Chapter 1

I was once the most respected female intelligence officer in the underworld.

I controlled black market trade, port lockdowns, and risk assessments for every smuggling route.

These were the basics every new recruit learned on their first day in the Mafia.

But my intel was never reliable.

As time went by, everyone caught on.

In this city, whether the ports were locked down or open for business didn't depend on intel.

It depended on whether Vincenzo's childhood friend was in a bad mood.

I had just sent an order over the family's secure channel:

"Level-one lockdown. All shipping routes are closed."

A moment later, the ports were thrown wide open.

My rival mocked me in front of everyone.

"Isabella's supposed to be the queen of underworld intelligence, isn't she? What happened, did she lose her touch?"

Other family members twisted the knife without a second thought.

"Her husband changes the rules at a word from his precious Amelia. Who's going to listen to her anymore?"

"She's on the hook for any losses from this. That route reopening is going to bankrupt her!"

I clutched a stack of formal censures from the family. I said nothing.

It didn't matter. I was done being a pawn in their games.

Soon, I would be gone for good.

...

Vincenzo picked up the document I'd titled "Petition to Leave the Family," his eyes pausing on the words for a moment.

Then, he flicked the ash from his cigarette and chuckled.

"Isabella, my queen, who upset you?"

He rounded the large mahogany desk and circled behind me, his arms loosely wrapping around my waist.

His warm breath ghosted over my ear, carrying the scent of expensive cigars.

"Was it because the port wasn't locked down on your command tonight? Or was it that reckless underboss who disrespected you?"

"I'm serious," I said, pulling away from his embrace. "Vincenzo, I want out. Of the De Luca family, and our marriage."

His arms fell to his sides.

The indulgent smile on Vincenzo's face vanished.

After a beat of dead silence, he let out a soft laugh, but his eyes were stone-cold.

"Bella, don't be ridiculous. You don't want a repeat of the lesson you learned three years ago, do you?"

My heart seized.

Three years ago, I was issuing a level-one security alert across the entire New York underworld, warning all families to steer clear of the East Side docks.

But Vince, determined to celebrate Amelia's birthday, insisted on the city's most extravagant fireworks display for her, right on the East Side.

Then he cut off all my intel feeds.

The docks became a bloodbath, and I was made to look like the most incompetent intelligence officer in the Mafia.

I was berated by the family elders until I couldn't even lift my head, and I received the first formal censure of my career.

It ended when I discovered that the core intelligence network I had painstakingly built for five years had been forcibly opened to "Guest Mode" by Vincenzo for Amelia.

She had whimsically altered my escape routes that night, causing my most loyal intelligence unit to be wiped out.

I snapped that day. I stormed the party with a Colt revolver and pressed the muzzle to Amelia's forehead.

Back then, Vincenzo calmly took the gun from my hand and removed the magazine.

"You know Amelia is fragile, like a child. That would frighten her."

His long fingers brushed my cheek. "But you're different, Bella. You are my wife, the Donna of the De Luca family. You're supposed to be stronger than this, more understanding."

I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

Seeing my silence, Vincenzo thought I was scared.

He stood and pulled a velvet box from his pocket, opening it.

Inside lay a dazzling diamond bracelet.

He'd won it at an auction the day before.

Every woman in New York said the Don of the De Luca family was madly in love with his wife, but only I knew this was the peace offering he made every time he overrode my orders for Amelia.

This diamond bracelet was the 29th piece of jewelry I had received, one for each of the 29 formal censures I'd earned.

He grabbed my wrist and clasped the bracelet on, his movements leaving no room for argument.

The cold touch of the metal felt like a pair of shackles.

"Don't take it off again. It belongs only to you."

Vincenzo bent his head to kiss the back of my hand, then spoke softly.

"Amelia feels that doing business is too boring lately. She's interested in intelligence analysis."

"Give her your master control codes. Let her go in and play around."

"I know you might not be happy about it, but... that title of First Intelligence Officer was granted by the family. I imagine you wouldn't want me to remove you from that position and put Amelia in your seat, would you?"

A chill ran down my spine.

He was using my pride, the one thing I valued more than my life, to turn me into a stepping stone for his childhood friend.

That was my blood and sweat, the glory I had earned through gunfire, and now he wanted to let a woman whose only skill was pouting go in and "play around."

He was so smart.

He knew exactly how to make a woman like me, one who valued dignity and professional honor above all else, bend to his will.

I suppressed the churning in my stomach and forced a stiff smile.

"Fine."

Vincenzo's lips curved in satisfaction. He was about to kiss me when his private cell phone rang. A custom ringtone.

The moment he turned to answer it, his entire demeanor shifted.

The suffocating pressure vanished, replaced by a deep well of patience and affection.

"What's wrong? Don't cry... Okay, I'll be right there."

I could hear Amelia's sickly sweet whining even through the phone, and it made my skin crawl.

After hanging up, he released me and strode out of the study.

Watching his back as he rushed off to another woman, I wiped away the single, worthless tear from the corner of my eye.

I took off the priceless bracelet and tossed it into the trash.

Then I took out the encrypted satellite phone and dialed the number.

"Get me out," I said, taking a deep breath. "I'm ready to honor our five-year pact."

A low, confident voice responded on the other end, and I hung up.

I couldn't quite describe it. My heart was a hollow ache, but in that emptiness, I was finally free.