Mag-log inOur wedding in the historical town was simple and solemn. I wore a wedding gown with my famiglia's crest stitched into the hem, and held a bouquet of black roses, while Matteo was dressed in a black suit, the Rossi famiglia's crest fastened at his collar. We stood shoulder to shoulder before the priest and answered his question with a firm "I do." There were no elaborate rites, only our vows and the witness of our families.After the ceremony, I received an anonymous gift. There was no signature, only a small black box.Inside lay a fragment of the Passinis' old famiglia crest. Its edge still bore the mark Sebastian had once used to fake an attack on his famiglia to gain my trust. Staring at the fragment, my mind drifted back to when I was 18. Sebastian had clutched that crest and told me, "Bella, once I inherit the Passini famiglia, I'll help secure your place as the heiress of your famiglia. Then, we'll be together for the rest of our lives." I had foolishly believed that l
Sebastian's actions disrupted the established order of Bellano's underground, plunging the city into chaos and causing significant losses to the other famiglie. The Valerinis spearheaded the formation of a tribunal comprised of key figures from each famiglia to decide his fate. Dressed in black, I sat at the head of the table.When Sebastian was brought in, his hair was a mess, his clothes were stained, and his eyes were hollow. He was a far cry from the arrogant man he used to be.Looking at me, he abruptly dropped to his knees and slammed his head against the floor over and over again. "I know I fucked up, Bella. Please spare me. I'll never do it again!"I'll do anything you want. I'll serve you. Please, just spare my life! I know I was wrong. I really do.""You want me to spare you?" I sneered. "When you were plotting against me, did you ever think about sparing me? You siphoned my famiglia's money and screwed us over. "How do you plan to pay for that? If I let you go, who i
Sebastian was imprisoned in the Valerinis' dungeon. His limbs were bound in iron chains, heavy weights hanging from the locks.When Angelina came to visit him, he immediately pushed himself up, chains screeching against the stone floor. "Save me, Angelina! I know a lot of your famiglia's secrets, including your padre's money laundering accounts and the addresses of his mistresses."You can use them to gain control! We can join forces and start over. Then, we can have everything!""You want to start over?" she sneered. Her eyes were full of mockery as she looked down at him. "Do you seriously think I'd still believe you, Sebastian? You used me to go against Isabella. "You're useless now. Why would I save you? I'm not foolish enough to die with you!" "I didn't use you!" he roared. His eyes were bloodshot, and his emotions were all over the place. "I was serious about you! I meant it when I said I'd marry you and make you the Madre of the famiglia! As long as you get me out of he
The new quarterly mafia summit arrived as scheduled. This time, it was held at our famiglia estate, which had been outfitted with hidden sentries and surveillance. One by one, representatives from the major families arrived, their eyes sharp and wary as they scanned their surroundings. I wore a black suit with my famiglia's crest pinned to my chest and walked in side by side with Matteo.The bruises from training were still visible on my face, yet they did nothing to diminish my presence. If anything, they made me look even more ruthless. All eyes were on us. Some were curious, wary, and openly hostile. "Isabella, you still have the nerve to represent your famiglia?" All of a sudden, Sebastian stepped out of the crowd, followed by Angelina and the Aurelis.I scoffed. "Sebastian, you're an illegitimate child who clawed his way up by lying to women. Who do you think you are, running your mouth here? Today is the day you die!"Angelina stepped forward with a document and delibera
Just then, Matteo burst in, his gun firing in rapid succession. The remaining fell one after another, collapsing onto the marble floor.He crossed the room and looked at my bleeding arm. "Are you okay? Do you want me to patch you up?""I'm fine." I wiped the blood from my face and pointed at the bodies on the floor. "Did Sebastian send them?""No one else has the guts." Matteo tore a miniature bug from the assassin's collar. "This belongs to the Aurelis. It bears their mark. It looks like the Passinis and the Aurelis decided to join hands." …The very next day, the internet was flooded with rumors, claiming I had turned on my own famiglia and colluded with the Rossis. On the third day, doctored photos spread online, painting Matteo and me as lovers, with captions screaming I had sold my famiglia secrets to be with him."Sebastian's playing dirty." Matteo's expression hardened as he stared at his phone. "He wants to turn your famiglia against you and let the other families do the
The summit was held at the most opulent casino in Bellano, an architectural crown jewel owned by the Aureli famiglia. Beneath the glittering chandeliers, members of each famiglia sized one another up. The tension in the air was so thick one could cut it with a knife.Antonio Aureli, the Don of the Aureli famiglia, spotted me and strode over. His gaze was dark and hostile. "I heard you and Sebastian had a falling out, Isabella. I can't believe you dared to show up when you have no one to back you up.""That's none of your business." My tone was ice-cold. My hand quietly slid to the pistol at my waist, and I was ready to draw it at any moment. "How is it none of our business?" Angelina appeared out of nowhere, looping her arm through Antonio's. A taunting smile crept onto her face as she said, "Signora Valerini, you drove Sebastian into a corner. Aren't you afraid he'll drag you down with him? He knows plenty of your famiglia's secrets. If he talks, the Valerinis will be finish







