He scooped me up, ignoring my thrashing, and threw me into the back seat of a black sedan. The driver tore north along dark roads until the headlights caught the base of the mountain where the chapel sat, invisible against the night sky.

"Take her up the mountain."

Two soldiers seized me by the arms, one on each side. I hauled my broken body forward, dropping to my knees and pressing my forehead to the stone with every step.

Two days without food or water, fresh from a miscarriage. I passed out and woke and passed out again along the way.

I don't remember how I obtained the blessed charm. All I know is that when I finally saw Cesare at the bottom, my legs gave out and I collapsed.

He caught me and gathered me into his arms.

"Serafina, you've suffered so much. I promise, even after I marry Sienna, you'll be the only one in my heart."

I closed my eyes slowly. Three days ago, I might have believed those words. Now they made my stomach turn.

"I got you your blessed charm. Let me go."

He ignored my plea and carried me back to the cottage.

"Serafina, don't be stubborn. The wedding is tomorrow. Sienna has agreed to let you keep living in the cottage afterward. You'll stay out of each other's way. Alright?"

Before leaving, he added one last instruction: "The Don's daughter may come to observe the ceremony tomorrow. Stay in the cottage and don't cause trouble."

Shortly after he left, my father's agents found me.

I looked in the direction he had gone, then at this little cottage in the Hudson Valley that had never truly been mine, and a quiet smile crossed my lips. My fingers drifted to the bare hollow of my throat where a locket once hung, then fell away.

I hope tomorrow, you won't regret this.

On the day of the wedding, the Delgado estate was draped in white flowers and candlelight, every room arranged for a formal alliance ceremony. Cesare stood in a tailored black suit, Sienna at his side. Capos and associates filled the chairs, the old families represented, the Commission's presence implied in the weight of the room.

They were about to begin the vows when a voice cut through from beyond the gates: "Serafina Valente. Daughter of Don Domenico Valente. Boss of Bosses."

The bouquet in Sienna's hands trembled. A smile curled at the corner of her mouth. She smoothed the front of her dress with both palms. She hadn't expected the Don's daughter to actually come.