Chapter 1

In New York's underworld, no one dared touch the daughter of the family heir at a Bellandi family banquet.

But on Nina's seventh birthday, Dante Bellandi pushed her down next to her birthday cake in front of everyone.

"Don't call me Dad."

His voice was cold as a loaded gun.

"I'm not your father."

A second later, he slammed a DNA report bearing a private lab's seal onto the table.

The report had one conclusion: Nina was not a Bellandi by blood.

The banquet went dead silent.

The Bellandi family's adoptive parents slapped me across the face in front of every family member.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

Bianca—just brought home, called the true heir by everyone—curled up in Dante's arms, eyes red, defending herself:

"Sorry, Elena. I only said Nina doesn't look like Dante. I didn't think he'd actually do a paternity test..."

With one sentence, she nailed me and my daughter to the dirtiest accusation in the Bellandi family.

I became the woman who betrayed her husband.

Nina became a bastard with no known father.

What was even more absurd—Dante didn't throw me out of the estate immediately.

He just handed me divorce papers, like he was disposing of a family asset that had lost its value.

"Sign it. The Bellandi family doesn't keep traitors. Or children of unknown origin."

For Nina's sake, I held back the urge to tear the papers apart in front of everyone.

I even thought about begging him to run the test again.

Until three days later, when I heard the conversation outside his study.

Dante's friend asked in a low voice:

"You called your own wife a whore and your own daughter a bastard just to make Bianca feel better. Aren't you afraid they'll actually leave?"

Dante laughed softly.

"Afraid of what? The DNA report is fake. Salvatore and Marcella already know."

"Bianca suffered out there for years. Elena took her life. It's time she gave it back."

He paused, his tone certain, like he'd already arranged the rest of my life.

"Once Bianca's had her revenge, I'll remarry Elena. She can't leave me. She can't leave the Bellandi family."

Outside the door, my fingers slowly curled tight.

A few hours earlier, Nina had come home from school in a mud-stained uniform, crying.

Her knees were scraped. The teacher only told me coldly:

"Mrs. Bellandi, other parents don't want their children in the same classroom as a bastard. Please transfer her as soon as possible."

I held Nina as she trembled. She lifted her tear-streaked face and asked me:

"Mom, if I really am Dad's daughter, will he love me again?"

For that sentence, I swallowed my pride and carried her to Dante's private club, begging him to test her blood one more time.

I thought if I could just prove Nina was his biological daughter, there was still something to salvage.

But what I heard was him planning how to coax me back after pushing us into the abyss.

In his eyes, forging the report, destroying my reputation, making the entire underworld despise Nina—it was all just a show to please Bianca.

Even my adoptive parents, who I thought would protect me for life, had quietly allowed it.

In that moment, I finally understood. What I'd protected for over twenty years wasn't a family.

It was just a surname that could be replaced at any time.

I didn't push the door open. I didn't cry or demand answers from Dante.

I just turned and left, and sent my lawyer a message.

"Prepare the divorce papers. I want the Bellandi family to pay."

The next day, I would end this marriage with my own hands.

And Dante didn't know yet—after we walked out of city hall, he would watch me marry the one rival he should never have provoked. The Carbone family's Don. Luca Carbone.

This time, I wasn't looking back.