Chapter 1

Six De Luca capos were sitting in the office.

Their conversation cut off the moment I pushed the door open. Bianca stood at Enzo's right hand, holding the marriage contract that should have been in the De Luca family's consigliere's custody.

Ninety-nine days ago, Don Vittorio De Luca had approved our formal marriage alliance. Since then, Bianca had canceled the signing on Enzo's behalf nine times. What finally reached me was, of all things, an alliance dissolution agreement.

"He didn't send me to run errands." Bianca bit her lip and looked at me as if I had wounded her. "Enzo has been so busy lately. I only wanted to take some of the work off his hands. The two files have almost identical names. I accidentally chose the wrong one."

When she lied, she even forgot to hide the way she addressed him. At an open family meeting, no one but me dared use the underboss's first name. But Enzo did not correct her.

"Bianca is organizing the anniversary memorial for Capo Rizzo while dealing with threats from the Bellini family. You think one filing mistake justifies making a scene in front of everyone?"

"One?" I put the nine rescheduling emails in front of him. "Now even the marriage contract has been replaced with an alliance dissolution agreement, and you still call it a mistake?"

Enzo did not reach for the phone. "I handle the family business. You handle the wedding," he said impatiently. "If it matters that much, why didn't you contact the consigliere yourself?"

All at once, I had no answer. Ten years ago, the Moretti family's ports and my shares had made him underboss. Now signing a contract that belonged to both of us had somehow become my responsibility alone.

"Sofia, I'm sorry."

Bianca crossed to me without warning and caught my hand. She was in a hurry to show me the supposedly correct file, but her finger swiped one screen too far.

A photograph flashed past my eyes.

It had been taken in the De Luca family's private chapel. Bianca wore a long white dress and the black diamonds reserved for De Luca women, while Enzo stood behind her, arranging her veil. Flowers covered the chapel floor. A priest waited at the altar. It looked like a full engagement ceremony.

"What is this?" I pressed my hand over hers before she could snatch the phone back.

Bianca went white, and the phone dropped onto the carpet.

Enzo finally rose and shielded her behind him.

"The Bellini family has a marriage pact Capo Rizzo signed to settle a debt. They want to force Bianca to marry Don Salvatore Bellini's son. Those photos were only meant to convince them she was already protected as the De Luca heir's fiancee."

"You used our chapel and our engagement ceremony to announce to everyone that she is your fiancee?"

"They're only photos." Enzo's voice dropped. "Once the Bellini family believes them, they won't dare touch her."

"If you wanted to protect her, you could have paid off Capo Rizzo's debt or had the De Luca family take her in as an adopted daughter. Why did you have to give her my place?"

Enzo frowned, as if the question were pointless.

"You are the Moretti heir. Nobody would dare touch you. Bianca has nothing. She needs my name more than you do."

Only then did I understand. He knew exactly what a name and a title were worth. He had simply saved them for whoever needed them more.

"Apologize to Bianca." Enzo glanced at Bianca, who was still sniffling behind him. "Her father died for me, and you accuse her of coveting your marriage in front of all these capos."

I almost thought I had misheard him.

"And if I don't?"

"Then our signing gets postponed again."

He looked at me with absolute certainty. Of course he knew what the Moretti family's ports and money were worth. He had also calculated that I would not walk away from ten years together, and that my father would not tear the alliance apart over his daughter's pain. Every time he hurt me, he soothed me with the promise of the next signing. He had weighed everything. He had simply decided that both the Moretti family and I would yield in the end.

But this time I only pushed the signed dissolution request across the desk to him.

"No need to postpone anything.

"I'll have our families end it formally."

His eyes finally landed on my signature, and something in them darkened.

I turned and walked out before he could speak. Bianca's soft voice followed me into the hall.

"Enzo, go after her. I think she is really angry this time."

"No."

Enzo sat back down, and there was something almost mocking in his voice.

"She won't throw away ten years between the Moretti and De Luca families. Ending the alliance means renegotiating compensation, ports, and territory, and the Moretti family would pay a price too. She'll come back on her own within three days."

The elevator doors slid shut in front of me.

My father's reply came through at the same moment.

[Once I have the consigliere deliver the formal dissolution papers, compensation, ports, and borders all go back on the table. The Moretti family will not give him a second chance. Are you sure?]

I pressed send.

[I'm sure.]