Chapter 4

After that night, Alexander threw me into solitary confinement. I didn't see the sun for a week.

The scabs on my body had barely formed when the order came down.

Sophia was going to Milan for a high-profile jewelry auction—a classic front for money laundering. She specifically requested me as her detail.

I wanted to refuse. But the Consigliere delivered the message with icy precision: "Ivy, the Don says this is a direct order. A Soldato does not have the right to say no. If you refuse, he cannot guarantee Lily's safety."

I let out a hollow laugh, grabbed my gun, and climbed into the passenger seat of the armored Lincoln limousine.

In the back, Sophia was snuggled deep into Alexander’s embrace, playfully twisting his silk tie around her finger.

When she saw me in the rearview mirror, a flash of triumph lit up her eyes. She pitched her voice high and sweet. "Darling, aren't you being too careful making Ivy come along? With you here, who would dare touch me? Didn't Naples and Sicily sign a truce?"

Alexander glanced at the back of my head, his tone indifferent. "The blade might be dull, but it can still block a bullet if necessary."

Block a bullet.

Those three words were nails driven straight into my heart.

We were winding along the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast when hell broke loose.

"Ambush! It's a Vendetta hit from the rival family!"

Before I could react, a heavy-duty truck loaded with explosives roared out from a side road, T-boning the limousine.

BOOM.

The impact crumpled the chassis like aluminum foil, sending the car spinning out of control and slamming into the mountain face.

In that split second between life and death, Alexander didn't hesitate and threw himself over Sophia, shielding her body with his own.

Meanwhile, in the front seat, the dashboard had collapsed, pinning my legs, and shrapnel pierced my abdomen.

Blood gushed out, soaking the driver's seat.

My vision blurred, but I could hear the sirens and the screech of tires as our Quick Response Force arrived.

Someone was prying open the rear door.

"Don! Are you alright?"

Alexander climbed out, carrying Sophia bridal style.

Sofia had only a small scratch on her forehead, yet she let out a piercing scream.

"Check Sophia! Now!" Alexander roared, his voice thick with panic.

The team leader looked at the front of the car, where flames were licking at the engine block. "Don, Ivy is trapped in the front. She's critical, we should..."

"I said save Sophia first! Her face can't be damaged!" Alexander cut him off with a violent shout. He didn't even glance at the wreckage where I was bleeding out. "Ivy is an experienced Soldato. She won't die that easily. Let her wait for the second wave!"

Let her wait...

But the fire was already eating through the firewall.

I slumped over the steering wheel, watching through the smoke as the man I loved sprinted toward the ambulance with an unscathed Sophia in his arms. He didn't look back. Not once.

So, that was the answer.

Instinct never lies.

Ten years of bleeding for this family, ten years of loyalty, couldn't outweigh a shallow wound on the forehead of a Mafia Princess.

The heat began to sear my skin. I didn't feel pain anymore. I felt relief.

Maybe it's better to die like this.

Alexander, I am returning this life to you.

If there is a next life, I pray we never meet again.