Ross

ed me aside in their ha

Serena, while my mother reached out to stroke the mistress's

s, groveling for a scrap

so much as honor t

igent wave of his hand, as though they we

let out a short, mocking la

ily's humiliation, she turned on

let out a soft, breathy sigh, a

re that the noise was giving her a head

nd her waist, pulling her flush against his ch

der, his dark

ded me for my 'tantrum,' accusing me of ruin

ued a chilling command: I was to surrender my chai

o much fade as it did curdle, the muscles around her

to the Rossi name," my mother his

as I stared at the man I had worshi

pportunist, not

he Don, he stepped up behind me and drove th

ave way b

my palms landing squarely in

dges sliced dee

in a stark and vivid pattern a

ne g

e soul move

ded Serena into my rightful s

wning over the mistress, cooing and

ric pain pulse

he floor painted a vivid, sickening p

rose in my throat, I st

picked the larger, glittering shard

e Associate and calmly asked

atore's voice cut through the room,

handsome face a mask of

on your own," he sneered, "you can s

silently b

sharp agony, but the heavy pressure of a sponge soake

r for Serena, reflecting on the endless, exhausti

last name for no other r

o worship the mistress, Leo

ket to the Don, the men completely ignoring the steady drip

rena whi

ower in the center of the table and complaine

e didn't

mmanding finger

th disgust. "Since you are a barren, useless wom

towering pile

time Salvatore had kicked me down a flight of stai

ost killed me when he locked me

m now, I fina

isted mind, I was the ulti

schemer who had forced his hand with

th every fiber

drops behind me. But as I reached for the first shrimp, a single thought crystallized in m