wilson, Chicago's most luxurious hotel. I had deliberately chosen a flashy purple dress with a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit that sparkled under the lights. Laura, in contrast, wore a modest black gown. The two of us couldn't have been more different. "Dammit," Edmund's face clouded over the moment he saw me. "I told you to change, not to find something even more revealing." "This is the most conservative thing in my closet," I said, feigning innocence. I was enjoying getting under his skin. Laura, ever the peacemaker, added softly, "Mr. Schroder, please don't be angry. Sister has always liked these kinds of outfits, even if they don't exactly fit the Schroder family's... standards." Her words sounded like a defense, but she was just pouring gasoline on the fire. Sure enough, heads began to turn. Whispers rippled through the crowd. "Is that the future Mrs. Schroder?" "Looks like Don Edmund has his work cut out for him..." Edmund's expression grew darker. When the music for the opening dance began, he was expected to take his partner to the floor. His eyes swept over my dress, then he turned and walked straight to Laura. Laura feigned shock, hand to her chest. "But... shouldn't you be dancing with Alessia? She's right here." "It's fine," Edmund said without looking back. "This will be a good chance for her to learn what real grace looks like." His words were a slap in the face. The murmurs grew louder. Everyone was enjoying the show at my expense. But I didn't feel humiliated or jealous. Just tired of it all. Watching the picture-perfect couple in the middle of the dance floor, I turned and walked out to the terrace. The cool night air was a welcome relief from the stuffy ballroom. I leaned against the railing, looking up at the stars, feeling surprisingly calm. The click of heels sounded behind me. "What's wrong? Did you come out here to cry?" Laura glided onto the terrace, her face flushed from the dance. "You see? Edmund doesn't like your type at all." I kept my eyes on the sky. "And?" "And you should know your place," she said, coming to stand beside me, her chin held high. "In a few days, I'll be the lady of the Schroder house. You'd do well to show me a little respect..." I turned to look at her, her face twisted with smug satisfaction. "Are you done? Because I'm going back inside." "What's the hurry? I'm not finished," she snapped, her voice growing shrill when she saw she couldn't get a rise out of me. "You know, you're just as pathetic as your mother. She lost to my mother, and now you're losing to me. It seems failure just runs in your blood." At the mention of my mother, my eyes turned to ice. "What did you just say?" Drunk on her own victory, Laura kept going. "I said, you and your mother are both pathetic loser—" Before she could finish, I lunged forward and grabbed the collar of her dress. With a vicious shove, I pushed her toward the decorative fountain behind her. "Ahhh—" With a terrified scream and a loud splash, Laura plunged into the water. "Help! Cough, cough... Help me!" she thrashed in the fountain, her white dress clinging to her body, her hair plastered to her face. She was a complete mess. I stood at the edge, looking down at her, feeling nothing but cold satisfaction. "Next time you insult my mother, the fountain will be the least of your worries." Just then, hurried footsteps approached from behind. "What's going on?" It was Edmund's voice, sharp with anger and concern. Chapter 5 Edmund rushed to the fountain. The second he saw Laura struggling in the water, he threw off his jacket and jumped in. He lifted her out and held her close. Laura shivered in his arms, sobbing. "Edmund... I was so scared... I was just talking to my sister, and she just... she pushed me... I almost drowned..." "It's okay, you're okay," Edmund soothed, rubbing her back. Then he whipped his head around to face me, his eyes burning with rage. "Alessia! Are you insane?" I watched them, my face a blank mask. "She had it coming." "What did you say?" he stared at me, his disappointment absolute. "I thought you were just spoiled. I didn't realize you were completely unhinged." "Apologize to Laura. Now." I met his gaze and said flatly, "Not a chance." That sent him over the edge. "Fine. Then I guess it's time I taught you what our family's rules really mean." He gently set Laura down on a nearby bench and pulled out his phone. "Bring all the paintings from Alessia's room. Now!" My heart stopped. "What are you doing?" "You'll see," he said, his voice like ice. Ten minutes later, several of his men carried all the paintings from my room out to the terrace. They were my mother's work, the last things I had of her. The most precious things I owned. "Edmund, you can't touch them!" I panicked, my voice trembling. "Scared now?" he looked at me coldly. "I'll ask you one more time. Apologize to Laura, or..." He motioned for a guard to take one of the paintings to the lit fireplace nearby. "No! You can't burn it!" I lunged forward, but his men held me back. "Then apologize," Edmund said, his face unreadable. I bit my lip so hard I could taste blood, but I said nothing. I would not apologize to the woman who insulted my mother. "Very well," he nodded to the guard. "Burn it." "No—" I watched in horror as my mother's painting was tossed into the fire, instantly consumed by the flames. The orange glow lit up my pale face. My body trembled, but I held my ground. "Still not apologizing?" Edmund asked. I kept my mouth shut. "Continue." A second painting went into the fire. Then a third, a fourth... Each one felt like a knife in my heart, but I clenched my jaw and refused to give in. Laura, still "weakly" shivering on the bench, had a look of vicious pleasure in her eyes. This was what she wanted: to see me break. "This is the last one," Edmund's voice was still cold as stone. "If this one burns, there will be nothing left." A guard held up the final painting. It was my mother's self-portrait, the one I treasured most. In it, she was smiling gently, just as she used to smile at me. Seeing it, my defenses finally crumbled. "Wait..." my voice was a raw whisper. "I... I'll apologize..." "Louder. So everyone can hear," Edmund ordered, looking down on me. The crowd of guests that had gathered was watching the whole spectacle, whispering among themselves. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly bowed my head. "I'm sorry... Laura... It was my fault..." "It's okay. How could I ever stay mad at my own sister?" Laura said weakly, but the triumph in her eyes was unmistakable. Humiliation, rage, despair... it all washed over me at once. A wave of dizziness hit me, and the world went dark. The last thing I heard before I passed out was Edmund's cold voice from above. "This is a small punishment for your disobedience." Then, I collapsed in front of everyone. Chapter 6 I don't know how long I was out. I woke up in my own room. Turning my head, I was shocked to see Edmund sitting in a chair by my bed, holding my hand. "You're awake," he said softly, a gentleness in his voice I'd never heard before. I snatched my hand back. "Shouldn't you be with Laura? She was so terrified, after all." Edmund frowned. "You are my fiancée." "Oh?" I scoffed. "Then who was it that asked another woman to dance in front of everyone? Who burned my mother's paintings for another woman?" He was silent for a moment. "I'll replace them with more valuable art. I can buy you a Monet, a Picasso, a Van Gogh, whatever you want." "And you think that can replace my mother's work?" I stared at him, my heart filled with hate. "Alessia, if I hadn't done that, your father would have punished you far more severely. I was protecting you." "Besides, you're going to be my wife. You need to have the dignity of a Schroder—" "Enough!" I couldn't stand to hear one more word about his damn family rules. Seeing my cold defiance, Edmund's face darkened. "My patience has a limit, Alessia." He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I rested for a while longer, then dragged my exhausted body downstairs for some water. As I reached the landing, I heard voices from the living room. "I've already prepared the deed transfer for this estate," my father was saying. "It will be Laura's dowry when she marries into the Schroder family." "Wonderful," my stepmother said excitedly. "That will show the Schroders how much we value Laura." I couldn't take it anymore. This estate was designed by my mother. Every inch of it was filled with memories of her. The trees in the garden, the corners of every room—they were my entire childhood. I stormed into the living room. "What gives you the right? My mother designed this estate!" My father and stepmother looked at me without a hint of guilt. "The legal owner of this property is me," my father said coldly. "I can do whatever I want with it." My stepmother smirked. "Alessia, since you gave up the engagement, you have to face the consequences. Besides, you almost killed Laura last night. Consider this compensation." "She deserved it! She insulted my mother first!" As we argued, Laura came slowly down the stairs, looking frail. "Father, please don't blame my sister," she said softly. "She was probably just upset." She walked over and took my arm, pretending to make peace. "Sister, let's not fight anymore, okay?" But as she leaned in, she whispered viciously in my ear, "Don't worry. Once I take over, I'll get rid of everything of your mother's. Even her grave..." Rage consumed me. I tried to rip my arm away. But in that instant, Laura cried out "Ah!" and threw herself backward, falling to the floor. "Laura!" my stepmother screamed, rushing to her side. Tears streamed down Laura's face as she looked at my father. "Father, I just lost my balance. Please don't blame sister..." My father's face was purple with rage. "Look at your sister, then look at you! When will you stop hurting her?" He didn't give me a chance to explain. He walked to the wall, took down the horsewhip hanging there, and brought it down hard across my back. CRACK! The pain was searing, white-hot. It nearly buckled my knees, but I bit my tongue and refused to make a sound. My eyes were locked on Laura, still "sobbing" on the floor. She looked at me and a slow, triumphant smile spread across her face. Chapter 7 I didn't cry. I started to laugh. "What are you laughing at?" My reaction infuriated my father. He raised the whip again. "It seems one lash wasn't enough!" Just as he was about to strike again, I lunged for Laura. Her eyes widened in terror as I grabbed her and shoved her, hard, right over the edge of the staircase. "AHHH—!" Laura let out a bloodcurdling scream as she tumbled down the stairs, her body bouncing off the steps before her head hit the wall at the bottom. She went limp and passed out. Ignoring the fire on my back, I smiled. "That push? Yeah, that was all me." My stepmother shrieked. My father was shaking with rage. "Get out! Get out of my house! From this day on, you are no longer my daughter!" I had already seen his true colors. It didn't even hurt. "Good. I don't want to be your daughter!" He had his guards throw me out, tossing my suitcase after me. Just then, the sky opened up. Cold rain soaked me to the bone. The whip-lash on my back stung like a thousand needles. My temperature started to rise, my head spun, and my legs felt weak. I dragged my heavy suitcase through the rain, my vision blurring. Finally, I couldn't go on. I collapsed on the cold, wet street. Sometime later, I vaguely felt a pair of strong arms lift me and place me in a warm car. The heater brought some feeling back to my frozen body. When I woke up again, I was in a bedroom I didn't recognize, in an unfamiliar mansion. "You're awake?" I turned my head and saw Edmund, dabbing ointment on the wound on my back. He was surprisingly gentle, his movements practiced, as if he'd tended to wounds like this many times. "How did you get this?" he asked, his brow furrowed. I gave him a cold smile. "If I said Laura did it, would you believe me?" Edmund paused, then automatically defended her. "That's impossible. She's always so gentle and kind..." I let out a bitter laugh and said nothing more. It was the answer I expected. Just then, the doorbell rang. The butler entered. "Don Schroder, Miss Rosetti is here. She says she's come to take the Signora home." "Don't call me that," I cut him off. "We're not married yet." The butler froze. Edmund's face grew even darker. "Edmund..." Laura stood in the doorway, pale, a bandage wrapped around her head. She looked incredibly weak. "Father kicked my sister out, and I was so worried... Even though she pushed me into the fountain, and then down the stairs... we're still sisters. I couldn't just leave her out there. I came to take her home..." The performance was so sickening I almost threw up. I pushed myself up, ignoring the searing pain in my back. "Save the act. It's disgusting." "Alessia!" Edmund glared at me. "Laura is here out of concern for you after everything you've done to her, and this is how you treat her?" "Concern?" I laughed coldly. "She wishes I was dead." "You are unbelievable!" Edmund pointed a finger at me. "Apologize to Laura now!" "In your dreams!" Edmund lost it. He strode over to drag me, and Laura theatrically tried to get between us. In the scuffle, she stumbled backward into a heavy bookshelf. As the shelf teetered, about to fall, Edmund instinctively dove for Laura, who was closer. He wrapped his arms around her, shielding her with his back as the massive piece of furniture came crashing down. On the other side, I couldn't get out of the way in time. The corner of the shelf slammed down on my right hand. A gut-wrenching pain shot up my arm. "Ah—!" I screamed, feeling the bones crush. I stared at my mangled, bloody hand, but the pain in my heart was worse. This was my racing hand... my most prized possession. Forgetting our fight, I looked at Edmund, pleading. "Please, get me to a hospital. My hand..." Edmund's face changed. He started to move toward me, but Laura's weak voice stopped him. "Edmund... my head hurts so much..." she whimpered. "But... sister's hand looks really bad. She loves racing so much. Her hand is everything to her..." Hearing that, Edmund's expression became complicated. Finally, his eyes grew cold. He turned, scooped Laura into his arms, and strode out of the room. Before he left, he looked back at me and said, "This is what you get for hurting Laura. As for your hand... the wife of the Don has no business racing cars anyway." Chapter 8 I lay alone in a pool of my own blood. The agony from my hand was so intense I kept blacking out. Just when I thought I might actually die there, the butler, taking pity on me, called a private doctor. I was rushed to the hospital for surgery. When I woke up, the doctor told me, "The fractures are severe. You'll need to rest it completely. Otherwise, you might not be able to perform any strenuous activities with it again..." I clenched my left fist. "I understand," I managed to say. My plan had been to endure one more day, then leave this hellhole for good. But Laura had other ideas. She posted on Instagram: "My Painful Childhood - The Truth About My Sister's Bullying." I skimmed the post, every word a knife to the heart. "My whole life, I've lived in fear. My sister Alessia was jealous of the attention I got from our father, so she would bully and threaten me when no one was around... And her mother, the so-called 'political heiress,' used her family's power to steal my mother's fiancé, forcing my kind mother to accept a lesser role. Now her daughter is doing the same, pushing me into fountains, throwing me down stairs..." The post included a photo of Laura with a bandage on her head, tears streaming down her face. Anyone would think I was a monster. I could have ignored all of it. But I could not, would not, let her slander my mother. I scrolled to the comments. A tidal wave of hate washed over me. "Why is this bitch still alive?" "Like mother, like daughter. A family of homewreckers." "How can the Schroder family accept a woman like this? It's a disgrace!" "Doxx her! Make her pay!" Soon, my private address was leaked. Even the location of my mother's grave was posted online. My front gate was splashed with red paint, with words like "GET OUT OF CHICAGO" and "BITCH" scrawled across it. The rage was a firestorm. I lost all reason. Ignoring my newly operated-on hand, I got in my car and sped off to find Laura. She was at a café, sitting with five or six reporters, dabbing her eyes as she recounted her "tragic story." "I'm so scared, but I choose to forgive her... she's my sister, after all..." I shoved the door open. The café went silent. When Laura saw me, her face went white. "Alessia? What are you..." I marched straight up to her. In front of everyone, I swung my left hand and slapped her, hard, across the face. SMACK! The sound echoed through the room. Laura clutched her cheek, staring at me in disbelief. "You... you actually..." "I'm telling you," I didn't hesitate, hitting her again. "If you ever insult my mother again, I will make you pay a thousand times over!" The reporters scrambled, cameras flashing. This was the kind of drama they lived for. "Everyone, do you see?" Laura immediately switched into victim mode. "This is who she really is! She'll hit me in front of all of you. Imagine what she does at home..." I was about to tear into her when I heard a familiar, deep voice from behind me. "That's enough!" Edmund strode into the café, his face a thundercloud. His eyes flickered between me and Laura, finally landing on her red, swollen cheek. "Edmund..." Laura looked at him, tears welling up instantly. "I was just trying to clear the air, but sister, she..." "Out!" Edmund grabbed my arm, his grip so tight it sent a shock of pain through me. "Get out with me, now!" He dragged me out of the café, the sound of flashing cameras and Laura's sobs following us. In the car, Edmund finally exploded. "Are you out of your mind? Hitting her in front of reporters? Do you have any idea what kind of mess this will make for the family?" "She insulted my mother!" I screamed back. "I won't let anyone drag my mother's name through the mud!" "That's no excuse to resort to violence in public!" His eyes were full of disappointment. "As the future Mrs. Schroder, you are expected to have a certain amount of class and composure, not act like a common street thug!" "Mrs. Schroder?" I laughed coldly. "It looks like you've already found your perfect candidate for that role. Why do you still need a 'street thug' like me?" My words left him speechless. After a long moment, he said icily, "From now on, you're not going anywhere. You will stay in your room until the wedding day." Back at the mansion, Edmund had his men guard my door, making me a prisoner in my own room. Before he closed the door, he looked at my cold, defiant face, and his tone softened slightly. "I'll take care of the press. You just focus on being my bride." Chapter 9 On the morning of my third day of house arrest, there were three soft taps on my window. It was the signal I'd been waiting for. I quietly opened the window. A man in black handed me a package. Inside was a new ID, a passport, and a plane ticket. "Flight's at 2 PM. A car will be waiting at the back gate," he whispered. I nodded. Staring at the documents that represented my freedom, my heart was a mix of emotions. I had already packed a small bag with only the essentials and the few things my mother had left me. I didn't want anything else from this place. At ten in the morning, I heard the rumble of engines. Peeking through the curtains, I saw Edmund arrive with a procession of black cars, his men in tow. He was wearing a sharp, black suit, looking impossibly handsome and imposing. My replacement, Laura, appeared before him, her face hidden by a thick, heavy veil. It was a Schroder family tradition—the veil could only be lifted at the altar, after the vows. A tradition I was now deeply grateful for. Edmund didn't suspect a thing. He carefully helped his bride down the stairs, whispering gently in her ear, "Don't be nervous. I'm right here." I stood in the shadows of the upper landing, watching them, feeling nothing but a quiet calm. Edmund had always wanted a poised, respectable wife. Now he had one. I could only imagine his surprise when he lifted that veil. The staff all left for the wedding, and the mansion fell silent. I slipped out undetected and got into the discreet black car waiting at the back gate. But I didn't tell the driver to go just yet. I took a small remote from my pocket and looked back at the sprawling estate. This was once my home, the dream my mother had built with her own hands. Every room, every detail, was a piece of her heart. But it had become a place of betrayal, lies, and pain. I couldn't let it stand. And I certainly couldn't let it fall into their hands. "Miss, we should go, or you'll miss your flight," the driver urged. I took one last look at the building, then pressed the red button without hesitation. BOOM! A deafening explosion ripped through the air. The massive estate was instantly engulfed in flames. Secondary explosions followed, sending fireballs and thick, black smoke billowing into the sky. The driver nearly jumped out of his skin. "My God! What was that?!" I watched the inferno, my voice perfectly calm. "My mother designed that house. I'd rather see it burned to the ground than let them have it." "Let's go," I turned and gave the driver a clear command. "To the airport." The car began to move, and I took one last look in the rearview mirror at the raging fire. Goodbye, Chicago. Goodbye to my painful past. And goodbye, Edmund.