Chapter 3

The next time I saw Arthur was at Daisy's place.

The casino on the South Side was due for renovations.

My accountant said three million dollars was missing from the accounts, and no one could trace where it had gone.

The South Side was the territory my father had left me.

I had hundreds of men there who would fight for me without blinking.

So when Victor asked what I wanted as a reward, I didn't hesitate. Weapons and cash.

He laughed.

The next day, fifty million dollars landed in an untraceable account, and two shipping containers of heavy weapons arrived in New York.

Somehow, Daisy ended up accepting that gift.

For the past few days, she'd been faking sick to avoid me.

Today, I'd brought my guys to get it back myself.

"Daisy, take whatever jewelry you want. I'm taking the rest."

Daisy lowered her eyes and clutched the hem of her shirt.

She looked wounded, as if she were about to cry.

"Angela, I'm old enough to get married too, but I don't even have a decent dowry...

"My father only cares about his new wife. He didn't set aside anything for me.

"Angela, you've got your brother behind you. You don't need any of this.

"Do you really have to steal what's mine?"

I was so angry I almost laughed.

I was taking back what was mine to begin with.

How had reclaiming my own property become "stealing" just because she said so?

There were tears shining in Daisy's eyes.

She looked so pitiful.

I used to feel so sorry for her. Her mother had died young, her father had remarried, and she'd come all the way from Chicago to New York to stay with us.

So when she wanted to find her place here, I helped her.

When I was 15, I was shot and lost consciousness. Daisy told Arthur she'd taken the bullet for him, and I let it go.

Even this time, when she claimed the thank-you gift as hers, I'd initially chalked it up to vanity.

But what she'd just said made me sick.

Suddenly, Daisy covered her face and started sobbing.

"Angela, take it. I don't want it. I don't want anything anymore.

"I depend on your family just to survive. Of course all the good things should be yours. I get it."

Before I could say anything, Arthur pushed the door open.

He looked from Daisy's tear-streaked face to my cold expression. His brow furrowed as he raised his voice at me.

"Angela, are you bullying Daisy again? You're even stealing her stuff now? Do you have no shame?"

Arthur had always favored Daisy over me.

He was convinced Daisy had saved his life.

So whenever we fought, he took her side.

Eventually, everyone believed his version of events.

Daisy became the sweet, innocent heroine.

And I became the villain of the story: the lying, arrogant bully who picked on the weak.

I'd always been able to brush it off before.

But that day, it suddenly hit me.

People who don't know the truth are easy to fool.

Tell a lie a thousand times, and it becomes the truth.

I pushed down my irritation.

I tried one last time to make Arthur see the truth.

"I'm the one who saved the Don in Sicily.

"That gift is mine."

In all the years we'd known each other, I'd never used a voice that cold and serious.

Part of me even hoped that, just once, he'd use his head and believe me.

Arthur looked at me and nodded gravely.

Then he gave a mocking smirk.

"Angela, your stories are definitely getting better."