Chapter 3

I stepped out of the car and into the house Raphael had bought for us.

The living room was a mess.

Raphael’s mother, a crass and bitter woman, was sobbing on the couch.

When she saw me, she flew at me like a woman possessed, her finger jabbing at my face.

“You curse! You’re a black widow! It’s all your fault! You killed my son! Get out! I don’t want to see you!”

Her finger was practically in my eye.

Raphael had always said he was trying to build his empire to be worthy of me. Before I knew the truth, I actually felt guilty.

Not anymore.

【Here we go. The classic evil mother-in-law.】

【This old bitch. Her son is off living it up, and she's here putting on a show.】

【Get her, girl! Show her you don’t mess with a Rossi princess!】

I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even change my expression.

I just watched her until she ran out of breath.

Then, I smiled and took a step forward.

I leaned in close, my voice a whisper only she could hear.

“Old woman, does Raphael know about your boy toy in Vegas? The one with the five-million-dollar gambling debt? Or… would you like the IRS to know you’ve been embezzling from the Russo charity fund to pay it off?”

Her body went rigid.

“You…” Her face went pale, her lips trembling. She couldn’t form a single word. She looked at me like I was the devil himself.

I stepped back, my smile polite and distant again.

I raised my voice so everyone in the room could hear.

“Mrs. Russo, I think you’re right. Just like you, seeing all of Raphael’s things around just makes the pain worse.”

I turned to Leo and Nico, who were staring, stunned.

“So, I’ve decided to get rid of everything that belonged to Raphael. Burn it, throw it out, I don’t care.”

“Also,” I added, my eyes sweeping over every face in the room, “starting today, I’m moving out. This place… it makes me sick.”

“You… you dare!” Raphael’s mother was shaking with rage. She pointed a finger at me, then her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.

The room erupted into chaos.

Leo and Nico scrambled to help her, caught completely off guard.

I watched the circus with cold indifference, then turned and went upstairs.

I didn't pack a thing.

Everything in this house was tainted by Raphael. It all made my stomach turn.

I only grabbed my purse and my car keys.

My phone buzzed. A new text.

It was from my best friend, Sofia Falcone.

She was the daughter of the Falcone family, the most powerful of New York’s Five Families.

The text was simple.

【Sweetie, I heard what happened. Maybe you need a change of scenery? My brother has a penthouse overlooking Central Park that’s just sitting empty. You should move in for a while.】