Chapter 2

Bella’s POV

“I’m sorry for overstepping, Don,” Lorenzo said quietly, lowering his head.

Before Matteo could respond, his phone rang.

I saw the name on the screen.

Victoria.

My fingers curled into a fist. I never got the chance to confront her about what really happened—but after what the Moretti told me, I knew she was nothing like the sweet, considerate girl my brother believed her to be.

“V, hey,” Matteo said, smiling. “Your birthday’s coming up. I’ve taken care of everything. You just have to show up and be the prettiest birthday girl.”

He paused, his voice softening.

“Don’t worry about the Moretti. I’ll make Bella admit it was her fault. Not yours.”

The words burned.

Ever since our parents died, Matteo had treated me like a spoiled, useless brat—as if every disaster in our lives could be traced back to me.

So when I doubted myself about the contract, he shut me down. And because of the guilt, I turned that blame inward too.

If only I’d stood my ground. If only I hadn’t gone to the Moretti to make things right.

I would still be alive. I would still have the chance to stand in front of Matteo and tell him the truth.

Instead, I could only listen as Victoria spoke in that soft, false sweetness and brother believed her every word.

“Actually,” she said gently, “I’d like to go somewhere different for my birthday this year. Maybe you could take me there tomorrow?”

A chill ran through me.

What if my death hadn’t given the Moretti family and Victoria what they wanted? What if, now, they were coming after my brother instead?

Matteo was the Don of DeLuca. He never went anywhere without protection. Never alone. But if Victoria used her birthday as bait—if she asked him like this—he wouldn’t refuse.

And they’d be alone.

I tried to strike Matteo’s shoulder. Tried to scream.

It was useless.

All I could do was watch as my brother smiled into the phone and said,

“Anything you want.”

…

I realized I could only go where my body went.

So when Lorenzo wheeled my body into the casino’s basement, I followed, watching the forensic specialist he’d hired examine what was left of me.

Even I was shocked by how my body looked.

Bruises layered over cuts. Broken skin everywhere.

So this was how much I’d endured before dying.

“What’s the status?” Matteo asked as he walked in.

He didn’t spare my body a second glance.

“We’re waiting on the DNA results,” Lorenzo replied.

Matteo stepped closer.

My chest tightened.

One more step and he would see the birthmark on my left arm. One more step and my brother would realize the dead woman on the table was his sister.

A ringtone cut through the room.

“Alissa?” Matteo answered.

Alissa—my friend.

“Have you heard from Bella?” she asked anxiously. “We were supposed to go out of town today, but I can’t reach her.”

Matteo frowned. “She’s handling business. You know how it is. She’ll call you back.”

“But I’m worried,” Alissa said, her voice trembling. “Your line of work is dangerous. Please—can you just call her and make sure she’s safe?”

Even my friend cared more than my own brother.

For the first time, the feeling in my chest wasn’t just guilt.

There were also sadness.

When had Matteo and I become this distant? He used to be the person closest to me—the one I shared secrets with, the ones I never even told our parents. Once, he’d panic if I so much as tripped and scraped my knee.

Now I’d vanished after going to meet another gang, and it barely seemed to register.

Matteo stared ahead, expression unreadable. After a moment, he said, “Alright. I’ll call her.”

He hung up and pulled up my number.

He stared at it for a long time.

Then he slipped his phone back into his pocket.

“You’re not calling Bella?” Lorenzo asked.

“After we’re done here,” Matteo said, turning back to the body on the table. “I can’t risk the cops getting suspicious again. And Bella… this isn’t the first time she’s gone quiet. She probably screwed something up and doesn’t want me to know.”

Matteo left the basement soon after without ever coming close enough to see my birthmark.

I watched my brother’s silhouette disappear and wondered— What will you feel when you find out this body is mine?

Relief that I’m finally gone? Or sadness—if only for a moment—that you’ve lost the last family you had left?

…

As the days passed, I felt myself growing less attached to my body. I started drifting through the casino instead—sometimes lingering in my brother’s office, watching him work. Other times, I just wandered.

That afternoon, I was hovering in his office when Victoria arrived.

She looked cheerful. Too cheerful.

“Matteo, do you have time for dinner tonight?” she asked lightly.

He smiled—the first real smile I’d seen from him in days. “Of course. You know I always have time for you.”

She tilted her head. “Things feel tense around the casino. Did something happen?”

As if she didn’t already know.

I knew exactly why she was asking. She wanted to know whether he’d found out about me.

Matteo’s smile faded. “Someone dumped a body here. I think it was a message.”

Victoria’s eyes widened, her expression carefully innocent. “Do you think it’s because Bella messed up the deal with the Moretti? Maybe they’re taking revenge.”

Matteo’s face hardened. “Always spoiled. Always careless. If it weren’t for her mistake, those thugs wouldn’t even be looking at us.”

As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and began typing.

I drifted closer.

It was my chat window.

Stop ghosting me. Fix what you screwed up with the Moretti and get back here. Something happened. I need to know if it’s connected to you. For once, Bella, don’t bring more trouble to this family. Don’t repeat what you did to our parents.

The words hollowed me out.

Desperation mixed with something colder.

I was dead. How could I bring him more trouble?

Matteo finished the message and looked back at Victoria, his tone softening. “If only she were as considerate as you, V.”

That was when something inside me broke.

The emptiness in my chest spread wider, deeper.

When would Matteo learn the truth? When would he stop blaming me for everything?