Chapter 1

During the third year of my secret marriage, I finally got pregnant. I was floating on cloud nine all the way home, excited to share this amazing news with my husband, Stefano Farro. However, I overheard him talking to someone on the phone when I walked through the door. "Salvatore, Antonia has taken charge of The Rosas. I'm going to tell Regina the truth. If you haven't gotten sick of sleeping with her yet, you can have her in the next few days." "Sure, Stef," a voice that sounded just like Stefano said in an ostentatious tone. "You're such a generous and loyal man. To save yourself for Antonia, you're willing to let your own fratello sleep with your wife. "Aren't you worried about Regina having a breakdown when she discovers that the man who she's been sharing a bed with all these years is her husband's fratello?" "Do you think that an idiot who falls for a forged marriage certificate is worthy of being my wife?" Stefano asked in a cold and loathful voice. "Besides, she's so stupid. She hasn't noticed a thing even though it's been three years. She'll definitely never find out." A chill ran down my spine. It turned out that my fated love had been nothing more than a cruel game that Stefano and his twin, Salvatore Farro, meticulously planned for the sake of the woman they loved. … I continued listening in on Stefano and Salvatore's conversation. "Alright, then, Stef. I'll make sure to enjoy myself to the fullest in the next few days," Salvatore said mockingly and maliciously. "You don't know this, but your wife has a smoking body, and she's also really obedient in bed. Once you marry Antonia, you should lock her at home and let me play with her." "No. What if she goes crazy and hurts Antonia?" "Good point. She's as shameless as her madre. She's just a bastard child, but she's shameless enough to fight Antonia for the role of successor. If she finds out that the woman who you really love is Antonia, she might actually try to do something to her." Stefano's and Salvatore's voices were dripping with contempt for me, leaving me rooted to the spot. I couldn't even summon the courage to rush in and demand answers from Stefano. No one knew that my papa, Roberto Leone, established The Rosas with my nonno, Bruno Scapuzzi's help. After the gang had found its footing, and Papa had cemented his position among the other families, he brought the child he had with his first love home. The child had been only a month older than me. My mamma, Teresa Scapuzzi, hadn't been able to accept that Papa had not only cheated on her but also had another child with another woman. She ended up becoming depressed. To save herself, she ultimately chose to divorce Papa. She had then disappeared from our lives. Not long after that, Papa married his first love, which also caused our family to fall apart. At first, Papa had been immensely regretful for causing me to lose a whole and complete family. He promised that no matter what happened, the two people he loved the most would always be me and Mamma. He also promised that I would become the successor of the family. To live up to Papa's expectations, I worked myself to the bone in the past few years to become a qualified successor. Unfortunately, Papa's heart was ultimately swayed by the woman who shared his bed. He slowly began to favor my stepsister, Antonia Leone. In the past few years, he allowed Antonia to slander me, claiming that I was the illegitimate child. He also didn't lift a finger when Antonia forbade me from revealing Mamma's identity. I hadn't taken full control of The Rosas yet at that time, so I endured everything that Antonia threw at me. I thought everything would change once I became the undisputed Don of The Rosas. However, three years ago, Antonia claimed that I pushed her off a bridge when she was the one who threw herself off to steal the role of successor of The Rosas away from me. In a fit of rage, Papa stripped me of all the power I had in the family and kicked me out of the house. The authority that I had spent years cultivating in the family disappeared overnight thanks to Papa's announcement and his favoritism toward Antonia. Everyone criticized me for resorting to despicable and underhanded tactics just because I was jealous of Antonia. Nonno became terribly ill and fell into a coma at around the same time, so I didn't have anyone I could rely on. As a result, Papa threw me to the curb like I was nothing more than a bag of trash. I would never forget how I had curled up among the pile of trash bags like a homeless person that day. I was shivering from being drenched in the rain when Stefano carried me home. He told me that he believed that I wasn't that type of person. He became my shelter and helped me take care of all the rumors that were circulating about. That was also when he slipped the ring that marked me as the daughter-in-law of the Farro family onto my finger. "The fighting and killing makes the outside world too dangerous, Gina. It doesn't suit a rose like you. Marry me and let me be your shelter, okay?" Stefano ignored everyone's protests and wanted to marry a woman with a terrible reputation like me. Tears of gratitude had streamed down my face when I agreed. After we registered our marriage, I had excitedly talked to him about our wedding ceremony, but a troubled look had crossed his face. "My parents haven't approved of our marriage, Gina. We should wait before having the ceremony. Also, we can't announce our relationship to the public before getting my parents' approval. "Mi dispiace. It's not that I don't love you. I just don't want anyone to criticize you. I hope you'll be able to officially marry into the Farro family one day." I knew the Farros didn't approve of me as their daughter-in-law. Although I was disappointed, I didn't bring up the wedding ceremony again for Stefano's sake. He also talked about how he hoped that I would refrain from getting involved in any conflicts because the Farros required his future wife to have a clean background. It was why I willingly gave up on the role of successor and even left my own family, becoming his secret bride. From the successor of The Rosas, I became a housewife whose entire life orbited Stefano. My hands, which I used to aim guns with, became covered with calluses from all the chores I did. However, Stefano seemed to treat me a little differently after we got married. He was cold and distant in the day, but once night fell, he would passionately cling to me again and again. I never once suspected him because of my love for him. I even made up excuses for him in my heart, assuming that a naturally aloof man like himself would only show his true colors at night. He only went wild once night fell because he loved me. I never would have thought that my so-called husband were actually two different men. I also never would have guessed that the marriage certificate that I treated like a precious treasure was nothing but a forgery. The love that they had shown me over the past few years had just been a trap that Stefano and Salvatore had set for me for the sake of another woman. Tears rolled down my cheeks while Salvatore's curious voice echoed in the house once more, "What do you plan to do with her in the future?" Stefano didn't hesitate for even a second before answering, "I'll send her to a place where Antonia will never have to see her. I'll hire people to take care of her. She'll be well cared for for the rest of her life, but she can never show her face in front of me or Antonia ever again." He had decided the course of the rest of my life with just a few simple sentences. It turned out that, from Stefano's perspective, I was nothing more than a toy that he could discard at any moment. I couldn't listen to another word. I sprinted out of the house like I had lost my mind, crumpling the pregnancy report that I was holding. The scenery around me turned into a blur of colors. When I snapped back to my senses, I realized I had run all the way to the bridge that Antonia had thrown herself off. I was just about to take a step toward the edge of the bridge when my phone started ringing in my bag. Snapping out of my daze, I grabbed it and accepted the call. "Gina, I'm awake," Nonno's loving and gentle voice echoed from the receiver. My nose stung when I heard his voice, and I got so choked up that I almost couldn't speak. "What's wrong? Did someone bully my precious treasure when I wasn't around?" Unable to hold back any longer, I burst into tears as I gripped the phone. "I missed you so much, Nonno. Everyone bullied me when you weren't around." "Don't cry, Gina," Nonno said, sounding concerned. "I'll have my men bring you back home next week. How does that sound?" I had to muster all the strength I had left in my body to answer him. "Va bene."