Chapter 2 raw fury

Isabella POV

"I am not defying you, Don Luciano," I said, keeping my voice steady despite the terrifying weight of his glare. "I am protecting the honor of your original decree."

Luciano's eyes narrowed, a silent warning that I was treading on thin ice.

"Leo Gallo intends to parade his mistress, Angelica Russo, as the true head of his household," I continued, the words tasting like ash but necessary for my survival. "He plans to publicly dishonor me, and by extension, the Don who arranged the union. To marry him now would be a stain on both the Falcone and Moretti names. Marrying your eldest son-a man of true royal blood-is the only way to salvage that honor."

"Luciano, please," Gabriella Moretti suddenly spoke, her voice trembling with a mother's fierce desperation. She stepped forward, her hands clasped. "She is offering Damien a loyal wife. A chance to rebuild. The other families whisper that our son is a lost cause. Let this girl prove them wrong."

The Don stared at his wife, his jaw clenching at her emotional outburst, before his cold, calculating gaze snapped back to me. He saw the political advantage instantly. By tying the last Falcone to his crippled son, he secured my family's lucrative Brooklyn docks without rewarding the arrogant Leo Gallo.

"You wish to tie your fate to a useless man, Isabella?" Luciano sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Fine. The decree is made. You will marry Damien. But know this-when you drown in the mess you have chosen, do not expect me to mourn at your funeral."

"Thank you, Don Luciano," I murmured, bowing my head to hide the dangerous spark of triumph in my eyes.

By the time I returned to the Falcone estate, the rain had stopped, leaving behind a bitter, biting chill. The moment I stepped into the overgrown courtyard, I knew something was wrong.

Guido, the loyal old Soldier who had served my father for decades, was pacing the cobblestones, his hand resting dangerously on the grip of his holstered pistol. Beside him, Chelsea was wringing her apron, her face flushed with indignation.

At their feet sat two small crates wrapped in cheap, gaudy pink silk.

"What is this?" I asked, my blood running cold.

"A gift from Mrs. Gallo," Guido spat, his voice shaking with raw fury. "A mistress's dowry. They sent it to mock you, *Signorina*. To tell the world that a Falcone without a powerful husband is nothing but a whore. Give me the word, and I will go to their townhouse and demand satisfaction in blood."

I stared at the pathetic pink silk. The Gallos thought I was broken. They thought I was a powerless orphan they could humiliate before stealing my inheritance.

"No, Guido," I said, my voice eerily calm.

"But *Signorina*-"

"Take them inside and store them," I ordered, my eyes locking onto the old Soldier's. "On the day Leo Gallo marries his precious Angelica, we will have these crates returned to them. Delivered by a brass band, for all of New York's Five Families to see."

Guido paused, the anger in his eyes slowly shifting into a dark, understanding respect. He nodded once and picked up the crates.

I walked past them and entered the shadowed study. Luca was still curled in the leather armchair beneath our father's portrait. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the hardest part of my plan.

"In ten days," I announced to the room, "I am marrying Damien Moretti."

Chelsea gasped, dropping the silver tray she had been holding. Luca let out a terrified sob and scrambled toward me, burying his face in my skirt.

"No, Bella! Please!" Luca cried, his small frame shaking. "He's a monster! They say he's going to die!"

I dropped to my knees, ignoring the dampness of my dress, and took his face in my hands. "Listen to me, *mio piccolo leone* (my little lion)," I whispered fiercely, forcing him to look into my eyes. "I will not die. I swear it on our parents' graves. I will live, and I will thrive, and I will hold our enemies at bay until you are old enough to take your rightful place as the head of this family."

I stood up and turned to Guido and Chelsea. "Until the Don makes the announcement, absolute Omertà. If the Gallos learn I am taking the docks to the Morettis, they will try to slaughter us before the wedding."

I smoothed down my mourning dress, my mind already calculating the next move. "Tomorrow, we go to the tailor shop on Fifth Avenue. Luca needs a new suit for the wedding, and we must show the city that the Falcones are not hiding in the shadows."