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Chapter 4

Author: FireFox
The next second.

A wall of big men in black poured into the house and formed two lines along one side.

Preston and the rest of them jumped at the sight.

"Who... who are you people? Who let you into my house?" Preston mustered enough nerve to demand it of several dozen men in black.

Lena hid behind him with a fistful of his shirt, shaking a little.

But I watched all of it and felt nothing but calm.

Then an elderly gentleman in a tailcoat came through the ranks at an unhurried pace.

Under the stunned eyes of everyone in the room, he stopped in front of me, bent at the waist, and spoke with perfect respect. "Miss Winnie, the Don sent me personally to bring you home."

When he finished, dozens of voices came behind him. "Welcome home, Miss Winnie!"

My eyes moved over all of them. "Stanley, thank you. All of you."

Stanley was the Family's butler, and he'd watched me grow up.

There was more weather on him than there had been six years ago, when I left.

Stanley kept the respectful smile on his face. "Miss Winnie, it's our duty."

Beside us, Preston stared at me. "Winnie, what is this? Why are they calling you that? What are you to these people?"

Before I could answer, the smile left Stanley's face and he turned to Preston, his voice flat. "Miss Winnie is the heir of the Gambino Family, the largest mafia Family in Sicily, and the only daughter of our Don Charles!"

Preston stood there blankly for a second, then looked at me. "Winnie, this joke isn't funny."

There was nothing like a joke on my face. "Preston, it isn't one. Everything Stanley said is true."

"Preston, don't listen to her, she's bluffing!" Lena stepped out to contradict me, grabbing his arm, absolutely certain of herself. "You told me yourself, she's a farmer's daughter. How does a woman with no name and no background suddenly become the heir of the Gambino Family? It's ridiculous!"

She saw the hesitation on his face and pushed harder. "These people are actors she hired! She paid them to put on this show. She wants you to feel guilty and come running back. She's feeding her own vanity, Preston, and no woman like that is worth this!"

Preston's expression changed at once, into disappointment and distaste.

He looked me up and down and sneered. "Winnie, I didn't think you'd go this far to get my attention. You actually came up with something this pathetic. Do you know what you look like right now? A clown!"

The line didn't get to me. It got to Stanley.

One glance from him and two men in black were on Preston, pinning him to the floor, two black barrels against the back of his head.

"Who do you think you are, that you get to say a word about Miss Winnie? Learn to keep your mouth shut or I'll make sure it never opens again!" Stanley's warning came out like a blade.

Lena watched it and shook so hard she couldn't get another word out.

I hated Preston, but I didn't want Anna to see any more of it, so I signaled Stanley to let it go.

Only then did Stanley have the two of them put the guns away.

"Miss Winnie, we can go now." Stanley turned back to me, respectful again, his voice gentle.

I nodded and started for the door. As I passed Preston I stopped and looked down at him. "You have seven days to sign the divorce papers. After that, don't say I didn't warn you."

Then I led them all out.
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