Chapter 4 4

As Gia carefully threaded my ruined arms through the sleeves of an austere black mourning gown, I closed my eyes and pictured the mahogany-paneled study of the Falcone estate on Long Island.

I knew my family too well. Right now, the air in that room was undoubtedly thick with cigar smoke and the sour stench of panic. Sofia would be weeping over her jeopardized social standing, terrified of losing her impending marriage to the Romano family. Isabela, driven by her venomous hatred for me and a desperate need to protect her precious Leo, would be demanding my head. And Marco... my father, my cowardly Underboss. He was terrified of losing his stolen power and the family's reputation.

I knew exactly what his counter-move would be. They would double down. They would announce a grand, tragic memorial for the "hero" Angelo Falcone. They would bribe the press, spinning a web of lies to paint me as a grief-stricken, delusional sister whose mind had snapped from sorrow. They needed me to be a madwoman before Donatella or the Dark Don, Damien Romano, could launch a formal inquiry.

But I wouldn't give them the time.

We stepped out of the Waldorf Astoria into the crisp morning air of Fifth Avenue. I had refused the painkillers. I needed the city to see the raw, unfiltered agony. I didn't speak. I didn't cry. I just walked. Every step toward St. Patrick's Cathedral sent a shockwave of fire up my legs, but I kept my posture rigid, my head bowed in pious sorrow. My hands, wrapped in thick, stark-white bandages that were already seeping faint crimson, were cradled against my chest like broken wings.

The paparazzi swarmed like vultures. The whispers began.

Right on cue, a reporter from the *New York Daily Mirror* shoved his way to the front. I gave Gia a subtle nod.

Gia stepped between me and the flashbulbs, her face a mask of perfect, tear-streaked devastation. "Please, leave her alone!" she cried out, her voice trembling with rehearsed perfection. "Hasn't she suffered enough? She only wanted to honor her brother, the great Angelo Falcone! But when she tried to speak the truth about how her family is using his death for their own greed, they... they broke her hands! They called her crazy!" Gia sobbed, clutching my arm. "Her only wish now is to pray for his soul."

The flashes erupted into a blinding storm. The narrative was set. I was no longer a hysterical girl; I was the Falcone's weeping angel, a persecuted saint.

As we continued our agonizing trek, my mind drifted to the false bottom of Gia's leather suitcase back in the suite. Hidden inside was a confession letter from a dying Soldier who had fought beside "Angelo"-the ultimate, lethal proof of Marco's treason. But that was for later. Today's performance wasn't just for the public. It was for the apex predator watching from the shadows. Damien Romano. He had met "Angelo" once. I needed this public spectacle to fan the flames of his suspicion into an inferno.

By the time we returned to the Waldorf, my vision was graying at the edges. The adrenaline was fading, replaced by the crushing reality of my pulverized bones and the poison still lingering in my system.

The grand lobby and its adjoining corridors were still swarming with reporters and lingering elites from last night's chaos. Through the chaotic crowd, I spotted Donatella Romano and her aide, Carla, watching my return with sharp, calculating eyes.

The trap was set. I had made my public strike, but now I needed to secure my sanctuary. I needed Donatella to take me in completely. As the flashbulbs flared around me, I took a deep breath and prepared to let the last thread of my physical control snap.