CHAPTER 4

Nora’s POV;

Luca’s voice was the only thing tethering me to movement. “This way, Nora. Keep walking.” His hand hovered close to my back, steady but not intrusive, guiding me toward the garage.

The air outside was cooler, sharper, as though the night itself had been cut open. My legs felt wooden as we approached the SUV. It was black, sleek, the kind of vehicle that screamed power and danger at the same time. Luca opened the back door for me, and I climbed in without a word.

Inside, was a lady whose face was completely glued to her phone screen so though everything that went down didn’t really bother her, her presence startled me. She looked so young, barely older than me—if older at all. Her hair framed her face in soft waves, her eyes steady and piercing. She had the kind of beauty that seemed carved out of stone: delicate yet intimidating.

“You must be Nora”

“Hi, I’m Luna…….Leo’s sister” she finally looked up at me chuckling while introducing herself

“Hi” I forced a smile

Two SUVs pulled ahead of us, and another lingered behind, forming a convoy. The engines roared to life in unison, and we rolled forward into the night.

I pressed my back into the leather seat, but no amount of softness could ease the tension in my body. My fingers trembled in my lap. My mind raced in circles.

A head. A human head. On a platter. Right in front of us.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Maybe if I didn’t see it anymore, it would stop replaying. But it didn’t. It was still there, flashing behind my eyelids.

Why? Who would send something so grotesque? Why during that dinner?

I barely realized I was holding my breath until Luna’s voice broke through my spiral.

“You shouldn’t get scared because of something like this.”

My head snapped toward her, eyes wide. Her tone was calm—almost casual. The way one might talk about rain or traffic, not… not this.

I blinked at her, trying to process what I had just heard. She looked so unbothered, almost serene, like death and chaos weren’t nipping at our heels.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” I asked, my voice sharper than intended.

Her lips curved into a small smile, unfazed. “Welcome to the family.”

I stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. Welcome? To this?

I turned my gaze back to the window. The night blurred past, streetlights streaking like tired comets. My chest felt tight.

I didn’t know what I had gotten myself into—or rather, what my father had shoved me into. A marriage, a family, a world that felt less like life and more like a nightmare in velvet and blood.

The car was silent for a while. Only the hum of the engine filled the space. My thoughts spiraled again, pulling me deeper.

How had my life switched like this? Just days ago, I had been a girl who loved books more than people, dreaming of law school, of New York, of control over my own path. Now I was… what? A wife to a stranger? A pawn in a game too bloody for me to understand?

What had my father done?

Before I could drown in the weight of it, Luca’s voice cut through, calm but alert.

“We’re being tailed.”

I froze. For a second, the words didn’t register. Tailed? Like in movies? Like in the crime shows I never thought could become real?

Unbothered. That was the only word I could think of as I looked at him. He didn’t panic. His hands stayed steady on the wheel. His expression didn’t even flicker. He just stated it, as if announcing a change in the weather.

It took longer than it should have for my brain to process. We’re being followed. My heart stuttered. My palms went slick.

I glanced at Luna, expecting her to panic. She didn’t. She looked the same—calm, composed, like this was Tuesday night for her.

Luca pulled out his phone with one hand, steering effortlessly with the other. He pressed it to his ear. “Boss, we’re being trailed. Black sedan, two cars back. Confirming.”

Boss? Oh, he meant Leonardo.

My pulse thundered in my ears. My breath came faster. I wanted to speak, to ask what was happening, but my voice caught in my throat.

Then it happened.

A thunderous boom shook the night. The car behind us, the one that was part of our security convoy… erupted into flames. The explosion lit up the road, the force rattling our SUV. My scream lodged in my throat, refusing to come out.

Chaos. Tires screeching. Shouts from the cars ahead.

“Go!” Luca barked into the comms, his voice sharp now, his foot slamming the accelerator. Our SUV shot forward, the cars in front adjusting instantly, forming a shield.

I clutched the seatbelt across my chest, knuckles white, my heart racing so fast I thought it would burst. The night outside blurred into streaks of light and smoke as we sped through the darkened streets.

By the time we pulled through the iron gates of Villa Mancini, my body felt like it wasn’t mine. My hands, my legs, even my face, I couldn’t feel any of it. I was hollow, buzzing, completely disconnected from reality.

It was obvious. Anyone could see my state.

Luna touched my shoulder gently, guiding me out. Martha appeared from the shadows, her expression soft with concern. Together, they led me up the grand staircase, their presence firm on either side, as though I might collapse if they let go.

I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I just moved. Step by step. My body was walking, my mind left somewhere back on that road.

When we reached my room, Martha helped me out of the dress and into something softer. I stood there, arms limp at my sides, letting her work around me like I was a doll. Once I was changed, Luna’s voice broke the stillness.

“Martha, bring food,” she said firmly.

Martha hesitated, glancing between us, but nodded and slipped out, leaving me alone with Luna.

She sat on the edge of the bed, facing me. Her calmness was maddening. “Nora, you can’t let this shake you too much. You’ll only make yourself sick. You need to stay steady.”

I snapped my head toward her, my voice cracking, rising despite the heaviness in my chest. “Not be too scared? Are you even listening to yourself? A car, that was supposed to be protecting us exploded right behind us! Do you realize what that means? Do you realize-”

“I know.” She cut me off, her tone still calm, but firmer now. “I know. But you need to understand—” She leaned closer, her eyes locking onto mine. “That wasn’t meant to kill us. It was a warning. And nobody, Nora, nobody dares to harm the Crown family. Do you even realize what it means, getting married to my brother?”

Her words landed heavily in the room.

I stared at her, dumbfounded. My mouth opened, then closed again, useless.

She gave me a small, almost knowing smile. “I guessed as much.”

Then she straightened, her voice dropping to a weight I could feel in my bones. “You’re now part of the mafia, Nora. You’re my brother’s wife. That makes you part of the Crown family. My brother doesn’t joke with family he protects us with his life. And now you’re his wife, so you’re one of us. One of the mafia. And not just any family. The family. The Crown family is the empire that rules all mafia empires in Italy. My brother Leonard is the Don of all Dons.”

She let the words sink in before delivering the last blow.

“And that makes you, Nora… the Donna of all Donnas.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

I sat there, staring at her, my whole body cold, my breath shallow. The words carved themselves into me like a brand.

Donna of all Donnas.

Queen of all mafia queens.

I wanted to scream. To deny it. To tell her she was wrong. But deep down, something in me knew there was no going back.

And that was how the chapter of my old life ended.