Chapter 2

With the ring on her finger, Lucy was drunk with power and couldn't wait to rub it in my face.

“Madeline, I have to say, that ‘soft diplomacy’ crap of yours is ancient history.” She clicked over to me on her stilettos, looking down her nose at me. “This is a new era. You were always so timid, always going on about ‘family security.’ The truth is, you held the family back. Kept us from expanding. If you hadn't been dragging your feet, we would’ve taken over the neighboring blocks ages ago.”

I looked at her face, a mask of stupidity and arrogance, and had to stop myself from laughing.

Held them back?

If I hadn't been playing politics and smoothing things over with the other major players, Henry’s half-baked plans and the Corleone’s lack of muscle would have gotten them eaten alive by the old New York outfits years ago.

The only reason Lucy climbed the ladder so fast was because she was good at kissing ass and spent the last six months whispering poison in Henry’s ear, telling him I was building my own crew on the side, planning to take over.

Henry was paranoid to begin with. With Lucy feeding his fears, he saw me as more of a threat every day.

“I’ve already figured out what the Colombians like,” Lucy said, lifting her chin proudly, admiring the onyx ring on her finger. “They like hard liquor and women. All I have to do is turn on the charm, make them feel important, and they’ll happily sign a seventy-percent deal. As for you, you’re a relic.”

“Is that so?” I said, perfectly calm, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.

I pulled two identical, neatly bound documents from my briefcase and placed them on the table.

“If I’m leaving, I’m going to do my part.”

“This is the transition file for the Colombian deal, two copies.” I pushed one toward Henry and one toward Lucy. “It clearly lists their bottom line, their key players, and everything you don’t do unless you want to get killed.”

Of course, I wasn't doing this to help them.

I was doing it so everyone in this room would know I had given them the roadmap to avoid disaster.

If they still managed to screw it up, it would be because they were idiots, and it would have nothing to do with me.

I wasn't giving them any ammunition to sling mud at me ever again.

Lucy didn’t even bother to open the file. She glanced at the cover with contempt and let out a haughty sniff. “Right, Madeline. Got it.”

I knew she wouldn't read it.

After all, as a mole, her job was to burn everything to the ground.

But I certainly wasn't going to be the one to tell Henry.

“Henry, sign the papers. After you sign, from this moment on, nothing that happens to the Corleone family has anything to do with Madeline.”

Henry hesitated for only a second before signing his name.

I took my copy of the document and put it back in my bag.

“Well then, Merry Christmas, everyone.” I offered a small smile and turned to leave the conference room.

But I’d only taken a single step when a cold voice stopped me.

“Wait.”

I stopped and turned around.

Henry’s face was a mask of cold suspicion.

He raised a hand and gave a slight wave.

Click.

The conference room door was locked.

“What’s the meaning of this, Henry?” I raised an eyebrow, my hand already moving toward the gun holstered at the small of my back.

He looked down on me with a smirk.

“Madeline, you worked for this family for five years. You know too much,” Henry said coldly. “Before you leave, I need to have you searched. You’re not taking a single asset that belongs to the Corleone family with you.”

A malicious, gloating grin spread across Lucy’s face.

“That’s right, Godfather! She’s leaving way too easily. Who knows if another family has already bought her out? With all the family secrets she has in that head of hers, what’s to stop her from walking out that door and selling us out to our rivals? We need to search her, down to her underwear!”

The air in the room grew thick with tension, heavy with the smell of gunpowder waiting for a spark.