na

the smoke of expensive cigars and roasted garlic. I walked through

he head of the table, where V

oss's wife-was Camilla. She was wearing Vincenzo's dark suit jacket draped over

rs. They were laughing and drinking, completely igno

d known my family for decades, a silent reminder that this insult would carry consequenc

my gaze. He didn't stand.

kitchen doors and the serving staff. "Sit there, Elena," he ordered, his tone flat and

, her eyes wide with practiced innocence. "O

physical att

r firmly in place, before fixing me with a dark, warn

walked the length of

ext to my plate. Inside, the tiny red ligh

nced, and the wi

udly. "I'm telling you, Boss, you and Camilla are a lethal pair. The

om his chest. "She knows how to handle the

ed, leaning c

silver serving fork and placed a prime cut of medium-rare steak onto Cam

a plate in

ming dish of

rgency room two years ago when a cross-contaminated appetizer nearly killed me. I had reminded him of it again at a family dinner six months later, when I pushed away a seafood platter and told him explicitly that I

wasn't looking at me. He was wiping a drop

her lips. "I'm so sorry, Elena," she called out, her voice carrying easily over the chatter. "I know I take up so mu

near me nodded i

etheart. You gotta understand the burden of an Underboss. Don't break th

e of shellfish away and

s in a single month constitute 'manag

dead, flat quality that cut through

d instantly. The

fying scowl. "Watch your mouth, Elena," he warned, his voice dropping to a dang

she stammered, her voice breaking with practiced fragility. "The calls were strictly to

t me, his fists clenching on the table. "

the screen and slid it hard across the table. It glided on the p

in the dim room: Time stamp: 2:14 AM. Duration: Forty-five minutes. Audio transcript attache

e screen. The color d

rd the clink of ice in a distant water glass, but it sounded

passed the senior Capo's seat, I caught the slight incline of his head

le sink, washing my hands in

clicked open, and

flicked briefly to my clutch on the counter. She reached over and turned on the faucet at the empty sink beside me, letting the water run-a casual move, but I recognized it for wh

weetie?" she asked, a smug

my voice flat. "Your face tells

k a screenshot of a birthday song matters? His first call upon hitting land is always

wn phone and shoved

yesterday. It read: 'She finally s

t even register anymore. There wa

thing a powerful man fears most isn't a wife who screams

expression unchang

at the Don's judgment table," I sa

ilt, but a flicker of genuine fear. She had miscalculated. She had assumed I would absorb every blow in silence, that my dignity wo

her and exite

His massive frame blocked my path. He grabb

yes burning with fury. "Disrespecting my authority

mily's estate tomorrow,"

is this rebellion of

his grip and walked p

ch, the red light continued to bl

rage. He had no idea I had already laid the groundwork. He had no idea the war was already over before he knew it had begun. And he had no idea that th