The Don's Pet Breaks Free

I was the lowliest orphan in the Moretti family. Other women dreamed of becoming the Donna who ran the household and pulled the strings. Old Mary, the former Don's lover, taught me only two things: how to obey and how to stay alive. Once you've caught the eye of a powerful man, you give everything you have to please him. But the moment another woman shows up at his side, even if he only glances at her, you disappear. Immediately. I never understood why, but I followed those rules to the letter, always on edge, and so far, they had kept me safe. Then one day, Antonio Moretti, the youngest Don in the family's history, turned his attention to me. I used every trick Old Mary had taught me and tiptoed around him day after day, waiting on him hand and foot. To my surprise, cold, ruthless Antonio fell for it completely. He showered me with affection like no one else. Whenever he went somewhere dangerous, he always let me know beforehand so I wouldn't worry. He never left me wondering if something terrible had happened to him. Jealous women from the branch families tried everything to get close to him. He looked right through them and sent them packing on the spot. Everyone was sure this lowly pet of his would finally be named his Donna. Then, out of nowhere, a brilliant lawyer from an allied family appeared at Antonio's side. She held the key to legitimizing the family's businesses and was constantly at his side during negotiations. The first time Antonio left without telling me where he was going, the survival rules came rushing back to me. If I can't afford to cross her, I can at least stay out of her way.