INICIAR SESIÓNElena's POVI had just finished my meeting with the federal prosecutor when the call went through.Dante's hoarse voice came through the phone, sounding heavily congested as if he had a bad cold. "I'm so sorry, Elena. I just found out that we actually had a child together. I'm also deeply sorry about what happened to your mother. I'll make sure justice is served for you, Elena."I tightened my hold on the phone ever so slightly, but my face remained completely expressionless.I could picture how pathetic he looked in that cramped prison cell, even though we were separated by dozens of miles."You have no right to talk about my child, nor seek justice for my mother. You're not worthy, Dante," I said as I suppressed the sob that nearly escaped me. I pulled the phone slightly away and took a forceful, deep breath to calm down.Dante roared at the top of his lungs, unleashing his fury. "I had no idea it was Sofia's doing! She's the one who smothered your mother! She's the murderer! I
Third-Person's POVDante looked completely broken when he was escorted into the detention center. He slumped on the edge of the bed, staring at the stained, peeling ceiling as Elena's words echoed repeatedly in his mind—"Mamma passed away four years ago."His assistant then arranged for a prison guard to deliver a file to his cell, which contained records pulled from Ashgrove Medical Center using the last of his connections. He found out that four years ago, on the very day of his wedding to Sofia, authorization for Elena's mother's medical account had been revoked, with the reason listed being voluntary termination by the patient's own relatives. He recognized the account that performed the transaction instantly—it was the account he had shared with Sofia.Dante's hands began to tremble. He turned the page, revealing the scanned image of an ultrasound, which showed a pregnancy of four weeks, with the single fetus in stable condition. That date matched the exact day Sofia return
It was raining over Ravenport when I finally regained consciousness, and in the hospital ward, the only thing I could hear was the rhythmic beeping of the medical equipment.In the meantime, the situation in Vallenzia had completely overturned, with the Romano Famiglia, which had once controlled half the eastern side of the city, facing crises from both within and without, with enemies hunting them down at every turn.In addition, with its 70 billion dollars in assets frozen by the federal government and its Vallenzia operations thoroughly dismantled and seized by other Mafia Famiglias, Dante's once-mighty Mafia empire became an object of universal scorn.I picked up my phone from the bedside table and looked through the news from the past few days while the nurse was changing my bandages. I suddenly came across a blurry photo and a rumor posted online by an anonymous user. They stated that while Dante was being transported to the federal prison, the convoy came under fire; two ba
Bruno reacted quickly and pulled Dante back down into his seat. Judge Manara, on the other hand, rapped the gavel, silencing the courtroom.Bruno raised his hand before addressing Judge Manara. "Your Honor, the plaintiff's counsel has sustained severe injuries, rendering her cognitive state rather questionable. We believe she is unfit to proceed with the hearing in her current state, so the defense requests a continuance!""I object," I said calmly as I took my seat. I then pulled out a handkerchief, quickly wiped away the blood, and dressed the wound on my hand. I held up my bandaged hand to show the jury and Judge Manara before adding, "You have all seen just how steady my hands were while I was bandaging them, proving that I'm completely capable of continuing the trial."Judge Manara cast a glance in my direction and, noting that the jury raised no objections, nodded toward me.Thus, the trial proceeded as planned.I knew I had to keep going; even if the tearing wounds caused
In the following weeks, the scandal surrounding the law firm dominated the headlines, which the media took great pleasure in. I had been one of the most respected litigators in the city just before, but in the blink of an eye, I was branded a fraud, a traitor, and a lawyer willing to sacrifice victims' rights for money.I stopped checking my social media and turned a deaf ear to the cruel insults and accusations. I devoted myself entirely to the countless witness statements stacked before me instead.It finally stopped snowing on the day of the fraud trial. There were countless reporters and onlookers gathered outside the courthouse. They had waited months for this case to go to trial, so now everyone wanted to be there for the moment it began.Dante looked completely at ease on the other side of the crowd. He wore a well-tailored suit, his expression relaxed and confident. Bruno Sartori, his lawyer, was standing right beside him. He was a shrewd litigator and my longtime rival.
I sensed that something was off when I arrived at the law firm the following morning. I noticed that as I walked by, people would avoid my gaze and stop talking abruptly. I instantly felt a tightness gripping my stomach.I hadn't even had the chance to ask what happened when Lucia suddenly rushed up to me. "Something happened, Elena!"I set down my briefcase and asked, "What's the matter?"Lucia handed me the tablet and said, "Romano Famiglia had released an official announcement this morning."I glanced over the screen, my brow furrowing deeper by the second. Romano Famiglia had officially announced that I would be acting as their lead defense attorney.I continued staring at the screen as the spokesperson for Romano Group faced the camera, speaking with an air of smug triumph. "Mr. Romano is completely innocent, and those self-proclaimed victims are merely engaging in malicious extortion, instigated by foreign entities. It is known that the law firm Ms. Marino works at never a







