The fawning praises of Nico and Ginevra as the perfect golden couple echoed clearly in my ears. Nico's gaze swept over me without a hint of recognition. I felt like nothing more than an insignificant stranger.
Staring at the man I had loved for five years, I finally understood why my parents always said my judgment was lacking. Turns out, they were right. I had been utterly blind.
I never realized Ginevra, Nico's ever-loyal personal courier, had been in a relationship with him all along.
As the daughter of Don Aurelio Ferrante, my blindness didn't necessarily prove my incapability to move in the old blood circles. No matter what, I had the power to lift him to the top and I could just as easily send him crashing down from the heights.
Clutching the resignation letter in my hand, I turned to leave this suffocating place. You don't leave the Family. But I was never truly part of his.
However, just as I took my first step, Salvatore Vecchio stepped in front of me, a fake smile plastered on his face.
"Rosalia, there's no need to rush off so soon."
He adjusted his glasses, his tone carrying an undeniable firmness. "The outfit has rules. Before you walk out of here, you sign a statement declaring that everything you did during your time with us has no connection to the crew. You'll also sign an Omertà pact. Just to make sure you don't use what you know to poach our contacts and our arrangements once you're on the outside."
Not long ago, everyone in the social club knew me as Nico's promised woman. With my ability to secure high-profile connections and broker arrangements with the other families, I was treated with nothing but the best hospitality. Sal was especially eager to involve me in his dealings. He would bow his head and sweetly address me as "Signora Bracciale." That was in the past though. Now, he looked down at me with a self-satisfied smirk, as if belittling me could somehow restore his own sense of superiority.
I took in his pathetic display and said coldly, "A statement? An Omertà pact? What makes you think I'd ever sign them?"
Sal's smile vanished in an instant, his tone turning sharp. "Why? Because of your dirty little schemes! The crew has already shown you mercy by not making this worse. Don't mistake kindness for weakness."