Chapter 1

675words2026-02-09 09:58

I arrived at a standalone villa in the Queen's District of Southwold.
As the former Donna of the Medicis, I had hidden in Holbeck for ten years. Today, I finally returned here under the name "Ella".
I had just set my suitcase down in the entryway and hadn't even caught my breath when the front door was kicked open from the outside.

Five women barged in aggressively. Leading them was Giovanna Valery, my future daughter-in-law, whom I had only seen in photos.
I stepped forward in surprise, about to greet her, when she lunged at me like she had lost her mind. She grabbed my hair, yanking so hard that it felt like my scalp was being torn off.
"Well, look at you, you shameless old hag! You hid yourself pretty damn well!"
She raised her hand and slapped me twice. My cheeks burned instantly. The corner of my mouth split open, and the taste of blood flooded in.
"No wonder Fabrizio's been distracted lately! Turns out he's been cheating on me with you!"
Giovanna's voice was sharp and piercing, her eyes filled with hatred.

Her gaze swept over the bronze candlestick on the coffee table. It was a Medici family heirloom.
My son, Fabrizio Medici, had personally shipped it over from the old family estate, saying I would definitely like it.
"He gave you the candlestick I begged for and never got. What kind of spell did you put on him? You're halfway into the grave, and you think you're worthy of touching Medici property?"
She grabbed the bronze candlestick and brought it down on my forehead without hesitation.

A burst of pain exploded through my head. My ears rang, and my vision went black as I dropped to my knees. Hot blood streamed down into my eyes, blurring everything.
"You've got it wrong. I'm…" I struggled to explain, but before I could finish, Giovanna swung the candlestick again, straight at my mouth.
The metal smashed into my teeth. I heard enamel crack as bloody foam rushed into my throat, making me cough violently.
"I've got it wrong?" Giovanna let out a cold laugh and stepped on the back of my hand. Her high heel ground down hard. "You've lost your mind. I'm Fabrizio's only woman. You think you can compete with me, you shameless old hag?"
The four women behind her immediately crowded in. Two yanked my arms back while the other two pinned my shoulders.
"She needs to be taught a lesson so she knows who's the real lady of the house," one of them sneered.
I struggled and screamed, "Let go of me. I'm Liliana Medici. I'm Fabrizio's mother!"
Giovanna burst into laughter, as if she had just heard the biggest joke in the world. "Give me a break! Liliana died ten years ago in a fire. With that plastic face of yours, how dare you pretend to be the Donna!"
She abruptly released my chin and pulled a dagger from her waist.
She crouched down sharply and ripped open the left shoulder of my shirt, exposing the smooth skin after grafting.
That spot should have held the Medici family crest tattoo passed down through generations. But back then, when I detonated the car to save Fabrizio, the flames destroyed it completely. The skin graft only left a faint trace, almost impossible to see unless you looked closely.
"See that? You don't even have the family tattoo, and you say you're one of them?"
Giovanna grabbed the front of my clothes and yanked me forward. Staring at her face twisted by jealousy, I felt both furious and desperate.
Fabrizio had praised her endlessly, calling her gentle, kind, and well educated.
Yet, the woman in front of me was clearly a spoiled lunatic.
"I'm not lying…" I gasped weakly.
Giovanna cut me off impatiently and drew the dagger again. "Looks like you don't know your place. I'm taking your arm so you learn your lesson!"
The blade moved closer and closer. I could feel its icy chill, and despair swallowed me whole.