Chapter 4

Isabella POV

Maria carefully took the meager bundle of Angelo's belongings, her hands still trembling as she wiped the quarry dust from my son's pale cheeks.

Before we could step toward the waiting convoy, a sharp, condescending voice cut through the heavy air.

"Such a tragedy, Miss Isabella."

I turned to see Carla, my aunt's personal maid, standing by the armored vehicles. She wore a pristine wool coat, her nose slightly wrinkled in disgust as she took in my dirt-stained clothes. She was the mouthpiece for Mrs. Moretti Senior, sent to ensure I knew exactly how far I had fallen.

"The General surrendered the Chicago ports for you," Carla continued, her tone dripping with mock pity. "A heavy price for a discarded wife. We've prepared a seat for you and the boy in the mid-convoy sedan. It's more... fitting for your current standing."

She smiled, a cruel, triumphant curve of her lips, expecting me to lower my head in shame.

I didn't blink. I didn't argue. I simply tightened my grip on Angelo's hand and walked straight past her, my boots crunching against the gravel. I bypassed the standard sedan and headed directly for the lead armored Cadillac-the vehicle reserved for the highest-ranking bloodline.

Maria, ever loyal, practically sprinted ahead to pull the heavy door open for me.

I settled into the plush leather seat, pulling Angelo onto my lap, and rolled the tinted window down halfway. Carla stood frozen in the dust, her smug expression replaced by sheer indignation.

"We're leaving," I told her, my voice devoid of any emotion. "Try to keep up."

Carla's face flushed red. "Don Lorenzo Falcone officially annulled your marriage! You have no power anymore!" she spat, desperate to claw back her dominance.

I let out a soft, dark chuckle. A piece of paper dictated by men playing at being gods meant nothing to a woman who had already seen the end of their world. I rolled the window up, shutting out her pathetic existence.

The drive back to Chicago was a silent blur of gray highways. When the imposing wrought-iron gates of the Moretti estate finally loomed into view, a heavy sense of dread washed over me.

The convoy ground to a sudden halt.

Through the windshield, I saw a sleek black sedan blocking the entrance. Standing casually by the hood was a man I recognized instantly. Leo. Damien Valenti's most trusted *Soldier*.

The blood in my veins turned to ice. In my past life, Damien's men hadn't come for Angelo today, because by this time, my son was already dead.

I shoved the car door open and stepped out, immediately pushing Angelo behind my legs to shield him.

Leo straightened, offering a polite but rigid nod. "Miss Moretti. I am here on Don Valenti's orders. I've come to take the young master, Angelo, back home."

"Home?" The word tore from my throat, laced with pure, unadulterated venom. "Damien is a monster who trades his own flesh and blood like casino chips. He threw us to the wolves, and now he wants his heir back?"

Leo frowned, stepping forward. "It is for Angelo's future, Miss. Don Valenti and Miss Ricci-"

"Do not speak her name to me," I hissed, my voice dropping to a lethal, terrifying calm. I stared into Leo's eyes, seeing the blind loyalty that would eventually destroy him. "Tell Damien if he tries to take my son, I will bleed the Valenti family's darkest secrets to the entire Chicago syndicate."

Leo stiffened, his hand instinctively twitching toward his jacket. "Miss Isabella, be reasonable. Seraphina only wants-"

"I know exactly what Seraphina wants," I interrupted, stepping closer until I could see the slight widening of his pupils. I leaned in, delivering a truth he couldn't possibly understand yet. "Soon, she will need a loyal man to handle some very dark, very bloody problems. When that time comes, Leo, you'll find the price of serving her is far higher than you can imagine."

Leo froze. The absolute, chilling certainty in my eyes struck a nerve he didn't know he had. Without a direct order from his Don to start a war on Moretti soil, he was paralyzed.

He slowly backed away, his eyes never leaving mine, and slid into his car.

I watched the Valenti vehicle reverse and speed away before I turned around. Gripping Angelo's hand tightly, I walked through the massive iron gates of my grandfather's estate. I had won the battle at the gates, but the war had just begun, and I needed to arm myself.