Ridiculed as Trash, Crowned at the Peak

At that moment, I found the whole thing absurdly laughable. Was the Castellano family really going to fire anyone who defended me?

I patted Maximo's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "It's fine. The Castellanos won't last much longer anyway. Go home and wait. Someone will offer you a better-paying job soon."

Maximo shot me a grateful look, nodded hard, and then turned and left quickly.

Valentina clearly had no intention of letting me off the hook. She shoved me out into the main hall, waved that receipt in the air, and shrieked at an ear-splitting pitch.

"I suspect Benedetta has been using family resources to embezzle assets and even sell intelligence to enemy forces! Anyone who can produce evidence of her betraying the family gets promoted to manager of the core casino immediately!"

The hall fell dead silent. No one spoke up, and no one stepped forward.

After all, she had zero credibility. Meanwhile, I, the Fortune Consigliere, had actually made real money for everyone.

After a few tense minutes, a sleazy-looking man crept out from the corner. Dante Caruso, a capo who'd tried to harass me more than once—a complete scumbag.

He rubbed his hands together and sidled up to Valentina with a fawning expression.

"Signorina Accardi, I've noticed some things! Benedetta wears a million-dollar watch every day, always has the latest phone, and gets delivery after delivery. Where does a woman like her get all that money? She must be stealing from the family!"

Valentina's eyes lit up when she heard this. "I knew something was fishy! How could someone like her afford top-tier luxury goods? She's got dirty hands for sure!"

She whirled around and barked orders at the soldati behind her. "Get her! Hold her down and strip-search her! I want to see what other stolen goods she's hiding!"

Watching the soldati close in, I gritted my teeth and explained, "Those things were gifts from business partners!"

"Liar!" she cut me off immediately. "Why would business partners give you such expensive things? You think I'm stupid? You clearly stole family money!"

She made a single gesture, and four hulking men lunged at me all at once. Before I could even resist, they pinned me to the ground like a criminal awaiting execution.

My bag was violently ripped open. The gemstone necklace Antonio had given me slid out and clattered to the floor. Valentina bent down, picked up the necklace, and trembled with excitement.

"Caught red-handed! A sapphire necklace of this quality costs at least eight figures! A peasant like you couldn't afford this even if you worked your whole life!"

She looked down at me with a smile that was both vicious and satisfied. "Today, I'm cleaning house for the Castellano family. I'll show you what happens to traitors!"

Before she even finished speaking, she grabbed a fistful of my hair and slapped me twice, hard. Her sharp nails tore across my cheek, and blood ran down my chin. The metallic taste filled my nose.

That still didn't satisfy her. Valentina pulled out a pair of scissors she'd prepared in advance, flashed a triumphant smile, and slashed toward my face.

"I'm going to ruin your face! Let's see what you use to seduce men after this!"

The blade cut into my flesh, and searing pain exploded instantly. Cold sweat poured down my body as I convulsed uncontrollably.

A few family members who'd always been friendly with me couldn't stand watching anymore. They quietly sent out an SOS to the boss, Marco Castellano, who'd just returned to the country.

I forced myself through the agony and glared at her, forcing words through my throat. "That was a gift from Antonio Lombardi! Valentina, you have no authority to punish me like this! I demand to see the boss!"

"Don't you dare throw the boss' name at me! Around here, my word is law!"

She leaned in closer, her eyes glinting with cold malice.

"What's that look in your eyes? Are you cursing me in your head? How dare you disrespect me, the future Donna!

"I heard you love sleeping. Shredding your bed probably wasn't enough. I'm going to blind you right now so you can sleep forever!"

She raised the blood-dripping scissors and aimed straight for my eyes. My limbs were pinned down tight, and I couldn't move.

All I could do was watch helplessly as the sharp point grew closer and closer in my vision. At the critical moment, the door burst open with a crash.

"Stop right there!"