She's not just my half - sister . She's the daughter of my father's mistress - the woman who destroyed my parents ' marriage . The woman my mother caught him with in their bed the night before she jumped off that tower . They said she was crazy . That she had an affair with our driver . That she couldn't handle the divorce . But I remember the bruises she tried to hide with silk scarves . I remember the day she locked herself in her room and cried for hours after finding out about Marian . Chris told me once , in a moment of guilt , that it wasn't the fall that killed her -it was the years of betrayal that pushed her to the edge . But even he swallowed Matteo's version of events in the end . They all did . " Your mother was unstable , " Matteo used to say , voice heavy with mock sorrow . " She couldn't live with the shame . I tried to help her . " No. He didn't try to help her . He drove her mad and handed her the reason- Marian . And now that same bastard - child was wearing my wedding dress . Claiming my future . Smiling like she hadn't been born from a lie soaked in blood . Chris sliced open the bloodied fabric of my pants with a scalpel , quick and clean , revealing deep bruises and torn skin stretched across my abdomen . His hands hesitated , trembled . The damage was bad . Ribcage mottled in purple and green . Lacerations crusted over with dried blood . My breathing was shallow , ragged . Chris moved automatically - pressure , gauze , more pressure . Painkillers came next , sharp relief flooding my veins , dulling the edges but not enough to forget . No one said it , but they were shaken . I could feel it in how Chris lingered over every step , in how Matteo paced like a caged animal behind him . Chris didn't prep for surgery . Didn't call anyone . Just kept me stable . Kept stalling . Later , in the shadows of the ER room , I heard them whispering near the supply cabinet . 1/4 2.7 % 6:59 Mon , Sep 15 Chris lowered his voice . " Dad ... she's barely hanging on . Are we really going through with posting that footage ? " Matteo lit a cigarette , exhaled slowly . " Rupert's still head over heels for her . The wounds alone won't push him away . We need to make her look dirty , like a liability to the family's reputation . " Chris looked horrified . " You're gonna frame your own daughter as bait ? " Matteo's eyes were steel . " We leak it now , right before the wedding . Just enough to make her untouchable to the Kaufmans . And once Marian's locked in , we'll scrub it all . Clean her name later ." I stared at the ceiling , biting back the scream in my throat. They were burying me alive . All I had done was go for a jog along the river last night . The Rosetti bastards snatched me up , dragging me behind an abandoned warehouse . Now my own blood was using that to kill my name . A few minutes later , my phone buzzed weakly beside me . I winced , grabbed it with my unbandaged hand . It was a message from Mela - my best friend . " Ivanna . You need to see this . It's blowing up . " She sent a link . I tapped it . A Facebook video opened . My face . But it wasn't me . A girl who looked like me was laughing , leaning into the Rosetti men , whispering something into one of their ears before walking off with them into the dark . The caption ? " Mafia heiress caught sneaking off with enemy thugs before wedding to Kaufman heir ??? " My stomach twisted . The comment section was a hellscape . " Wow . That's Ivanna Rossi ? What a trashy move . " Chapter 2 214 2.2 6.59 Mon , Sep 15 " Rupert's dodging a bullet . She belongs in the Rossi basement , not at a wedding . " " If I were Rupert , I'd dump her and break her legs for good measure . " " This is what happens when you let mafia princesses think they're invincible . " Tears stung my eyes . My body was already screaming in pain - but this ? This was betrayal on another level . Chris rushed over , yanked the phone from my hand . " Don't look at that , Ivanna . I know it's not you . I know . " Matteo glanced at the screen . His eyes narrowed . Then , in a dramatic show , he slammed the phone onto the ground , shattering it . " This is disgusting ! " he snarled . " Who the hell spread this garbage ? I'm getting it taken down now ! " He marched out , muttering about lawyers and hacking contacts . Chris stroked my hair gently . " Don't worry . Dad's got this . It'll all disappear by tomorrow . " I didn't say a word . My eyes were wide open now . They were playing both sides - releasing the video , then pretending to save me from it . After ten minutes , Matteo returned with a triumphant look . " Gone . I've got my men scrubbing every trace . No one talks about my daughter like that . " Chris chimed in , " You're safe now , Ivanna . We've got your back . " I almost laughed . My body trembled - not from fear , but from rage . Too late . The video already had hundreds of thousands of views . It had spread into the Kaufman inner circles . Even if Rupert had doubts , this ... this sealed the deal . By tomorrow , Marian would be walking down the aisle . And I'd be rotting in this hospital bed . Chris grew uneasy . He called in his assistant , who performed a full scan and handed him a sealed envelope afterward . Chris opened it , skimmed , and his face darkened . He pulled Matteo aside . Chapter 2 3/4 3.7 % 6:59 Mon , Sep 15 71 " Her internal bleeding's worse than we thought , " he said quietly . " Her organs - -some of them are ruptured . If we don't operate tonight , she might not survive . And if she does ... she'll never be able to have kids again . " I closed my eyes . That was it . They had destroyed my body , my name , and my future . But they made one mistake . They didn't kill me . And now ? I'd make them regret that . 4/4 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!