ella

drag Caitlin away from the prying eyes of the lower-ranking members. We moved to the Private Chapel, a small, suffocating room paneled in dark wal

d Bridget stood trembling near the entrance. I remained silently by my grandmo

ting firmly on the ground. She looked down at the r

Eleanor commanded, her voice

ing around her. "Mama, please! Don't let her send me awa

slum. Choose now, or I will execute the highest family discipline and

rough Caitlin's hysteria. Shaking violently, she choked o

Eleanor, I beg you! Let her serve her punishment here. House arrest

g lines to our enemies. And now you dare speak of punishment?" Eleanor took a step toward her daughter-in-law. "One more word, Gina, and I will

oman banished back to her maiden family was socially dead.

d over the ledgers and keys to the laundromats and the funeral homes immediately. Furt

n. She was secretly plotting to marry Marco Moretti to seize power; she could not afford to let our grandmother con

of climbing the mafia ladder, Gina swallowed her pride and h

dered dismissively. "Bridg

the chapel. Bridget had just sacrificed her mother's power to protec

tlin out through the side door,

silence was deafening, broken only by the soft crackle of the can

thing far more intense and unreadable. Her eagle-like eyes locked onto mine, stripping away the facade of the innocent victim I ha

mall room grew i

er voice dropping to a low, chilling re

nees, the freezing marble seeping through the fabric