Chapter 5 5

Isabella POV

The heavy oak doors of the main hall swung open, shattering the suffocating silence. Two towering Moretti Soldiers dragged Angelo and Genevieve into the room. Their clothes were rumpled, their faces flushed with a sickening mix of lust and sudden, paralyzing terror.

They were thrown roughly to the cold marble floor, landing on their knees directly in front of the power core of both families: Don Donatello, Nonna Caterina, and my grandmother, Nonna Sofia.

Angelo was trembling so violently his teeth chattered. He kept his eyes glued to the floor, unable to meet the lethal glares of his father and grandmother. Genevieve, however, after the initial shock, let out a pathetic, trembling sob. She looked up at Angelo with wide, tear-filled eyes, clearly believing that his "love" would somehow shield her from the wrath of the Mafia Queen.

My grandmother's face was as dark and unforgiving as a Sicilian winter storm. Her silent fury was a crushing weight on the Moretti family.

As Genevieve opened her mouth to begin her performance, I stood up.

The rustle of my black silk dress was the only sound in the cavernous room. I walked slowly toward the kneeling pair, my heels clicking against the marble like the ticking of a bomb. I stopped right in front of Genevieve.

She looked up at me, her tears faltering as she took in the cold, dead emptiness in my eyes.

I raised my hand and struck her across the face.

The slap echoed like a gunshot. Genevieve cried out, collapsing sideways onto the floor, a bright red handprint blooming on her pale cheek.

"Your ambition is as cheap as your perfume, Genevieve," I said, my voice low but carrying effortlessly through the dead-silent hall. "This is not about your pathetic affair. This is disonore(dishonor). You have trampled on the alliance between our families, endangering the lives and businesses of everyone in this room. You are not worthy of speaking of love."

I didn't spare Angelo a single glance. I turned my back on them and faced Don Donatello and Nonna Caterina. With perfect, practiced grace, I sank into a deep curtsy.

"Don Donatello, Donna Caterina," I began, my tone dripping with profound rispetto(respect). "I ask for your forgiveness. It was my blindness that allowed this viper into your home. To preserve the dignity of the Moretti name, I formally request the dissolution of my betrothal to Angelo."

A flicker of raw, undisguised admiration crossed Nonna Caterina's eyes. I had played the perfect victim, prioritizing family honor over personal heartbreak, and in doing so, I had cornered them completely.

Nonna Caterina exchanged a long, loaded look with my grandmother. Then, she turned to her son.

Donatello cleared his throat, his face tight with humiliation. "The fault lies entirely with our blood, Isabella. But we do not break alliances over the weakness of a boy." He paused, the weight of his next words heavy in the air. "To make amends, the Moretti family offers the following: The De Luca family will receive a twenty percent stake in all South Side bootlegging operations. We will secure the lifetime appointment of the judge your family favors. Upon marriage, you, Isabella, will hold a seat at our inner council with veto power."

A collective gasp rippled through the room. It was a king's ransom.

"Furthermore," Donatello continued, his voice hardening, "Angelo will swear a blood oath before Donna Sofia. Any future infidelity will be punished by Damien himself. As for the girl... she will be sent to the Silent Sisters Convent in Sicily. She will pray for her filthy soul and never leave its walls."

Genevieve let out a strangled shriek, collapsing completely.

I felt a cold knot tighten in my stomach. The offer was too good. I saw the calculating gleam return to Nonna Sofia's eyes. The Morettis were desperate to keep me, and my plan to escape this marriage was slipping through my fingers.

I opened my mouth to refuse, but before I could speak, Donna Eleonora rushed forward, her face streaked with panicked tears. "Please, Isabella! He is young, he made a mistake-"

"Shut up, Mother!"

Angelo suddenly scrambled to his feet. The crushing pressure, the terrifying fate of his mistress, and his own bruised ego had finally snapped his fragile mind. He glared at me, his face twisted into an ugly mask of pure, venomous hatred.

"I love her!" Angelo roared, pointing a shaking finger at Genevieve. "I will marry her! I would rather marry a whore who actually loves me than be tied to you!" He took a step toward me, his eyes locking onto the jagged red scar on my cheek. "You planned this, you scarred, cold-blooded bitch! I want this betrothal broken!"

The silence that followed was absolute.

Donatello let out a sound that was half-growl, half-roar. He lunged forward, his heavy fist connecting with Angelo's jaw with a sickening crunch. Angelo crashed to the floor, spitting blood.

"You are a disonore to this family!" Donatello bellowed, kicking his son in the ribs.

I stood perfectly still, watching the chaos unfold. Angelo had just handed me my freedom on a silver platter, but as I looked at the furious, calculating eyes of Nonna Caterina, I knew this war was far from over.