Chapter 4

The Vitale estate home was everything one would expect from mafia royalty. Deep in the countryside of Italy, it was more of a kingdom than a home. It was also a fortress, as there were security cameras, armed guards, and reinforced gates to ensure no one left or entered without permission.

The giant mansion itself was a symbol of old money with an Italian Renaissance theme. Inside the house, opulence dripped from every corner. Long, heavy crystal chandeliers adorned the ceilings, and centuries-old paintings hung on the walls.

“Welcome to the family, Rhea.” Luca, Adrian’s brother, smiled, easygoing, warm, like this wasn’t the worst day of her life. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Rhea matched his expression with one of her own—soft, almost grateful. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

Luca tilted his head, studying her. “Are you nervous?”

She let out a careful breath. “Wouldn’t any woman be, in my position?”

Luca chuckled. “True. My brother can be… intense.”

A warning. Subtle, but there.

She played along, lowering her gaze. “I just want to be a good wife.”

Luca nodded. “That’s all we ask.”

The halls of the Vitale estate were now silent. The wedding was over, and the final guests had left. But inside, the real business of the family was just beginning.

Seated around a luxury table in the private study, the Vitale men gathered, their expressions grim. Victor Vitale sat at the head, his sharp gaze sweeping over his sons, Adiano and Luca, and their most trusted men. The tension in the air was thick; the only sound heard was the sound of pouring whiskey as Luca poured himself a drink.

“The Morettis will come for blood,” Victor stated, his voice calm but firm. “That shipment was worth millions, and they’ll assume we had a hand in it.”

Adrian leaned back, fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair. “We can’t let them assume. We need to know who actually hit that cargo before they do. If we go in blind, we risk walking into a war we didn’t start.”

Luca took a sip of his drink, eyes flicking toward his brother. “The timing was too perfect, Adrian. While we were busy with your wedding, someone was setting this up. They wanted to strike when we were distracted.”

A muscle in Adrian’s jaw twitched. “Then we find them. And we send a message.”

Unseen in the shadows just beyond the study doors, Rhea stood motionless. Her breath was slow and controlled, ears straining to catch every word. She had followed the low murmur of voices, curiosity, and duty, pulling her toward the closed meeting. Her family’s shipment had been attacked, and while she was trapped in this marriage, she needed to know where the Vitales stood.

She found herself peeping through the peephole on the door frame. From her angle, she could see a blur of the room—the back of Adrian’s chair, Luca’s relaxed posture, and Victor’s commanding presence. But she needed to hear more.

Inside, Marco, one of Adrian’s most trusted men, spoke up. “We intercepted some chatter; someone outside the major families may be involved. Mercenaries, hired hands. It wasn’t a clean operation, which means it wasn’t us or the Morettis setting up a false flag.”

Victor exhaled sharply. “Then find out who. And make sure the Morettis know we had nothing to do with it before they retaliate.”

Adrian nodded. “Yes, Father.”

“Meeting’s over. We reconvene tomorrow, and I hope you come with updates.” Victor concluded.

Rhea barely had a second to retreat before the door swung open. She stepped back into the shadows of the hallway, heart pounding as Luca emerged first. He paused, his sharp eyes scanning the dimly lit corridor. Rhea pressed herself against the wall, silent, unmoving.

Luca hesitated, then shook his head and walked off.

Rhea exhaled, then slipped away before anyone else noticed.

Later that night, the house was quiet again. Adrian had gone out of the estate in a bid not to spend his wedding night with his bride, and most of the household had gone to bed. But Rhea had unfinished business.

She found her way to Adrian’s office, the heavy door slightly ajar. Slipping inside, she let her fingers trail over the polished desk, eyes scanning the stacks of documents. If the Vitales had anything useful on the attack, it would be here.

She moved quickly, rifling through papers—shipment logs, ledgers, coded messages. Nothing directly linking the Vitales to the attack, but there were mentions of increased security and planned meetings with contacts in the underworld.

A faint creak behind her sent a chill down her spine.

“Looking for something, Cognata?”

Rhea froze.

Luca.

She turned slowly to meet his eyes. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

“I must say, for a new wife, you make yourself comfortable in your husband’s office.”

Then Luca smirked. “Relax. I won’t tell Adrian.”

Rhea narrowed her eyes. “Why not?”

Luca stepped forward, leaning casually against the desk. “Because I’m curious about you. And because, for now, it’s more fun keeping your secrets than exposing them.”

Rhea didn’t trust him, but she nodded slowly. “I have no secrets; I just wanted to know who attacked my family’s shipment.”

“Woah! We literally just married you into the Viatale family. Your loyalties should lie with us now.”

With that, he left, leaving Rhea alone in the dimly lit office, her pulse still racing.

And as she turned back to the desk, something caught her eye—an envelope she hadn’t noticed before and just as she was contemplating whether she should open it, she heard Luca’s voice again

“I said I wasn’t going to mention to my brother I caught you in his office; that does not mean you have the right to remain here.”

“Get out,” Luca said, raising his voice.

Rhea then scurried away from the office like a child who had been caught in wrongdoing. At least, Luca had promised not to tell on her, so she was safe for now.

Rhea retreated to her bedroom. She had spent the better part of her wedding night carefully slipping through the shadows, eavesdropping on conversations she had no business hearing and snooping through Adrian’s office for any scrap of information.

As she reached for the door handle, she pushed the door open, stepping into the dimly lit space. The bedroom was as lavish as expected with high ceilings, rich velvet curtains and a bed large enough to swallow her whole. Yet the elegance of the room did nothing to suit her.

Something felt… off.curtains,

She slowed her steps as her eyes landed on the bed. There, resting neatly on her pillow, was a single folded note.

She swallowed hard.

The doors had been locked. No one should have been able to get inside.

A cold shiver ran down her spine as she walked towards the bed, and her fingers were shaking as she picked up the paper. The paper felt heavier than it should, but only because Rhea was scared.

“Tick-tock, Mrs. Vitale. Tick-tock.”

No signature. There was no indication as to who had left it.