na

ng the floor echoed in the quiet. I didn't pack the expensive gowns Vincenzo had bought me. I

m doorway. His frame filled

our families by doing this?" he demand

to hide," I said, folding a simple cotton

oor shut behind him. The violent gust of air it created stirred the dust m

I admit I communicate with Camilla. She's involved in Family business

cking and lo

ergency line. I told you I was having severe abdominal pain and needed

a second. "I was on the ship. Strict Omertà pro

a video call with Ca

er, his jaw taut. "A rival gang shot up her storefr

printed, decrypted communication logs. I threw them onto

them,"

at the papers, b

en our safehouse in Queens was compromised, you were texting her about a dress she wanted to buy. And last year, when

lly cracked,

ere a ghost. But your logs show you were maintaining high-freque

am's apple bobbing. "I didn't k

ote," I said, my tone

e, his burner phone

led back on the intercom's main line. The pe

he wall panel. Camilla's voice fill

expose my illicit fronts in the restroom tonight

The guilt in his eyes vanished, replaced by

emanded, stepping toward me. "Camilla wo

n't defend myself. I just p

rrified, crying into the phone. "Vincenzo, please come h

dio fi

voice note I sent you when I thought

ad recovered it from Camilla's compromised cloud account during a routine security sweep of Associate communications-standard Family protocol for anyon

sed position saved in her personal file

like a cornered animal. "I... I didn't leak it. I just wanted Camilla's femal

with a doctor, not with the Family-but with the one woman who would weaponize it.

ght hand. I gripped it so hard that the thick glas

ntly welled up, dripping down my fingers and splashing

e saw the blood. He

buzzed in his hand.

instinctively moved to type a reassuring

moment the last microscopic sh

ain in my hand. I d

ssed it hard against my bleeding palm, p

He would apologize, make excuses. But it was too late. I was already going to the one place that would end everything for good. And when the Commission as