Faked His Death, Stole My Life

On Graduation night, the love of my life, Julian, took three stab wounds meant for me. Gang members dumped his body into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan. I gave up my spot at Columbia Law School and went on pilgrimages to churches across the country. I did penance for my sins. For ten whole years. Until a decade later, when the news broke that Julian was taking over as the Don of the Falcone family. I finally realized he wasn't dead. And the glamorous Donna standing beside him was my best friend, Scarlett. Back at his funeral, Scarlett had cried to me, "If you really feel guilty about Julian, drop out of school and walk to churches across the country to pray. It's the blood debt you owe him." Seeing her again now, her eyes were red as she played the victim. "I just loved him too much. When he lost his memory ten years ago... I had to take him for myself and lie to you that he died." Julian, the man who was supposed to love me more than life itself, shielded Scarlett behind his back. He looked at me like a total stranger. It turned out my last ten years were nothing but a joke. I had a heart attack and died in agony. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at Julian's ridiculous funeral. He asked me, "Who are you?" I replied calmly, "Just an ordinary friend you saved." This time, I was done with this love triangle. I wanted nothing to do with them. I was going to chase my dream, go to Columbia Law School, and claim the man I let slip away for ten years—Don Cassian. But later, when Julian finally got his memory back, he begged me like a madman to return. Chapter 1 For ten years, my legs ached like they were being sawed off every time it rained. It was a hidden injury from walking to all those churches. But I never complained. It was the price I paid to pray for my dead love. Until today. On the TV screen of a rundown motel, I saw Julian, who was supposed to be resting at the bottom of the lake. The headline screamed: Ascension Ceremony for the New Don of Chicago's Biggest Mafia, the Falcone Family. He looked sharp in a tailored suit, full of pride. Beside him sat my former best friend, Scarlett. Like a madwoman, I dragged my crippled legs to the TV station. I bumped into them in the underground parking garage. Scarlett froze when she saw me covered in mud like a beggar. The next second, her eyes turned red. She hid in Julian's arms and sobbed, "Aurora... I'm sorry. After he fell into the river, his family found him. He just lost his memory. I loved him too much, and I was too greedy for the power and wealth of this mafia empire. I could only tell him I was his girlfriend and lie to you that he died..." How vicious. I looked at Julian. Those eyes that were once full of love now looked at me like a total stranger. The ruthless coldness of a powerful man suffocated me. Julian pulled Scarlett behind him. He frowned slightly. His tone was gentle but reeked of arrogant pity. "I don't care who you used to be, but stop bothering my wife. We have a five-year-old kid. I know you had a hard life in the slums. For old time's sake, I'll have the family accountant write you a check. It'll be enough to last you half a lifetime as compensation. Stop being jealous of Scarlett." Compensation? Jealous? My vision went dark. Even breathing hurt like hell. We grew up relying on each other in the mob-ruled streets. To escape that shithole, we studied like crazy to get into college. I treated him as the love of my life, and Scarlett as a little sister I swore to protect. But it turned out he wasn't a slum orphan. He was the lost heir of the Falcone family. On Graduation night ten years ago, a rival syndicate sent hitmen to stop him from returning to his family. Julian took three stabs for me and fell off the bridge into the freezing rapids. Guilt consumed me. I threw away my future. I lived in a walking hell. Ten years of blood and tears, all for a cruel lie! Grief and anger shattered my heart. Sharp pain hit me, and I collapsed onto the concrete floor. ... "Aurora, stop crying. Julian wouldn't want to see you like this in heaven." A familiar perfume, along with a fake touch on my arm. I snapped my eyes open. White roses, black clothes, and a black-and-white portrait right in front of me. I breathed heavily and looked down at my perfectly fine legs. 22 years old. I was back in the year I graduated college. Back at the memorial service we held a full month after Julian went missing in the river. Next to me, Scarlett was holding a tissue. She tried to hide the smug look in her eyes as she put a fake comforting arm around my shoulder. "Don't touch me!" I slapped her hand away hard. Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, I marched to the portrait and grabbed the mic off the table. "Cut the act!" I glared at Scarlett in the audience, my voice echoing through the hall. "Julian isn't dead!" The room went dead silent. Scarlett's face instantly drained of color, but she quickly covered her panic with a look of devastated disbelief. "Aurora, what are you talking about? I know you're grieving, but how is that possible? We all saw him fall into the river... Please, stop making a scene, let him rest in peace!" "Rest in peace?" I stepped off the stage and closed in on her, my eyes piercing through her fake tears. "Scarlett, do you dare swear to God right now? Swear on your own life that Julian is truly dead, and that you haven't been hiding him like a dirty thief?!" "I... you're crazy!" Scarlett backed away, tears spilling over as she looked around helplessly. "Why are you attacking me? I'm just as heartbroken as you are!" Just as she played the perfect cornered victim, the heavy doors of the hall pushed open with a loud bang. Two rows of made men in black suits filed in and stood on both sides. Julian walked out from behind the crowd. Seeing Scarlett crying helplessly, his brows furrowed deeply, and he immediately strode over to her. He wore an expensive custom Italian jacket. His eyes were full of guard. Although he had only been recovering at the Falcone estate for a month, he already had the coldness of a boss. "Who are you?" he asked me coldly, pulling Scarlett securely into his arms. Scarlett grabbed my hand and leaned into my ear, tears streaming down her face instantly. "Aurora, I didn't mean to! When he woke up, he thought I was his girlfriend... I told him he was the Falcone heir and that you guys were just crazy stalkers mistaking him for your dead friend! I didn't tell you the truth because I didn't want to hurt you!" What a vicious, perfect lie. An amnesiac Julian, brainwashed into thinking he was just a victim of mistaken identity, bought it completely. He didn't even glance at the portrait on the altar, dismissing this whole grieving crowd as lunatics. He stepped forward and hugged the crying Scarlett, shielding her behind him. "What exactly do you want?" Julian glared at me, his eyes showing disgust for a greedy beggar. "If you want cash, just say it. There's no need to scare my girlfriend at a funeral that has nothing to do with us. This is Falcone territory. Don't test my patience." Looking at his face, I didn't break down. No tears. Just disgust. Just an unprecedented clarity and relief. "I don't want anything." I gave a cold smirk and tossed the mic on the table. "Since you're not dead, I guess I can save money on wreaths. We're just childhood friends, nothing more." With that, I walked straight through the crowd and left the hall without looking back. The early autumn sun was blinding. I grabbed a cab and rushed straight to the law school building on campus. I pushed open the door to my professor's office. "Valenti? Didn't you just graduate?" My professor looked up in surprise. I took a deep breath and slapped my deferred agreement on the desk. "Professor, I've made my choice." I looked him right in the eye. "I'm accepting the full-ride scholarship to Columbia Law. Please reinstate my admission." He smiled with relief and was about to speak. Suddenly, the office door was shoved open. Julian stood at the door, panting. He should have been comforting his 'girlfriend' back at the hall. But for some reason, he had chased after me. He stared at the admission letter in my hand. Beneath his cold, stranger-like gaze, there was a hidden panic even he didn't realize. He forced down that strange unease, his voice tight. "Where... where are you going?" Chapter 2 Before I could answer, frantic heels clicked down the hall. Scarlett rushed into the office panting and clung tightly to Julian's arm. "Julian! I've been looking everywhere for you!" She glanced at me like a scared rabbit. "I'm scared." Hearing this, the panic in Julian's eyes froze instantly. He pulled Scarlett into his arms protectively and looked coldly at my professor. "Professor," Julian's voice returned to a polite but distant tone. "Scarlett and I are here to revoke that recommendation letter. The one I begged the Dean to write for Aurora before my 'accident.'" My professor was stunned. "Julian? Are you kidding me?" He stood up in disbelief. "You literally risked your life fighting in underground rings to secure the favors needed to get the Dean to endorse that letter! You used to say you'd do anything to send Aurora to New York, to get her away from the bloody mess of Chicago's gangs!" "That was before I lost my memory and realized who she truly is," Julian cut him off coldly, his tone dripping with obvious disgust. "Scarlett told me everything. Before my accident, I secured that glowing letter for her out of charity because we grew up in the same slums. But now, she is using my past charity as leverage, making up ridiculous lies at a funeral to harass my girlfriend and claim we are together. I will not let my past naive actions endorse someone so manipulative. It will only dirty Columbia's reputation." "You..." My professor was too shocked by his ruthlessness to speak. "I'm sorry, Professor," Scarlett squeezed out two fake tears right on cue. "Aurora is out of control because she can't accept the fact that Julian loves me. We have to protect ourselves. Julian, let's go." She pulled Julian and turned to leave. Julian followed her obediently. He didn't even bother giving me a second glance. The office fell dead silent. "Aurora..." My professor looked at me with a pained expression. "What happened to him? He used to protect you with his life." Protected me with his life. I twitched my lips, trying to smile, but my eyes were completely dead. In my past life, precisely because he protected me with his life, I trapped myself in hell. Only to watch them happily sit on the wealth of a mafia empire. "It doesn't matter, Professor," I coldly withdrew my gaze, cutting off his pity. "I don't need his letter anymore. Please print out my admission form. I'm signing it right now." Once I got the form, I didn't stay a second longer. I went straight back to the shabby apartment Julian and I used to share. I pushed the door open. A familiar scent hit my face. Our faded photos were stuck to the wall. His old jacket was still tossed on the couch. The old me would have been crying in agony right here. But now, I felt nothing but numb. I pulled open the closet and quickly shoved a few changes of clothes into my suitcase. Next, I carefully slid that precious Columbia admission letter into a side pocket. Finally, my eyes landed on an old box deep inside a drawer. Inside lay a silver pocket watch. On its cover, two letters were tightly intertwined: "A&J." On my 18th birthday, Julian went behind my back to take a beating in an underground boxing ring just to buy this with prize money. His face was covered in blood that night, but he smiled like an idiot. "Aurora, from now on, I'll be your timekeeper. Wherever you go, I'm right behind you." His promise still rang in my ears. But the Julian of today was holding another woman, calling me a corrupt and greedy bitch. I shut the box blankly and threw it into my luggage. Just as I zipped it up, the front door was shoved open roughly. Julian and Scarlett walked in. Two armed Falcone thugs trailed behind them. They clearly didn't expect me to be there. The moment he saw me, Julian's face turned icy. "What are you doing here?" He stepped forward, eyeing me up and down like a true mafia heir. "Who gave you permission to break in?" "Break in?" I stood up and stared right back at him. "I paid the rent here. If anyone should get out, it's you." "Julian..." Scarlett immediately hid behind him, gripping his shirt tightly, her voice trembling. "She's so mean. I just wanted to come back and pack some of your old stuff. Is she going to hit me?" Her pathetic act instantly ignited Julian's protective instinct. He frowned slightly. His tone was calm but left no room for argument. "Take your things and leave. I don't want my men to throw you out. It would get ugly." I didn't bother arguing. I grabbed my suitcase and headed straight for the door. Just as I passed them, Scarlett suddenly pointed at the half-open pocket of my suitcase and screamed. "Oh my god! Julian, that pocket watch!" She widened her eyes on purpose, looking completely shocked and wronged. "Didn't you say that was your anniversary gift for me? Why is it in her bag!" Full of lies. But Julian bought it. "Stop right there." With a cold command, Julian reached out and snatched my suitcase. "Give it back!" I snapped, reaching out to grab it. "Aurora, are you done?" Julian dodged my hand, and a thug immediately stepped up to block me. The heavy shove made me lose my balance, and my back slammed hard onto the floor. Sharp pain tore through my nerves. I gasped and glared up at him. Julian looked down at me from above, clutching the box in his hand. "I thought you were just overly jealous, but it turns out you're a dirty thief too." He spat the words coldly, his eyes full of pity and disgust for a slum girl. "Are you blind?" I pointed at the box through gritted teeth, ignoring the pain. "That's mine! It says 'A&J' on it! That's my name!" "Shut up!" Julian didn't even bother checking. He wouldn't even look down. In front of Scarlett's tears, he'd crush the truth without a second thought. "If Scarlett says it's mine, then it is." Julian stared at me, his eyes utterly cruel. "Since you like stealing other people's things so much, I'll make sure you give up for good." He raised his hand. The silver pocket watch that held the memory of our shared life was smashed ruthlessly against the floor. He flipped my suitcase over completely. The Columbia admission letter, my entire future, slid out. He stomped right onto it with his expensive leather shoes. "Get out. Now," he ordered coldly. Chapter 3 Amidst the flying gears, the watch cover engraved with "A&J" slid to Julian's feet. His eyes accidentally swept over those two intertwined letters, and his body suddenly went stiff. His face turned pale. Long fingers pressed hard against his temples as a painful groan escaped his throat. "Julian! What's wrong!" Panic flashed in Scarlett's eyes. She couldn't let these old things trigger his memory. She suddenly let out a shrill scream, stumbled backward, and pointed hysterically at the shards on the floor. "Aurora! Are you crazy? You were trying to cut my face with those shards!" I hadn't even touched a single piece. But that ridiculously cheap lie instantly woke up Julian's urge to protect her. The faint pain in his head was completely crushed by his anger over her supposed attack. "Throw her out," Julian grabbed his head and ordered his thugs, looking at me like I was a disease. Two massive mobsters instantly stepped up, grabbed my half-open suitcase, along with the Columbia admission letter tucked inside, and strode toward the balcony. "This is my place. Your trash doesn't belong here!" "Give my bags back!" I lunged forward to stop them. Too late. With a hard toss from the thug, all my belongings, along with the only hope of my second life, were thrown straight out the third-floor window. With a loud crash, it slammed into the stinking dumpster downstairs. I rushed downstairs like a maniac. Ignoring the rotting meat and filthy water, I fell to my knees in the mud and dug frantically. That was my future! It was my ticket out of this shithole, and the dream I had missed out on for my entire last life. "Found it..." With trembling hands, I pulled the paper out of the filth. The second I pulled it out, a sharp piece of broken glass slashed across my palm. Blood gushed out instantly, dripping onto the white page. I looked up and saw that Julian and Scarlett had followed me down to the apartment entrance. Julian stared at my bloody hand, his pupils shrinking sharply. He suddenly clutched his chest, swaying slightly without anyone noticing. But before he could figure out where the strange stab of pain came from, blaring police sirens tore through the quiet street. Two cops stepped out quickly. Scarlett had called them. "Officers," Julian immediately snapped back to reality, shielding Scarlett firmly behind his large frame. The way he looked at me returned to that arrogant, upper-class superiority. "This woman broke into my house and tried to attack my girlfriend with sharp shards." He pointed at me, his tone terrifyingly calm. "She has severe violent and stalking tendencies. Seeing my current status probably drove her insane. She’s already given my girlfriend a nervous breakdown. I want to press charges immediately." Holding my bleeding hand up, I looked at him with a cold smirk. In that moment, even the last trace of my heartache died completely. In the police interrogation room, the fluorescent lights burned my eyes. "Officer, that's my apartment. I just went back to get my bags..." "Enough, Valenti," the cop cut me off coldly. "Your building manager already testified. He confirmed your lease expired a while ago and that you broke the lock today. The Falcone family's legal team is already out there. You can't beat them. In Chicago, Falcone is the law." I felt like I was plunged into ice water. The manager had been bought. With Julian's money now, buying perjury in this corrupt neighborhood was as easy as buying a cup of coffee. "The victim is very firm. She refuses to settle and insists on charging you with assault." The cop closed his notepad and gave me a contemptuous look. "Better get a lawyer. By the way, law schools are very strict on background checks. Once you get a criminal record for violent assault..." The cop glanced at the bloodstained admission paper I had set on the table. "...your Columbia Law admission will be completely void. You can forget about passing the bar for the rest of your life." The door slammed shut. In that tiny holding cell, the crushing despair of my past life—having no one to turn to, being abandoned by the whole world—came flooding back like a tidal wave. If they charged me, my future was done. I got a second chance at life, only to be stomped into the dirt by them again? No! No way! I stared hard at the bloody paper. Cornered with no way out, I picked up the wall phone. With shaking fingers, I dialed a number that was burned into my memory but that I had never dared to call. It belonged to the Don of New York's biggest mafia family. Cassian Acardi. The ruthless Don who ruled the East Coast underworld. He used to pursue me like crazy, but I pushed him away every time. Because Julian and I grew up getting terrorized by the mob. I hated those people. On Graduation night, when Julian was chased by gang members and fell into the river, I always thought Cassian had ordered the hit out of jealousy. I cut all ties with him over that. It wasn't until right before I died that I found out the hitmen were actually from a rival faction in Julian's own family. I had misjudged Cassian. "Help me." I bit my lip hard, forcing my voice not to shake. There was a second of silence on the other end. Then, a deep, cold voice that carried a faint tremble echoed in my ear. "Wait for me." Chapter 4 Actually, before I called Cassian, I looked at the keypad and thought about calling my law professor for help. But I hung up immediately. I didn't want to drag him into this mob mess. I could only ask for help from the devil I had once misunderstood. Panic made my whole body shake, so I bit my lower lip hard. The taste of blood spread in my mouth, forcing me to stay awake. Exactly ten minutes passed on the wall clock. Click. The heavy steel door of the cell swung open. The cop who was so arrogant just now was sweating bullets. His hands shook as he handed my bloody admission paper back to me. He was practically groveling. "Miss Valenti, this is all a misunderstanding. The Boss over in New York made a call... You are free to go." I didn't waste a word. I snatched the paper and walked out of the station, dragging legs so weak I could barely feel them. Free at last, I immediately went to withdraw my savings to fly to New York. But the ATM screen flashed a glaring red "Account Frozen." The Falcone family had blocked all my legal funds. Chicago was Julian's territory, and he had eyes on every airport and train station. On the phone, Cassian had warned me it would take him exactly a week to bypass Falcone surveillance and coordinate a safe, off-the-books extraction route through neutral syndicates to avoid a full-blown mob war. Until then, I was completely cut off and penniless. I needed to scrape together enough cash just to afford food and a secure underground safehouse for the next seven days. The next morning. To get the money, I dragged my sick body to the high-end Italian restaurant where Julian and I used to work. I pushed open the kitchen doors and froze. Julian was standing right there in a tailored suit. Just to please Scarlett, and to completely cut off my escape, he had bought the entire commercial street. He was the new boss here. Seeing me walk in wearing my shabby uniform, he frowned and sighed. "Need cash?" He walked up to me. His voice was mild, but his words cut like knives. "Want a piece of the Falcone wealth? Fine, stay. But don't expect special treatment." The next four days were pure hell. Day one, Scarlett came to visit in a beautiful dress. As she passed by, her hand "slipped," and she knocked over a whole tray of boiling hot soup. The scalding broth splashed onto my hand, instantly turning the skin red and swollen. "Oops, my bad." She covered her mouth, her eyes full of vicious amusement. Julian walked over and didn't even look at my burn. He gently wrapped his arm around Scarlett's waist, then turned to me with cold indifference. "If you can't even carry a plate, go mop the floors. Don't make a fool of yourself in front of the customers." For the cash that would get me out of there, I swallowed my pride, got on my knees, and scrubbed the greasy floor inch by inch. Day two, Julian brought his mob captains to "inspect" the kitchen. He pointed at the hundreds of plates I had just washed and coldly spat two words: "Wash them again." "These are perfectly clean," I said through gritted teeth. "Standards have changed here." He looked down at me. "If you can't handle it, then drop your greedy delusions about things that don't belong to you." Eager to suck up to the new boss, the kitchen manager rushed up and slapped me hard across the face. "If the boss tells you to wash, you wash! Trash!" My cheek swelled up instantly, my ears ringing. Julian stood there, his brows twitching just slightly, but he said nothing, silently endorsing the abuse. Day three, he found another excuse. He claimed it was time for inventory and locked me in the underground wine cellar. It was the middle of summer, and the ventilation system "coincidentally" broke. It felt like a sauna. I was locked in there for three full hours. Even breathing burned my lungs. By the time they let me out, I was almost passing out from dehydration. Julian only gave a cold snort of disappointment. Day four. The non-stop torment finally broke me. My stomach felt like it was going through a meat grinder. Cold sweat instantly soaked my uniform. I couldn't hold on anymore. I stumbled out the back door and leaned against the damp brick wall in the alley, gasping for air. "What, playing the victim again?" Scarlett held a slim cigarette, sneering at me. Julian wasn't here, so she completely dropped her fake sweet act. "Aurora, you're as disgusting as a sewer rat." She stepped closer and blew a puff of smoke right in my face. "You think Julian will remember you if you just stick around like a leech? Stop dreaming. He just thinks you're a greedy parasite now. He loves me!" My stomach pain was so intense I didn't even have the energy to talk. I closed my eyes, not wanting to deal with this mad dog. My silence instantly pissed her off. "Are you deaf? I'm talking to you!" Scarlett's face twisted in rage. She suddenly raised her burning cigarette and pressed it hard into my forearm! Sizzle— The smell of burning flesh hit me along with a piercing pain. "Ah!" I jolted in agony and instinctively shoved her hand away hard. "Get off me!" During the struggle, my fingernail accidentally scratched her cheek. A thin red line instantly appeared on her pale skin. "Ahhh! My face!" Scarlett covered her face and screamed. "It hurts! Help!" The back door banged open. Julian rushed out. Several armed mobsters right behind him. The moment he saw the red scratch on Scarlett's face, his eyes went bloodshot. "Julian! She tried to ruin my face!" Scarlett threw herself into his arms, crying her eyes out. Julian gently pushed her aside, turned around, and stared at me like I was a dead man. He didn't ask a single question. Didn't even glance at the bleeding, charred burn mark on my arm. "I gave you a chance, Aurora." Chapter 5 He didn't even get his hands dirty. He just tilted his head and gave the order to his men. "Teach her what happens when you hurt someone on Falcone turf." Two massive mobsters instantly stepped up and kicked me brutally in the stomach! Thud! My back slammed hard against the red brick wall. The air was knocked out of my lungs, and I tasted copper. I slid limply to the ground, coldly watching the man I had dedicated my youth and life to grieving. He was tenderly using a handkerchief to wipe away Scarlett's non-existent tears, as if I were nothing but a worthless pile of mud. "Just don't kill her." Julian's voice had zero warmth. The gentleness that once belonged only to me was now a knife slicing me apart. I lay paralyzed in the dirty puddles, staring at those ice-cold eyes. For a moment, the blood-soaked boy who desperately pushed me out of harm's way overlapped with the man in front of me. A sharp pain pierced my heart. High heels clicked closer through the puddles. Scarlett's eyes were red, but a cruel smile hung on her lips. She walked past the thugs and slapped me as hard as she could, twice across the face. My head snapped to the side, my ears ringing. She still wasn't done. That hand wearing a heavy diamond ring swung high again, aiming right for my eyes! Enough. I jerked my head up and grabbed her wrist mid-air. "Ah! Let go of me!" Scarlett screamed. I didn't give her a chance to break free. I punched her right in the stomach as hard as I could! Thud! "Ahhh—" Scarlett let out a shrill scream, curling up on the ground in pain, dry-heaving while clutching her stomach. "Aurora! Do you have a death wish?!" Julian exploded in fury. He marched over, his whole body giving off an oppressive aura. He raised his massive hand, seemingly finally losing patience and ready to teach me a lesson himself. I didn't dodge. I stood up straight against his pressure and stared right into his pupils with my bloodshot eyes. "Hit me!" I roared. "I dare you!" The eyes that once loved me so deeply clashed violently with his bloodshot stare. Right at that second. Julian's raised hand froze in the air. He flinched violently, his face draining of color. He stared at my eyes, his breathing suddenly turning rapid and painful. His hand seemed to be held back by invisible chains; it just couldn't fall. A sudden jolt of pain in his chest made him stumble back half a step. I sneered, ignored the stunned thugs, and slapped his hand away. Without another look at those two bastards, I turned around and stumbled out of the alley, dragging my broken body. I used my last bit of energy to grab my cash for the day. By the time I got back to my drafty apartment, I didn't even make it to the bed. I crashed onto the floor and passed out cold. A high fever swallowed me like fire. My dreams were full of the suffocation of drowning in the icy river, and the coldness on Julian's face when he threw my bags out the window. A loud email notification ripped me out of my nightmare. I was dripping in cold sweat, my whole body aching like it had been dismantled. I grabbed my hot phone by the pillow. It was an urgent email from my law professor. I opened the attachment. It was a security video. But it had been maliciously edited. The start and end were cut. No footage of Scarlett burning me with her cigarette. No footage of the mobsters beating me up. The video only showed me looking like a monster, grabbing Scarlett's wrist, and punching her hard in the gut, dropping her to the floor. "Aurora! Columbia Law's ethics committee just got this anonymous tip!" My professor's message was frantic and helpless. "There's solid proof of you committing assault. The committee thinks you have severe violent tendencies and fail the Character and Fitness evaluation for future lawyers. They're reviewing your admission!" "Go apologize! Do whatever it takes, beg Julian to drop the report! Or your future is over!" The phone slipped from my hand. Extreme humiliation and rage gnawed at my heart like venomous snakes. I had finally clawed back my life. And now I was being dragged through the mud again because of this dirty trick. I bit the inside of my cheek and swallowed the metallic taste of blood. I forced myself off the floor, washed my face with cold water, and left the apartment. Julian's heavily guarded penthouse downtown wasn't completely shut. I pushed the door open. On the living room couch, Julian was holding an ice pack, applying it impossibly gently to Scarlett's completely uninjured face. Hearing footsteps, they both looked up. "You have the nerve to show up here?" Julian's eyes turned icy, like he was looking at an irredeemable criminal. I didn't argue. I didn't defend myself. I walked right up to them. My knees didn't bend; I just looked down at him coldly. "Drop the report," I said, my voice dead. The air went dead silent. Julian's pupils shrank, and his hand holding the ice froze mid-air. Looking at my pale face, his Adam's apple bobbed hard. But in the end, he gripped Scarlett's hand back. "You're finally willing to put away your jealousy and admit you were wrong?" He looked up at me arrogantly. "You bleed until she's satisfied. That's how our world works. As long as she's happy, I'll let you off." A stone-cold deal. It completely severed the last ounce of my delusional hope for him. He didn't deserve my dignity, but he had to give me back my future. I raised my hand without hesitation. Slap! I used all my strength. The cut on my mouth tore open, and blood spilled out. Slap! Another hit. My face quickly swelled up, my ears ringing sharply, but I didn't even flinch. I slapped myself again and again. Blood dripped down my chin. Julian's breathing got heavier and heavier. He stared hard at those drops of bright red blood. His chest he heave violently. A panic and agony he didn't even understand boiled in his eyes. When my hand swung high for the fourth time... "Enough!" With an out-of-control roar, Julian lunged forward and grabbed my hand. Chapter 6 "Enough!" Julian grabbed my wrist tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. His chest heaved and his eyes were red. There was pain in that look, and a panic he couldn't even figure out himself. I looked at him coldly and swallowed the taste of blood in my mouth. "Let go." My voice was deadpan. He let go suddenly, as if he'd been electrocuted. I didn't even wipe the blood off my face. I stared right into his dodging eyes. "Remember to send the clarification email. Unless you want to be sued along with Columbia." I pushed him away, ignored Scarlett's shrill cries, turned around, and walked out the door. For three days straight, my high fever didn't break. In that drafty apartment, I didn't even have the strength to get out of bed to pour a glass of water. I survived the edge of death all by myself. On the fourth day, the fever finally broke. My phone lit up with an email from my professor. "The committee received Julian's withdrawal and clarification. Your admission is restored. Come to New York ASAP." I closed my eyes and let out a long breath. I won. And my week of waiting was finally over. On my last night before leaving Chicago, I pushed open the doors of an underground club controlled by a neutral syndicate. Cassian's local contacts had successfully smuggled in my extraction documents and left my fake ID in a VIP room here. I pushed open the VIP door, and the noisy room went dead silent instantly. Everyone was there. Sitting right in the middle were Julian and Scarlett. Lisa, who used to be my best friend, picked up a shot of strong vodka and shoved it hard in front of me. "Aurora, since you're scrambling off to New York tomorrow, take this shot. Consider it a peace offering for almost beating Scarlett to death." I looked at Lisa. She knew damn well that this shot would kill me. I was deathly allergic to alcohol. These people had all been brainwashed by Scarlett. They were just accomplices to her bullying. "I'm not drinking it. What I came for isn't with you guys." I turned to grab the door handle. Bam! A hand slammed against the door. Julian's large frame blocked my way. He looked down at me, his voice carrying a warning. "Sit back down. Don't upset Scarlett. This is the last bit of dignity everyone is leaving you. Once you go to New York, stop dreaming about a world that doesn't belong to you." Dignity? I gave a cold laugh, walked past him, and sat straight down on a single sofa in the corner. The games started. An empty bottle spun fast on the table. The room was quiet. The bottle stopped, pointing right at me. Malice flashed in Lisa's eyes. "Truth. Aurora, tell everyone what really happened the night of the prom. Did you drag Julian down just so you could seduce that New York thug, Cassian?" Some guys in the corner whistled and jeered. They were purposely tearing at my scars, wanting to humiliate me, wanting to see me break. I leaned back on the couch and stared right into Julian's face. "There was no Cassian." I looked straight into his eyes. "We ran into some thugs. To protect me, he took three knives and fell into the river. Those guys... were a rival faction from his own family, coming for the Falcone heir." "He almost died for me." The room was dead silent. Scarlett's face went totally pale. She looked at Julian in terror, her body shaking uncontrollably, terrified that those words would flip a switch in his brain. Julian frowned hard. His face suddenly turned awful, his hand instinctively gripping his chest tightly. Lisa panicked and spun the bottle again. It pointed at me once more. "Dare!" Lisa quickly jumped in, pointing at three shots of straight tequila on the table. "Drink all three!" I looked at the three shots of liquor that could literally kill me, grabbed my bag, and prepared to walk right out. A large hand suddenly reached over. Smash! He swept the first shot glass off the table. Glass shattered everywhere. Julian's eyes were bloodshot, his breathing heavy. He grabbed the remaining half-bottle of tequila, threw his head back, and downed the whole thing in front of everyone. The harsh liquor soaked his shirt, but he didn't care at all. He slammed the empty bottle onto the table. "I'll take it for her." Julian stared at me fiercely, spitting out the words through clenched teeth. He was losing control. It was pure muscle memory. Scarlett sat beside him, digging her nails so hard into her palms. The way she stared at me, she looked like she wanted to eat me alive. I watched Julian act crazy with no emotion. Just exhaustion. "Excuse me." I stood up and walked to the bathroom. I splashed cold water on my pale face in the mirror. Just as I pulled a paper towel, click—the bathroom door was locked from the inside. Scarlett stood behind me. No tears, no fake mask. Her entire face was completely twisted with jealousy. "You bitch!" she gritted her teeth and closed in on me. "Think you can steal him away with a couple of ghost stories? So what if he took a drink for you? I'm the one he loves now!" I gave her a cold look. "My flight to New York is tomorrow morning. I'm never coming back for the rest of my life." I tossed the towel in the trash. "Save the crazy for him." "Leave?" Scarlett suddenly let out a shrill laugh. She lunged at me, grabbed my hair tight, her eyes pure poison. "You think you can just walk away? Nobody defies the Don's woman in Chicago!" She whispered into my ear. "That river couldn't drown you years ago. Today, I'm going to make sure you die right on the street!" Chapter 7 Scarlett was totally out of her mind. Yanking me by my hair, ignoring my struggles, she dragged me all the way to the club's front doors. My scalp felt like it was ripping apart. Nobody in the hallway dared to intervene; they were all just watching the show. Bam! She kicked the club doors wide open. Cold wind and rain smacked my face. "Open your eyes and watch!" Scarlett laughed like a maniac as she dragged me toward the road. "Let's see who he really chooses!" Blinding high beams closed in instantly. An out-of-control car was speeding right at us. Screeching brakes ripped through the night. It was a premeditated mob hit. "Scarlett!" Julian's terrified roar suddenly came from behind us. Footsteps rushed near. For a split second, I thought he was going to pull us away like he did years ago. But he didn't. At the critical moment, Julian lunged from the side. His eyes were only on a terrified Scarlett. He grabbed her shoulders tight and yanked her forcefully back to the median. Because of his violent yank, I—who was still being held tightly by Scarlett's grip—completely lost my balance. His violent pull ripped me from her grip. The momentum threw me straight into the street. I was hit head-on, smashing heavily against the hard hood. Blood instantly gushed from my nose and mouth, choking my airway. The pain was so intense I couldn't even scream. Rain mixed with blood, blurring my vision. My survival instinct forced me to open my eyes. Three feet away, Julian was half-kneeling on the median, fiercely shielding a perfectly unharmed Scarlett in his arms. "Help..." Gritting my teeth, I slowly dragged my twitching fingers through a pool of blood and grabbed his muddy pant leg. "Ah! Julian, it hurts so much! I'm so scared!" Scarlett's scream pierced the night air, completely drowning out my weak plea for help. Julian snapped his head down. He looked at my bloody, mangled face, a flash of shock in his eyes. But a second later, Scarlett's crying ripped away all his sanity once again. "Don't be scared, I'm here." He held Scarlett tight and scrambled to his feet. In the chaos, his leather shoe heartlessly stomped right over my bloody fingers. The harsh sirens of an ambulance neared. Julian scooped Scarlett up and dashed over. He grabbed the paramedic's collar tightly, his voice shaking. "Save her first! Hurry! She's in shock!" At the club entrance, Lisa and her crew formed a circle. They watched me twitch in a pool of blood with cold indifference. Ten years of devotion. Repaid with a death sentence. I closed my eyes and sank completely into a dead darkness. ... When I opened my eyes again, the room was blindingly white. It wasn't a crowded public hospital room, but a heavily guarded private suite. A tall man stood by the bed. Dressed in a black suit, with deep features and an incredibly oppressive aura. The Don of New York's biggest mafia family, Cassian Acardi. He didn't care about territory rules or mob wars anymore. The moment he heard about the hit-and-run, he had flown his private jet right into Falcone territory. His eyes were bloodshot with exhaustion; he had clearly been watching over me for a long time. Outside the door stood two rows of heavily armed elite New York mobsters, ready to kill anyone from Chicago who dared to step close. Seeing me awake, Cassian didn't say a word. He just looked down and handed me a phone. The screen was on a social media app. It was a status Julian posted three minutes ago. In the picture, Scarlett lay peacefully in a VIP hospital bed. Her face was rosy, without a single scratch. Below the photo was a caption. "My life for yours. Always." I stared at that line for a long time. No tears. No anger. Even the last trace of my lingering bitterness was completely shattered by that car. I felt nothing. Just dead, cold emptiness. I calmly handed the phone back. "Thank you." My voice was hoarse but unbelievably clear. "And... I'm sorry, Cassian. I misjudged you. Tomorrow morning, I want to go to New York." Cassian raised an eyebrow slightly. He didn't ask a single question, just coldly spat a word: "Alright. New York welcomes you, Aurora." The next morning. I leaned back in the leather seat of Cassian's private jet. The bandages on my body were tight, but my mind was clearer than ever. On the runway, the engines began to roar. The old phone in my hand suddenly buzzed like crazy. Julian's name flashed on the screen. Call after call, stubbornly acting like his life depended on it. I looked at the name and hit reject with a blank face. Long press, power off. I popped out the SIM card I had used for ten years and tossed it into the trash can by my feet, along with the phone. The plane shot into the sky, breaking through the gloomy clouds. The shithole of Chicago, my ridiculous past obsession, and those two pieces of trash—were all finally crushed beneath my feet. I finally welcomed the life that belonged to me.