Chapter 2 Vows And Revenge

FIVE YEARS LATER

The sound of Lena's heels clicked on the tiles as she walked to the elevator that'll take her to her office, offering a tight smile as greetings to her colleagues as she passed.

Harrison & Blake LLP law firm was one of the biggest in the country, and Lena was working there as a paralegal. As a paralegal, she was in the heart of the firm's research operations-closer to the files, the secrets, than most people could imagine. It was the perfect place to dig. But Lena wasn't here for legal work.

If someone found out what she was doing every day behind her desk she would be arrested. Already, there were too many eyes watching her. She had to be more careful.

It has been hard for her to secure a job here but she had been motivated enough and she did it. A law firm would be resourceful for gathering the information she needed.

She now went by the name ‛Selene Costa' and had changed her full appearance. Her once-long blond hair had been chopped to a sleek bob and dyed black. She wore brown contact lenses to hide her blue eyes. She no longer smiled or laughed. She only wore long-sleeved clothes to hide the scar the fire had given her. It would attract attention if people saw it and attention was the last thing she needed.

There was nothing left of Lena Santoro except her parents' rings which were now worn as a necklace around her neck. She fingered the ring now, the familiar sting in her eyes returning.

No matter how much Lena changed her identity, her love for her family remained. These five years have been the hardest for her.

By day, she gathers information at the law firm, and by night, she seeks knowledge in the underworld. Yet, despite her efforts, she still hasn't gotten any closer to uncovering the identity of her family's killers, although she does have a suspect.

There was only one Mafia family in Naples.

Lena entered her office and immediately got to work.

She opened her laptop and quickly accessed the firm's internal case database. Her heart pounded as she entered the search term.

Santoro.

The search results came up almost instantly, but they were not what she was hoping for. The first file that appeared was labeled Santoro Family - Closed Case - 2019. Her breath caught in her throat. There it was, the file she had been searching for-her family's file.

She clicked it open.

The familiar names, the familiar faces, her parents' details, her brother's, and even hers, everything she'd known as a child, now a ghost on this screen. She scanned the first few lines, trying to steady herself.

The case had been officially marked as "closed." Her parents' deaths had been ruled a random act of violence. No leads, no suspects, no witnesses. The authorities had closed it. Just like that. They were definitely in the Mafia's pocket.

Her hands trembled as she scrolled down, desperate to find something-anything-that could offer her a clue. A hint. But the deeper she went into the file, the more she realized there was nothing.

No evidence that pointed to anyone, no motive, no explanation. Just sterile legal jargon and the cold, final stamp of closure.

She stopped at a section labeled "Investigative Notes." Maybe there would be something hidden in the comments, something the authorities had missed. But as she read the final line, her heart sank.

"All leads exhausted. Case closed due to lack of evidence."

Nothing.

Lena's fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long moment, her pulse quickening. The file was sealed. No further action would be taken. The truth was locked away, and she had no way of breaking it open.

But she would continue digging for information. Her brother's last words passed through her mind like a mantra.

She was going to have to try harder.

***

Lena ordered a glass of wine as she sat on the stool, her suit jacket folded beside her, music loud in the air.

This was her favorite time of the day. A time where she could enjoy herself even though she was still working.

She was in one of the well-known bars in the underworld of crime. Every gossip here meant something. Every slip of a word.

She worked here as an informant. She gave her clients files she had stolen from the law firm and they gave her information in return.

She slowly sipped her wine as she waited for her client to arrive. They were always late. Always.

"Hello, love."

Finally. She turned to Marco and gave him a flat look.

"Yes, I know. I'm fine," he said as he sat. "You look beautiful as always."

"What do you have for me?" she said as she handed him a document.

Marco sighed. "Always straight to business. You should loosen up a little, Selene. Maybe go on a date with me."

Lena fought the urge to roll her eyes. Marco was persistent.

When she said nothing his expression turned serious. "There are talks that someone is digging up information on you."

Lena's heart sped up. "Who?"

Marco had a troubled look in his eyes. "Rafe Moretti."

Lena's breath caught in her throat.

Rafe Moretti. The ruthless mafia boss. The man at the top of her suspect list.

Lena had internationally drawn attention to herself to get the man's attention. She just didn't think it would work. It had been a wild risk. And now that she had his attention it was time for the next step.

"Be careful, Selene," Marco was saying. "Rafe Moretti is not a man you should fuck with."

She nodded and downed the rest of her wine before she picked up her jacket and stood up. "Thank you, Marco."

She left the bar and went home. Finally, she was getting somewhere.

***

Lena had been knuckled deep into her work when she got a call from her boss that she should come see him. Her heart had picked up.

You didn't go to Mr. Mancini's office expects if he wanted to promote or fire you. Lena knew she wasn't getting any promotions. And so she held her breath and walked to Mr. Mancini's office.

She knocked gently on the door and he ordered her in.

Mancini was seated behind his desk, his broad shoulders covering his chair.

He was just a few years older than Lena but she felt small in his presence. His presence was intimidating, and he wasn't the type of man you would feel comfortable with when he looked at you the way he was looking at Lena.

"Ms Costa," he greeted and pointed to the seat in front of him. "Please sit."

"I would go straight to the point so we don't waste our time here," he began, his voice calm. "I've been hearing things, Ms. Costa. Specifically, about your... extracurricular activities. Late nights, missing hours, certain files that have gone missing."

Lena's heart stopped. Her cover has been blown.