《The Queen the Don Lost》全部章節：第 11 章 - 第 20 章

Carlo ordered a full pull of the surveillance from Vera's coming-of-age party.Core footage was gone. Wiped clean.His eyes darkened.Only two people had access to the estate's security system—him, and the one flaunting that obsidian ring.Gina.He tracked down a servant who'd been on shift that night. The girl dropped to her knees, shaking like a leaf."Speak," Carlo said, voice like ice. "What really happened at Vera's party?"She trembled, silent.His tone dropped lower. Lethal. "Speak.""Th-That party wasn't for Signorina..." she whispered. "It was for Ms. Chisari's dog..."Carlo went pale. "What?""Ms. Chisari used your phone to message Signorina," she cried. "Made her think the party was for her... made her think it was from you. Signorina even went onstage to give a speech..."Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Then Ms. Chisari humiliated her... cut her with a knife, over and over. There was blood everywhere. Signorina called the ambulance herself. No one helped..."Ca

The council room blazed with overhead lights. Every seat at the long table was filled—Quaranta Family's senior capos down one side, Chisari reps on the other.Carlo stood at the head, quiet, watching them all.Gina sat beside him, all smug, thinking he was about to drop the wedding date.Instead, he said, "We're canceling the marriage alliance with the Chisari Family."The room exploded.Gina's smile cracked. "C-Carlo... what did you just say?"Alessandro slammed the table. "Carlo, what the hell is this? The alliance was your idea!"A few Quaranta capos jumped in."Don, maybe we oughta think this through—"Carlo cut them off, tossing a stack of files across the table. "Here's your thinking."He tapped the first one. "Gina ordered the bombing of our arsenal."Gina went ghost-white.He hit the next file. "She stole Vera's weapon design."Then he held up the last file, eyes locked on Gina. Voice cold."And this one? Proof she hurt Vera. Over and over. Dozens of stab wounds.

Carlo didn't force it. Just stood outside the estate—three days, three nights.Luca never let him in. Never told him to leave, either.A silent standoff.Vera knew the second Carlo showed. Luca didn't keep it from her."You wanna see him?"She was quiet for a long beat. Then shook her head."No. There's nothing left to say."Luca nodded. "Got it. I'll handle it."***Day three. Afternoon heat.Vera was out in the garden, pushing through rehab when her knee buckled.She started to fall—then arms caught her.Luca.He dropped to one knee, checking her ankle with careful hands. "You twist it?"She caught the worry in his eyes and blinked. "No. I'm good.""Then don't scare me like that."Her face flushed.She looked at him—solid, steady, the kind of guy who cared without turning it into a performance. Nothing like Carlo.Luca stood, slipped his hand into hers like it was second nature."Come on. I got something to show you."He led her into a nearby room.It had been gu

When word hit that Carlo was back in Montavera, Luca let out a breath like he'd been holding it forever."Keep eyes on the Quaranta Family," he told his most trusted guy.The guy dipped his head and slipped out.For the next few days, Luca kept eyeing Vera like he had something to say—then didn't.She caught on. "You good? You've been looking at me like I stole your secrets."He stiffened, gave a quick shake of the head. "It's nothing."Yeah, right.That night, he knocked on her door."Ms. Este," he said, "care for a walk?"She nodded. He led her past the gardens, up the back hill.A tiny observatory waited, quiet and tucked away.Vera's eyes lit up. "Wait, this is—""Built it when I was ten," he said, pushing the door open. "Used to sneak out to watch the stars."Vera stepped in, looked up—and froze. The whole sky spilled across the glass. "It's beautiful."Luca stood there, cheeks a little red, just watching her.Then finally, "There's something I gotta tell you. Might

The cellar door creaked open.Gina flinched at the footsteps.Two men stepped into the cell, small knives in their hands."No... please..." She scrambled back. "I'm begging you. Don't do this again..."They pinned her down, silent."The Don gave the word," one said. "Every cut you gave the Signorina? We're paying it back a hundred times over."Gina screamed, sobbing. "I was wrong! Tell Carlo—I know I was wrong!""Not yet," the other replied. "The Don said when you've felt everything she did, THEN he'll look at you."The blade slid across her arm.Gina shook, too weak to fight, too tired to scream.They finished. Left her there.The once-proud principessa lay in the dirt, broken and shaking.Tears slipped down her face.Now—finally—she regretted everything.'If I hadn't let jealousy twist me up... if I hadn't gone after Vera again and again... would this be different?'Too late.***Outside the Quaranta estate, Alessandro came back from the hospital and tried one last t