nna

eam of my lower lip with a touch as col

ld. It was not a promise-it was a threat I co

ud against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage of bone. Every survival instinct I possessed screamed that his promise was not a vow; it was a death sentence. He di

its life. She took a frantic step forward, nearly tripping over the hem of her own dress. "Why would a powerful Capo accept a woman with such a past?" she demanded, her voice climbing i

came legend was an article of faith in the underworld. The unnatural quiet that followed his declaration was therefore a violation of its physics. I saw older capos, men with faces

plea. "I pledge my loyalty to you, Don Enzo," she begged. "I will

then that the marriage my mother had so desperately tried to sabotage was actually a meticulously dug grave. She thought s

t a tremor down my spine. My toes curled inside my satin heels, gripping the insoles as if to anchor myself to the ground. "There is no blackmail, Rosa,

brawls, hide their mouths behind their hands to conceal mocking sneers. They thought the feared Capo was a lo

not weak; he was simpl

glass of amber‑hued whiskey, his face flushed and sweating profusely. "Love at first sight?" Carlo slurred, hi

ried to forget. Carlo's drunken mention of "White Lotus" meant nothing clear, b

te attempt to drown out the damning sentence. She pointed at Enzo, her eyes wide

digging deep into my skin. "She is pure and untouched," she

d snapped to the side, and a slow, metallic warmth bloomed on my tongue. "Gianna has a hidden twin sister!" Rosa yelled to the cro

rance of the ballroom. "Come out, Sienna," she co

g more than a defective product in their eyes.