Chapter 3

The next day, the five Sicilian families held their annual high-stakes game at the Royal Casino in Catania.

It was entertainment in name only. In reality, the families used the game to redraw territories and redistribute power.

Every chip represented a port, a mine, or a shipping route.

For the Nobili family, this was their final chance to recoup their losses.

Ellie got up early to dress for the occasion, determined to make a grand entrance.

When she saw me in a plain white T-shirt, she scoffed. "Didn't the other families teach you anything? You wear a formal gown to a game like this.

"If you don't own one, there's a spare here. I was going to donate it to a little girl at the orphanage I support, but you can borrow it first."

I heard the insult in her voice and looked at the gown she meant.

A charity hand-me-down, offered to me as an evening gown.

The ploy was pathetic.

I refused without hesitation. "No, thank you. I prefer being comfortable."

Sarah gave me a disapproving look, and John's face filled with contempt.

Then one of the staff brought in a box. It had been sent to me by the Don, along with a letter.

I calmly opened the lid.

Inside lay a velvet gown with an elaborate family crest embroidered in gold thread across the shoulders and cuffs.

At the center of the crest was a lion, an emblem only the true heir of the Nobili family could wear.

Ellie's eyes lit up.

Ellie approached and ran her fingers over the fabric, naked greed in her eyes.

"The fabric is beautiful... Wouldn't it feel strange to wear something like this?"

She looked up, her soft, harmless expression back in place.

"After all, you're not used to high-society events. If you wear it without understanding the proper etiquette, you'll only embarrass the family."

Sarah came over, glanced at the gown, and frowned.

"This isn't right for you.

"Honestly, your father. He's been overseas so long, yet he still insists on interfering in trivial matters."

She took the box from my hands and passed it straight to Ellie.

"Ellie, you'll wear this. You're the face of the Nobili family, so it's perfect for you."

I watched in silence before speaking. "Mother, Father's letter says I'm supposed to wear that."

Only if I wore the heir's gown could I bring the family enough luck to turn the game around.

Sarah waved me off impatiently.

"Your father has no idea what's happening here. How long has he been overseas? It's just a gown. It doesn't matter who wears it."

I remembered the Don's request and frowned, ready to warn them. Before I could, John waved the letter and shouted excitedly, "This is wonderful. Father says we're betting every chip tonight, and we'll win back everything we've lost!"

Their faces lit up. Even Jack joined them to discuss staking his own family's chips.

After all, the Don never lied. Everything he did was swift, precise, and ruthless.

If he said they would win, then they would.

But they never saw the sentence on the back of the letter.

"Lilith must wear the gown. Only then will fortune remain with the family."

They crowded around Ellie, climbed into one of the family's luxury cars, and left ahead of me.

By the time I reached the entrance, only a bulky, unremarkable car remained.

Sarah texted me to say I didn't know how to behave. She ordered me to use the back entrance so I wouldn't embarrass the Nobili family.

I raised an eyebrow.

So be it. They couldn't blame me for refusing to help.