ack that could only be a gunshot. For a moment, she lay there in the unfamiliar bed, the heavy curtains drawn against the morning light, trying to

ubbing her eyes. "What was that?" sh

ice trembling. She threw back the covers, already moving towar

ed down the grand s

ed with tension and urgency. Isabella's mind raced with possibilities, none of them

e of chaos. The foyer, which had been somber and still the night b

confusion. In the center of the room, her Uncle Antonio stood, a

ble tiles. It was one of the drivers, a man Isabella vaguely remembered from her childhood visits

hisper, but it cut through the murmurs in the room. All ey

ing onto Isabella's. His face was set

ous. "This man," he said, gesturing to the body at his feet, "betrayed your f

her face. "Feeding information? T

ter how I know. What matters is that he was a

inally found her voice. "You... you killed him?" she

ce cold. "It's how things are done here

ved. But here, in this house, in the world her father had been a part of, things were different.

wn but composed. "Come, Isabella," she said softly, taking her niece's arm. "There's nothing more t

o was still staring at the scene in stunned disbelief. "Rosa, come on," she urged, and R

ut quieter. The room was filled with the smell of strong coffee and the faint scent of cigarette s

she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But you have to understand, Isabella, this is how thi

than she intended. "What am I supposed to do with this?

er's death... it's left a void. And with that void comes danger, from all sides. Antonio'

who my father was anymore. He was a businessman, yes, but this... this maf

h that he wanted to keep you as far away from this life as possible. But now that he's gone, you're going

er voice shaky but determined. "Isabella, you don't have to do this alo

into a world she didn't understand, one filled with violence, betrayal, and secrets that could tear her apart. And now, she had to dec

"They've started the preparations for Papa's burial," he said quietly. "There's a

there was no time to dwell on her fears. Her father's funeral w

ce it head-on. For her father, for her family, and for the truth she desperately needed to uncover. And as she steppe