Donna Tartt Novels & Stories

He looked down at me in the water with something like fury. "Anya. What the hell did Julie ever do to you? In front of everyone, you throw a drink on her? What is wrong with you?" He walked Julie back toward the cabin and didn't look back. The crew pulled me out. I couldn't stop shaking. The blanket they put around me didn't help at all. Ethan's secretary helped me to my feet, jaw tight with anger. "Donna. Are you all right? The Don had no right." She couldn't finish the sentence. "If it weren't for everything you gave this family, none of us would even..."

I mumble. “Damn, you look better than I imagined,” Katya says. I glance at Ami for her take, but she’s on her phone. “Ami?” “Oh,” she says, looking up. Her expression is unreadable—I hope she hates this so I don’t have to strut around like a gigolo. She purses her lips. “The color’s great, but why’s his chest out?” “So women can appreciate this work of art,” Katya says, standing and circling me. “Yes, I love it.” She touches my chest, startling me, her hand sliding to my abs. What the hell?

The flicker of a smile she was trying to hide. “What are you doing here?” she asked, voice pitched high. I stood slowly, my knees aching, and handed her the envelope. “Adrian texted. Said something important was left at the house.” Someone whispered, “Who is she?” Then louder, “Mrs. Kane?” And laughter. “Our charming Don Kane has a secret Donna?” “No—” Adrian stepped off the stage. “No,” he said again, firmer this time. “She’s the housemaid. What are you doing here?”

The moment the De Luca security notification appeared on my tablet, I stopped waiting for Matteo. Vanessa Ashford had entered the Donna wing with a clearance level that should have belonged only to me, and Matteo had stood beside her without the De Luca signet he always wore before the family. That was not an accident. That was a choice. I closed the archive window and looked back at the mourning locket under my lamp. Pregnancy had made my hands unsteady lately, but pride kept me from breaking anything in my studio, including myself.

I try to take care of her at work and outside work, her husband does everything he can to keep her out of trouble. Norah pouts, and I pull her out of the kitchen until we're in a safe, quiet zone. She shows me a small vile wrapped in a silky napkin, watching with wide eyes to see my reaction. "What the hell is that?" I have to ask. She grins. "It's another poison to add to my collection. I finally got the belladonna extract," she explains. "Are you crazy?" I whisper-shout, looking around. "This is a restaurant! You have to stop bringing them here!"

"Consigliere, I want a divorce from Cassius. I’m handing back all the businesses under my name. Draft up the papers." The old Consigliere frowned. "Camilla, this marriage keeps the peace between our two families. Can you think this over?" I was the frontwoman for Cassius Marino’s dirty empire for three years. In the shadows, I was this cold-blooded Don's legal wife. A month ago, a Mexican cartel kidnapped me. That night, the cartels blew up my husband's secure line, demanding a thirty-million-dollar ransom. He let it ring. They ended up throwing me into an abandoned meat locker in freezing temperatures. I almost froze to death. Luckily, a butcher stumbled in and dragged me out just in time.

I walked into the bridal studio with my wedding gown draped over my arms. Four years as Bianca Marchello—fiancée of Enzo Marchello, heir to the most powerful mafia family in the city—and here I was, asking a seamstress to alter my wedding dress to another woman’s measurements. “Are you sure about the size change?” the seamstress asked gently as she pinned the new bust line—smaller, narrower, perfect for Lucia Ricci. “Yes.” My voice didn’t tremble.

"I've always treated you like a younger sister, yet you betrayed me for such small gains." Lucy sneered and retorted, "Who wants to be your sister? All I've ever wanted is to become Donna! I did everything to become your woman. I finally drove Elle away, but you're so useless that you even lost your position as Don! I had no choice but to do this to become Donna. Blame yourself for being useless!" Asher's eyes widened in fury. "Elle's departure was all your doing! You b*tch! You deserve to die!"

“Really? That’s crazy! Then tonight is going to be even more fun. Your first time has to be something special, something you’ll never forget. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.” Arya laughed a little, but it was more out of nervousness than real joy. She was starting to feel more comfortable around Dona, and she liked her so far. But there was something about Dona that made Arya feel slightly uneasy too. Dona seemed so confident and beautiful, the kind of person who always knew what to say and do. But Arya could also tell that if things went wrong, Dona might be the kind of person who would cause trouble. Dona walked over to a shiny black cabinet and pulled out two tall glasses. “Want a mimosa

“It was only two months without medication. How could she die? It was only two months…” Her eyes reddened, and her voice trembled as she questioned me again and again. I let out a cold laugh. “Jaime, are you feeling guilty because you killed someone?” Her face turned ashen. “It was only two months. How could she die without medication?” “Do you know that I fell off a cliff, was taken to the hospital, and stayed in a coma for a month? Did you visit my mother even once during that month?”