Chapter 2 Beneath the Surface

Isabella Vitale

By day, I was nothing.

No badge. No name. No family.

By night, I was Bella Rossi - the girl behind the bar who poured drinks, memorized secrets, and pretended she wasn't burning with rage every time a man like Alessandro Gerardo walked past her like a god on a throne.

A week had passed since our first exchange. He hadn't spoken to me since.

But he watched.

Not often. Not obviously. But I felt like it the occasional flicker of gray eyes across the room. The pause when he entered. The slow curl of tension in my gut when he stood too close behind me without a word.

I wasn't sure if he remembered my face... or if he was already studying how to break it.

The Gerardo empire was quiet chaos. The surface pristine. Opulent. Inferno had its own rhythm: expensive alcohol, exclusive clientele, stunning employees who knew how to smile while hiding bruises beneath silk.

But I could smell the rot underneath.

The money laundering was subtle, but it was therecoded receipts, ghost companies, cash drops in rooms guarded by men who never blinked. The weapons deals? I hadn't gotten close yet. But I was watching.

Especially his siblings.

Luca, always laughing, always flirting, but smarter than he let on. He liked me - maybe a little too much.

Matteo, the youngest. Quiet. Dangerous in the way wild dogs are dangerous. Loyal only to Alessandro.

Sofia, the only sister. Beautiful. Ice queen She didn't like me. I don't blame her.

Dante, the eldest brother after Alessandro. Calm, controlled. The family's public face. But his eyes were the coldest of them all.

Each one played a role. Each one could kill me without hesitation.

But I wasn't the same girl who buried her brother two years ago. I wasn't here to survive them. I was here to bury them.

I stepped out into the back alley during my break. The wind from the bay curled around me, heavy with salt and heat. I pressed the earpiece deeper into my ear, shielding it from the noise.

"Vitale, you're late," came the voice.

Detective Salvatore Bruno. My handler. The only one keeping my thread to the real world intact.

"I couldn't get away. The Don's been here every night."

"You get eyes on him?"

"Yes. He doesn't talk much. He watches. And he trusts no one. Not even his siblings. Especially not Sofia."

"You think they suspect?"

"Not yet. But Sofia's checking into my background. I've thrown her a few breadcrumbs to chase. It'll hold her off."

Bruno was quiet for a beat. "Be careful, Isabella. We already lost your brother to this family. I'm not losing you too."

My jaw tightened. "I'm not going anywhere. Not until I find what they buried."

Another pause. Then softer: "We pulled a digital trail on a company called Volpe Logistics. One of Alessandro's shell fronts. Weapons shipments. Heavy ones. Keep your eyes on the books."

"Copy that."

"Anything else?"

I hesitated.

"Yes," I said finally. "He looks at me."

Bruno's voice hardened. "Isabella-"

"I know what I'm doing."

"No. You think you know. You think you can control the game. But this isn't just any criminal - this is Alessandro Gerardo. If he even senses who you are-"

"He doesn't," I cut in. "Not yet. But I need to get closer if you want evidence that holds in court."

"You're not bait."

"But I am the only one inside," I snapped. "And we don't win unless I stay there."

A long silence.

Then: "Fine. Just don't get sloppy. Check in again in two nights. Same time."

I ended the call and leaned against the brick wall, letting the city swallow me for a moment.

Two years ago, I'd been the golden girl. Top of my class at the academy. Bright, proud. Whole.

Now I was lying to everyone. Wearing someone else's skin. Falling deeper into a world that chewed up women like me and spit out bones.

And worst of all?

Some nights... I didn't hate it.

Back inside, Inferno had changed.

The music was lower. The lighting had softened. VIPs were being ushered into the back room - the one I wasn't allowed near.

Then I saw him.

Alessandro, at the top of the stairs overlooking the club. Not flashy. Not loud. Just present. A man who didn't need to make an entrance - the world adjusted itself to him.

His gaze moved across the club like a blade.

And landed on me.

I held it this time. I didn't smile. Didn't flinch. I just looked back - steady, unreadable.

He nodded once. Barely perceptible. Then disappeared into the shadows behind a velvet curtain.

But something had shifted.

It wasn't attraction. Not yet.

It was curiosity. Recognition.

He saw me now. Not just as another girl in a dress.

As something... different.