All Chapters of Don’t Mess With a Falcone: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Lexi's just cold. It's one night. What's the big deal about letting her borrow your jacket?"Preston's impatient voice snapped me back to reality.The dizzying neon lights, the sharp sting of alcohol in the air.I was in a private room at the class party.My vision slowly focused on Preston's smug, self-righteous face.Next to him stood Lexi, her eyes red, a look of pure grievance etched on her features.My gaze dropped, locking onto the black custom-made trench coat in the crook of my arm.A chill shot down my spine, like being plunged into an ice bath.I was reborn. Back on the night that sealed my fate."Vanessa? What are you spacing out for?" Preston frowned and, without another word, reached out and violently yanked the coat from my arms."Give it here. Lexi's fragile. Do you want it on your conscience if she gets sick?"The classmates around us immediately chimed in."Come on, Vanessa, you're loaded. What's one coat?""Everyone's watching. Don't be so cheap.""Lexi is always so

Chapter 2

Back at my apartment, I immediately had my bodyguards pack up all my belongings and send them back to the Falcone family estate.Preston had a key to this apartment. This time, I couldn't give them any chance to get their hands on my personal items and use them as evidence to frame me again.Lexi always had sticky fingers.Staring at the empty closet, the knot of unease in my stomach didn't loosen.It wasn't enough. Not nearly enough.With Preston's knack for faking evidence, just sending my clothes away wouldn't be enough to clear my name completely.I needed the most perfect, irrefutable alibi.I walked into the bathroom and turned on the cold water, full blast.Ice-cold water poured down, drenching me completely.I shivered uncontrollably, my teeth chattering.But I didn't stop. I stood under the freezing spray for a full thirty minutes.Then, still in my soaking wet clothes, I walked out onto the balcony.The late autumn New York wind cut like a knife.I stood in that wind for two

Chapter 3

"Vanessa! Come with me to the police station and turn yourself in!"A familiar voice came from behind Tom.Preston strode through the crowd, grabbed my arm, and started dragging me."You made a huge mistake, and you need to take responsibility! Stop causing trouble for everyone!"He put on a show of righteous justice, but his eyes glinted with calculation.I shook his hand off in disgust, like flicking away a contaminated rag."Don't touch me.""I did nothing wrong. Turn myself in for what?"Lexi followed right behind Preston, her eyes red and her face streaked with tears."Vanessa, just confess," she sobbed, her words a pretense of kindness. "Don't make things worse. That was a human life, you have to answer for it. If you admit what you did, we'll all ask for a lighter sentence for you."Just then, a heart-wrenching scream erupted from the edge of the crowd."A life for a life!"A gray-haired, grief-stricken middle-aged man charged forward like a madman.His eyes were bloodshot. He p

Chapter 4

The commanding voice cut through the chaos like a thunderclap.Everyone instinctively turned to look.The man who had arrived was the current Don of the Falcone family. My father.Standing beside him was my mother.Behind them, the usually arrogant hospital director followed, bowing and scraping.Dozens of armed bodyguards in black suits quickly fanned out, sealing off the entire garden.The terrifying, oppressive presence of a top-tier mafia family instantly silenced the entire scene.My father stood rigidly in front of the officer holding the handcuffs.He didn't need to say a word. The sweating director immediately stepped forward.He held up a tablet and played a video."Officer, I am the director of this hospital. This is the high-definition, no-blind-spot surveillance footage of Miss Vanessa's room in the ICU for the past three days.""We also have a 24/7 record of her vital signs for that entire period. I can stake my medical license and this entire hospital on the fact that Mis

Chapter 5

I remembered how I used to argue fiercely with my parents about dating Preston and supporting him.I was so hopelessly stupid back then.In my past life, my death under the false accusation of murder had turned my parents' hair white overnight.The scandal was sensationalized and exploited by rival families.The Falcone family's reputation and power took an unprecedented hit.My father worked himself to the bone to save the family, eventually dying from exhaustion and a broken heart in his study.And my mother, after losing her daughter and husband, fell into complete despair and killed herself with a bottle of sleeping pills.Thinking of this, I closed my eyes, the hatred inside me roaring like a wildfire.I opened them again and squeezed my parents' hands, promising them word by word:"Dad, Mom, don't worry. From now on, I will never let myself be wronged for people who aren't worth it. Not even for a second."My parents saw the hard light in my eyes. They looked surprised at first,

Chapter 6

Preston scrambled out of my room like a kicked dog.The moment he was gone, the family's hacker called me. I'd asked him to find the truth about that video, and it looked like he had results."Miss Vanessa, the rooftop video was, as you suspected, maliciously edited. We restored the original data. The killer wasn't you. It was Lexi."Looking at the original, unedited footage on the screen, I let out a cold laugh.In the video, Lexi was wearing my black limited-edition trench coat, brutally pushing the desperate girl off the roof.But what I was more curious about was how Lexi got the coat when I had it sent back to the estate that night.The hacker quickly gave me the answer."We checked the estate's internal surveillance. It was Preston's mother—the maid who tends to the gardens. She used her position to steal the coat and hand-deliver it to Preston."Watching the footage of the mother and son's practiced coordination, my stomach turned.I had supported Preston for three years and had

Chapter 7

Half a month later, I was fully recovered.Escorted by a convoy of cars, I made a high-profile return to campus.This time, I was no longer the ordinary rich girl who tried to keep a low profile to please a hypocritical boyfriend.I wore an expensive designer suit and the insignia of the Falcone family heir.I had reclaimed the style and edge that a mafia princess should have.I had figured it out: real friends wouldn't care about my status, and I was done trying to please anyone who had ever judged me.As I walked down the tree-lined paths of the campus, students moved out of my way, their eyes filled with awe and respect.No one dared to whisper about me behind my back anymore.Instead, the scandal of Lexi's murder and attempted frame-up had spread throughout the school. Her name was mud.At lunch, a girl who had once tried to suck up to me cautiously approached."Vanessa, did you hear? Preston is completely finished."She lowered her voice, a note of glee in it."After you cut him o

Chapter 8

"What are you doing here?" My pupils contracted as I stared at Lexi in shock.Her hair was a mess, but her face was twisted into a grotesque smile."Surprised, Vanessa?" She stalked toward me, her eyes filled with a sick excitement. "You thought sending me to a cell meant you were safe? In this world, money can buy anything! I paid off a few greedy guards to start a riot during yard time. While everyone was busy with that, I just walked right out!"She turned to Preston, who was still holding the gun, her voice urgent and frantic. "Preston, what are you waiting for? Do it! Turn on your phone, record you killing her, and send the video to the dark web! Once we get that bounty, we can run far away and never have to fear the Falcones again!"Preston took a deep breath, greed and madness finally overwhelming what little reason he had left.He raised the cold, black pistol and aimed it squarely at my forehead."Wait," I said, my face a mask of despair and resignation. "At least, Preston, be

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