Chapter 2

From then on, Aria began appearing frequently at events related to the Leone famiglia. Sometimes it was a charity auction; other times, it was an exclusive dinner at the harbor warehouses.

Logically speaking, with her famiglia's status, she had absolutely no business being in those places. Yet, she always found a way. Sometimes she would show up as a plus-one for the scion of another famiglia, and other times she would be delivering confidential documents on someone's behalf.

Like a needle, she threaded herself into the tightest seams of the Leone famiglia. Strangely, she didn't make a single move on Federico. On the contrary, she gifted me rare art anthologies, chatted with me about the Valrosa gallery and stolen famous paintings, and would smile as she praised my work, telling me my paintings had a unique spark and that I would surely make a name for myself one day.

Aria had worn her heart on her sleeve to the point that I had once believed she truly loved art and truly wanted to be my friend. That belief lasted until the day she asked me to meet her down at a pier to do some landscape drawing.

In order to teach her how to paint, I'd packed a massive haul of supplies. However, when I arrived, the place was crawling with mobsters.

Federico was in the middle of a deal that had clearly gone sideways. Chaos erupted as crossfire broke out, and he roared at me to get the hell out of there.

Just then, I noticed the glint of a sniper scope aiming right between his brows. Throwing all caution to the wind, I lunged forward to shield him, only to be violently shoved aside by someone.

By the time I managed to look up, Aria had taken the bullet for him, collapsing into Federico's arms. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at me. "Sera... I thought you were my friend. How could you lure me out here to have me killed?"

Before she could even finish her sentence, she slipped into unconsciousness, and Federico instantly flew into a rage. That day, a fierce battle erupted at the pier; not a single soul from the opposing side made it out alive, but Aria survived.

As we stood outside the emergency room at the hospital, Frederico looked at me coldly. In all the years I had known him, it was the first time he had ever looked at me like that.

"The reason the deal went south today is that someone leaked the location ahead of time and tipped off our rivals." His voice was so cold that it made my entire body freeze up. "Aria just said that you were the one who lured her out there."

My head snapped up, the color completely draining from my face. "I didn't—"

"Sera," he cut me off, a turbulent rage simmering deep in his eyes. "Aside from Aria, did you share this information with anyone else?"

He had already decided I was guilty. My eyes misted over in an instant.

Right then, Aria regained consciousness. The moment she spotted me, she choked out, "Sera, I always knew you suspected that I approached you just to seduce Signor Leone, but I…"

She sniffled, looking even more aggrieved. "I genuinely just admire your artistic talent…"

With every word she uttered, Federico's expression darkened a shade further. The very next second, he actually softened up, which was rare for him. "You should focus on recovering; don't dwell on this anymore. You saved my life today. As a token of my gratitude, I will fully absorb your father's business portfolio."

He paused before casting me another cold look. "As for what Sera did to you, I won't let her off easily."

In an instant, I felt incredibly wronged. "I didn't... It wasn't me, I swear..." Yet, he had turned on his heel and walked straight out of the room.

It felt as though I had been struck by lightning. When I turned back around, I met Aria's face, which was full of mockery.

At that exact moment, the battle lines were drawn. This woman had officially declared war.