Chapter 3

After Sebastian and Angelina were thrown out, one of my subordinates informed me that Matteo had arrived.

Matteo had just walked in when Sebastian's call came through. His tone was vicious as he spat out, "How dare you betray me, Isabella? Do you think you can get away with this?

"I have documents detailing the illegal trade moving through your famiglia's ports. Believe it or not, I can sell them to the FBI and wipe your entire famiglia out!"

"Go ahead." My voice was calm and edged with a hint of mockery.

I continued, "Half of what you have is information I deliberately fed you. The other half was invalidated by my IT department half an hour ago. This is child's play to me, Sebastian."

"Stronza!" he snarled into the phone. "Did you collude with someone else? Let me make this clear: no one can save you!

"Once my famiglia and the Aurelis join forces, your famiglia is finished. When that happens, I'll make you wish you were never born!"

"Is that so?" A low male voice sounded from beside me.

I turned around and found Matteo seated across from me. Dressed in a black suit, his gaze was as sharp as a hawk's.

He let out a mirthless chuckle and asked, "What about my famiglia? Do you still think that's not enough?"

Sebastian went silent for a beat before bursting into laughter. "Matteo? You're the son of a traitor, and you think you have the right to stick your nose into the business of the Valerinis and the Passinis?

"Your madre was dumped by my padre. You're nothing but a bastard nobody wanted. Who do you think you are, running your mouth here?"

"I'm the son of a traitor?" Matteo's tone became ice-cold in a heartbeat. "Your padre, Giovanni Passini, betrayed mia madre, swallowed two-thirds of my famiglia's assets, and sent his men to hunt us down.

"I've held this grudge for two decades. Now, you dare scheme against Isabella. Seriously, your famiglia is still the same, rotten to the core. Betrayal runs in your blood."

I gazed at Matteo. He was the heir of la famiglia Rossi.

Back then, after his mother, Andreina Lombardi, was betrayed by Giovanni, she didn't swallow the humiliation. She carved a bloody path out with her young son, rebuilt the Rossi famiglia overseas, and returned stronger than ever. Now, the Rossis were a force to be reckoned with.

"Your men already filled me in. Let's work together," Matteo cut to the chase.

His gaze landed on my face. "Your famiglia wants to take down the Passinis. My famiglia wants revenge for what happened back then. We have the same enemy, and our interests align.

"I'll provide intelligence and armed forces, and you can provide the funds and connections. In less than a month, the Passinis and the Aurelis will be gone from this city."

Sebastian was still yelling on the other end of the line. "How dare you join forces? I'll leak all of the Valerinis' secrets to the big players and paint targets on your backs. I'll turn all the families against you!"

"Be my guest," Matteo sneered. "We're prepared. The moment you do, we'll release proof of how you fabricated crises and scammed Isabella's trust.

"Then, the world will know you're a sorry excuse of a man who got ahead by riding a woman's coattails and lives off deception." Right after saying that, he hung up on Sebastian and turned to me.

"Mia madre and your madre go way back. She warned you years ago that Sebastian was ambitious and untrustworthy. You didn't listen, and you paid the price. Still, it's not too late."

"I was a fool back then," I admitted. "I let my emotions mess with my head. I forgot that in the end, only interest and loyalty truly last forever. Everything else is bullshit."

"That's not entirely true," he said solemnly, holding my gaze. "At the very least, my loyalty to you is real. It hasn't changed since the day I met you at that famiglia gathering when we were 12."

My heart fluttered. I remembered that year. He had stood in the corner in a small suit, and his gaze never left me. In the end, he had worked up the courage to hand me a brass bullet casing and promised he would protect me for the rest of his life.

I hadn't taken him seriously. I never imagined he would carry it with him all these years.

"Deal." I extended my hand. "I'll take the Passinis' core businesses, and you can have the Aurelis' drug routes and casinos.

"Sebastian's life is mine to end. That's what he gets for scheming against my famiglia and betraying me."

"No problem." Matteo took my hand. His palm was broad and warm. It put me at ease.

"From now on, your enemies are mine. If you want him dead, I'll help you. If you want the Passinis and the Aurelis wiped out, I'll see it through with you."