I kicked off my heels, leaving them on the cold marble floor. Padding into the living room, I poured myself a glass of water, watching as the liquid settled. My hands were perfectly steady.

The grand clock on the wall ticked in the hollow space. It was well past midnight.

The heavy front doors burst open. They slammed against the walls with a crash that rattled the crystal chandeliers.

Cassio strode into the room. His tailored suit jacket was gone, and his tie had been ripped open, hanging loosely around his neck. Leo trailed right behind him, his small face pale.

Cassio stopped a few feet away from me, his chest heaving. His dark eyes were devoid of warmth, stripping me down with a gaze so cold it burned. He looked at me not as his wife, but as a stranger who had trespassed on his sacred territory.

"You crossed a line, Tessa," he snarled, his voice a lethal whisper. "A line even this family cannot ignore. Your jealousy has finally gone too far."

I slowly set my glass down on the marble counter. Meeting my husband's furious stare, I kept my voice even. "I had nothing to do with that video at the gala."

Cassio didn't even blink. The muscle in his jaw clenched tight. He didn't believe a single syllable that fell from my lips; his heavy silence was a complete condemnation.

Before I could speak again, Leo ran forward. His small hands struck my legs, pushing me away.

"You're a wicked monster!" my son screamed, his voice breaking with sobs. "You made Aunt Siena run away into the dark! It's your fault!"

I looked down at my own flesh and blood. In that quiet, agonizing moment, I felt the very last thread connecting me to this family cleanly snap.

Then, Cassio's phone rang. The sharp sound sliced through the thick tension in the room.

He answered it instantly, putting it on speaker.

A rough, grating voice filled the quiet penthouse. It was Rocco-a notorious, rogue Capo from the East side. His cruel laughter echoed through the receiver.

"I have your precious Siena," Rocco taunted. "Ten million dollars, Don. That's the price to keep my mouth shut and honor the underworld code. You don't comply? I'll send her back to you in pieces."

Cassio didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second. "You'll have the money. Don't touch her."

Rocco just laughed harder, the sound wet and ugly. "Money isn't enough anymore. Bring your wife to the East Docks for the exchange. The Mafia Queen for the sweet civilian."

The line went dead.

Cassio slowly lowered the phone. He turned his deadened gaze back to me. "Get your coat," he ordered.

The drive to the East Docks was suffocating. The torrential rain beat against the armored windows of the SUV, matching the heavy, wordless dread inside. Nobody spoke a single word.

We finally arrived at the edge of the smuggling territory. The decaying docks were slick with rain and motor oil. Beyond the wooden pillars, the dark ocean crashed against the shore.

Rocco stood at the very end of the pier, flanked by five heavily armed soldiers. Siena was kneeling on the wet, rotting wood. Her hands were bound tightly behind her back, and her shoulders shook with violent sobs.

Cassio stepped out of the car into the downpour. He walked forward, the rain instantly soaking his white dress shirt.

"Let her go, Rocco!" Cassio yelled over the roaring wind. He gestured sharply, and one of his men hurled a heavy, waterlogged duffel bag onto the wooden planks. The zipper burst open, revealing thick stacks of hundred-dollar bills. "There's your ten million. Take it and walk away!"

Rocco's men greedily checked the cash. But Rocco merely sneered, shaking his head as he pressed the barrel of his gun against Siena's temple. "The money is nice, Don, but it isn't enough anymore. I want the Queen. A one-for-one trade."

Cassio froze. Slowly, he turned around, his eyes finding me where I stood by the open car door. Then, he looked at Leo, who was watching from the backseat.

"Walk forward, Tessa," my husband commanded, his voice devoid of any hesitation.

Leo rolled down the window, his small face twisted in desperation. "Go! Go save my aunt!"

I stood there, letting the rain wash over me. My husband and my son had just agreed to hand me over to a ruthless, rogue faction without missing a single beat.

Without a word, I began to walk down the pier. The icy rain plastered my hair to my face, blinding me, but I kept my spine straight. I walked right past Cassio.

The moment I was close enough, Rocco grabbed my arm, yanking me forward by the collar. In the exact same fluid motion, he shoved Siena forward like a discarded ragdoll. She stumbled wildly across the slick planks toward Cassio. Rocco's men instantly seized me, dragging me roughly toward the edge of the idling smuggling boat.

I turned my head to look back at the pier one last time.

Cassio had lunged forward to catch Siena. He was entirely focused on her. He was hurriedly wrapping his dry, warm coat around her shivering shoulders, his hands gently checking her pale face for bruises. He didn't look back at me. Not even once.

In that freezing rain, I finally realized my absolute worthlessness to the men I loved. I was never a wife. I was never a mother. I was merely a blood bank. A convenient shield. A disposable bargaining chip.

I looked down at the freezing, black ocean churning below the edge of the boat.

The underground extractor had promised me a flawless fake death in two weeks. Looking down, I saw only the churning, grey-black foam along the ship's hull and the muffled roar of the propeller churning the water. I decided to change the schedule.

With a sudden, sharp jerk, I ripped my arm out of the soldier's shocked grip.

Before they could react, I stepped backward off the edge of the boat. And I let the dark, freezing water swallow me whole.

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Chapter 6

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