Chapter 1

After tossing out the shredded massage bed, I immediately dialed the rival family's boss.

Six months ago, Lorenzo Romano had extended an offer to me—a million-dollar annual salary, plus a private estate with its own gated entrance, bodyguards, and a coastline.

At the time, I turned it down out of gratitude to the Castellano underboss, Nico Castellano, who'd given me my start. Now, that debt was paid in full and then some.

Nico had long since lost his real power. Some girlfriend who'd parachuted in as the boss' woman could rewrite family rules on a whim.

This place was no longer the Castellano family that had recruited me with restraint, order, and principles.

The phone connected instantly.

"Benedetta Gallo, I'm delighted to hear you're willing to join the Romano family. I'll come pick you up personally next week.

"On top of what I promised before, I'm adding 20% of the family's total income as your long-term dividend."

I curled my lips into a smile.

In the underworld, my luck had become legend. Before I joined the Castellano family, they were nothing but a third-rate operation living off protection money.

The moment I arrived, arms smuggling channels opened like a floodgate. They swallowed up neighboring territories one by one. Overseas expansion shifted from fantasy to reality.

But whenever I took time off, their cargo ships got seized by customs. Their casinos inevitably faced surprise tax inspections. Not once did it fail to happen.

Nico even brought in a medium over it, and the conclusion was blunt. I was born blessed by the god of fortune, a walking money printer.

Whoever had me would get rich.

He'd bent over backward to keep me, practically wanting to assign a whole squad to guard me 24/7, terrified I'd get so much as a scratch. Too bad he forgot about the girlfriend factor.

The boss' new girlfriend, Valentina Accardi, showed up under the guise of "inspecting operations". Wielding her future status as the Donna, she dismantled Nico's authority in three days flat. She even took scissors and slashed up the bed in my office.

I grabbed my resignation papers and knocked on Valentina's office door. There was no response.

Through the crack in the door, I watched her pour herself a glass of wine while giggling into her phone screen with her socialite friends. Clearly, she was making me wait on purpose.

Time crawled by. My legs went numb from standing. Finally, a lazy voice drifted out. "Come in."

I placed the resignation papers on her desk. She didn't even glance at them and just gave me a look dripping with undisguised contempt.

"So you're Benedetta Gallo? This is an office, not a strip club. Dressed like a cheap whore… Who exactly are you trying to seduce?

"No wonder you close the most deals. Turns out you're selling your body for them. Listen, the Castellano family has honor. We don't make dirty money like that.

"Take it off right now, or I'll cut that dress to shreds too."

In all my years in the underworld, this was the first time anyone dared insult me so openly. I looked at her, my voice going cold.

"Signorina Accardi, this is the latest haute couture the family sent me. I wear it so the Castellano family won't be looked down on at the negotiating table.

"I closed several major deals recently wearing this exact dress. It's probably worth more than you are."

My words clearly infuriated her.

Valentina shot to her feet, grabbed the half-glass of wine left on the desk, and hurled it straight at my face.