LOGIN[ SOFIA’S POV ]I stared at the empty space in the hills where the sniper’s nest should have been. The silence from that direction was deafening. My plan was perfect. Sandy was supposed to be the distraction, a casualty of her own greed, and Iris was supposed to be the main event.Instead, I was standing in a field of dust, watching the Moretti cars disappear, while my father lost his mind behind me."Failure," I hissed under my breath, the word tasting like bile.I turned to watch my father. He was a pathetic sight, his face purple with rage as he stood over the bodies of the guards he had just executed. He was roaring at the sky, a wounded animal who had lost his prize. He didn't even realize he was being played from both sides.I gripped the rope in my hand so tight the rough fibers bit into my palms, drawing blood. I didn't care about the pain. All I could see was the way Caleb had shielded Iris, the way he had looked at her with a devotion that should have been mine.And then the
[ IRIS’S POV ]Everything went into slow motion. One moment I was begging for the fighting to stop, and the next, a deafening crack echoed through the field, vibrating right in my chest.I didn't even realize I was the one screaming until my throat felt raw. "NOOO!"My eyes darted frantically, searching for the source of the sound. The Moretti men, who had been marching toward us like a wall of death, stopped dead in their tracks. The wind seemed to die down, leaving only the ringing in my ears.Then I saw it.A body was slumped on the dirt, the crimson stain spreading fast against the dry earth. The sight made my stomach flip, and the world began to tilt. I looked at Caleb, whose hand was still reaching for me, his face a mask of shock. I looked at Mira, whose witch-like grin had vanished into a hard, calculating line.I turned my head toward the Russo convoy, my breath hitching in my chest.Sandy was the one who had hit the ground. She lay there, unmoving, the dirt staining her clot
[ IRIS’S POV ]The sudden crack of gunfire shattered the air. A bullet slammed into the metal of Mira’s car, sending a shower of sparks into the afternoon light."No... that’s not real, right?" I whispered, my voice lost in the chaos. This couldn't be happening. My own father, my own sister, were shooting at us.Mario didn't hesitate. He leaned out of his window, and the deafening roar of his return fire filled my ears. The peaceful town was gone, replaced by the screech of tires and the smell of gunpowder.Mira was driving like a maniac, one hand on the wheel and the other holding her phone. "Speak!" I heard Salvatore’s voice bark over the line.Hearing him, even through the noise of the chase, made me sob harder. I hadn't realized how much I missed that cold, steady voice until I thought I might never hear it again."They’re here, brother," Mira shouted over the wind. "The Russos are here."There was a long, chilling pause on the other end. Then, Salvatore asked one thing: "Iris?""
[ SOFIA’S POV ]"How about we just end it all, father? We don’t really have to take that bastard home with us. I say we end all this once and for all so I can take back what’s mine," I said, my voice cold as I stared at him in the back of the car.My father turned to me, his eyes sharp. "Are you using your head at all, Sofia? We need her back alive as a bargaining chip. We need her to threaten Salvatore, to take back everything he took from us and more of theirs. This is our moment.""Your father is right, Sofia. You’re not using your head," Sandy chimed in from beside him. She leaned back, looking smug. "This is the time to think like a true Russo princess and not let your greed and anger fuel you."This bitch.I glared at her, my blood boiling. Now that she was fucking my father, she thought she had the right to talk to me that way? She should just wait. Once this was over, she’d realize exactly how much of a princess I could be.I looked out of the car window, watching the trees bl
[ SALVATORE’S POV ]The door swung open, and Mira stepped in. She wasn't smiling her usual predatory smile; she looked focused, holding a tablet out toward me."Brother, you need to see this," she said, handing the device over.I took it, my eyes scanning the screen. It was a video from a club. I watched Sofia and Sandy together in a VIP room. It wasn't just a meeting that I know. I watched the exchange, the cards, the look on Sofia's face. After a few moments, I set the tablet down on the mahogany table with a click."So?" I said, my voice perfectly calm."I think they’re onto something, brother," Mira said, pacing the length of my rug. "Because as far as I know, they’re not friends. They’re both snakes, but they usually play in different pits."I leaned back, my eyes boring into hers. "How did you know about their meeting, Mira?"She paused, her expression flickering for a microsecond. "I... I have been keeping tabs on Sofia. So I just happened to get a hand in this.""Hmmm," I humm
Caleb’s smile faded into something softer, something a bit sad. He looked at Martha, who gave him a small nod and walked back into the kitchen to give us some space."I’m alive, Iris," he said quietly, stepping closer. "It took a long time to heal, and my family had to move away in the middle of the night. But I’m here.""I thought he killed you," I sobbed, the tears finally breaking free. "I thought Salvatore killed you because of me.""He? Salvatore? Who is that? The person who tried to kill me is a female, not a man," Caleb said.Shock. I was completely shocked. My heart dropped into my stomach. For months, I lived in a nightmare thinking it was Salvatore. Sofia had looked me in the eye and told me Salvatore killed him. Even Salvatore himself told me he had asked Caleb to stay away, so I just assumed he had followed through with the threat.I started biting my fingers nervously, my mind racing through every lie I had been told."Eh ehn," Caleb said softly, reaching out to remove my
[ IRIS’S POV ]Salvatore had left for an important meeting in the early hours of the morning, but not before instructing Anton to drop me off back at the Russo Estate.The car ride was silent, but my body was screaming. I felt so sore that every movement was an ordeal, and walking was genuinely dif
[ SOFIA’S POV ]“What is this gala actually for?” Iris asked. I couldn’t help but scoff.“If you’re so naive and silly, then why are you even here? Why come somewhere you aren’t needed, Iris?” I said softly. The nerve of her—invading a space where she didn’t belong.I waited for Salvatore to back me
[ IRIS’S POV ]The scent of antiseptic and starch clung to the room, but my focus was entirely on Salvatore. He stood by the bed, gripping the thin fabric of the new gown as if it were an enemy he was forced to negotiate with.After ten minutes of low-growled protests and sharp glares at me, I final
[ SALVATORE’S POV ]A notification on my phone stopped whatever fun the meeting was supposed to be. I hadn’t bothered to check my tablet since arriving at the company. Nothing on it ever required urgency. Only the girl on my tablet did.No one spoke. All their attention shifted to the sound of my p







