Chapter 4 No.4

Isabella POV

The armored Cadillac came to a halt in an alleyway that smelled of damp brick and old secrets. Vincenzo didn't wait for me. He exited the car with a fluid grace, buttoning his jacket as he strode toward a nondescript steel door.

I followed, my heels clicking rhythmically on the pavement, a sound of defiance in the heavy silence.

Inside, The Seraphim Club was a sensory assault. It was a cathedral of sin hidden beneath the city's skin. Art Deco gold lined the walls, and the air was thick with the scent of expensive cigars, heavy perfume, and the metallic tang of power. Men in sharp suits watched the entrance with predatory eyes, their hands hovering near concealed holsters.

Vincenzo didn't introduce me. He didn't even look back. He walked straight toward a spiral staircase that led to a glass-walled office overlooking the floor, leaving me standing alone in the center of the lion's den.

It was a test. A cruel, silent test to see if I would drown.

"Well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence."

Cristina materialized from the shadows, a glass of champagne in her hand and a smirk painted on her red lips. She circled me like a shark sensing blood, her eyes raking over my attire with performative disdain.

"This isn't a tea party in New York, tesoro (treasure)," she purred, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Vincenzo needs a woman who understands the weight of this world. Someone like Alida Savage-elegant, ruthless, born for this life. Not a... whatever you are."

The soldiers nearby paused, their conversations dying down as they waited for the new girl to crumble.

I didn't flinch. I held Cristina's gaze, letting a cold, bored smile touch my lips.

"A true mistress of the house, Cristina, proves her worth by her actions," I said, my voice calm and carrying clearly over the low hum of jazz. "Not by gossiping about other women to make herself feel tall. Now, if you're quite finished with the tour, I'd like to see the venue."

Cristina's smile faltered. The soldiers exchanged glances; some looked impressed, others wary. I had drawn blood without lifting a finger.

Her face hardened, the mask of hospitality slipping. "Fine," she snapped. She grabbed a file from a nearby table and shoved it into my chest. "Since you are so eager to prove yourself, Don Moretti has a task for you."

She pointed toward a heavy velvet curtain at the back of the club. "Frankie Rossi is in the VIP lounge. He's refusing to go on stage until his demands are met. Vincenzo wants you to handle him. Show him the... hospitality of the future Mafia Queen."

I took the file. I knew who Frankie 'The Crooner' Rossi was. Everyone did. He was known for a voice like velvet and a temper like a shotgun. Sending me to him was setting a lamb before a wolf.

I glanced up at the office on the second floor. Through the tinted glass, I could just make out the silhouette of a man standing still, watching. Vincenzo. He was letting this happen. He wanted to see me humiliated, or perhaps he just wanted to see me beg for his help.

I would do neither.

"Consider it done," I said to Cristina, brushing past her.

The walk to the VIP lounge felt like a march to the gallows. Two large enforcers guarded the door. They looked at me with pity as they pulled the curtain aside.

Chaos greeted me.

The room was a wreck. A bottle of scotch had been smashed against the wall, and a cloud of cigarette smoke hung low in the air. In the center of the storm sat Frankie Rossi, screaming at a terrified waiter.

"I said San Pellegrino, you idiot! Not this tap water filth!" Frankie roared, throwing a glass across the room. It shattered inches from my feet.

The room went silent. Frankie spun around, his face flushed with rage, ready to tear into the intruder.

"And who the hell are you?" he snarled, stepping over the broken glass, his posture threatening. "Another one of Moretti's useless dolls sent to-"

I stepped into the light, removing the sunglasses I had worn to hide the fatigue in my eyes. "Hello, Frankie."

He froze.

The rage drained from his face instantly, replaced by a look of utter, paralyzing shock. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He blinked, as if trying to clear a hallucination.

The Moretti soldiers behind me tensed, hands drifting to their weapons, expecting violence.

Instead, Frankie Rossi, the man who spat in the face of mob bosses, fell to his knees.

He ignored the glass shards digging into his expensive trousers. He reached out, his hands trembling as if he were approaching a religious icon, and took my hand.

"Angelo Mio? (My Angel?)" he whispered, his voice cracking with raw emotion.

I looked down at him, maintaining my composure despite the racing of my heart. "It's been a long time, Frankie."

He pressed his forehead against the back of my hand, a gesture of absolute submission and reverence. "I thought you were a ghost," he murmured, tears welling in his eyes. "Name it. Anything. Tell me who I need to kill, and it is done."

Behind me, the enforcers stood with their mouths agape, their weapons forgotten. They had expected a massacre. Instead, they were witnessing a coronation.

I looked up toward the one-way glass of the office above, knowing Vincenzo was watching.

Checkmate.