Chapter 2

I stared into Vincent's eyes in shock, my breath coming in short, difficult gasps.

“I didn't do anything. I don't know what you're talking about.”

But in this life, I hadn't interfered with them at all. And right now, weren't they supposed to be holding their child's christening at their private villa?

A chilling smile touched the corner of Vincent's mouth.

“Cut the act. I know you've been reborn.”

“In your last life, you would have rather died than grant me a divorce. Wasn't that just because you couldn't bear to give up your position as the Matriarch of the Romano family? You knew today was our child's christening, so you deliberately used your status as a sponsor to threaten Luna and make her disappear, didn't you?”

I was so shocked I couldn't speak.

Vincent's hand clamped tightly around my neck, stealing the last of my air. I beat frantically at his arm, my chest heaving violently.

“You're mistaken, I had no idea…”

“Stella, my patience is wearing thin.”

Vincent coldly shoved me away and motioned for his bodyguards to tie me up. He lit a cigar, his face an emotionless mask.

“I'll give you five minutes. Tell me where Luna is.”

“Otherwise, don't blame me for destroying the only family you have left.”

My head snapped up, and I glared at him, my eyes bloodshot. “You wouldn't dare!”

My parents died when we were young, leaving only my sister, Diana, and me.

Vincent understood the weaknesses of human nature all too well.

He knew my greatest weakness.

But my sister had already been ruined because of me once; this time, I couldn't let him get his way.

I rushed over and grabbed Vincent's arm tightly, looking up at him and pleading:

“Vincent, for the sake of our eight years of marriage, please believe me this once. Just this once.”

“I didn't touch Luna, and I don't know where she is. Besides, I'm already preparing to divorce you! You can ask my lawyer if you don't believe me!”

I was desperate to prove my innocence, but Vincent's gaze remained fixed on me, cold as ice.

He scoffed.

“Don't think you can stall for time by spouting this nonsense. If you had truly been willing to divorce me quietly, your sister wouldn't have died in front of you in your last life.”

He suddenly reached out and pressed the lit cigar against my collarbone.

A sharp pain shot through me, and I couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

Vincent's eyes were filled with frost. “Now you know what pain feels like?”

“With Luna gone, the pain I feel is a thousand, ten thousand times worse than this.”

Seeing my skin burn, a flicker of something passed through his eyes before he finally tossed the cigar away.

Then, his voice raspy, he pressed on, “You know what Luna means to me. Tell me, where the hell is she?”

I was utterly desperate, shaking my head frantically. “I really don't know! Instead of wasting time interrogating me here, you should be out there looking for her.”

Vincent was silent for a long moment. “Bring Diana here.”

My breath hitched, and despair consumed me.

Diana had been teaching at a private school. Vincent's men had pulled her right out of class and dragged her here.

Her face was a mask of confusion as she looked at me. “What's going on? Why are you kneeling here?”

I squeezed my eyes shut, then rushed forward to clutch at his pant leg, begging him abjectly.

“I'll do anything. You can have my life, just please, let my sister go.”

Vincent remained unmoved.

Desperate, I snatched the nearby fruit knife and pressed its tip to my neck, the cold steel a breath away from breaking my skin.

“I swear on my life, if I did anything to Luna, may I die on this very spot!”

“Vincent, you promised you would always believe me, no matter what happened, didn't you?”

My voice began to crack, thick with tears.

“I don't want any of it anymore. I don't want to be Mrs. Romano, I don't want this title, and I don't want you…”

Vincent frowned slightly. He seemed to be contemplating the truth of my words.

Just then, the nanny rushed in, holding a wailing baby.

“Boss, where is Miss Luna? The young master won't stop crying for his mother. Miss Luna has never been away from the villa this long. Could something have happened to her?”

The hint of warmth that had begun to soften Vincent's expression instantly vanished, replaced by an icy chill.

He commanded coldly, “Tie Diana up. Take her to the rooftop.”

“Stella,”

He scrutinized me, his voice like ice. “You have one chance to talk. If you refuse, I have no problem making you watch your sister die in front of you all over again.”

Despair washed over me, leaving only a profound exhaustion in its wake.

I thought to myself, if he truly dared to harm Diana, I would drag him down with me. We would jump together and go to hell together.

Just as the bodyguards began to move, one of his men ran over, panting, a phone clutched in his hand.

“Boss, we've found Miss Luna.”