All Chapters of Blood and Loyalty: Chapter 21 - Chapter 24

*Bianca's POV*The knock on my door came at dawn.Two short, precise raps—no hesitation, no courtesy.I already knew who it was.I'd barely slept, wrapped in tangled sheets and sharp thoughts. Alessandro's voice from last night still echoed in my head: "I don't. But orders are orders."Liar.I opened the door slowly, expecting the familiar wall of muscle and ice.Instead, I found Dominic."The Don wants to see you," he said, stepping back like I might bite him. "Pack a bag. You're leaving in an hour.""Leaving?""For the Mirazza compound."I blinked. "The one near the coast?"He nodded. "There's a diplomatic event. Your father needs you there as a presence. You and—""Alessandro," I finished flatly."Of course."Because who else would he send to babysit me now?---------------------The ride took nearly two hours. Two long, uncomfortable hours trapped in the backseat of a black Range Rover beside the man who made silence louder than a gunshot.He sat like a statue, eyes fixed ahead, b

*Bianca's POV*The smoke was still rising when we returned.The sun hadn't yet cleared the eastern cliffs, and already the Mirazza estate looked like the corpse of a kingdom—blackened, broken, and oddly still. Windows gaped like shattered eyes. Half the eastern wing had collapsed. Charred marble columns leaned like dying soldiers. It smelled of fire, ash, and blood.Two armored vehicles met us at the gate. Our insignia painted across the doors, flashing silver in the dawn.My father stepped out of the first one.Antonio Romano, Mafia Don. A man who rarely showed anger unless it served a purpose.Right now, he looked livid.And I wasn't sure if it was because I was alive—or because I'd survived something he hadn't orchestrated.-----------------------------------------------"Where the hell were you?" he snapped the moment I stepped out.Beside me, Alessandro moved subtly closer. Just enough to remind everyone that I wasn't unguarded."I was avoiding being blown up," I said flatly. "Yo