Chapter 3

"Ma'am, this is the Medici Eye, a black diamond brooch made by a goldsmith in Florence using century-old techniques. It took a whole year to make. There's only one in all of Europe."

In the lavish dressing room, the Corleone family's chief jewelry advisor bowed and, hands trembling, lifted the black cloth off the velvet tray.

The natural black diamond, the size of a pigeon's egg, glimmered with a cold, dark light. Its edge was set with a ring of golden thorns that symbolized ancient power.

Enzo had seized it two years ago, after swallowing up part of the Camorra family's territory, and given it to me as a trophy for my 24th birthday.

That night, he'd engraved a Latin inscription on the back himself. It read, "With this supreme scepter, I bow to my eternal queen."

My fingers had barely touched the cold brooch when the heavy carved door banged open.

Gina didn't even knock. She barged straight in.

She'd taken off her worn combat gear and changed into a sharply tailored, custom bulletproof tactical suit, the gold crest of the Corleone family hanging at her waist.

With Enzo indulging her, in just two weeks she'd practically turned his private castle into her own command post.

"Sophia, take out the brooch. I need it tonight."

She strode over, her tone leaving no room for discussion. It wasn't a request. It was an order.

I didn't even turn around or look up.

"Lieutenant Gina, since when did Sicily's old rules let a guard dog help herself to the lady of the house's jewelry box?"

Gina stepped forward, her jaw tight, ambition burning in her eyes.

"Sophia, look at the situation for what it is.

"Tonight, the five great families of southern Europe are holding a summit to settle their disputes. A cardinal from the Vatican and crime bosses from all over Europe will be there.

"The Don personally chose me to accompany him as his escort. I'll be there to show everyone the strength of the Corleone family."

She reached for the black diamond on the velvet tray, but I raised my hand and smacked the back of her hand hard with my sandalwood comb.

Crack!

Gina cried out and stepped back. A purplish-red welt instantly rose on the back of her hand.

Her face darkened. Murder flashed in her eyes before she put her righteous mask back on.

"Sophia, locked away in your jewelry box, this brooch is nothing but a pretty trinket for your vanity.

"But if I wear it and walk into the summit hall with the Don, it becomes a trump card to intimidate the other four families!

"You hide out on the estate drinking afternoon tea all day. You have no idea how the powers out there are circling Sicily, waiting to strike.

"Going without one piece of jewelry won't kill you. But if the talks collapse because our family looks weak, more than 10,000 of our men in Sicily will be sent to die in the trenches!"

She made every word sound like a desperate plea for the family's survival and her fellow soldiers' lives, as though refusing to hand over the brooch would make me a shameless traitor.

Luca strolled in with a pipe between his teeth, leaned against the gun rack, and sneered.

"Sophia, don't push your luck. You're making a big deal out of a stupid rock.

"Gina's going to risk her life for the family. You think she's going to one of your socialite tea parties?

"The Don's already waiting in the helicopter on the helipad. If we're late for the summit, are you going to take the blame?"

I watched the two of them play off each other and laughed softly.

"Since when do we need to steal the lady of the house's jewelry just to keep up appearances at a summit of southern Europe's five great families?

"If Enzo's throne is so fragile that he has to snatch a woman's love token to keep up appearances, then I'd say the Corleone family isn't far from being wiped out."

"Sophia! You want to die?!" Luca's face darkened, and he whipped out the revolver at his waist.

Steady, powerful footsteps approached from the far end of the corridor.

Enzo appeared in the doorway in a custom dark gray suit, the family crest pin neatly fastened at his collar, his face grim.

His gaze swept over the mess on the floor, then shifted between Gina and me.

Gina immediately stepped back half a pace, her proud shoulders drooping, the picture of a woman who'd been deeply humiliated but was too noble to complain.

"Don, I shouldn't have overstepped.

"Sophia's right to teach me a lesson. I'm just an orphan who crawled out of the mud. I don't deserve to touch something so precious.

"Tonight I'll just wear my dog tags. Even if the Camorra family mocks the Corleone family's lack of pedigree at the summit, I won't back down."

At the sight of Gina's swollen hand, Enzo frowned, a vein bulging at his temple.

When he turned to look at me, the last trace of tenderness in his eyes was gone, leaving only cold scrutiny and a tyrant's authority.

"Give the Medici Eye to Gina."

His tone left no room for argument.

I stood at the long table, my fingertips going colder by the second.

"Enzo, this is the token you gave me. You engraved your vow on it yourself."

Enzo pinched the bridge of his nose, impatience written all over his face.

"It's just a rock. Who cares what's written on it?

"Tomorrow I'll have someone buy you a whole diamond mine in South Africa. You can dig out as many as you want.

"Tonight's summit will decide this family's fate for the next ten years. Gina is there to show them our strength, so she's the one who should wear it. Don't start a fight with me when so much is at stake. Be reasonable."

Be reasonable.

Every single time, I was the one who had to step back so Gina could have her "loyalty and glory."

He didn't even have the patience to look at me again. He reached out, grabbed the black diamond brooch off the tray, and pinned it on Gina's chest himself.

"Get to the helicopter. It's time."

Gina gripped the brooch, her eyes bright with triumph and ambition.

She straightened up, her voice trembling. "Yes, sir! I'll defend the Don's honor with my life!"

The three of them turned and headed for the helipad.

As she stepped out the door, Gina deliberately looked back and, with a cold smile, mouthed something only I could see.

"Sophia, whoever holds the gun is the one in charge here."

The deafening roar of the rotors tore through the night sky and gradually faded away.

In the empty, dead-silent dressing room, only a few trembling attendants were left.

I walked to the full-length mirror and smoothed the hair the night wind had tousled.

For three years, every extravagant demand I'd made had given Enzo more to lose if he left me.

I'd thought all those tangled interests were enough to make sure he'd never dare turn on me.

But I'd underestimated just how arrogant an upstart from the gutter could become once he believed his own hype.

He thought all the power he had came from his few lousy guns and a handful of thugs who weren't afraid to die.

If he wanted to reshuffle the deck, then he couldn't blame me for flipping the whole table.

I took out my satellite phone and dialed another number, one of the European underworld's most closely guarded secrets.

"Hello. This is Sophia Medici.

"Revoke the licenses for all three arms-smuggling routes the Corleone family operates under my name.

"Hand all the transit codes over to the enforcement headquarters in Rome and to the Honored Society in Calabria immediately."

The executive on the other end gasped. "Your Grace! Are you sure you want to burn all three routes for good?!"

I looked out the window at the churning black waves, my voice ice-cold.

"Not just the routes. Empty all the offshore accounts.

"Before dawn tomorrow, I want to see the Corleone family's cash flow completely cut off."