The night passed in a blur when I finally reopened my eyes in the cold hospital.
My hand moved before my mind could stop it, trembling as it reached for my stomach.
Flat. Hollow… empty.
My daughter was gone.
They didn't ask if I wanted to see her one last time as I was handed her mortal remains. They knew better.
I buried her myself.
No Catholic rites. No prayers were spoken as I lowered her to the ground, my hands trembling as I laid fresh roses on her grave. No priest. No candle. No one from the Family standing witness. Just me and the cold earth and a box so small it fit in my palms.
This should have been me, baby, if only I could exchange my life for yours.
The nameplate read: Mira.
"There wasn't a moment Mom didn't love you, baby," I whispered, bidding my farewell.
At least now she wouldn't be hurt again and again. Wouldn't suffer as her father tried to smother her breath before she ever drew one.
My phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
I didn't answer until the third time.
Carmela's voice came through elated and mocking.
"It's done," my mother-in-law said. "The northern territories are now under your name as agreed. You have what you wanted. From this moment on, disappear."
She paused as though savoring good news.
"My dear daughter-in-law, Serafina, also brought me good news. The Family's deal on the Southern Shipping Route is about to be finalized."
There was pride in her voice now.
"With her by his side, my son will soon control the most profitable smuggling corridor on the Eastern Seaboard."
She paused, rubbing the words in my face.
"Don't cling to the Graystone Family anymore. You have no husband. No title. No place here. After Nico marries Serafina today, no one will even remember you."
The line went dead.
She believed Serafina's deal on the Southern Shipping Route was set in stone, thinking she could still look down on me and taunt me just as she always had. She mocked my uselessness, she mocked the fact that I had no crew, no soldiers, no protection of my own.
But soon, her arrogance will be stripped away.
The shipping deal is about to be scrapped, and I, the unprotected girl she once held in utter contempt, can feel the power inside me slowly beginning to surface. My own network. My own name spoken in rooms I was never supposed to enter.
Smile and celebrate all you want. I will push you all to the point of no return.
I looked down at Mira's grave, my fingers tightening around the roses until the thorns bit into my skin.
A tear slipped free, silent and burning.
"Sleep, my love," I whispered. "Since this Family failed you… I will reduce it to ash."
I stayed there a long time after the call ended, until the sky dimmed and the wind carried the scent of damp earth over my daughter's grave.
Only then did I turn away.
I went back to the Graystone estate and gathered my things in silence. The household staff watched but dared not stop me. The soldiers posted at the hall entrance looked at the floor as I passed.
The sparkling black dress laid on the bed for me was the first thing I threw into the fireplace. I watched the fire take all of it. The silk curled and blackened, and the last version of myself that knew how to love and forgive burned with it.
It was at that moment a string of messages beeped on my phone.
[Nico: Be at the ceremonial hall by 7 PM.]
[Nico: You don't need to worry. Everything has been arranged.]
[Nico: If you cooperate tonight, I will make sure you aren't treated unfairly.]
[Nico: You should learn to be sensible, Bianca. This is the best outcome for everyone. Don't make things difficult. I will still take responsibility for you.]
I stared at the screen until the words blurred before taking out the SIM card and throwing it into the trash.
Then I closed my eyes.
The hidden phone Dominic had given me pressed against my ribs where I'd kept it, warm against my skin. No longer distant. No longer something I could hold at arm's length.
Dominic.
I didn't fight it this time.
I accepted.
The pull was instant, overwhelming. The world tilted as I felt the weight of what it meant to be claimed by the most powerful Don on the Eastern Seaboard seep into my bones.
Before I left, I handed a sealed envelope to the driver waiting at the entrance to take me to the wedding.
"Deliver this to Nico Graystone," I said calmly. "Tell him it's my sweet wedding gift to him."
It contained proof of the child he killed and the empire he thought he still owned.
He will soon find out that the daughter he once longed for most was killed by his own hands.
When I stepped outside, Dominic stood beneath the fading sky, his tall frame still radiating the controlled violence of a man who had just come from something bloody. Fresh scars traced his arms and collarbone, blood barely dried at his temple. His soldiers flanked the car behind him, but none of them mattered. His gaze dropped immediately to my stomach, and something dark and furious crossed his face.
"I will cancel everything," he said without hesitation. "The wedding. No one will touch you. You need time—"
"No. The wedding will be tonight. My daughter is waiting for me to avenge her."
With that I got into the car, the Graystone estate blurring behind my vision.
Now, the tables have turned. It's time for Nico and Serafina to suffer.
