Stolen Memories, Fatal Truth: The Mafia Princess Is Breaking Down

I was bound to an iron chair in the Sollazzo family's underground tribunal. The bare bulb overhead glared so harshly that it was hard to keep my eyes open."Lina Colletti."Valeria Sollazzo stepped toward me in her black heels. Four black-suited confidants followed behind her, filling the room with oppressive pressure."It's been ten years," she said. "How much longer do you plan to keep hiding?" She leaned down, her fingers clamping around my chin. "The night Sophia died at the docks, you were there. You saw the killer."I turned my head away, avoiding her eyes. My throat was so dry that I could barely force the words out. "I didn't…""Didn't?" Valeria abruptly released me and slapped me hard across the face.The crack echoed through the tribunal. I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth."If you hadn't kept your mouth shut back then, the Gambinos and the Sollazzos never would have turned on each other. We lost three docks, and seven casinos went up in flames. More than 30 of

The hum of the machine grew louder, like a relentless drone. The red needle on the control console went wild, shattering past the safety limit. Blood welled from every opening—my eyes, ears, and nose—streaming hot down my face. My throat filled with that metallic, bloody taste. I clenched my teeth so hard that they split, soaking my gums in blood.On the main screen, the display flickered and shifted again. It now replayed my memory of that night, cold and drizzling with rain.Sophia's body had been pulled from the docks, swollen and pale.Valeria threw herself over the corpse, her screams raw and broken. "Sophia! Dio mio, wake up! Who did this to you?"I stood to the side, trembling. Clutched in Sophia's stiff fingers was half of a Leone family cufflink. The cufflink bore a lion crest, and I recognized it immediately. Only members of the Leone inner circle were allowed to wear this.At that moment, everything clicked. This incident was no accident. It was a setup—a move meant t

The screen displayed Mateo's face with stinging clarity, and gasps rippled through the tribunal hall."Fake! It's all fabricated!" Mateo lunged forward, jabbing a finger at me as he bellowed. "Lina, you traditrice! You're trying to cover up your own deal with the Leone family. So you forged this… this so-called memory to frame me!"He grabbed Luca Sollazzo, the Consigliere of the Sollazzo family. He urged, "Think about it, Consigliere Sollazzo. Her parents were traitors who betrayed this family. She has been sitting on that hatred for years. And now she's working with outsiders to tear the Sollazzos apart!"The elders whispered among themselves, casting hostile looks in my direction.Valeria stood where she was. Her face was drained of color, and her hands were clenched tight. Her gaze flicked back and forth between Mateo and me, torn and wavering."Valeria, don't believe her!" Mateo pressed on, his voice dripping with venom. "She kept her mouth shut back then because she was guil

Tension crackled in the square. Mateo's men had Giovanni surrounded, and Mateo still had a gun barrel pressed to Giovanni's temple.The Gambino family had also arrived, facing off against Mateo's men. Tensions were at a breaking point on both sides."Mateo, let Papa go!" Valeria shouted. She raised her gun, her eyes fixed on him. "The evidence is right here. You worked with the Leone family, killed Sophia, and betrayed us. You won't get away with this!""Get away? Why would I run?" Mateo sneered. "Half of the men here answer to me. Once I kill you traitors, I'll be the Don of the Sollazzos."He turned to the men around him. "Think about it! The Gambinos have been waiting for a chance to take our streets. Sophia's marriage was a trap! I killed her to protect la famiglia! And Lina, she's a traitor, working with the Leones. Now, Valeria is siding with her, ready to turn against her own blood. Are you going to stand for this?"Some of the agitated Soldati began shouting. "Kill the tra

Mateo lay sprawled on the ground, clutching his bleeding leg. He glared at us with pure hatred."You think you've won just because you got the agreement?" he sneered. "It's useless. The explosives are already set. In ten minutes, this place will blow up."Valeria's face went pale, and she moved to pick me up. "Let's go!""No!" I grabbed her arm. "He still has the detonator. Even if we escape, everyone at the docks will die!"I forced myself to stand. The wound in my abdomen burned like fire, but I couldn't let Mateo have his way."Mateo, wake up," I said, locking eyes with him. "Look at what you've done. You killed Sophia and Bruno. You've destroyed so many of our own. Don't you feel even a little regret?""Regret?" Mateo sneered. "The only thing I regret is not killing you sooner." He suddenly lunged forward, snatching the gun from Valeria's hand and pointing it at us. "Today, none of you are leaving this place alive."He pulled the trigger, the bullet skimming past my shoulder