Chapter 1

The Lucchese family's banquet hall was always blazing with light.

I stood in the center of the room, forced to hold a glass of dark red, viscous liquid. It was 'The Vow of Silence,' the poison the Lucchese family used for executions.

The ones ordering me to drink it were Dante and Enzo Lucchese, the twin brothers I once thought would protect me forever.

"Drink it, Chiara Colombo." Dante Lucchese's voice was cold, his eyes fixed on me. "Father wants to see whether you've inherited your parents' genes for betrayal."

I looked at the instigator, Martina Browne. She was clinging to Enzo's arm right now, her face showing just the right amount of concern, but her gaze was smug.

"I know the Lucchese family is partnering with Martina's father, so I would never hurt her. She fell on her own. I didn't push her," I said, my voice trembling.

Enzo finally spoke, avoiding my gaze while his fingers gently patted the back of Martina's hand. "Martina said you pushed her. She said you cornered her on the terrace to question her relationship with Dante, lost control, and got physical. Father suspects you're trying to sabotage the family's business deal."

Martina was lying.

Half an hour earlier, on the terrace, Martina had fallen, but only because she tried to slap me and I stepped aside, letting her lose her balance and hit the ground. Yet, when she ran back to the hall crying, she twisted the truth. She told everyone that I was jealous of her and pushed her to the ground.

Dante and Enzo did not even listen to my explanation before delivering their verdict, and it was all because the blood of a traitor flowed through my veins.

Dante took another glass from a server, filled with the same dark red liquid. "This is a test. Enzo and I will drink the diluted version of 'The Vow of Silence.' If our loyalty is true, the wine is harmless."

He tilted his head back and drained it, and Enzo followed suit.

Neither of them flinched.

"See?" Martina purred, her voice sweet as poison. "As long as you have nothing to hide, there's nothing to fear, Chiara."

I knew they were cheating. Their glasses did not contain 'The Vow of Silence' at all, just regular red wine. I had seen them use this method to execute others countless times.

"I won't drink it. If you want to kill me, just do it. Don't use this hypocritical ritual." I set the glass down on the table.

Dante's expression darkened.

Suddenly, two guards stepped forward and grabbed my arms, forcing me to my knees.

"Dante, maybe..." Enzo's voice held a trace of hesitation.

"Father is watching," Dante said coldly, his gaze sweeping toward the second-floor box.

The Don, Antonio Lucchese, stood there like a judge on the bench.

Dante picked up the poisoned glass again and crouched in front of me. He growled, "This is your last chance. Apologize to Martina and admit you pushed her. I can end this right here."

I stared at him and suddenly wanted to laugh. "And then what? Tomorrow she'll come up with a new way to torment me, and you'll still take her side?"

Something flickered in Dante's eyes. His voice was tense as he pressed on, saying, "Martina's father controls the family's smuggling routes for the next three years. We need him. And Martina... She needs to feel safe. She needs to feel completely accepted by the family."

My voice was growing hoarse. "So you're offering me up to her like a toy? Letting her bully me and frame me however she wants, while you always choose to believe her?"

Dante said hurriedly, "You'll be fine. We have the antidote ready. In three days, you'll be okay. This way Martina gets the spectacle she wants, and it'll satisfy Father's need for a test..."

I cut him off. "And then I'm supposed to be even more grateful? Supposed to remember forever that the Lucchese family gave me a second life? Supposed to willingly be your trained dog?"

Dante fell silent, and his silence hurt more than the poison ever could.

Well, that silence meant yes, this was the plan. It was a plan to bind me completely with the debt of a staged death.