Chapter 4

Elena Vitiello POV

The sun was a bludgeon, beating down on the back of my neck with relentless weight. I was on my knees in the dirt, sweat dripping down my spine, my fingernails packed with black soil.

I was replanting the hydrangeas.

Ten feet away, under the shade of a sprawling patio umbrella, Sofia sat sipping iced tea. A camera crew was set up around her, lights and reflectors catching the glint of her jewelry. She was filming a "Day in the Life" segment for her social media, trying to rebrand herself from 'murder suspect' to 'philanthropist.'

"Make sure you get the angle where I look redeemed," Sofia directed the cameraman, tilting her chin just so. She pointed a manicured finger at me. "See? We even give the help a second chance. Rehabilitation is so important to our family values."

She was calling me "the help." On camera. For the world to stream.

Dante stood by the glass doors, watching. He wasn't stopping her. He was checking his phone, probably managing the fallout, ensuring the narrative was controlled. He sanctioned this theater. This was my penance. This was my breaking.

I shoved a trowel into the earth. I imagined it was Sofia's neck.

"Smile, Elena!" Sofia called out, her voice sugary sweet. "You look so dour. It's bad optics for the plants."

I didn't look up. I focused on the rhythm. Dig. Plant. Cover. Dig. Plant. Cover.

I was building a rhythm for survival.

An hour later, the camera crew packed up their illusions. Sofia went inside to change for the memorial. Dante lingered. He walked over to where I was kneeling, his shadow falling over me.

"You did well," he said, his voice devoid of warmth. "The garden looks better."

"It's just dirt, Dante," I said, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand, smearing grime across my skin. "It covers everything. The rot. The sins. Even the bodies."

He stiffened, his posture rigid. "Go get cleaned up. Wear the black dress. No jewelry."

"No jewelry?" I asked.

"You haven't earned the privilege of diamonds today," he said, turning away.

I went to the master bath-the one I was technically banned from. I locked the door with a decisive click. I looked at myself in the mirror. Sunburned. Dirty. Hollow.

I looked at my left hand. The diamond ring sat there, heavy and mocking. A symbol of his ownership. A shackle made of carbon and light.

I took it off.

I held it over the toilet bowl. It glittered in the harsh bathroom light. It was worth half a million dollars. It was worth absolutely nothing.

I dropped it. Plink.

I flushed. I watched the water swirl, a vortex taking the last piece of Dante Russo down into the sewers where it belonged.

I showered, scrubbing my skin until it was raw, flaying the day's humiliation from my body. I put on the plain black dress. I looked like a widow. It was fitting.

Before I went downstairs, I made a detour. I went to the greenhouse on the east wing. This was Dante's sanctuary. His prize-winning orchids. He loved them more than he loved people. They were delicate, demanding, and utterly perfect.

I walked down the rows. They were blooming in vibrant purples and whites, arrogant in their beauty.

I picked up a bottle of bleach from the cleaning cart. The jug felt heavy in my hand.

I walked to the climate control system. I poured the bleach into the water reservoir, the chemical glug disrupting the silence.

"Everything is dying, Dante," I whispered.

I turned the misting system on.

I watched for a moment as the poisoned mist settled over the delicate petals, coating them in a toxic dew. By tomorrow, they would be black rot.

I walked out of the greenhouse and down the stairs. Dante was waiting in the foyer. He looked at my bare hand, at the pale strip of skin where the ring had been. His jaw tightened, a muscle feathering in his cheek, but he didn't say a word. We were running late.

He opened the door for me.

"Let's go," he said.

I stepped out into the night. I wasn't afraid anymore. I was just waiting for the match to strike.