Nico snatched my phone without warning. His fingers swiped furiously, hunting for proof of my so-called betrayal. Then he stopped.
He went stiff as he stared at a close-up selfie of me and my brother. A second later, his fury erupted like a storm.
"Rosalia, how wonderful. The evidence is right here. What excuse do you have now?"
"I told you, he's my brother! Give me back my phone!" I continued to protest. "This is theft! Slander! A complete violation of my privacy!"
Nico raised his hand and struck me across the face. The sharp sting spread instantly, but before I could react, he lifted my phone and smashed it against the ground with brutal force. The screen shattered on impact, shards of glass scattering across the marble floor of the social club's back room.
I clutched my burning cheek, fury surging through me as I lunged at him. But before I could get my hands on him, two of his soldiers restrained me once more.
Nico was provoked by my reaction, his expression dropping to an icy sneer.
"Rosalia, don't act all innocent. Do you really think you could've achieved those glorious accomplishments without spreading your legs? And don't even try to tell me you did it for me. That's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard."
I lifted my gaze to meet his, disappointment washing over me like a tidal wave.
"Nico, do you really have to humiliate me like this?"
He chuckled, slow and mocking. "Humiliate you? Do you think you even deserve that much?"
Faced with his cruelty and baseless accusations, a lump of frustration and rage formed in my chest.
"Fine. Since you refuse to listen to reason, let's have the Feds settle this. We'll see who's really indecent here. You, with your slander, or me, with my so-called sins."
"The Feds?" He took a slow step toward me, eyes glinting with disdain. His hand went to his tie, smoothing it with a flat palm from knot to sternum. "Do you really think you still have a chance? You may not care about your reputation, but I sure as hell care about mine."
"I'm so glad we were only promised and never bound by oath, because you would've been the biggest disgrace of my life."
I stared at the shattered phone on the floor and at that moment, the fury burning inside me finally erupted.
"Nico, after what you've done to me, you can forget about your blood-oath ceremony tomorrow!" Laughter exploded around the room.
"Rosalia, have you lost your mind?" Ginevra clutched her stomach, doubling over with laughter.
"Who do you think you are? Do you really believe you have the power to stop the ceremony before the Commission?" Nico smirked, his voice dripping with mockery.
"You think you're La Regina or something? Like a single word from you could sink my recognition before the Five Families?"
I lifted my head and locked eyes with him, unwavering. Then I stated with firmness, "That's exactly who I am. And the man in those photos? That's my brother. Cristiano Ferrante."
The laughter only grew louder.
"Rosalia, have you completely lost your mind?" Sal Vecchio laughed so hard he slapped the table, his tongue darting across his lower lip.
"If you're La Regina, then I must be Don Aurelio Ferrante himself, head of the Ferrante Empire!"
"That's right! That's right!" Others quickly joined in, treating me like a joke.
"If you're La Regina, we'll eat shit right in front of you!"
I swept my gaze over them, my lips curling into a slow, scornful smile. "Aurelio Ferrante is my father, not some ignorant fools like you."
Their laughter faltered for half a second, but I wasn't done. "You don't believe me? Of course you don't. Trash like you, who do nothing but spew garbage and blindly follow the crowd, must be used to eating shit every day."
My words struck a nerve and the room erupted in fury.
"Believe you? Believe that you're nothing but a whore who slept her way to the top?" The crowd's laughter swelled, the back room descending into chaos, their ridicule ringing off the paneled walls.
Nico shook his head, looking at me with a mix of pity and disgust, his tone dripping with contempt. "Rosalia, stop making a fool of yourself and get the hell out. You're contaminating my space. Don't you ever dare associate yourself with me again."
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug deep into my palms. The fury inside me was suffocating, threatening to consume me whole. But I knew. Now was not the right time to lose control.
"Fine. I'll leave."
I took one last look at them, my voice steady and sharp. "But remember this. The humiliation you gave me today? I'll return it a hundredfold."
Laughter erupted around the room.
"Payback? Seriously?"
Ginevra clung to Nico's arm, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Her fingertips touched the hollow of her throat. "Rosalia, have you been watching too many soap operas? Talking about payback like you're some kind of main character with plot armor?"
Nico smirked and waved me off like a beggar on the street. "Enough with the tragic act. Get out of here and stop wasting our time. We've got a celebration to enjoy."
I gave him one last look before turning on my heel and walking away. Behind me, the laughter and insults kept coming, but I didn't care anymore.
Outside the social club, the night air hit my face like cold water. I bought a new phone from a corner store two blocks into neutral territory and dialed a number.
"Before the Commission convenes tomorrow, I want Nico ruined."
There was a brief silence on the other end before a deep voice responded. "Understood, Miss Ferrante."
I hung up, glanced up at the night sky, and let a slow, cold smile spread across my lips.
I turned my mother's gold signet ring once, slow and deliberate, the crest pressing into my palm.
Nico, you thought you'd won? Too bad. The real game was just starting. Since you showed me no mercy, don't expect any in return.
