Chapter 2

Siena POV

Dante's massive hand remained clamped on my shoulder, his grip a brutal reminder of the power he wielded. His dark eyes searched my face, stripping away my defenses.

"You screamed Chiara and Leo's names in your sleep," his gravelly voice sliced through the heavy silence of the Master Suite. "Did they hurt you, or were you planning to do something to them?"

My heart stopped. The air in my lungs turned to ice. *Does he know?* The terrifying thought flashed through my mind. *Did he remember the underground cell? Did he come back from the future too?*

I stared into his ruthless, handsome face, searching for any flicker of shared memory. But there was only the cold, calculating suspicion of a Dark Don analyzing a potential threat. He didn't know. To him, I was just his young, fragile wife waking up from a night terror.

If I let him see the truth-the pure, venomous hatred boiling in my veins-he would lock me away in the asylum wing before dawn. In our world, a Mafia Queen plotting against the Don's bloodline was a dead woman walking.

I needed a mask. And I knew exactly which one to wear.

A violent sob tore from my throat. I lunged forward, throwing myself against his rock-hard chest. My fingers curled into the expensive silk of his pajama shirt, gripping him as if he were my only lifeline. I let my body tremble uncontrollably.

"It was a nightmare," I choked out, burying my face in the crook of his neck, letting my tears soak his skin. "They were trying to kill me, Dante. The enemies... they took Chiara and Leo. They were torturing them to get to me. I was screaming at the men to stop, to let them go!"

I felt the dangerous tension in his muscles hesitate. Slowly, the lethal predator receded, replaced by the possessive protector. His large, calloused hand moved from my shoulder to stroke my hair, his touch surprisingly gentle.

"It was just a dream, Siena," he murmured, his deep voice vibrating against my chest. "No one is touching my family. Chiara arrives tomorrow. She will be safe here under my protection. And Leo is sleeping soundly in the nursery."

"I know," I whispered, keeping my face hidden against his throat.

He held me, believing he had calmed his terrified wife. But in the darkness of his embrace, my eyes were wide open and as cold as a morgue. *Yes, she arrives tomorrow.* The viper was coming, and my treacherous son was sleeping down the hall. I felt physically sick being surrounded by the ghosts of my executioners, but I forced myself to breathe.

Hours later, the first light of dawn crept through the walk-in closet.

I sat rigidly before the vanity mirror. Gia, my personal maid and a low-ranking Associate, was brushing my hair. She had no idea that the woman sitting before her had died a gruesome death, nor did she know I remembered how she had eagerly betrayed me to serve my sister in my past life.

"It will be such a blessing to have Lady Chiara here, *mia Regina*," Gia chirped, her voice dripping with sycophantic sweetness. "She is so gentle and clever. She can help you manage the estate, and I'm sure she will be wonderful at helping to raise the young heir, little Leo."

The brush snagged in my hair. The sheer audacity of her words-echoing the exact poison that had ruined my life-made my blood roar.

I met her gaze in the mirror. My expression was dead.

"Stop."

Gia froze, the brush hovering mid-air.

"Since when does a lowly Associate dictate who raises the Don's heir?" I asked, my voice a soft, lethal whisper that made her flinch. "To speak of the Don's bloodline and family matters so casually... Are you eager to test the Omertà? Should I have the Soldiers outside drag you to the cells for questioning?"

All the color drained from Gia's face. She began to tremble violently, her eyes darting toward the door in sheer panic. I could see the gears turning in her head, likely assuming my other maid, Rosa, had poisoned my mind against her. She couldn't comprehend why her usually soft-spoken Queen was suddenly wielding her title like a loaded gun.

"F-forgive me, my Queen! I meant no disrespect!" she stammered, bowing her head submissively.

"Change the arrangements," I commanded, ignoring her terror. "Chiara will not be staying in the luxurious East Wing Guest Suite next to the nursery. Put her in the standard rooms on the outer edge of the estate. Let her remember her place."

"Yes, my Queen," Gia whispered, too terrified to question the sudden demotion of my beloved sister.

I stood up, dismissing her with a wave of my hand. I pulled a custom cashmere shawl over my shoulders, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles. It was time for the morning coffee ritual. I turned my back on the trembling maid and walked out, heading toward the East Wing to pay my respects to Elder Adeline Castillo.