1

"Every hidden account in Zurich is frozen, and Wall Street just pulled our loans!"

Elena slammed the encrypted phone onto the floor, and the screen shattered.

In the vast living room of the Ferro estate, no one said a word.

The Ferro family was one of the oldest mafia families in New York. Most of the business had gone legit over the years, but no one would ever forget what the name had been built on.

Elena was married to the eldest son and ran seven casinos in Las Vegas. Victoria Ferro was married to the second son and controlled several key ports along the East Coast.

And then there was Antonio Ferro, Simon's dad, known to everyone as Don Ferro, who had run the family for 40 years.

And me? I was Chloe.

The woman Simon had married.

And, as far as they were concerned, the one nobody could take seriously.

At that moment, I was lounging on a custom Fendi Casa sofa, scrolling through a private catalog from Bulgari.

A set of untreated Colombian emeralds.

An eight-carat Argyle pink diamond.

I swiped back and forth between the two pictures a few times and still couldn't decide.

"What about Lugano?" Elena rubbed her temples. "Still nobody willing to lend?"

Victoria shut her laptop, looking grim.

"Every channel's been cut off. They put up three South African gold mines as collateral and walked off with the last five billion of our legitimate cash."

She paused, then added, "And the feds are watching some of our key accounts."

Antonio looked like he'd aged ten years overnight. His gray hair was a mess, and his normally ramrod-straight back had started to stoop.

Simon, on the other hand, came over with a glass of bourbon and sat down right beside me.

He raised the glass to my lips. "Try it. It's a good year."

I leaned in and took a sip.

Elena looked up, saw us, and finally snapped. "Simon, we're about to lose everything, and you're feeding her booze?"

Simon wiped the bourbon from the corner of my mouth, his voice perfectly even. "If we lose the business, we can rebuild it. Chloe scares easily, so don't frighten her with all these numbers."

Elena turned her face away, fuming.

To her, I was nothing more than a spoiled trophy wife—pretty, pampered, and good for little more than spending money.

I didn't bother explaining.

Three years into our marriage, I was used to that look.

They thought I spent every day at jewelry shows or private salons. During family meetings, I was either picking out gemstones or browsing the new season's gowns.

Whenever anyone asked if I understood the family business, I always said the same thing. "Nope. Too much trouble."

Eventually, even Antonio stopped asking.

In the end, I tapped the emerald picture and sent it to my private jewelry adviser. "This set."

Victoria heard me, and her brow furrowed.

"Chloe, we might all be facing a federal investigation tomorrow. Could you please hold off on the jewelry?"

Her tone was harsh, but she didn't really blow up at me.

That was the Ferro family for you.

They might look down on me, but when it really mattered, they still treated me like family.

"Let her buy it," Antonio said suddenly.

Everyone turned to look at him.

He leaned back in his chair, his voice tired. "Simon, pay for it out of the separate trust your mother left you."

Then he looked at me. "The Ferro family hasn't fallen so far that we can't afford a necklace."

My hand went still around the tablet.

"Thank you, Antonio."

Elena let out a heavy sigh. "Antonio, Marcus will be here any minute."

She glanced at the antique clock on the wall, and her expression darkened further.

"If he makes you hand over the family signet ring, what do we do?"

Antonio didn't answer.

Just then, a convoy of cars roared to a stop outside the estate.

Alfonso, the family's longtime butler, hurried in, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Don Ferro, Marcus has forced his way in with his men."

Simon stood up at once, his broad back completely blocking me from view.

"Go upstairs. No matter what you hear, don't come down."

I looked at the tense line of his jaw and didn't move.

"I haven't finished choosing my pink diamond."

Elena took a deep breath and plucked the tablet right out of my hands.

"Chloe, this isn't the time to be stubborn."

She lowered her voice. "The men Marcus brought with him are hired killers. If you stay, you'll only become a bargaining chip."

Then she turned to Alfonso. "Take Chloe to her room."

Alfonso came over and gave a small bow.

"This way, Mrs. Ferro."

I looked at Elena, and suddenly I kind of wanted to laugh.

Most days she couldn't stand me, but when it came down to life or death, she was the first to worry that someone would come after me.

"Okay."

I got up and headed upstairs.

But when I reached the second-floor landing, I stopped.

Downstairs, the heavy brass front doors swung open.

A man's amused voice rang out. "Don Ferro, it's been a while."