Chapter 2

The next day, Matteo said he wanted to make it up to me. He opened a safe at the back of the vault and slid a velvet box toward me.

"Every Donna in the Morandi family has worn this ring. It's one of a kind." He took my hand, looking guilty. "I'm sorry about the port. I owe you."

"Matteo!" Chloe appeared in the doorway of the vault, clutching a gold-embossed invitation.

"The assembly speaker and two senators have agreed to come to my show next month. But the curator says I don't have anything impressive enough to be the centerpiece." She bit her lip, her voice trailing off. "If it flops, how am I supposed to show my face in that crowd again?"

Matteo's eyes landed on the pink diamond in front of me.

He glanced at me and rubbed the back of my hand. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he pushed the velvet box toward Chloe.

"Take it for the show. It'll keep those politicians staring all night."

Then he turned to me, looking utterly sincere.

"Celia, you don't want a rock like this getting in the way when you draw your gun. Let Chloe borrow it, okay?"

My chest tightened. I couldn't believe he'd actually said that.

"Matteo, did you forget? This is my wedding ring..."

He frowned.

"Celia, this isn't the time to be difficult. If she has nothing to show, she'll be humiliated in front of all her guests."

I just found it ridiculous.

"So you'd rather humiliate me? Just because I won't cry in front of people?"

That made him freeze.

He understood perfectly. He'd just assumed I'd put up with his favoritism toward Chloe, as I always had.

Chloe's eyes were already red. She tugged on Matteo's arm, her voice thick with tears. "Celia, I didn't mean it. I didn't know... Let's just forget it."

The more she carried on, the deeper Matteo's frown grew.

He turned to me, his voice leaving no room for argument. "We have to think about how this looks for both families. You should understand that."

There it was again, that word: family.

But I had never been one of the people they were protecting.

Only Chloe.

I laughed under my breath, picked up the ring, and hurled it at the floor.

The pink diamond ring hit the floor and broke in two.

Matteo's face darkened.

"What the hell!"

I smiled as if I didn't have a care in the world.

"Take it, Chloe," I said, my smile widening. "Make sure you don't embarrass the Serra family."

She went pale. Her lips trembled, but no words came out, and she turned to Matteo for help.

My fiancé stared at me, grim-faced. "Celia..."

I didn't even look at him. Pressing a hand to my aching lower back, I slowly climbed the stairs.

I dialed the number again. "Is everything set? The route? The people meeting me?"

"All set. Three old sailors and a converted fishing boat. Out through the reef inlet and straight south, no stops."

Then he named his price: every cent I'd saved in ten years of risking my life for the Serra family.

I gripped the phone, a lump in my throat. It took me two seconds to answer. "Fine. Make sure it all goes smoothly."

Suddenly, Matteo's voice came from behind me. "What needs to go smoothly?"