THE MAFIA BOSS'S BROKEN VOWS

The revelation sucked the air from the room.

I pressed my back against the wall, my hand covering my mouth. Marcus Bellini wasn't just a wealthy real estate developer from New York. He was a Falcone. He had changed his name, buried his past, and inserted his daughter into Luca's life like a poison slipped into a drink.

Luca didn't flinch. He just looked from Marcus to Vanessa.

"A long con," Luca murmured. "Years of dinners. Charity galas. Board meetings. Just to get your daughter a ring on her finger so you could inherit my empire as my father-in-law."

"It was business, son," Marcus said smoothly. He glanced at Adrian. "Though the weak link here was obviously the adulterer. We needed someone inside your security detail for the wedding. Adrian was so easily compromised."

Allison stood up slowly. She placed the crayon drawing on the table and smoothed it out with quiet, terrifying precision.

"Where is the boy?" Allison asked.

Marcus looked at her, amused. "Excuse me?"

"Adrian's son," Allison said, her voice dropping to a low, venomous octave I hadn't heard before. "Where are you keeping him?"

"In a safe house. He'll be released once the wedding concludes. Or, well, once Luca's funeral concludes." Marcus smiled. "But since the element of surprise is gone, I suppose we'll just have to finish this tonight."

Marcus reached into his jacket.

Instinct took over. I didn't think about my mother’s medical bills or my job. I thought about the heavy silver serving tray still gripped in my hands.

As Marcus pulled the dark steel of a handgun from his coat, I lunged forward and swung the tray with everything I had. It connected with his wrist with a sickening crack.

The gun clattered across the hardwood floor.

Luca moved instantly. In a blur of motion, he had Marcus pinned against the wall, his forearm pressed mercilessly against the older man's throat.

Vanessa screamed and lunged for the gun.

But a high heel slammed down on her wrist.

Vanessa shrieked, looking up to see Allison standing over her, her eyes blazing with a cold, absolute fury. Allison kicked the gun away, out of Vanessa's reach.

"You ruined my marriage," Allison said, her voice shaking with adrenaline. "You degraded me in front of thirty people. But you are not going to murder a five-year-old boy."

Luca held Marcus tight against the wall. "Emily, call my security team. The red button under the head of the table."

I scrambled to the table, found the hidden button, and pressed it. Alarms didn't ring, but I knew silent alerts were flashing across the estate.

Luca looked back at Marcus. "You made one mistake, Marcus."

"Oh?" Marcus wheezed. "And what's that?"

Luca reached into Marcus's coat pocket and pulled out the older man's cell phone.

"You brought the device that controls your men right into my house. And now, you're going to tell them to bring the boy here."

Marcus laughed, spitting blood onto the collar of his shirt. "You think my men will listen to a text? They need voice confirmation. And I'll die before I make that call."

"You won't make the call," Luca said quietly.