The Godfather’s Forsaken Rose Chapter 07
Victor understood immediately.
“Did you hear him?” he shouted at the guards. “Thirty lashes first. Then lock her in the side hall until I say otherwise.”
“Let me go. Victor, you’re no father of mine. You’re a beast.”
I fought with everything I had, but the guards pinned me down.
They dragged me to the side hall. Elena stood there with the riding crop in her hand, pleasure and malice written across her face.
“Little bitch,” she hissed. “You’re as disrespectful as your dead mother. Today, I’ll discipline you for your father.”
She raised the crop and brought it down across my back.
Crack.
Pain split through my skin and flesh. Black spots burst across my vision. I bit my lower lip hard, refusing to scream.
One lash.
Two.
Three.
Elena seemed to pour years of resentment into every strike. The crop came down again and again, as if she wanted to carve my flesh from my bones.
My body convulsed from the pain. Cold sweat soaked my clothes. My consciousness began to blur.
I remembered that Dominic had once known, vaguely, that I did not get along with my stepmother. He had frowned and asked me, “Do you need me to handle it?”
I remembered the night I had secretly run to my mother’s grave in the rain because I could not bear the grief. Somehow, he had found me. Without a word, he took off his coat, wrapped it around me, and drove me home.
I remembered all the moments I had mistaken for care.
Back then, had he ever imagined that one day he would be the one to push me into this?
Blood rose in my throat. I coughed and tasted iron, but I laughed softly.
Elena was unsettled by that laugh and grew even angrier.
“What are you laughing at, you little bitch?”
I lifted my face, slick with sweat and blood, and stared at her like a wounded wolf.
“I’m laughing because you and your daughter are only fit for other people’s scraps.”
“Trash.”
“You!”
Elena trembled with rage. She threw the riding crop aside and shouted to a guard, “Bring me the stun baton.”
“Madam, no.” An older servant stepped forward, unable to stay silent. “Miss Isabella will die.”
“Get out of my way. Who gave you permission to speak?”
Elena shoved her aside, grabbed the stun baton from the guard, and struck me with it.
Electric pain tore through me.
I heard something crack in my ribs.
Blood spilled from my mouth, and the world went black.
When I regained consciousness, I was lying in my own room. Every inch of me felt as if it had been crushed.
Mrs. Zhang, an old servant my mother had brought with her when she married into the Moretti family, was secretly applying medicine to my wounds. She wiped her tears as she worked.
“Miss, why do you have to be so hard on yourself? If you were just a little softer…”
I shook my head weakly.
“If I go soft in this house, they’ll chew me down to the bone.”
I gave her a smile uglier than crying.
“It was only a beating. I hit Sophia too. I didn’t lose.”
With great effort, I pulled a bank card from beneath my pillow and pushed it into her hand.
“Mrs. Zhang… take this.”
She was startled and tried to refuse.
“Miss, I can’t. How could I take your money?”
“Take it,” I said firmly. “I’ve prepared it for a long time.”
“I’m leaving the United States. I probably won’t come back.”
“You came here with my mother. After I’m gone, they won’t treat you kindly. This is enough for you to live comfortably in retirement.”
“Listen to me. Resign. Leave this place.”
Mrs. Zhang looked at the thin card in her hand, then at me, covered in wounds and still worrying about her. She burst into tears and almost knelt.
I stopped her quickly, my voice weak but soft.
“Mrs. Zhang… I kind of want your lotus root and pork rib soup.”
“Yes. Yes, of course. I’ll make it right now.”
She wiped her tears and hurried out.
The room fell quiet again.
I looked up at the ornate, ice-cold ceiling and slowly closed my eyes, letting despair and grief swallow me whole.
For the next few days, I recovered in my room.
Through the pain, I packed my luggage and gathered everything Dominic had ever given me.
He did not love me, but he had always been generous. Altogether, those things were worth an obscene amount of money.
At first, I wanted to throw them away.
Then I changed my mind and called the owner of the high-end underground club I often visited.
I heard the club was holding a charity auction, so I told them I had several items to donate.
They replied quickly. There was an event that night, and I could bring the pieces in.
That evening, I took several large boxes to the underground club.
After handing everything to the auction staff, I turned and saw Dominic and Sophia walking in from across the hall.
Sophia leaned against Dominic. When she saw me, pride and provocation flashed in her eyes.
My fingers dug briefly into my palm.
Then I let go.
I had real business tonight. I did not need to waste my emotions on them.
Dominic’s gaze seemed to linger for a moment on my too-pale face. Then he looked away indifferently.
As soon as I sat down, the lights dimmed.
The host stepped onto the stage and cheerfully announced that before the auction began, the couples present would enjoy a three-minute kissing game.
I froze.
The spotlight swept through the darkened room, landing at random on couples embracing and kissing.
Instinctively, I turned.
Not far away, Sophia smiled with her arms around Dominic’s neck. Dominic looked down at her, the corner of his mouth seeming to curve. Then he leaned in and kissed her.
In that moment, my heart felt as if an invisible hand had closed around it.
Memories of Dominic kissing me flooded my mind.
Fierce kisses. Possessive kisses. Kisses full of desire.
But never one like that.
Never so cherished.
Never so gentle.
Just then, a drunken playboy staggered over.
“Miss Moretti, lonely by yourself? Let me keep you company.”