Chapter 5

Isabella POV

The half-hour cab ride to the Moretti Estate gave my adrenaline just enough time to cool into something far more dangerous: absolute clarity. When the vehicle finally rolled to a stop before the towering wrought-iron gates, the heavy metal 'M' looming overhead felt less like a warning and more like a challenge.

I stepped out of the cab, the crisp morning air biting at the ruined, blood-stained fabric of my wedding dress. A guard-an Associate I recognized vaguely as Marco-approached the gate. He looked me up and down, a disrespectful, mocking glint in his eyes as he played dumb.

"State your business. We don't take unannounced visitors."

He knew exactly who I was. Dahlia had clearly paid him well to test my limits, to humiliate the new Mafia Lady before she even stepped foot on the property. I didn't have the patience for a pawn's games.

I walked right up to the iron bars, my eyes locking onto his with dead, icy precision.

"You have three seconds to open this gate before I open your throat," I said, my voice perfectly calm but laced with pure, unadulterated malice. "Julian can scrape what's left of you off his driveway. Your choice."

The mocking glint vanished. The blood drained from Marco's face as the sheer, suffocating weight of my threat hit him. His hand scrambled for the control panel, and the heavy gates began to part with a mechanical groan.

I paid the driver, grabbed my small overnight bag, and walked through the entrance. Behind me, I caught the hushed, frantic whisper of Marco speaking to his silent partner, Leo.

"...Miss Vance's orders were to make her wait..."

I stopped dead in my tracks. Slowly, I turned around. I didn't look at the trembling Marco. I fixed my gaze on Leo, my voice carrying the unmistakable, absolute authority of a Don.

"Let me be clear," I said, treating it like a lesson in basic survival. "There is no 'Miss Vance' with authority here. There is only Mrs. Moretti. Me."

I let the silence stretch for a fraction of a second before my eyes snapped to Marco like a physical blow. "A back-alley whore doesn't give orders in this house. She enters through the service entrance, if she's lucky. Remember that, if you value your position... and your tongue."

Marco swallowed hard, his eyes darting away before he practically sprinted off toward the perimeter-no doubt to warn Dahlia that her little stunt had failed. Leo, however, simply lowered his head in a deep, respectful bow.

I turned my back on them and made my way into the sprawling mansion, navigating the labyrinthine halls until I reached the Lady's Wing. The suite was massive, decorated in expensive, soulless Italian antiques. It was a gilded cage, smelling faintly of lemon polish and cold wealth.

In the corner, my loyal maid Elena was clutching my suitcase, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. Standing over her, polishing a silver vase with a cruel sneer, was Sofia-one of Caterina's favorite spies.

"Tears won't help you in this house, little girl," Sofia mocked, her voice dripping with venom. "This isn't the Rossi's broken-down estate."

I stepped fully into the room. Sofia jumped, her sneer faltering as she took in my cold expression.

"Lady Caterina sent me to take care of you," she stammered, trying to summon a false sense of authority. "She was worried..."

"Caterina's authority ends at the gate," I cut her off smoothly. I walked toward her, forcing her to step back. "In this house, I decide who takes care of me. And I've decided your service is no longer required. You have one hour to pack. If I see your face after that, the family's Enforcers will escort you out. I doubt you'll enjoy the ride."

The mention of the Enforcers stripped away whatever bravado Sofia had left. The weak, submissive Isabella she thought she knew was dead. She dropped the polishing cloth, her face ashen, and scrambled out of the suite without another word.

I watched her flee, knowing this was only the first layer of the rot. I turned to Elena, who was staring at me with wide, tear-filled eyes.

"Dry your tears, Elena," I said gently, though my mind was already racing ahead.

Sofia was gone, but the estate's head housekeeper would undoubtedly be the next to test my boundaries on Dahlia's behalf. I needed to secure this house, and more importantly, I needed to secure my leverage. As soon as I dealt with the staff, I had to get down to the estate's vault to inspect the dowry my father had supposedly transferred.