INICIAR SESIÓN~Valentino’s POV~For a moment, I stood there frozen, my eyes locked with her dangerously seductive ones. I was stunned not just by her beauty or allure, but by how respectfully she lowered herself before me, how softly she spoke, even though she exuded confidence and power that shouldn’t be trifled with by ordinary people. But I know better. I know better than to fall into her trap. Women like this are dangerous, treacherous, and vile. They know the power they wield and how to use it to get anything or anyone they want. They spend their lives studying men and how to subdue them with their pretentious charm and fake submission. They breathe manipulation. They know how to read people like books, and they recognize weaknesses to exploit for their advantage. And that’s exactly what Nikita is trying to do now. She’s attempting to portray herself as the calm, respectful, submissive woman who would never challenge my authority and would make me feel like her king, thereby di
~Valentino’s POV~“Boss, she’s here. She’s Don Corsi’s daughter,” Rocco had announced over the phone an hour ago, and now I was on a private jet slicing through the night sky toward Milan.The second we touched down, I was out of my seat, striding across the tarmac toward the waiting convoy.Five black SUVs gleamed under the hangar lights, engines humming.I slid into the center car, yanking my phone from my suit pocket to dial Corsi again. I’d been trying since Rome, and the bastard still wouldn’t answer.The line rang three times before cutting to voicemail.“Figlio di puttana!” I snarled, slamming my fist into the back of the driver’s seat.Sky, my new assistant behind the wheel, flicked a nervous glance at me in the rearview mirror. His golden-brown hair fell into his eyes, and at twenty, he still had that wide-eyed look of someone learning the ropes in my world.I’d found him at Queen’s Orphanage, standing up to some punks, and it had reminded me of the day Padrino pulled me off
~Alina’s POV~Shock slammed into me like a tsunami.My knees buckled, and I staggered back, nearly sending Ivana tumbling with me.Dante and Guilia caught my arms on both sides, steadying me before I collapsed completely.Guilia pried her daughter from my grasp, sensing instantly that I wasn’t in the right state to hold her. Ivana buried her face in her mother’s coat, wide-eyed and frightened.The courtyard went dead silent.Guards, staff, even the howling winter wind seemed to pause, as though the world itself waited to see what would happen next.My eyes raked over the woman striding forward…Nikita Salvatore.Tall, devastatingly elegant, her fur coat hugging her body, her heels cutting into the snow like they owned the earth beneath them.She was breathtaking, infuriatingly so, and my chest squeezed tight with a pang of jealousy.It was as if the Table had handpicked a weapon designed to wound me.A woman no man would fail to notice.A woman who radiated the kind of raw beauty and
~Alina’s POV~It’s been a week since the Table gave their verdict: accept a new Donna, or be ready to step down in two years’ time.I had fled to Toronto—to handle business at Timo Autos, yes, but mostly to clear my head before the walls of Castello Romano swallowed me whole.But the moment I got the call about Dante’s return, I boarded the next flight back.The blacked-out car waited for me at Milan Airport, flanked by convoys of suited guards. They bowed low before opening the door, and I slid inside, the leather cold against my skin.It’s been this way since I married Val.He’s never allowed me to step into the world without proper security. He knows his enemies stalk in shadows, waiting for the smallest chance to strike.I exhaled hard, fogging the tinted glass as the weight of everything pressed down on me.The city blurred past, little snowballs smearing across the windows, but all I could think about was the Table’s decision.A new Donna? No. Never.Val wasn’t having it either.
~Alina’s POV~My heart plummeted into my stomach as the words struck, leaving me dizzy, my head spinning so violently I thought I might faint.Beside me, Val went utterly still. The cigar between his fingers nearly slipped, but he caught it with a sharp reflex before tucking it back between his lips.A dry, disbelieving scoff escaped me. Then I burst into laughter.Bitter, hysterical, and sharp.No… no, I must have heard that wrong.I tipped my head back, laughter ripping through my chest until it echoed across the silent chamber.“Something amusing in my words, Donna?” Don Enzo’s voice carried, old and grave, but tinged with irritation.I leaned forward, my body shaking with laughter as I slumped over the table.“Amusing?” I choked, my smile venomous. “Do you even hear yourself? Do you understand the filth you just dared to spew in my presence?”“Respect in the council,” Don De Luca snapped, his shrill voice cutting through the room.I turned my head slowly, pinning him with a look
~Alina’s POV~The whispers of a cultist group called the Bloodhounds had been growing louder, their name staining every corner of the underworld.Their cruelty, silent killings, and the way they moved through cities like shadows were enough to unsettle even the most powerful of men.Every week, someone new disappeared, and every family feared their reach.I rose slowly, slipping my hand into Valentino’s. His grip was steady and warm, the kind that always made me feel safe even when everything around us wasn’t.I tried to smile. “Let’s get this meeting over with.”He looked down at me, and for the first time that morning, a faint grin touched his lips.“Now,” he said softly. “That’s my Donna speaking.”We didn’t waste time after that.A few minutes later, we were ready to leave.Valentino had changed into his usual black shirt and trousers, the kind of outfit that made people move out of his way without a word.His sleeves were rolled up, showing the veins and tattoos along his forearm







