All Chapters of Even the Don Can't Afford to Cross His Spoiled Queen: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

"Sophia, that pampered little body of yours wouldn't fetch a single crate of bullets on the black market."Gina wore combat gear blackened by gun smoke, two bloodied Glocks at her waist.Blood was seeping through the bandage on her right shoulder, but she held her back ramrod straight.The Corleone family elders seated along both sides of the long table chuckled under their breath.Enzo's underboss, Luca, lit a cigar and blew out a thick white smoke ring."Gina's right, Don. You've let certain people get away with way too much."Right now the families in Rome and Naples are all watching us. What we need are soldiers who can kill. As for useless women who only know how to blow money on jewelry, you can find plenty of those in the red-light district."The black truffle steak in the middle of the table gave off a rich aroma.In the past, Enzo had always put on white gloves himself, cut the most tender meat into small pieces, and carefully fed them to me.If I so much as frowned, he'd have

"Ma'am, this is the Medici Eye, a black diamond brooch made by a goldsmith in Florence using century-old techniques. It took a whole year to make. There's only one in all of Europe."In the lavish dressing room, the Corleone family's chief jewelry advisor bowed and, hands trembling, lifted the black cloth off the velvet tray.The natural black diamond, the size of a pigeon's egg, glimmered with a cold, dark light. Its edge was set with a ring of golden thorns that symbolized ancient power.Enzo had seized it two years ago, after swallowing up part of the Camorra family's territory, and given it to me as a trophy for my 24th birthday.That night, he'd engraved a Latin inscription on the back himself. It read, "With this supreme scepter, I bow to my eternal queen."My fingers had barely touched the cold brooch when the heavy carved door banged open.Gina didn't even knock. She barged straight in.She'd taken off her worn combat gear and changed into a sharply tailored, custom bulletproof

7:30 a.m.A modified bulletproof car riddled with bullet holes, its windshield shattered, came tearing through the gates of the Corleone castle.The door flew open, and Enzo jumped out, his face covered in blood and grime, his eyes sunken.His dark gray suit was soaked with blood. He'd spent the night at the hospital with Gina while they removed the bullet from her abdomen, and only rushed back once she was out of danger.For some reason, ever since dawn broke, his temples had been pounding, and a sense of impending disaster had him in a cold panic."Where's Sophia? Has her fever broken? Did you bring her back to the castle yet?!"Enzo tore off his bloody tie as he strode into the great hall, demanding answers from the old butler who hurried to meet him.The old butler had gone white. Shaking like a leaf, he dropped to his knees on the cold marble with a thud."Don... Don...""I asked you a question! Are you deaf?!" Enzo whipped out his gun and pressed it to the butler's forehead, his

It was early spring in Rome, and rain poured down.Two ranks of heavily armed Blackwater mercenaries stood motionless outside the old estate.Enzo had been kneeling outside the estate's heavy wrought-iron gates for a full day and night.His trench coat was full of bullet holes. A crude pressure bandage was wrapped around his abdomen, and blood ran down his knees into the cracks between the flagstones.The young Don of Sicily, once so arrogant, now lay groveling in the mud like a dying stray dog.The heavy iron gates screeched and slowly swung open.An old steward holding a black umbrella walked out, followed by two guards.A last flicker of hope suddenly blazed in Enzo's dead eyes!"Sir! Sophia's agreed to see me, hasn't she?! Please tell Her Grace I'm here!"I've handed Gina over! I take back every insult! I've already signed transfer agreements for all my assets and territory!"As long as she'll come back to Sicily, I'll kneel to her for the rest of my life! I'll be her doormat for t

"Sophia, I'm not asking you to forgive me."Enzo forced himself upright and pulled a bloodstained document from inside his coat, still warm from his body.With trembling hands, he held it up over his head."This is the Corleone family's final trust restructuring agreement."It also covers the two major oil refineries we have left in Sicily, four deepwater docks, and every family asset held in my name."The assets are worth seven billion euros in total. It's all in the notarized agreement—an irrevocable transfer, with you named as the owner of everything."Enzo looked up. Rain washed the blood and grime from his face, and his eyes were those of a man with no pride left."Didn't you say your demands were how you made a man invest so much he couldn't walk away?"Sophia, I'm staking my life and my family's entire future on you—as an investment I can never take back!"I'll be your dog! One word from you and I'll kill my way across all of Europe for you! If you want to see fireworks, I'll bl